Courtesy call from NTL - £10 fine if your late paying your bill !

[lostandconfused]

i agree.

however, im sure everyone agrees, or at least no-one has said so yet, that people that regularly pay late or often pay irregular amounts is detrimental to a business, and if these costs arn't passed on to the people that are responsible for them would mean a general price increase to cover these costs.

the problem is that how does an automated system tell who is a regular late payer or a one off due to an oversight? Ill tell you know the system's ntl currently use cant and never will be able to do this.

as i have said in previous posts on this topic, CS will sometimes credit back late payment fees, but what is the point of having a system like this when everytime someone gets one it gets credited back onto the next bill?

i cant comment on any of other posters situation as i havent seen their accounts, they may be worthy of a credit back. but if ntl have a policy whereby if its the first time etc it is credited back again it makes the system pointless.

IMO that is what commen sense is for. before anyone starts having a go, its not making the "fine" personal, its about seeing the overall picture, and using your own judgement. if people dont agree with this then maybe the way to go is for ntl to have a policy where if its late, its late and you get a late payment fee and under no circumstances is it credited back???

[Bengie]

I have read this thread with interest and a single point stands out above all others.
If you are late with a payment, the services are suspended, (this has never happened to me as I have always paid DD so been on time).
The services are paid in advance are they not? the only part of the bill in arrears is for telephone calls, so how can they legally turn off television and internet when those two services are not in arrears. I also don't see how they can charge you £20 to reconnect something that has already been paid for.

I agree that you should know that there is a late charge as you should have read your contract. I also agree that there should be a charge for late payment, late payment of bills has brought many a company to it's knees.
A poster earlier said he couldn't help being late as it was hard to survive on £57 per week so couldn't set up a DD. My advice would be, you should be using freeview as you can't afford a cable service, be sensible and stop living outside your means.

I think the word 'illegal' is wrong here, the word should be 'immoral' or 'unfair'. I don't think it is 'illegal' to levy whatever you want, but that can be challenged as unfair as bank charges have shown to be.

[lostandconfused]

it is billed in advance, but by the time the payment is late you have already used the services, if i can give an example, the bill is produced on the 1st of august, the billing period for the 4th of agust to the 3rd of the september.

You then have 30 days to pay it before its considered late which takes it up to the 3rd (ish) of september.

with regards to a reconnection fee, you shouldnt be disconnected if you are 30 days late, im not entirely sure what the actual figure is but i think its about 45 days after bill being produced. Although this can vary especially if your a credit limit customer, which means 2 bills would have been printed normally taking you over the credit limit.

[big_rayster]

Ok gang!
The final chapter in my quest not to be treated like an idiot by NTL!

After many phone calls trying to get this late payment charge broken down/justified i eventually wrote, threating legal action if my £10 wasn't refunded or the amount justified, to

NTL Complaints
Concord House
Concord Business Park
Wythenshawe
Manchester
M22 0BA

I recieved a call yesterday from a nice lady claiming to be a complaints manager and who (supprise, supprise!) couldn't give me a breakdown of the charge either, but as a goodwill gesture she credited my account with £48 (the amount my bill was up to at that time)
So! even though NTL didn't admit that they were in the wrong, they didn't defend that they were right either!

So know your rights, stand up to the bullies and don't let the buggers get you down!

If anyone would like a copy of my letter as a template to claim their money back PM me and i'll send it across,And it's only the cost of a stamp people to post your letter off to get your cash back!

[popper]

NTL Complaints
Concord House
Concord Business Park
Wythenshawe
Manchester
M22 0BA

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...106516&iwloc=A

its a shame they didnt take offices in civic centre rather than sharston, then they could have setup a wimax wireless network on the roof of the near empty multi story office block above the black cab taxi rank, wavell rd/rowlandsway.

[uk1trev]

life feel o so good now, left ntl this year, they lie all the time service cut on and off, will never go back to this cable service, just set your self free