Steve's blog

I used to have an account with NTL, a cable TV / telco in the UK. I gave up on using their phone service and broadband over a year ago as I wanted simple things like a reliable net connection with reverse DNS. I switched to ADSL ages back, and things were good. I continued using the cable TV from NTL for a while, as I was too apathetic to switch.

Last month, I finally got around to doing something about that - Sky in the UK offer a better digital TV service with more features like the Sky+ DVR for less money than I was paying to NTL. Once the Sky satellite disk was installed, I started to cancel the NTL subscription. That was an adventure in itself:

Spend ages on the phone in a queue on the "customer helpline".
Eventually speak to someone, be given a fresh number to ring for the cancellations department.
Ring that number. It's busy and drops the line after a few seconds.
Try again at #1 above, and get a different number to ring. "Oh no, the first number you were given for cancellations is wrong".

After multiple iterations through the above script, I eventually got through to the right people. "I'd like to cancel my account", I told them. "Sorry sir, you'll have to do that in writing", they told me, "and you have to give 30 days' notice, which will start from the postmark on the cancellation letter." They then gave me an address to write to. An address that's not on the website, and none of the previous people could possibly have told me it, of course, oh no.

So, on the 13th December I sent them a letter to cancel. I expected things to end there, but no such luck. After Christmas a letter landed in the mail. It wasn't an acknowledgement of the cancellation. It was another bill for the period from 13th January to 13th February. The cancellation letter had had no visible effect. As the new bill neatly coincided with 1 month from the date of my cancellation, I took an easy route and cancelled the Direct Debit that NTL used to collect payment.

Now that got a response - a letter landed this morning threatening extra charges to my account if I did not reinstate the Direct Debit. An urgent letter that took 7 days to come through their system, judging by the postmark. So I've just been on the phone to them. After nearly 20 minutes of listening to hold music, I eventually got through to the complaints department. "Sorry, sir - the cancellation only took effect on the 19th December, so you still owe us...". After some arguing on the phone I've got satisfaction (I believe) - I've had a promise that the account is closed with nothing outstanding and no more nasty letters to come. If I hear anything more then I'll be going to the regulator about this...

</rant>

It seems the only way that NTL can keep customers these days is to make it nigh-on impossible to cancel an account.

17:23 :: # :: /misc :: 126 comments

Comments

Re: Why are NTL so crap?
Richard wrote on Fri, 24 Feb 2006 15:22

I closed my NTL account over 3 years ago and found out 3 months ago that they were still taking money out by DD. I jumped through their stupid hoops - usual 3 separate telephone calls to customer "service" to be assured time and time again that they were going to raise the credit. They said that the account was closed and that I could expect a payment within 2 weeks. Obviously they didn't send it and I kept on calling talking to customer "service" reps who apparently don't have any details of customers on their screens as they needed me to repeat the same story every time I called. Eventually I got through to their Moves and Transfers and spoke to someone about my problems - about the 6th call by now. I was told that the credit note was being raised that day but I owed them 68 pounds for the past 2 months service. When I pointed out that I had closed the account 3 years ago the guy said ok and said the cheque would be with me in two weeks (sigh - how many times had I heard this). Exactly two weeks later a letter.......no not from NTL but from the infamous Moorcroft debt recovery company; a pre-litigation notice for the "oustanding Debt of £68.42". Called NTL again and was told that I would be getting a call back in 48 hours that they would contact Moorcroft and stop any further action. Surprise surprise no call back. So I called Moorcroft, they hadn't heard a thing from NTL but agreed to put proceedings on hold for 7 days. So I called again - today in fact - and explained the whole issue again, they took my mobile number (again) and said I would get a call back from the people in Moves and Transfers. I got a call back, at last I thought someone with some customer focus. It's surprising how misguided one can be - the woman (Joan) was very rude and said that she would be raising a credit on my account minus £68 that I owed NTL. I very calmly explained that I didn't owe NTL anything and that I wanted the £68 to be added to the credit note. She proceeded to rip into me saying I didn't understand that I had to pay them for the service I'd been recieving over the past 2 months. I asked for her name and she promptly hung up on me. I then called back and spoke to yet another Customer service Rep and was told I would be getting a call back from him once he'd got an email back from the credit control department *sigh*. I guess that I'll be posting the rest of the story as it progresses which will probably be a considerable thread

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