Cancelling Broadband and leaving NTL

[DeadKenny]

I've got my ADSL up and running now and need to cancel my NTL broadband and thus would be cancelling NTL completely.

Any advice on the best way to go about this? Just ring up, or put it in writing and who to? How much notice (if any) is required?

I want to avoid any attempts at keeping my custom, getting my request ignored, and any hassles down the road with billing.

What's the deal with returning my equipment? I will not take any time off work. I don't have enough remaining holiday to do so and cannot afford to take unpaid leave for NTL (NTL has cost me a fortune in time off work already as is it ). Can I get them to collect from my place of work, or for them to pay for me to return the equipment in the post?

P.S. I'm way out of any minimum contracts.

And please, no "but NTL's better, blah, blah", I've made my choice and sticking with it.

I cancelled all my services because we're moving house and will be outside the network. There was no problem, done over the phone, no letter required, no argument from the CSR.

However in the light of problems I know others have had, I can't help wondering what would have happened if they'd thought I was just going to $ky/BT ... call directed to Customer Retentions, letter confirming cancellation demanded ... I've heard of these things happening but I don't know which of them are typical or even required as part of your original contract with them.

I'd suggest you phone the usual 0800 number, tell them you want to cancel and see what happens, then post back.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by DeadKenny

I've got my ADSL up and running now and need to cancel my NTL broadband and thus would be cancelling NTL completely.

Any advice on the best way to go about this? Just ring up, or put it in writing and who to? How much notice (if any) is required?

I want to avoid any attempts at keeping my custom, getting my request ignored, and any hassles down the road with billing.

You should be able to just ring.

What's the deal with returning my equipment? I will not take any time off work. I don't have enough remaining holiday to do so and cannot afford to take unpaid leave for NTL (NTL has cost me a fortune in time off work already as is it ). Can I get them to collect from my place of work, or for them to pay for me to return the equipment in the post?

P.S. I'm way out of any minimum contracts.

And please, no "but NTL's better, blah, blah", I've made my choice and sticking with it.

You'll get no buts from me, just a heads up about the equipment and the t&c's -

19.5 On termination of this Agreement You shall return all the Equipment at your cost to our offices within 14 days of the date of termination. If You do not return the Equipment We shall be entitled to bill You and You shall be liable to pay for the cost of replacing the Equipment, and unless the termination is due to our breach You shall continue to be responsible for the payment of Charges until all the Equipment has been returned or its replacement value paid.

Full t&c's here

Some regions do offer a collection service though, so it's worth asking.

[scrotnig]

ALL requests to disconnect service should be passed through to the relevant retentions department who WILL try and save the customer...that is their job.

Obviously if a customer has already gone with another supplier there is little that can be done, but it's their job to try, and try they must. The call may be being observed, and they will be expected to make some effort, because that's what they are paid to do.

The equipment can be collected from ANY local address, so having it collected from work sounds the best option, though cable modems are not being collected in most regions at present.

Easiest way is to phone 0800 052 1474 Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm. You will be asked to enter you phone number, this doesn't need to be an ntl number, just a local number to you so that you get to the right ntl office.

[DeadKenny]

Cheers.

I guess if it's in the T&Cs that it's at my cost then I can put up with posting the stuff to them, but I'm definitely not taking time off work for them to collect. If they want the CM returned I'll try for posting or a collection from work if they mention anything at all.

I'll give them a call Monday and follow it up with a recorded delivery letter just to be sure.

[DeadKenny]

Tried phoning and just got fed up of waiting to get through, so went for the recorded delivery letter plan of attack.

Sent it first class recorded on the 19th... still hasn't been signed for

[DeadKenny]

Still no confirmation of my letter being signed for.

Not sure what my next option is.

[Florence]

You need to call them if the registered delivery is a PO box there is noone to sign.


Just call them up and be patient what times did you try to get through?
never any use trying first thing as they take some time to settle into work would suggest straight after lunch around 2pm. but it sometimes helps to try different times until you find your slot.

[Graham F]

Originally Posted by DeadKenny

Still no confirmation of my letter being signed for.

Not sure what my next option is.

what address did you send it to?

[DeadKenny]

The address on the back of the bill. It's not a PO Box.

It says somewhere in their T&Cs or somewhere that things like this should be put in writing to the address on the bill. It also specifies that you must give 30 days notice in writing.

I always phone in the evening. It's inconvienient to phone at work. Too many interruptions and it's a bit frowned upon to be spending ages on the phone at work.

To be honest I don't want to go through all the hassle of them putting me through to a cancellation department who will try anything to prevent me cancelling or ignore my request.

To be fair, it's no where near the 30 days yet, but I can see from RoyalMail's tracker that it hasn't been signed for.

[Graham F]

the reason i ask often people often send letters to the address for payments, which are often payment centres run byu third party companies like hays...

[MikeyB]

Originally Posted by Mark B

ALL requests to disconnect service should be passed through to the relevant retentions department who WILL try and save the customer...that is their job.

Obviously if a customer has already gone with another supplier there is little that can be done, but it's their job to try, and try they must. The call may be being observed, and they will be expected to make some effort, because that's what they are paid to do.

I hope they are better at their job since I canceled, was just before they put digital TV in my area.
When I phone to cancel my TV, the best reason for staying with NTL for TV was that when they finally do go digital, I would get ITV2, which wan't on Sky back then.
I hardly every watch ITV1 so that wasn't a great loss!


Anyway, sounds a bit slack on NTLs part that your letter hasn't been signed for yet, over a week since you posted it, whats the chances they'll say it got lost in their post system somewhere.

[Graham F]

Originally Posted by MikeyB

I hope they are better at their job since I canceled, was just before they put digital TV in my area.
When I phone to cancel my TV, the best reason for staying with NTL for TV was that when they finally do go digital, I would get ITV2, which wan't on Sky back then.
I hardly every watch ITV1 so that wasn't a great loss!


Anyway, sounds a bit slack on NTLs part that your letter hasn't been signed for yet, over a week since you posted it, whats the chances they'll say it got lost in their post system somewhere.

I'm not trying to be funny, but what has the letter not been signed for got to do with ntl?!? surely its down to the royal mail to obtain a signature if one s needed?!?!

[DeadKenny]

Originally Posted by Scooby

the reason i ask often people often send letters to the address for payments, which are often payment centres run byu third party companies like hays...

It's the Wigmore address in Luton...

ntl
Wigmore House
Wigmore Lane
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU2 9EX


Also mentioned on this thread...
http://www.the-scream.co.uk/forums/s...ad.php?t=13921

And that's from a self-proclaimed "insider", and even with an email from NTL telling a customer to write to the above address for cancellation. Note the others on that thread complaining about no acknowledgement of cancellation and problems with NTL still billing long after cancellation requested.

Advice here also confirms where cancellations should be sent and even suggests recorded delivery as I have done...

http://www.davidinnes.co.uk/useful_info2.html


Though to be fair, RoyalMail's site is now just saying they can't confirm the status of my item (whatever that means ). So maybe they have received it.


Anyway, I'll give them a month from when I sent the letter and cancel the direct debit then. As far as the legal side goes I have fulfilled the direct debit agreement side by informing NTL first and also the contract by giving them 30 days notice.

[DeadKenny]

NTL definitely haven't signed for it according to RoyalMail