NTL Service now Cancelled

[Techtips]

by me :-


Spoke to a CSA at NTL a few days ago now, complaining about TV Internet and a seemingly ongoing TV Mail problem we have.

This is after we got a £30 discount for the troubles of last month.This ongoing mail fault means we often dont get Emails for weeks (Through the TV ) sometimes not at all.

We are in Manchester and I was interested in their Cable modem service but becuase of NTL failure to resolve these other issues we were having we are not at all confident that their cable modem service would be any better.

Now there have been some posts on the Digital Spy forum saying that if you phone up and ask them to disconnect you they do their best to offer some sort of compensation for the rubbish service that they currently provide. Thats okay cause I got another £60 this month which mean my total discounted services for this year alone up to now tops £140.00

Now I asked about the prospected rollout here in Bolton and I was told that the Staff were currently trialing the system at home, in the Manchester area, but they didnt know when it was due to be rolled out. YEAh right like one minute they are saying they need to upgrade Manchester and the nex their Staff are testing the service what a load of crap. I duly suggested they had a pool of NON -BIAS testers rather than use their own staff.

Then again the Cucumber Service Agents have been known to tell lies in the past. Now we also know that NTL is struggling and laying off people left right and center (Technicians especially)So :-

WHY IN THE HELL ARE THEY GIVING HUNDREDS OF POUNDS TO INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMERS RATHER THAN INVESTING IN THE TECHNICIANS TO REPAIR THE SAID FAULTS?

Also if the green boxes do need an upgrade why dont they start on the work need in Manchete? instead of lying to the customer all the time claiming they are testing and constantly putting back the rollout dates.

It makes no sense whatsoever and I often wonder how they have survived so long in business. I dont know who their investors are but If anyone knows please email me then I can send a detailed report on my finidings as a very very dissapointed customer.

Total lack of stability throughout the company and total lack of any feasable co-orporate policy that WORKS. The amount of faults in the system is pathetic and whats more they constantly lie about the rollout of cable modem and Free Dial up services to EX-CWC customers.

BTW if you want to telephone the disconnection department to get your free discount for a pathetic service try this number :-

0800 056 7079

I got £60. I would like to hear if anyone gets more.

BTW you just need to aire your views on the service and an offer will soone be forthcoming.

Why have I cancelled my service? well We reported an email problem on 6th December 2000 YES 2000

It was still outstanding.!!!

Dont build up your hopes for a cable modem service that works if their TV Interactive is anything to go by.

[compunightmare]

Hi Ian ...

Very strong words indeed mate, and I cannot disagree with any of your post.

I am more than aware of the freebies and lies dished out on a daily basis by ntl: and have in fact been bringing these two issues to the attention of ntl: users for some considerable time.

I can save you the bother of trying to preach the gospel to ntl: investors though. They are interested in one thing, and one thing only ... a return on their investment !. They have no interest in and care very little about the day to day running of the company as experienced through the eyes of a customer, I can assure you of this !.

I did manage to speak to an American investor about 2 weeks ago, to whom I voiced my concerns, and we spent over ½ an hour discussing all aspect of ntl: as far as their consumer business is concerned. He actually agreed with the points that I raised, but at the end of the day (although he has suffered a loss on his initial investment), he is still hanging in there to make money, and has no real interest in the company at customer level. I have kept hold of his phone number and he has invited me to phone him anytime.

As for the “freebies” ... you say that you have now received in excess of £140 in concessions from the company this year. As of today I have received £163.96 worth of credits !!!. If they didn't keep giving so much money away, they might not be in such a financial mess, they might not have had to raise the digital base price as of 1st May by 50% and as you point out, they may have had more spare cash to invest in the work that needs to be done instead of laying off people. Basically the company is (IMO) a joke, but with credits totalling £163.96p for this year alone, I'll stick with them as I know of no other company that rewards its customers so generously for its failings.

You mention the digitalspy forums (which can be accessed through my signature). I am at a loss for why the N4N ntl: forum here isn't buzzing with activity since the digitalspy forums have been discussing particularly the cable modem issues (as well as other issues regarding ntl: ) for quite some time now, and continue to do so, providing very interesting discussions and debate.

Unfortunately the digitalspy forums do not allow signatures to be used (this works very well), so I cannot carry a sig over there which would bring some of those users here. I do occasionally mention N4N whenever I get the chance, and have a plan to introduce more of the members to N4N, but time isn't on my side to do this as with the system that I use, some things can be time consuming.

I personally think that now its time that ntl: dropped their logo of “Technology Tamed” as they should be taken to court under the trade descriptions act for false claims :D

Craig

[rob51166]

Hey Craig & Ian!

I've got to admit that I'm totally gobsmacked at the amount of compensation you've both had from NThell.

OK, it's admission time, and no doubt time for the firing squad: I used to work for British Gas in their call centre in Cardiff (Craig, you'll probably know where I mean in town). If there was ONE thing we were advised against doing at all costs, it was offering customers compensation because, ultimately in the customers' eyes it showed an admission of guilt. On the RARE occasion when I did offer compo it was VERY limited (i.e. £5), as any more and the company would wave bye-bye to the profit on that customer's account for that year. I had to be able to explain to a manager with good reason why I was offering a customer £5 compo; and if it was noticed that anyone was giving too much compo for too little reason s/he got dragged to the ‘bollocking’ room for (you guessed it!) a bollocking! :eek:

For NThell to, literally, be giving money and profits (or should that be losses??!! :p) away as if there's no tomorrow is nothing short of madness. Jesus, since when have they been in a position to print money??? Then again, once the ‘naîve’ and ‘innocent’ customer realises just how much s/he has been duped and, more importantly, that NThell is actually a bigger farce than all the Carry On films, Benny Hill Shows, Laurel & Hardy and the Keystone Cops films combined, it's probably the only way NThell have of ensuring that they stay with them for any length of time! ;)

Personally, I applaud the both of you. If you're able to screw them for compensation more than they screw you over their crappy service then the Best of British to you. I'm beginning to wonder what sort of compensation they'll offer me (if any) when I phone them in a few weeks time to close my account once and for all!! Let's face it, If NThell's current record of giving out compensation isn't an admission of guilt over its horrendous and diabolical service, then my name is Dame Edna Everidge and I live in Mooney Ponds, Victoria, my dahhhhlings! :D

[Matt]

Hi Craig / TechTips,

Craig - You mentioned in your last post:

I personally think that now its time that ntl: dropped their logo of “Technology Tamed” as they should be taken to court under the trade descriptions act for false claims

Funny that, as I've logged a complaint with the ASA, who said that they can't help as it falls out of their remit, but passed me to my local Trading Standards.

I'll let you know how I get on.:)

Matt

[Carfin]

You guys really need to get out more......

[compunightmare]

Originally posted by Carfin
You guys really need to get out more......

And you need to brush up on your literary vocabularly and communication skills !. What a very constructive comment you make, I think not. Join in or get lost !!!!.

[Burnley HefCee]

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: