Customer services deny they supplied my stb!!

cyclone · 13-06-2005, 12:57

I've been having problems recently in the terrestial channels from my stb.It's an old box with a bypass which allows me to video a channel whilst watching another.
I rang customer services this morning and explained that my bypass box was giving problems ,and, as it is old can an engineer call? The chap on customer services told me to hold the line whilst he consulted his superior,and when he got back to me told me,"We don't supply such devices and it must have been fitted by someone else ,a third party,take it to your local electrical repair shop"
In spite of my protestations any maintenance on the device for which NTL have charged me for the last 17 odd years is out of the question. Now if NTL didn't fit it maybe I should stop paying for it!

What should I do next!!??

Neil · 13-06-2005, 12:59

Analogue or digital?

cyclone · 13-06-2005, 13:07

Analogue and ancient
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Its an old Jerrold box piggy backed onto a base box,looks a bit Ad Hoc
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What really 'amuses' me is that on the bill it's referred to as a bypass!

Paul K · 13-06-2005, 13:11

Is there an item number or code next to it on the bill? If it's on the bill then it's on their records somewhere.

hairy_mick · 13-06-2005, 14:25

i thought swindon had its anolouge signals turned off

spiderplant · 13-06-2005, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by hairy_mick

i thought swindon had its anolouge signals turned off

Only a few areas

zoombini · 13-06-2005, 21:42

Soun'ds like a bypass to me.

About 4" long, 1" high, 1" thick black plastic cover with gold lettering
and in/out cable sockets?

I still have one in the loft somewhere.

Given that they have not been supplied for years the CS may be new & not aware of them.

What sort of problems are you having?

Can you check the braiding around your aerial cable, it may be frayed, you may even have water in it.

If you can unscrew the bypass from your STB & aerial cables, flip the cover off & look at it, if it's all covered in white powder etc (from damp etc) then give it a good clean with an old toothbrush (or er indoors one) and reassemble, that sometimes cleared up problems I had.

Your unlikely to get it replaced by CS as they won't have any, however an engineer's van might just have an odd one kicking about, you might have some luck stopping one in the street & offering him a brew & biscuits in exchange for one

spike7451 · 13-06-2005, 22:39

We do still use the Analog in certain areas.The bypass you are talking about IS a NTL one & any tech should have a few in the van! I have,i still carry Analog stuff as a few jobs we do are still Analog.
You need a bypass on the Analog box otherwise you would'nt be able to get BBC1,BBC2-C5 on the 'off airs' (non cable channels on the tv/vcr)
You cannot get them from anyone else except a cable company!
Spike

cyclone · 14-06-2005, 16:15

Thanks for the help I was beginning to think I was imagining things.There's always engineers attending to the box on the end of my road ,I'll have a word with one soon ,it seems the only answer...or digital!

spike7451 · 14-06-2005, 17:39

Cyclone,
IF you go Digital,specify to the CS person for the tech to 'fit bypass'.
Reason is,the phase 2 & 3 STB as well as the Samsung box dont have a built -in bypass.You will need one in order to watch & record as you do now.
Spike

Jules · 14-06-2005, 17:43

I think it is really daft that they say they didn't supply it in the first place lol

Paul K · 14-06-2005, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyclone

Thanks for the help I was beginning to think I was imagining things.There's always engineers attending to the box on the end of my road ,I'll have a word with one soon ,it seems the only answer...or digital!

Personally I would ask CS why you are paying for a bypass on your bill if they reckon they have never supplied one. If a piece of equipment they have supplied and taken payment on for quite some time now has failed then they need to replace it.

spike7451 · 14-06-2005, 17:51

I think it's partly that the CS folk have no idea what is actually involved with Installs/repair stuff,outside their training.Most of them probably have never seen a Install!
What we used to do over here (& i think it is still a good idea!!!) is all new CS/Faults office staff (even new sales) go out with a installer for a week on the tools.If they are going to faults,they also spend another week on the tools with the fault techs.Periodically they go back out for a day or two to see whats changed!
That way,they have more of a idea what goes on & are less likely to mis-inform a customer,being ably to give a more accurate picture.The Customer then hangs up thinkung,"he/she knew what they were talking about" instead of "that prat did'nt have a b**** clue!!!!!!!!!!!"
What do you think?
Spike

Paul K · 14-06-2005, 18:24

Obviously the best thing to do in many situations is spending time with other departments to get a better overview of what is going on but that costs money and many companies will not absorb that cost

In a previous job that I was in all staff were taken around to see the entire process of operations within the company and many of us had to spend time in different departments so that we understood the process from both ends.
What confuses me is that he is paying for a service that CS are professing to knowing nothing about. Surely the fact that he has a bypass listed on his bill should mean that the bypass should be listed against his account information??

spike7451 · 14-06-2005, 18:50

CS confuse the hell out of me anyway!!!AND i work for 'em!!!lol
Seriously,tho.The by-paas on the Analog,unlike the Dige,comes attatched to the box unless it's the cheap plastic one,but they come with the box also.If i was him,id book a fault for 'bad pics',get the tech out & get them to sort it.If i was the tech ,i'd put it down as 'non chargable'.
Spike