Technology | Family | Elderly
Virgin Media’s Latest TV 360 Box Is Not Ideal For My Elderly In-Laws
Replacing obsolete equipment often brings changes people do not want or need
--
The story of how I spent part of my afternoon today.
TV problems
A couple of weeks ago, when I visited my late wife’s parents, their TV service was not working. It took about 15 minutes of power cycling and waiting before it sprang into life again.
They told me it wasn’t the first time it had played up. So, given that they had a very old TiVo box, I suggested they ask their provider for a newer one.
My mother-in-law is a frail 81-year-old with MS and other health problems, so after she phoned Virgin Media, she quickly passed the phone over to me.
The security questions were a nightmare and they kept asking to speak to my mother-in-law again. Eventually, we got past the security stage.
I told Virgin Media how old and unreliable their TV box was, and how my in-laws were long overdue for a replacement one. Much to my annoyance, they did not want to send out a new box without first running all kinds of tests.
I pointed out how my in-laws had been paying every month for years without asking for a single thing. Finally, Virgin Media checked their records, found the TV box was obsolete, and agreed to issue something newer.
We were put through to another team who started asking all the same security questions. When I interrupted and said we’d just done all that, he said, “Oh yes, I can see you have.”
I managed to get them to waive the fees and the increased monthly cost of the newer box. At some point, I found myself agreeing to install it.
Installation day
Today, I visited my in-laws and installed their new TV 360 box. A new Wi-Fi router/hub was included in the package, and I installed that as well.
It took a while to clean the area behind the TV. But, eventually, I got everything connected.
My mother-in-law’s GP turned up in the middle of it all — the same doctor I saw…
