NTL TV and Telehone
 

Can anybody suggest to me a "legitimate" reason why NTL should insist that you have a telephone connection from then when you take out one of their television packages?

I have recently signed up for a new account (BB Internet and Television) and have been told that I have "no option but to have the telephone installed as well" and that they will charge me an extra £9.50 per month for the priviledge.

Is this just another way for NTL to screw more money out of its customers or is there a technical reason behind this? I REALLY:mad: don't want the telephone line installed, I have a mobile and I'm not afraid to use it :mad:

Thanks guys.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

If you don't want the phone line that ntl make you have with your DTV package, don't take the DTV package. :)

They will still charge you £9.50, which is a waste.

People not taking it is the only way ntl will realise that it is not a good idea to force it on people.

We recently had a 'discussion' about this here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...4&page=1&pp=15

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Thanks Neil.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

bit like sky saying you need a phone line to get their service really/

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

No, Sky only say you need connection to a phone line if you are taking advantage of their interactive discount scheme or mirror subscription service.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

And if you do not take advantage of their discount you have to pay something like £100 installation, which works out at £8.33 per month for the minimum contract.

Edit: I think a mod might like to merge this with the thread Neil pointed to earlier to save us going over old ground AGAIN!

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

The difference is Sky don't force their phone line on you. :nono:

They don't give a hoot whose phone line the STB is connected to.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

But you still have to have a landline, which is of no use to Raistlin as he does not want one as he has a mobile.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

I'll answer your question seeing as no-one else bothered to (in 4 replies)... :rolleyes:

Basically, it only takes ntl something like 14 months (someone correct me if I'm wrong) to break even on the cost of installing new customers if they have TV and phone, compared to something like 2 years for TV only.

HTH

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Absolutely correct!

Which is another reason why Sky's DTV service is superior to ntl's-the fact that he won't have to waste £9.50 on a phone line he doesn't want or need.

It's all about choice (or lack of)......

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

:confused: Sky still insist you have a phone line though..... :dozey:

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

But not a Sky phone line.

If you want Sky DTV & have a BT/ntl/Telewest line, Sky are happy-they will offer you a £33.00 per month DTV pack (so your only extra outlay is £33.00)

ntl on the other hand will offer you their "£33.00 " DTV pack, but also insist that you take their phone line too @ another £9.50 (total outlay= £42.50)

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Exactly, it is about the Sky choice of paying £9.50 a month for a phone line one does not want or need or paying £100 for installation.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

But Raistlin does not have a BT/ntl/Telewest line so how does this apply to him?

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Thanks Orangebird. I knew that there would be a logical reason, I just wanted to know what it was.
When I asked the guy at NTL sales he wouldn't tell me why I had to have it, he just said that I did (have to have it). We went round in circles for a while and then I just gave up asking.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Duh, really?

Plus what you currently pay for the landline you have (which you HAVE to have if you want Sky dtv)

But the total outlay is more or less the same if you want either service Neil. Are you working for Skys marketing dept or what????

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

I get a feeling of De ja vu on this thread........

You do need a phoneline for Sky or you have to pay £150 for installation or do it yourself.

Either way you are going to be paying about the same. I dont believe you actually have to have the phoneline sockets installed on ntl but to take advantage of £1 and free install type offers you must plug into a phoneline for at least 12 months.

So in a way both force you to have a landline, both are wrong.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Umm, I now have the answer that I needed and (at the risk of sounding rude) would suggest that one of the Mods closes this thread.

As has already been said, this discussion has been done to death on the thread that Neil linked to earlier and we are just going over old ground again now.

I want DTV
I don't want a Telephone line (not ANY TELEPHONE LINE, NONE AT ALL!)
I can't afford to pay the extra subsidy that would be required to go to Sky and not have a telephone line.

So, I will stick to NTL DTV and an NTL telephone line and put up with it.

The funny thing is that if they had priced the DTV at £19.50 and told me I was getting the phone line for free I would have been quite happy with that. It's only because their website lists the prices seperately and gives the impression that you can have them seperately if you want to that this question arose.

Thank you to everyone for their replies.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Not to mention Skys base pack is absolutely pitiful, Its subscription channels are listed on the website as Discovery Home and Leisure and Sky One plus all the Free Tat shopping etc, you dont even get the freeview channels like TMF the hits, UK History, ABC, ITV2, FTN, Sky Sports News etc etc.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Neil is pro-choice and there is nothing wrong with that. He resents the fact that Sky let you choose which phone supplier you have but NTL do not.

I can understand his gripe but I can also understand NTL's position. Perhaps it would be better if NTL were to match Sky further by offering to waive the requirement to have a phoneline but only if you paid £100 for the installation.

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Re: NTL TV and Telehone
 

Clo ... ah - opened again, apparently.

Fastest finger first, eh Nem?

Closing again....

Re: NTL TV and Telehone