madrob
19-12-2006, 21:46
That's the only word I can describe for NTL I'm afraid - shambolic!.
Moved house at end of Nov. Signed up for NTL on net about a week before that (phone and free TV package)- got confirmation code etc - NTL will ring you within 48 hours. They didn't. So I rang them and they said the internet sign up had failed as the current owner of the house had NTL and their internet system couldn't cope with it. But they could sign me up now, however now it was a telephone order so I would not qualify for the free Virgin Motorola PAYG phone offered on the net deal. Wasn't happy about it so the guy said it was manchester who deal with it and he would get them to ring me. Installation date was set for 15 Dec between 1 and 6.
After we moved in I rang them again about the mobile and was again told someone from manchester would ring me. They didn't.
Then by chance picked up the phone week before last and there was a dial tone. Strange I thought, so I rang the old number from my mobile, sure enough the phone rang. (NTL said it would be a new number). Rang NTL to let them know it was still connected. 'Don't worry' they said, 'will all be ok on installation day'. Rang them later in the week regarding the installation time and again mentioned the phone line still connected as wasn't convinced by the first person's answer. The girl looked into the account and found that they hadn't cancelled the previous owners line but instead transferred my name onto his account. So, she sorted that out, but don't worry - wont affect installation.
Last friday comes (day of install) rang up in the morning to make sure it was all ok. While I was on, chased this free mobile phone. 'Ooh, not my department, I 'll have to pass you on to a colleague'. 'Hello, not my department, I don't deal with derby, I'll pass you on to my colleague'. 'Hello, you need to ring virgin on.....'. Rang virgin, they said nothing to do with them, and were fed up with NTL getting everyone to ring them. Rang NTL again, 'not virgin, ah, I'll put you through to another dept'.......on hold music....'welcome to Virgin Mobile' said the message then click...brrr - cut off. Rang NTL again, look stop putting me through to Virgin - they say it's nothing to do with them.....'ah well they have two different departments one for NTL offers, I'll put you through'. 'Hello Virgin Mobile, sorry that's an NTL offer, nothing to do with us.'. Rang NTL (Fifth time that day). Can you put me through to a supervisor please. Talked to him and he said he didn't know but would ring me back with an answer by tuesday (gave his name and ext number).
Meanwhile friday afternoon, engineer turned up to install ( I wasn't home). Installed TV but had no order for phone. Wife on hold to NTL for 1 hour. 'Ah yes well we have merged with Telewest you see and Telewest leave the line connected if the line is OK, whereas NTL disconnect and give new customer new number'. Well I want a new number - haven't waited for two weeks for nothing!. 'Well that will be 48 hours.' can you ring me please telling me the new number when it is sorted then please. 'OK then, tuesday at latest'. Haven't heard a thing.
Meanwhile TV is installed but installation says 'card not paired'. ~Installer reckoned it would be on within 4 hours. Left it all weekend occasionally powering off and on. Nothing.
Rang NTL today, can you put me through to XXXXX (the supervisor regarding the mobile), 'do you know what department he is in?' err well no, he's a supervisor his extension is XXX. 'I can't put you through to extensions'. Well why give it then?. 'Well it's a form of identifiaction, I can send him an email to get him to ring you though...'. Ok then, what about my telephone, have rung it earlier an is still connected to old number 'IT were passed it yesterday and have 48 hours'. OK then.
Get home, think I may as well ring the faults line about the TV. 'You may be waiting 10 minutes'.....25 minutes later 'Hi there...blah blah blah...ah yes well if you hold the down button while cycling the power it goes into a special menu' err no it doesnt....'hmm what does it do?' says LD14.'Ooh...can you hold for me' ok,'I'll send some test signals'. 'Anything happen?' No. 'Oh, I'll have to call you out an engineer, friday OK?' No - away for xmas 'well haven't started booking work for new year, you'll have to ring back'. <Resigned sigh>...ok then...bye. Then looked on this forum - press up and down and cycle power for engineer menu - ah!! works. Right then - smart card not paired. Hmm, back on to NTL 'may be waiting 20 minutes'.....35 minutes later 'Hi there...blah blah blah...' right then, can you read me the smart card number'..yeah it's XXXXXXX, 'ah that's not the number we have for you. Can you read the STB number'...yeah it's XXXXXX 'Hmm the two don't match, I'll have to pass it over to our somethingorother team, they'll get back to you within 48 hours..' bye. Right then, I'm going to find out how to make a formal complaint about this. Ring NTL, 'I'm sorry, we are very busy, please try again later' click Brr....cut off!!. Try again..
'I'm sorry, we are very busy, please try again later' click Brr.....
7:30 ring again 'I'm sorry, we are very busy, please try again later' click Brr.....
Wonder if they have been on a course to learn how to incense their 'customers' to murderous levels?.....if not, maybe they should run one. At least I am thinking that if they don't sort it by the end of the week, I'm just going to say 'sod it', cancel it all and they can come and pick their box up if they like (once they have been through my telephone system of course - 'I'll ring you back in 48 hours...oooh sorry that's not my department...etc.etc...etc).I pity you poor people who are tied into contracts this 'company'......
Anybody know how to get through to anyone in NTL who actually gives a toss?
