View Full Version : Protected service? Yeah, right.
Lately, there have been some interesting things happening with my bills. They get sent, and then they disappear, possibly into another dimension or on an enjoyable sunshine break, turning up on my doorstep about a week to ten days later. Just after I receive my late bill I get cut off.
For example, last month they sent a lesser-spotted 2nd reminder that took 10 days to arrive. The day it did arrive, ntl cut the services off. Hmm.
This week, it happened again. Except this time there was no second reminder, no phone call, just completely cut off out of the blue. Oh, and the main bill turned up at the end of February, around the time the second reminder is meant to come.
This is particularly irritating as I am disabled and meant to be on a so-called 'protected service', and if ntl can't contact me they are meant to get in touch with my carer. However, they don't actually bother doing this, preferring to ignore my requests, cut the services off and then charge #20 reconnection fee. This is despite the fact that over the past 18 months I have asked them to put a note on my account, informed them in writing of the problems and contact details, and sent off a special needs form (I was only told about the existence of these forms at the beginning of this year). Oh, I also requested a large print bill because my eyes are utterly crap. But I don't seem to get any of them either. Such joy.
It's not like I don't want to pay the bill, because I do. I'd like to the billing and carer contacts to be sorted out as my head is ever-so-slightly broken and doesn't have a special radar device that tells me that I need to pay x amount of money by x date.
Is it just me and a few select others with the disappearing/reappearing billss? Do I need special psychic powers to pay my bills? Does anyone have an ntl bill radar that I could use for a while?
Or are ntl just using me as a 'oh, they're a bit brain-broken, we'll ignore their requests and just extort money from them and increase our revenues. Woohoo!' sort of thing?
Without try to flame the situation (honest!) why not pay the bill when it arrives and not pay on the reminder then you don't get cut off?
I'm not quite sure if eyeyex is saying that he doesn't get his first bill or not but he seems to be waiting for reminders which is probably not the best course of action and puts him more at risk of missing the cut off date and then getting restricted!!!! :confused: :confused:
Reading it again I think it's the first bills which are turning up late, is eyeyex getting problems with other royal mail letters or is it the infamous ntl bill generating system again?
Their service towards you is clearly messed up ... although I've never understood how it is that some people can have years of flawless service while others seem to suffer month after month!
All that said, have you considered Direct Debit? I can't remember the last time I had to think about paying a bill on time.
Oh yes BTW :welcome: eyeyex
Without try to flame the situation (honest!) why not pay the bill when it arrives and not pay on the reminder then you don't get cut off?
I developed memory issues after a head-nuking incident. Not quite to the scale of the geezer out of Memento, but it's bad enough.
To cope and adapt with brain-nukage I use visual cues to help me remember all sorts of things. For example, when the big, fat ntl bill arrives I know to get in touch with carer, he goes through it and I then have a week or so to prepare relevant monies. If carer is about after aforementioned period there isn't a problem. If he's not about, then I need some other form of reminder, for example a telephone call (preferably to carer, as he remembers stuff and I'm not good with auditory cues) or the thin bill, aka the lesser-spotted second reminder. My visual reminder to pay.
ntl are well aware of the problems, but seem to prefer to say, 'yes, we'll put a note on your account' or 'fill in this form and it will get sorted,' and then don't bother as it's an easy #20.
Reading it again I think it's the first bills which are turning up late, is eyeyex getting problems with other royal mail letters or is it the infamous ntl bill generating system again?
Ooooh, an infamous bill generating system? Arrr. Yeah, there are no problems with other letters. They all turn up and are shiny, virginal and gagging to be fondled and opened up like the saucy little imps that they are.
All that said, have you considered Direct Debit? I can't remember the last time I had to think about paying a bill on time.
I have a bit of a problem with giving out my bank details to incompetent companies I don't trust. TBH, I'd rather eat my own feet after they've been subjected to a 50 mile trek in a pair of over-sized, moistened Wellington boots. I hate trekking.
Oh yes BTW :welcome: eyeyex
Oh, thankye very much :)
MovedGoalPosts
05-03-2004, 16:49
I have a bit of a problem with giving out my bank details to incompetent companies I don't trust. TBH, I'd rather eat my own feet after they've been subjected to a 50 mile trek in a pair of over-sized, moistened Wellington boots. I hate trekking.
I can definitely sympathise with you on that. If after all ntl can't even get a note on thier system to tell them not too cut you off without first contacting your carer, or indeed anybody, why would anyone think they could be trusted to put the right details into thier computer and only take the right amount of money at a time.
Having said that DD does in theory save money - I think it costs £2 a month more if you pay any other way. In my book £24.00 in a year saving, plus avoiding any risk of that occasional £20 reconnection cost, is worth the gamble.
I have a bit of a problem with giving out my bank details to incompetent companies I don't trust. TBH, I'd rather eat my own feet after they've been subjected to a 50 mile trek in a pair of over-sized, moistened Wellington boots. I hate trekking.
Fair enough - but if NTL screw up your Direct Debit your bank has to pay it back to you, and you won't be £20 lighter at the end of it.
SMHarman
05-03-2004, 16:55
I can definitely sympathise with you on that. If after all ntl can't even get a note on thier system to tell them not too cut you off without first contacting your carer, or indeed anybody, why would anyone think they could be trusted to put the right details into thier computer and only take the right amount of money at a time.
Having said that DD does in theory save money - I think it costs £2 a month more if you pay any other way. In my book £24.00 in a year saving, plus avoiding any risk of that occasional £20 reconnection cost, is worth the gamble.
And provided your bank is competent the DD guarantee that means if something is removed from your account without approval then you can get it reinstated pronto.
I can definitely sympathise with you on that. If after all ntl can't even get a note on thier system to tell them not too cut you off without first contacting your carer, or indeed anybody, why would anyone think they could be trusted to put the right details into thier computer and only take the right amount of money at a time.
Indeed, you've hit the nail right on the head, there. I have more faith in carrots. And possibly Tony Blair. Maybe. Actually, I'm not sure about the Tony Blair one. In fact, that statement frightens me a little, so I'll ignore it. It might go away.
Having said that DD does in theory save money - I think it costs £2 a month more if you pay any other way. In my book £24.00 in a year saving, plus avoiding any risk of that occasional £20 reconnection cost, is worth the gamble.
I'm not a good gambler, though I am a great admirer of fruit machines and their pretty, pretty lights. Never won anything on them, mind.
Anyway, what with the ongoing state of ntl affairs, I strongly feel that paying the #2 extra a month is, in fact, an insurance premium that ensures that my limited funds in the bank account stays in a state that my broken head can deal with. It makes sure that we have a house to live in, food on the table, gas and electricity to cook the food with (I have a funky dual fuel cooker that I can set fire to things with, and it's shiny), and sundry other bills. I can't afford for it to go wrong.
I feel far more secure with my #2 premium than ntl delving into my bank account, unleashing their hounds of monetary hell and making my head explode in a most dramatic fashion as a result.
Fair enough - but if NTL screw up your Direct Debit your bank has to pay it back to you, and you won't be £20 lighter at the end of it.
And in the meantime, there is the concern that all the other DDs go unpaid because I'm overdrawn, and I don't find out until I get a nasty letter or statement. I simply can't risk that again.
I NEED ORDER! RELIABILITY! MORE MONEY!
Or ntl need to be trustworthy, abide by disability rules and regulations and sort their billing times out, but I can't see that happening until the seas turn to the finest tea and the moon starts farting out Fresian cows.
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