Dump TV & Keep Broadband?

[Defiant]

Originally Posted by gary_580

It is free!!! Comparing the price of Sky with NTL cable is like comparing the cost of an Equitable Life Pension with a CIS Pension!!!

Not being funny like but I bet NTL sale's love you.



Spotted anything everyone else has yet ?

Originally Posted by ianathuth

You get free STB and free repairs

Actually I think that's a little misleading too. Nothing is FREE with NTL. The STB is never yours anyway which is why you'd never pay to have it fixed. However as a Sky customer the STB is yours. I may be wrong but I think if anything doe's go wrong they fix it too because they try not to loose customer unlike some companies

[NitroNutter]

Originally Posted by towny

Why not try putting your next-door neighbour's phone number through their broadband checker? Tha should give you a pretty good indication of what speed adsl you will be able to get.

No need I allready know my exchange has been upgraded, I regularly look into the alternatives. Unfortunately NTL have done un repairable damage to our relationship now, with the price hike looming in june on 1 meg which is my normal speed and knowing I can get adsl 2meg for less than that as long as my line is up to it, I can wait a week to have my line tested to see what adsl levels I can get. Be very nice if the 4meg adsl in london only for know starts to spread as nationwide as 2 meg. NTL can compete but they will have to do major adjustments now.
1. drop prices
2. repair their messed billing system
3. get more of their staff properly trained.
4. Improve their hardware inline with their increased customer base.
5. Offer a wider scope of tv packs as sky do
5. seperate the NOT FREE phone from their tv
6. BT return customers are only contracted for 3 months. afaik NTL is 12 months.

In todays climate for many people now is a great time to look into swapping the 1 marriage for 3 chix
You have a wider choice, better prices and higher service levels in all the current alternatives to NTL's packages. So the incentive is there to leave, and there is no current incentive to return.

Originally Posted by NitroNutter

No need I allready know my exchange has been upgraded, I regularly look into the alternatives. Unfortunately NTL have done un repairable damage to our relationship now, with the price hike looming in june on 1 meg which is my normal speed and knowing I can get adsl 2meg for less than that as long as my line is up to it, I can wait a week to have my line tested to see what adsl levels I can get. Be very nice if the 4meg adsl in london only for know starts to spread as nationwide as 2 meg. NTL can compete but they will have to do major adjustments now.
1. drop prices
2. repair their messed billing system
3. get more of their staff properly trained.
4. Improve their hardware inline with their increased customer base.
5. Offer a wider scope of tv packs as sky do
5. seperate the NOT FREE phone from their tv
6. BT return customers are only contracted for 3 months. afaik NTL is 12 months.

In todays climate for many people now is a great time to look into swapping the 1 marriage for 3 chix
You have a wider choice, better prices and higher service levels in all the current alternatives to NTL's packages. So the incentive is there to leave, and there is no current incentive to return.

Sadly I cannot disagree with most of what you say. I personally have never had problems with NTL, maybe because Diamond Cable (who were our local company before NTL took them over) were always very good [at least to me they were].

It is obvious from my time on this forum that our area is the exception rather than the rule and that they fail spectacularly in many areas, and more importantly, do not seem to be trying to improve much.

[themelon]

Originally Posted by Neil

Oh dear.......

Your statements above are totally incorrect I'm afraid.

The base pack on Sky is (approx) 7 or 8 pounds cheaper than the equivalent ntl one-that is because ntl bundle their phone line with the service, so you pay an extra £7/£8 or so whether you like it or not.

Also-FYI, Aizad Hussain (MD of ntl Home) told me in person that he hated the sales reps telling people that they get a free phone line as this is misleading!!

It's not 'free', if it were then why are you paying more money per month for the equivalent Sky package?

The most expensive package from Sky (called Sky World Family Pack) is £40.00 per month (details here: http://www.sky.com/skycom/article/0,...125843,00.html ), the 'equivalent package from ntl is £47.50 (details here: http://www.ntlhome.com/ntl_tv/premium.html )

From that ntl page I've linked to above.....



So.....that £47.50 package includes a phone line, but is £7.50 dearer than the closest Sky package. Not only that, but the ntl £47.50 package has less channels than the £40.00 Sky package-fact.

So, whatever way you look at it Gary, you are wrong saying that the phone line is freee, & the proof is above.

The base Pack on Sky doesnt contain as many channels as the ntl one....well as many decent ones. Channels like ITV2, TMF, UK History (Freeview lot) are not in the Sky Base Pack and only available in the family pack. So its not like for like either way.

An ntl package works out cheaper than having a Sky and BT Line which would cost now £50.50 the comparative ntl package now is £49.50 I believe. Sky Worl has more channles....mostly shopping, and garbage that the wide majority of people never watch, all the most watched channels are available on ntls packages.

The Phone IS NOT Free it is a budled package of which the user has not option to cancel the phone (unless its unavialble). In my opinion this is a major disdvantage to NTL Cable TV market potential, as many people wont want to switch phone numbers or providers and dont want the hassle of changing providers. People will want Digital TV these people will always choose Sky over ntl....and there is a lot of these people around!