Cheers,
Rob ( who has now spent since 4 pm today trying to sort this out - and that's just today!!!)
Moved house at end of Nov. Signed up for NTL on net about a week before that (phone and free TV package)- got confirmation code etc - NTL will ring you within 48 hours. They didn't. So I rang them and they said the internet sign up had failed as the current owner of the house had NTL and their internet system couldn't cope with it. But they could sign me up now, however now it was a telephone order so I would not qualify for the free Virgin Motorola PAYG phone offered on the net deal. Wasn't happy about it so the guy said it was manchester who deal with it and he would get them to ring me. Installation date was set for 15 Dec between 1 and 6.
After we moved in I rang them again about the mobile and was again told someone from manchester would ring me. They didn't.
Then by chance picked up the phone week before last and there was a dial tone. Strange I thought, so I rang the old number from my mobile, sure enough the phone rang. (NTL said it would be a new number). Rang NTL to let them know it was still connected. 'Don't worry' they said, 'will all be ok on installation day'. Rang them later in the week regarding the installation time and again mentioned the phone line still connected as wasn't convinced by the first person's answer. The girl looked into the account and found that they hadn't cancelled the previous owners line but instead transferred my name onto his account. So, she sorted that out, but don't worry - wont affect installation.
Last friday comes (day of install) rang up in the morning to make sure it was all ok. While I was on, chased this free mobile phone. 'Ooh, not my department, I 'll have to pass you on to a colleague'. 'Hello, not my department, I don't deal with derby, I'll pass you on to my colleague'. 'Hello, you need to ring virgin on.....'. Rang virgin, they said nothing to do with them, and were fed up with NTL getting everyone to ring them. Rang NTL again, 'not virgin, ah, I'll put you through to another dept'.......on hold music....'welcome to Virgin Mobile' said the message then click...brrr - cut off. Rang NTL again, look stop putting me through to Virgin - they say it's nothing to do with them.....'ah well they have two different departments one for NTL offers, I'll put you through'. 'Hello Virgin Mobile, sorry that's an NTL offer, nothing to do with us.'. Rang NTL (Fifth time that day). Can you put me through to a supervisor please. Talked to him and he said he didn't know but would ring me back with an answer by tuesday (gave his name and ext number).
Meanwhile friday afternoon, engineer turned up to install ( I wasn't home). Installed TV but had no order for phone. Wife on hold to NTL for 1 hour. 'Ah yes well we have merged with Telewest you see and Telewest leave the line connected if the line is OK, whereas NTL disconnect and give new customer new number'. Well I want a new number - haven't waited for two weeks for nothing!. 'Well that will be 48 hours.' can you ring me please telling me the new number when it is sorted then please. 'OK then, tuesday at latest'. Haven't heard a thing.
Meanwhile TV is installed but installation says 'card not paired'. ~Installer reckoned it would be on within 4 hours. Left it all weekend occasionally powering off and on. Nothing.
Rang NTL today, can you put me through to XXXXX (the supervisor regarding the mobile), 'do you know what department he is in?' err well no, he's a supervisor his extension is XXX. 'I can't put you through to extensions'. Well why give it then?. 'Well it's a form of identifiaction, I can send him an email to get him to ring you though...'. Ok then, what about my telephone, have rung it earlier an is still connected to old number 'IT were passed it yesterday and have 48 hours'. OK then.
Get home, think I may as well ring the faults line about the TV. 'You may be waiting 10 minutes'.....25 minutes later 'Hi there...blah blah blah...ah yes well if you hold the down button while cycling the power it goes into a special menu' err no it doesnt....'hmm what does it do?' says LD14.'Ooh...can you hold for me' ok,'I'll send some test signals'. 'Anything happen?' No. 'Oh, I'll have to call you out an engineer, friday OK?' No - away for xmas 'well haven't started booking work for new year, you'll have to ring back'. <Resigned sigh>...ok then...bye. Then looked on this forum - press up and down and cycle power for engineer menu - ah!! works. Right then - smart card not paired. Hmm, back on to NTL 'may be waiting 20 minutes'.....35 minutes later 'Hi there...blah blah blah...' right then, can you read me the smart card number'..yeah it's XXXXXXX, 'ah that's not the number we have for you. Can you read the STB number'...yeah it's XXXXXX 'Hmm the two don't match, I'll have to pass it over to our somethingorother team, they'll get back to you within 48 hours..' bye. Right then, I'm going to find out how to make a formal complaint about this. Ring NTL, 'I'm sorry, we are very busy, please try again later' click Brr....cut off!!. Try again..
'I'm sorry, we are very busy, please try again later' click Brr.....
7:30 ring again 'I'm sorry, we are very busy, please try again later' click Brr.....
Wonder if they have been on a course to learn how to incense their 'customers' to murderous levels?.....if not, maybe they should run one. At least I am thinking that if they don't sort it by the end of the week, I'm just going to say 'sod it', cancel it all and they can come and pick their box up if they like (once they have been through my telephone system of course - 'I'll ring you back in 48 hours...oooh sorry that's not my department...etc.etc...etc).I pity you poor people who are tied into contracts this 'company'......
Anybody know how to get through to anyone in NTL who actually gives a toss?
Cheers,
Rob ( who has now spent since 4 pm today trying to sort this out - and that's just today!!!)