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?
Simon M wrote on Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:46

I agree with every single comment regarding NTL on here. Had TV & Phone installed about 12 months ago, initially had a stupid amount of grief getting them to provide the correct channels but all was then well until I decided to have broadband fitted 6 weeks ago. A vagrant that I would not want to have anywhere near my children called round at 8am and fixed up my broadband for me. Three days later it stops connecting. Engineer calls out to fix it. Days later, again it stops working. As i was busy all weekends and NTL said that they can only send an engineer round during my work hours. I took a day off work and arranged for engineer to call round between 12pm & 6pm. By 3pm no-one had called round so i called cust servs to check all is ok and they ensured me he was still coming round. 6pm and the phone rings... its a woman from NTL asking if my broadband is still faulty. I explained what had happened and she said they would have to arrange for another engineer to call out. I said that i cant do weekends and that there is no way i'm taking another day off work. She then told me they can offer an 'out of hours' service between 5pm and 8pm.. why wasn't that offered in the first place then i wouldn't have had to take a day off work!!?? I accepted but explained that i get home an 6pm to the engineer would have to call round between 6 & 8... The day arrived I called NTL at lunchtime to confirm they were still coming round and left my mobile number in case there were any probs.. NTL said that all was still OK.. I got home at 6 and had a voicemail on my house phone from the engineer left at 5pm saying as we weren't at home we would have to arrange another appointment!! Urrrgghhhh.... Why did he call before 6 and why didn't he call my mobile either??!! Spoke to customer services 'Katrina' she was extremely rude and unhelpful and in the end I had to put the phone down on her. Called the broadband helpdesk - surprisingly the outsourced call centre staff are better than teh English. They sympathised and explained that it was their fault and we have arranged another appointment.... Fair enough not all services provided are perfect but if NTL could only muster some basic manners, common sense and sympathy for their customers problems, then it would make their utterly shit products not quite such a huge pain in the arse. They ought not to be allowed to trade.

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