Changing the name on a bill - Data Protection issue or pain in the bum!

freaky1976 · 20-02-2006, 20:39

Okay, i need help!

We (there are four of us) live in a shared house and although good friends have no relationship to each other! One of my housemates is leaving and his name is on the bill. Previously another former housemate had left (again no relationship to each other) and transfered the bill onto his name. But now that I have asked ntl to change the name on the bill into my name...they say they're not allowed to!

I phoned 2 different customer service bods, one said ' it shouldn't be a problem' the other said this was not allowed unless I was a member of the family.

I sent a change of details form only to recieve a letter from them saying that 'as there is no relationship to myself of the person leaving, then amending those details would be in breach of the data protection act. Even though both parties are in agreement that the name should be changed! We also did this 1 1/2 years ago with no problem, and the data protect act has been in place since March 2000. So why the difference now?

They said that we would have to set up a new account in a new name, I presume then that we would have to start another new 12 month contract on our internet which i am not keen to do as we may get rid of it!

Is this an NTL ploy, i can;t for the life of me work out how it would benefit them except for them gettin a new 12 month contract. Needless to say this can't be the right and I need some advise, are NTL right about the DPA or is this something NTL are doing to get us to renew a 12 month new account?

Help please!?

Freak1976

20-02-2006, 21:02

You can transfer any account into another persons name as long as the person who currently pays the bill provides written permission to do so. It is also up to the company if they want to do it! they can say NO!

However the best thing I can think of is to say you are related, say your his brother or something, you don't have to have the same name to be brothers! (different father/mother)

I'm sure somebody will be along soon to help!

nffc · 20-02-2006, 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by acoolwelshbloke

However the best thing I can think of is to say you are related, say your his brother or something, you don't have to have the same name to be brothers! (different father/mother)

Yeah, nice idea but won't they already know there's no connection?

As has been said - if you and the account holder write in i can't see how they can't change it.

danielf · 20-02-2006, 21:39

Assuming you're out of the 12 months contract, tell them you will terminate the account and head for sky/whatever. Then watch them change their tune...

switchback · 21-02-2006, 02:01

ntl changed thier policy on name changing a few months back so you would have to be related to the account holder. thats why you were able to change before. currently staff are told to advise you to disconnect the account and start a new 12 month contract. dont know if they have done this just to keep making money or not, you can decide...

freaky1976 · 22-02-2006, 00:03

I had sent in a form which had been sent to me before xmas so i guess the form no longer works!

I will try the 'we will go to sky' thing next, see if i can get that to work.

Any more official ways to get around this? Ta!