As a visually impaired I often need to get things from my providers (Powers, water, Housing, credit card /bank statements, etc) in large print. So I thought I would call VM CS & ask if they did the instruction book in large print as I was partially sighted & could not read it without a magnifier. She said I could. I thought it was great. She said she would have to go through the process & asked me to bare with her.

She asked me where I would like it, I was a little confused. I said I wanted it delivered to my house. She asked "Which room would it be going in?" I thought this was a little strange, but I said it would be in the living room. She then asked me where my current one was, & I said this was in the kitchen, but usually in the living room. She said I could not have 2 in the living room. That I needed to have it installed in another room. I asked her why could I not put the book where I have my TiVo box. To which she replied "You can only have one per room." At this point I was not happy at this, but agreed to place it in my kitchen. She then said she would arrange a day for the engineer to install it. I asked her why she could not just post it, after all it would not be that large & it was only an instruction book. She said that it needed to be installed by an engineer.

She set a date about a month from now, & then told me how much I would pay for it. "How much?" I said in complete disbelief. "You are going to charge me "49.95 to give me an instruction book with large print on it?" She said that was the special offer price. I told her I had never heard anything so absurd. "Are you telling me because I am disabled & a loyal customer of Virgin Media you are going to charge me to be able to read a booklet that should be available to us for free?" I went on to say that I could get a second 1GB TiVo box for that. This was the point at which it dawned on me. I think you have guessed well before I did. She was not arranging a large print instruction book for me, but a second TiVo box.

I then spent another 10 minutes explaining again what I was asking. "Book," I said, "A B-O-O-K, An instruction book, NOT a TiVo box. The B-O-O-K that comes with the TiVo box that tells you how to use it." I was about to ask to speak to her superior when she finally got it. "No, you cannot have a large print book, but I can send it via email." "I can get it online, I am not always online when I am watching telly" I said to her. She then spent 5 minutes telling me I could enlarge that print on my PC, after telling her I wanted it for when I was not online & why. So I politely thanked her for her help (I am so British, lol!). At this point the reminded me when they would come to install my TiVo box. I was flabbergasted. I then had to spend another 10 minutes cancelling this & explaining why I was doing so. During this time she was telling me that if I got the box now I would get it for half price. I reminded her I had never asked for a second box, she has misunderstood in a big way. I dare not mention the B word for fear I would get a third box.

It was cancelled, I asked her to confirm this there & to confirm this by email. As it ended she than asked me "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" I literally burst out laughing. Now I am a polite man, I think people who help me, I make a point of that, but she had not helped me at all so the irony was not lost on me, but was on her. I am not sure how she misunderstood as the first words I said where "You know the instruction book that comes with the TiVo box, does it come in large print?" before explaining why I needed it.