accessibility-telephone about csr Virgin Media

Special Needs - Text Phone

Customers who are profoundly deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired will find our text phone service very useful. Plus, if you register as Text Phone owner, you will automatically qualify for our Text Phone user allowance.

Here's how it works

Using a Text Phone

• Text Phone users dial the number of the person they want to contact with the prefix 18001.
• If the person they are contacting has a Text Phone the call will be connected and both parties will type their conversation to each other.
• If the person they are contacting is a hearing person and does not have a Text Phone, an operator comes onto the call and will explain to the hearing person what is happening.
• The operator then relays the typed conversation from the Text Phone user to the hearing person and types whatever the hearing person says to the Text Phone user.

Calling a Text Phone

• Similarly, a hearing person can dial a Text Phone user’s number with the prefix 18002 from an ordinary phone.
• The call is connected to the Text Phone and the operator comes on to the call. The hearing person will tell the operator what to type for the Text Phone user.
• The operator then relays what the Text Phone user has typed to the hearing person.

Same great rates

There is no additional charge for using the Text Phone service. Text Phone users simply pay for the calls they make at the standard rates. What's more, if Text Phone users would like to contact other Text Phone users without operator intervention (i.e., by Text-to-Text communications) - they can, simply by dialling 180015 before they dial the number of the person they wish to contact.

Help is at hand

• Need to talk to our team? We’ve just installed Text Phone equipment in all of our Call Centres. So if you have a Text Phone, simply call them on: 0800 052 9735.
• To call emergency services from a Text Phone, simply dial 18000.

Special Needs - Free Directory Enquiries

Have difficulty holding or reading the standard printed telephone book? Then you can dial 195 and use a Directory Enquiry service, free of charge.

Setting up the service

• Simply call 0121 623 6320 to set the service up.
• The service is provided by Cable & Wireless, so when you call this number, tell them that you’re a Virgin Media customer and you’d like to receive a form for the Free Directory Enquiries service.
• A form will be sent to your home address for you to fill in and send back to Cable & Wireless.
• Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a personal identification number (PIN) to use this service.

Using the service

To use the 195 service, simply dial 195 and give the operator your PIN. You can make up to 10 calls to Free Directory Assistance per day.

Oh, and just to let you know, it’s important to remember to keep your PIN confidential. If the 195 service is abused your registration could be cancelled. If you think someone has your PIN and is abusing the service, please contact Virgin Media Customer Services immediately.

Special Needs - Fault Priority

If you rely heavily on the use of your telephone (for example, if you’re housebound or extremely ill) you could be eligible for the Fault Priority Service. This service only applies to telephone faults that render the line inoperable or faults that make it difficult to receive or make calls.

Please ensure that you tick the box on the Registration Form within the Special Needs Welcome Pack if you require this service.

Special Needs - Equipment

We can provide a range of equipment for customers with special needs that can be either rented on a monthly basis or purchased outright. Take a look below.

Equipment	Monthly Rental	Purchase Cost
Standard telephone handset	£1 per month	£25
Large button telephone	£1 per month	n/a
Extension Ringer - this ensures that a telephone extension rings as loudly as the main telephone. Comes with a jack plug which allows you to connect an ansaphone and a telephone to the same telephone point.	£1 per month	£25 for all 3

All prices include VAT

Please note that regional variations may apply to services offered.

How to register for Additional Needs Services

Simply contact our customer services. They’ll send you a form to fill in, and away you go.

Filling in the form

1. Name and address

Enter your full name and address. Remember to include your postcode.

2. Got a Virgin Media account number?

If you’re already with Virgin Media, you’ll find your account number on the front page of your bill. If you haven’t joined us yet, just leave this bit blank.

3. Preferred Password

Enter a password of your choice. It should be no more than 16 characters long. It can be numbers or letters or a mixture of both. It’s a good idea to use a password that will be familiar to you and easy to remember. We’ll ask you for this if you ever need to contact the team or update your account. Please keep this password private and only give it out to family and friends who may need to contact us on your behalf, and who have your permission to discuss your account.

4. Can we give this password to members of the Virgin Media team visiting your home?

If you have a fault or upgrade, an engineer from Virgin Media may need to visit your home. For your security, we can share your password with our engineers. That way when they come round, you can ask them for the password to be sure that they are a legitimate engineer. If you’re happy for us to share this, tick ‘Yes’.

5. Let us know why you need additional services

That way we can look after you better. If you’re registered as disabled, we’ll need proof of your registration number. If you’re not registered as disabled, but rely heavily on the use of your telephone, please give us a brief explanation of what your additional requirements are. We’ll need you to provide some proof of your disability / illness, too. Once we have this, our team can assess your eligibility for additional services, and make sure you get all the services you need.

6. Are you a text phone owner?

Simply tick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to confirm whether or not you are a text phone user. If you tick yes, please enter the equipment registration card number and the serial number of your Text Phone in the spaces provided on the form. These details can be found on your phone. This information will establish you as a text phone owner, and therefore eligible for qualifying discounts.

7. Which Virgin Media services would you like?

In this section you need to tick the boxes next to the services you require. You can tick as many boxes as you want. If you tick the box for the Protected Service Arrangement, you will also need to complete the Protected Service Arrangement form enclosed at the back of this guide.

Remember

Before you send the form to Virgin Media, please ensure that you have signed and dated the relevant area.

Need any extra help along the way? Just give our team a call.

Thursday 8 Feb 2007