NTL? No thanks

[ideoplastic]

Having waited for years for BT to enable the local exchange for Broadband,
I decided to approach NTL to subscribe to their Cable/Broadband service, seeing
that nearly all my neighbours already have the service.


Made some phone calls to them with intention of subscribing to the service and each
time I was told they get back to me, something which never happened.

Then 3 months after making the enquiries I get a letter telling me they cannot provide me
with the service. That's it no explanation why. I'm so ****ed off by this that I will be writing
to the regulator to lodge a formal complaint, since NTLs attitude seems prejudiced and
discriminatory. The fact that the company keeps bombarding me with unwanted literature
even after declining to provide me with the service without explanation will no doubt form
part of my submission to the regulator.

[orangebird]

Can you expand on how ntl are being 'prejudiced' and 'discriminatory'? Also, if you could pm me your postcode, I could have a look and see what the problems are with servicing your property?

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by ideoplastic

Having waited for years for BT to enable the local exchange for Broadband...................

From the tone of your post I am guessing that you perhaps think this is an official ntl site. It's not, but we do have people here who might be able to help, see if OB can help you......

[scrotnig]

Originally Posted by ideoplastic

Having waited for years for BT to enable the local exchange for Broadband,
I decided to approach NTL to subscribe to their Cable/Broadband service, seeing
that nearly all my neighbours already have the service.


Made some phone calls to them with intention of subscribing to the service and each
time I was told they get back to me, something which never happened.

Then 3 months after making the enquiries I get a letter telling me they cannot provide me
with the service. That's it no explanation why. I'm so ****ed off by this that I will be writing
to the regulator to lodge a formal complaint, since NTLs attitude seems prejudiced and
discriminatory. The fact that the company keeps bombarding me with unwanted literature
even after declining to provide me with the service without explanation will no doubt form
part of my submission to the regulator.

Unfortunately, if cable is not available at your property, then you can't have the service. ntl are not under any legal obligation to provide a service, unlike BT.

Whilst I agree it's frustrating to keep getting adverts etc, there is no realistic way to control these on a house to house level, distributors will only work off postcode sectors, so if part of one sector is cabled and the other isn't, generally all houses in that sector will get leaflets.

I'm just letting you know this before you write to OFCOM, as this is pretty much what they will tell you.

Also bear in mind OFCOM won't even look at a complaint until you've exhausted all avenues for ntl to resolve it...you can't just go straight to OFCOM just because you're a bit annoyed.

[seaneeboy]

If it's through the post it would be worth signing up to the mailing preference service...

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/

[scrotnig]

Originally Posted by seaneeboy

If it's through the post it would be worth signing up to the mailing preference service...

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/

That won't stop the door to door flyers though. There is no way of stopping those.

[ideoplastic]

Originally Posted by Mark B

Unfortunately, if cable is not available at your property, then you can't have the service. ntl are not under any legal obligation to provide a service, unlike BT.

Well this sounds a bit like Catch22

I live in a Cul-de-Sac with approx 15 houses 13 of which have NTL cable.

Now perhaps you can explain to me how a cable company can create new
customers without laying the cable.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by ideoplastic

Well this sounds a bit like Catch22

I live in a Cul-de-Sac with approx 15 houses 13 of which have NTL cable.

Now perhaps you can explain to me how a cable company can create new
customers without laying the cable.

By selling to houses that have a cable running past them but no service.

[Graham F]

Originally Posted by Mark B

That won't stop the door to door flyers though. There is no way of stopping those.

not true - unless ntl have taken off the no contact form off the intranet?!? all ideoplastic needs to do is ring or write to ntl to say i don't want anymore flyers and their details will be taken off mailing lists

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by ideoplastic

Well this sounds a bit like Catch22

I live in a Cul-de-Sac with approx 15 houses 13 of which have NTL cable.

Now perhaps you can explain to me how a cable company can create new
customers without laying the cable.

A lot can depend on the geography of your cul-de-sac and if someone else's property would have to be crossed to get the cable to you. Sometimes odd properties have been left out because they would need wayleave consent to get the cable to them.

[ideoplastic]

I live a the U bend of the cul-de-sac and the area just in front of my property is
common access like everywhere else in the cul-de-sac.

Found out BT will be enabling local exchange by July 27. So I'll wait for that
and will upgrade my Deamon account to a 2Mbps connection or higher if available.

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

[scrotnig]

Originally Posted by Graham F

not true - unless ntl have taken off the no contact form off the intranet?!? all ideoplastic needs to do is ring or write to ntl to say i don't want anymore flyers and their details will be taken off mailing lists

That is mailing lists...in other words, this will stop any targetted postal delivery of mail. It *won't* stop distribution of flyers by dedicated door to door distribution teams, it isn't practical as these people would have to consult a database before delivering EVERY leaflet.

[Graham F]

Originally Posted by Mark B

That is mailing lists...in other words, this will stop any targetted postal delivery of mail. It *won't* stop distribution of flyers by dedicated door to door distribution teams, it isn't practical as these people would have to consult a database before delivering EVERY leaflet.

wow never come across them before - all the ntl advertising that i have ever come across is via post - you know the man/woman that comes round on their bike and pushes mail through the door the only time i have ever seen leaflets given out are in town centres, but i will bow to your superior knowledge on the matter
__________________

Sorry missed something on my first post

It *won't* stop distribution of flyers by dedicated door to door distribution teams

So ntl employ teams of people that have the 'dedicated' job of handing out flyers door to door?!?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Graham F

wow never come across them before - all the ntl advertising that i have ever come across is via post - you know the man/woman that comes round on their bike and pushes mail through the door the only time i have ever seen leaflets given out are in town centres, but i will bow to your superior knowledge on the matter
__________________

Sorry missed something on my first post


So ntl employ teams of people that have the 'dedicated' job of handing out flyers door to door?!?

Never seen NTL handing out flyers in my area even when there Bent as a 3 bob note sales reps start calling for the umpteenth time in a day.

[scrotnig]

Sometimes leaflet distribution is contracted not to the Royal Mail, but to private companies. Many firms do this. There is no chance of specifying individual houses that are not to be delivered to.

They don't hand them out, they post them through letterboxes. As I say, many companies do this. takeaways being quite common.

I can't believe nobody has ever heard of this practice. I sometimes feel like I'm on another planet in here....

Did you all believe that EVERY flyer that ever comes through your letter box was delivered by the postman?