grrrrrrr ntl!

[Acathla]

So i got like home from work today and I have a bill for my telephone of £35.06.
Bear in mind all my previous NTL bills for telephone have been no more than £3 this has come as quite a shock.

I used to have NTL phone, tv and BB but dropped tv in march 2004.

I have not been charged a phone line rental and only BB since 2004 and when i cancelled tv i wasn't told a line rental charge applied.

Turns out today I have been charged 07 Jan - 15 mar Telco line rental of £24.06 and 16 mar - 15 apr £10.50 suddenly jumping my bill to £34.56 as opposed to average £2.

I called NTL and spoke to Lucinda who was extremely helpfull. She said NTL had wrongly not charged me and so had decided it was about time they changed to charge me line rental back dated to the start of the year.

I tried to explain under the DD policy NTL had broken the agreement and had wrongly charged me without prior notification and Lucinda had agreed to raise a complaint for me (i am expecting a manager call back within 24 hours).

How can NTL suddenly change what they charge me? As far as I can tell, this money has now left my account and it's going to be a struggle to get it backm but hell I will fight with all I have to get it back.

I have given my 30 days notice on my phone line and NTL better stick to it.

Lucinda has said to me it was an NTL mistake that I havent been charged, but as far as I am concerned, NTL have broken their DD agreement and over charged my without my concent and if I dont receive suitable reimbursement I will report NTL to the DD strandards commision (when I find out who they are!)

I have had many years with NTL and have not been one of those who have bitched and moaned about them but suddenly they take £34 more than I have given them permission to take and in my eyes have borken the DD agreement which does not prove good for customer relations.

What do people think? am I being harsh? Have NTL indeed broken the DD agreement in a sudden charge becasue they made a boo boo?

Lets see what is said if the manager indeed calls me back. Pain in the back side tbh!!!

As far as I can see, if they should have been charging you and weren't, then they have the right to correct that error and charge you - however, I'm pretty sure they can't do that without notifying you first.

[Acathla]

thats what i said to NTL.
if it was an error you are entitled to charge me but you need to notify me fist.
this was not done and I feel I am entitled to my money back!

Your not the first person this has happend to from threads I have read here on this site, NTL make offers but then the NTL audit team come along and say "oi this one is getting something he/she ain't paying for"!

They than start charging you for it and they normally back bill you the three months!

They can do this!

Was this an error or an offer?

However they have to give you prior notice before taking any DD for non standard charges!
(well I think, you had better confirm that with your bank)

Unless you have incurred any charges by your bank I don't think there is much you can do!

Think of it this way, you had free line rental for some time!

EDIT: Actually if this was a billing error then you have to notify them you are receiving a service you are not paying for! It is in their terms & conditions so they prob did the right thing. You must of known you were getting the telco for free other than paying for calls that is!

[Acathla]

If you pay by standing order, it is up to your bank to send the payment. If you pay by direct debit, it is up to the payeeââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s bank to call for the payment, but you will rightly look to your own bank/building society to ensure the smooth running of any direct debits. Mistakes and errors are covered by the direct debit guarantee.

The direct debit guarantee applies to all banks and building societies taking part in the direct debit scheme. It says that:
# If there is a change in the amount to be paid or the payment date, the person receiving the payment (the originator) must notify the customer in advance.
* If the originator or the bank/building society makes an error, the customer is guaranteed a full and immediate refund of the amount paid.
* Customers can cancel a direct debit at any time by writing to their bank or building society.

But this is not a mistake or an error?

You owe the money!

You can't sit there and take something when you know you ain't paying for it when you should and then complain when they catch up with you and bill you for it!

Sorry but i'm with NTL on this one and that is rare!

NTL should have sent you a bill anyway showing the charges for this month, so you would have known prior to the DD been taken what they would be requesting and what it is for. or am I wrong?

This was a billing error, the reason you were not charged line rental or was it an offer made by NTL that you get it for free?

[Acathla]

when i cancelled tv in 2004 i was informed that nothing would chnage on my account and nothing did.

suddenly i received a bill today back dated to jan 07 for line rental.

i was never aware line rental was due or indeed chargeable.

as far as i was concerned line rental was included in my BB charges.

yes

A Direct Debit is an instruction from a customer to their bank or building society authorising an organisation to collect varying amounts from their account, as long as the customer has been given advance notice of the collection amounts and dates.

and you have the following rights (from the same site as the above quote)

http://www.bacs.co.uk/BPSL/directdeb...ic/yourrights/

- however, you will still owe NTL the money, if you do go for a refund.

Personally, I would accept the charges, but make sure I complained to NTL about no prior notice of the amount to be taken - assuming this was the case? As the coolwelshbloke said, at the end of the day you have had free line rental for nearly 9 months

If you pay a fixed bill by DD then they don't have to send you a bill every month just a letter at the start telling you on what day of every month they will debit the money on.

NTL do not do fixed bills unless you have just BB, so you should receive a bill every month normally ten days prior to them requesting the money.

I pay via credit card over the phone every month so I get an invoice every month. I have never paid NTL via DD due to some of the horror stories I have read but am I correct in saying you have a monthly bill?

[Acathla]

ok. from that, ntl havent taken money and I can cancell the DD? I shall do.

if NTL feel I owe the money theu must enter negotiations with me. I am prepared to do that.

i have recieved free line rental for 2 years. this was the service I was expecting and if it has changed I reserve the right to cancel before further charges are taken?

---------- Post added at 20:31 ---------- Previous post was at 20:30 ----------

Originally Posted by acoolwelshbloke

I pay via credit card over the phone every month so I get an invoice every month. I have never paid NTL via DD due to some of the horror stories I have read but am I correct in saying you have a monthly bill?

I am interested in this. I never knew it was possible!

Which ever way you look at it you have had a free phone service for two years!

NTL never said they were giving you free line rental, and you must have known what NTL charge for broadband!

Personally I think your just miffed they caught you!

Just pay what they ask as your the one who has come out better off in my opinion!

Originally Posted by Acathla

when i cancelled tv in 2004 i was informed that nothing would chnage on my account and nothing did.

suddenly i received a bill today back dated to jan 07 for line rental.

i was never aware line rental was due or indeed chargeable.

as far as i was concerned line rental was included in my BB charges.

that is where the misunderstanding has arisen - you cancelled TV, the line rental was included in that charge, you stopped paying for the TV part of the subs, but were still liable for the remaining line rental.

Unfortunately being unaware of a liability is no defence and I believe NTL only charging you for 3 months rather than a whole year is, actually, pretty generous - sorry

Originally Posted by acoolwelshbloke

I pay via credit card over the phone every month so I get an invoice every month. I have never paid NTL via DD due to some of the horror stories I have read but am I correct in saying you have a monthly bill?

Do they charge you extra for that ? most companies do.

[Acathla]

i think you misunderstand.

when i cancelled tv i was infomred that the line rental was included in my BB charge. i was not made aware it carried a seperate charge.

Originally Posted by Paul M

Do they charge you extra for that ? most companies do.

No they do not charge me for this, well I use a debit card if i'm honest, if that makes any difference. I pay all my bills this way apart from sky who I have a DD setup and the TV license.

Nobody has ever charged me for paying this way if i'm honest!

Actually, I am paying a £2 surcharge every month to NTL which shows up as a non direct debit charge so yes I am paying extra for it!