[themelon]

Originally Posted by Defiant

Actually I think that's a little misleading too. Nothing is FREE with NTL. The STB is never yours anyway which is why you'd never pay to have it fixed. However as a Sky customer the STB is yours. I may be wrong but I think if anything doe's go wrong they fix it too because they try not to loose customer unlike some companies

Set Top Box is loaned....yours why you subscribe
Free Repairs

Sky Set Top Box is owned if it breaks after 1 year it is your responsability to fix! In fact the Sky can be absolutely terrible at repairing customer services.......taking weeks sometimes in my experience at phenomenal cost! One bill I had was £120 for call out and repair......I had done nothing wrong! I think the minimum call out charge is/was £60 thats just to look at whats wrong and um and ar....you can have done nothing wrong.

Originally Posted by Neil

Oh dear.......

Your statements above are totally incorrect I'm afraid.

in your opinion

Originally Posted by Neil

The base pack on Sky is (approx) 7 or 8 pounds cheaper than the equivalent ntl one-that is because ntl bundle their phone line with the service, so you pay an extra £7/£8 or so whether you like it or not.

You use the word EQUIVALENT!! the two things are not the same. For one the transmission mechanism is different. You want to try to get BBC1 in some areas on Sky. The EQUIVALENT NTL package doesnt ahve the same issue!!

Originally Posted by Neil

Also-FYI, Aizad Hussain (MD of ntl Home) told me in person that he hated the sales reps telling people that they get a free phone line as this is misleading!!

You would listen to this person!! are you mad!!

Originally Posted by Neil

It's not 'free', if it were then why are you paying more money per month for the equivalent Sky package?

because EQUIVALENT <> SAME

Originally Posted by Neil

*Would you like something to wash down that humble pie!?*

No thank you, but i would like the option tyo have an opinion without constantly being slated!!

Originally Posted by ianathuth

Where in NTLs adverts does it say that the telephone line is free with DTV? You get free STB and free repairs, but the telephone line is "included".

How many DTV customers do you think that NTL would retain if they decided that their financial position was such that they could no longer afford to supply a "free" telephone line and started to charge customers £9.50 extra for it?

it doesnt, but logic says that if you have DTV and you get a phone line for the same price as having DTV WITHOUT the phone line then you are not paying anything EXTRA to have the phone line Therefore its FREE!!

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by gary_580

it doesnt, but logic says that if you have DTV and you get a phone line for the same price as having DTV WITHOUT the phone line then you are not paying anything EXTRA to have the phone line Therefore its FREE!!

Either that or you're paying for a phone line you're not using

Originally Posted by towny

Why not try putting your next-door neighbour's phone number through their broadband checker? Tha should give you a pretty good indication of what speed adsl you will be able to get.

Good idea except a friend of mine had BT go to their house to install ADSL and were not be able to get it work and left. Funny thing was they said i'd advise you to get cable!!

Originally Posted by gary_580

it doesnt, but logic says that if you have DTV and you get a phone line for the same price as having DTV WITHOUT the phone line then you are not paying anything EXTRA to have the phone line Therefore its FREE!!

No, all that happens is that you do not make use of the service you have paid for. I don't smoke, so I don't use the cigarette lighter in my car. That doesn't make the cigarette lighter 'free'. It just means I paid for it because I had to, because it's part of the bundle, and I don't use it.

Originally Posted by towny

No, all that happens is that you do not make use of the service you have paid for. I don't smoke, so I don't use the cigarette lighter in my car. That doesn't make the cigarette lighter 'free'. It just means I paid for it because I had to, because it's part of the bundle, and I don't use it.

That to me that is different. Why would you have DTV and not use the phone line when it is NO ADITTIONAL COST (free?)

No i wouldnt smoke just because i have a cigarette lighter in my car.

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by gary_580

That to me that is different. Why would you have DTV and not use the phone line when it is NO ADITTIONAL COST (free?)

No i wouldnt smoke just because i have a cigarette lighter in my car.

It may not be any additional cost ... due to the fact that it's already been paid for as part of the bundle ....

NOTHING IN THIS LIFE IS FREE

Originally Posted by gary_580

That to me that is different. Why would you have DTV and not use the phone line when it is NO ADITTIONAL COST (free?)

No i wouldnt smoke just because i have a cigarette lighter in my car.

It's not different.

Your question is valid (why would you not use it if it's there?), but you don't prove your point simply by phrasing the question in the way that best suits it.

Better to ask:

Why would you have DTV and not use the phone line when you've already paid for it?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by gary_580

No thank you, but i would like the option tyo have an opinion without constantly being slated!!

No one is slating you Gary, but you are wrong -the channels that you get from ntl, would cost you approx £7.50 less on Sky as they don't force you to have a phone line.

What if you want TV channels but no phone line? (you end up paying £7.50 too much for a product that you don't want/need because ntl say you have to)

It really is that simple m8-you pay 'X' with Sky & get (for arguements sake) 30 channels, you get the same 30 channels from ntl, & it will cost you £7.50 more as they include the phone line in their price.

[Neil]

Does somebody have a list of all the relevant Sky/ntl packages & their relevant prices, so that Gary can see the differences?