Forced to leave NTL really

[OrangeBattery]

We first got cable about 1994 or earlier, whenever it was the first cable lines were put in, we was offered to be one of the first testers before it was offered fully to all the streets in our area on north London. We have upgraded over the years to more channels and in June 2003 I got broadband 2mb from NTL added.

For about the last year each time we have been contacted by NTL we are always asked why have no moved from our original Cable box that we had fitted to Digital. We decided to move to digital a few months back as we wanted the extra channels so today I phoned NTL to book it.

I asked for just the digital package to replace our cable one and was told that would be £19.50, the same quote they have given me for a while each time they tried to make me change over. Everything went fine until they told me I also need to change my telephone line to theirs, I said I didn't want to and just wanted the TV. After about 5 mins of going through why I didn't want to change I was spoken to like a child and told if I want digital TV I need a telephone line and thats that of pay around £30 a month.

I kinda give up with NTL now, our cable TV connection has never been great as its the original lines and we have been billed a few times for channels we don't have.

I'm reluctantly now thinking of moving over to Sky digital which I don't even want to do but its cheaper and they have put no pressure on me to have anything extra or spoken to me like I was asking for digital TV to be sent through our dish washer. Next move will be to move away from their broadband as well as I really don't like the the customer service anymore.

Ive written this here as I was going write a letter of complaint to NTL but they never respond. Its like they want to push people away and think people don't speak about the experiences they have had with companies to others.

I can understand NTL wanting to insist they supply a phone line to new installations of digital TV, but not existing customers, where it wasn't a requirement in their original contract.

Having said that, it may be 'hardwired' into the billing system & the CS associate is left with no alternative - no need to patronise you, though.

You can get details of your feedback to them, & a response, using the form

here

- good luck

[spike7451]

If you have had NTL longer than 12 month's,you do not need to have the phone.I have done jobs where a 'dummy' phone line was 'installed'. The was a post on ntlhell a few weeks ago from someone haveing the same problem & thats where i got my answer from.
Spike

[zoombini]

If you do move over to sky, consider spending a bit more & going straight for sky+, its a superb service & new installations get it far cheaper than upgrading customers.

[Traffic]

Hope you don't mind me jumping in?

I have had cable since the CW days (DERBY). I had originally started with Sky but every time it rained... say no more. Decided to go over to CW, they were taken over by NTL. I eventually had all the services, 2 phone lines,talk 24, all the video chans and 2mg broadband. Average bill per month £115.00 .
Had a good service, until upgrade to Samsung. Freeze frame all the time. Got it to a small ff but eventually returned to un-viewable. This has gone on for about 4 months. My last fault call responded with the rep advising me to replace the 'sacart lead' because this is a common problem with Samsung set tops?
Loss of picture prehaps, loss of sound perhaps, Freeze Frame?
I decided to swap back to Sky. I contacted cs and requested a downgrade from full biscuit tin to base pack TV. Here's the thing, they never even attempted to keep me. All that money, all that time and that's what I am to them. A prat.
Well I've now got Sky+ with multiroom installed for £99.
Next stop is to drop all tv and keep comms.

F##K em

[simpsonsFAN]

Originally Posted by Traffic

Next stop is to drop all tv and keep comms.

F##K em

Im sure if you had contacted ntl CS about it they would have fixed the fault with your box. There is no known fault with scart leads and samsung boxes, it sounds to me like something todo with poor signal levels or a duff box, but im sure someone else will be able to advise you on that.

-Chris

[Ignition]

Originally Posted by simpsonsFAN

Im sure if you had contacted ntl CS about it they would have fixed the fault with your box. There is no known fault with scart leads and samsung boxes, it sounds to me like something todo with poor signal levels or a duff box, but im sure someone else will be able to advise you on that.

-Chris

He did contact them, they fed him BS.

Under those circumstances no wonder he wants to leave.

Quite amusing actually that a customer who spends highly leaves because he can't get his fault fixed meanwhile customers who probably don't spend anywhere near as much but don't wanna pay full whack or are whinging buggers without any fault at all besides the ones they invent just have to phone up and threaten to leave and they are given shedloads of discounts, all without a new contract.

Probably why ntl is still spilling red ink while TW are in the black.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by spike7451

If you have had NTL longer than 12 month's,you do not need to have the phone.I have done jobs where a 'dummy' phone line was 'installed'. The was a post on ntlhell a few weeks ago from someone haveing the same problem & thats where i got my answer from.
Spike

But you still get billed for your dummy phone line as if it were a real one, just nobody can put any calls on it.

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Ignition

He did contact them, they fed him BS.

Under those circumstances no wonder he wants to leave.

Quite amusing actually that a customer who spends highly leaves because he can't get his fault fixed meanwhile customers who probably don't spend anywhere near as much but don't wanna pay full whack or are whinging buggers without any fault at all besides the ones they invent just have to phone up and threaten to leave and they are given shedloads of discounts, all without a new contract.

Probably why ntl is still spilling red ink while TW are in the black.

Cant argue with that.