I moved house yesterday afternoon and phoned ntl to advise them that morning before the removal vans arrived. I couldn't advise them earlier as, due to legal problems, the move was not certain until late in the afternoon the day before. I was currently a telephone and broadband customer and have moved to a house less than five minutes walk away that has ntl telephone, broadband and television. I decided to ditch Sky television and go completely ntl - which I realise, given their apalling customer servive reputation (in my view very much justified on past expereiences) was perhaps a bit naive.
I called the house moves department, which of course only works 9 till 5 Monday to Friday (even though I was a new customer for television - new customers get service Monday to Friday 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-6pm and Sun 10am-4pm - but I am not "new" so I can get stuffed!) and was told that I could have my services installed on 15th November - 19 days after I applied! I pointed out that they guarantee a 14 day turn round but they did not give a toss about that and said "hard luck that is when an engineer is available".
I tried complaining to a supervisor but got the standard "don't give a toss sunshine" responses, even though living without broadband so long (and a landline) will seriously mess up my life.
I queried why it need an engineer when the house already had the services and I owned my own modem. I also asked about the "within 14 days guarantee" but realised that I should have spoken to the wall instead as it would have been more helpful. I asked if I could escalate my complaint but was given an address in Manchester somewhere, but no phone number - the supervisor claimed she didn't have a phone number (and I am the Queen of Sheba!). Are ntl too scared to allow complainants to phone them - ask a silly question!
Well anyway we moved in to find the phone connected, not with our number of course but that of the previous occupants who (many days earlier) had asked for it to be moved to their new address. The modem and tv box were gone (so we have no television at all now as the previous occupant had disconnected the terrestial arial and ripped out the cabling from it).
Now I bought my own modem back in the days when doing so saved you five pounds a month (a promise that ntl conveniently forgot about a while back - I now pay the same as anyone else!) - so I connected the modem up and it works!!! No doubt when they read this they will disconnect it - but so much for "sorry mate, it can't be done".
What sort of public service is it that can leave customers without essential services for so long? Why is it that when a house already has a service that it can't be transferred to a new customer remotely? Why don't they get a proper complaints procedure that allows you to phone them when the complaint is urgent - we all know that asked for details in writing is a recipe for wasting many, many days in the hope that the problem will go away?
Without a doubt the worst public utility in the world - ever!!
