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?
James Gosnold wrote on Wed, 28 Jun 2006 16:24

Some excellent read here and many mirror my own experiences of today. I ranted at a 'Customer Services' advisor about the obvious callousness of a system that will only allow you to cancel your services by waiting for half an hour on 'Home move' line and yet be answered in one minute when wanting to upgrade your services. I mailed them several times from various links on their site. Being on hold for 30 minutes with the recorded fllosy telling how they are improving their 'customer service' makes your blood boil! When I did finally get through to the call centre he took my details and advised me of the 30 day disconnection notice period. I told him it didn't surprise as NTL are a f*****g disgrace and which point he then said he could disconnect me today! So one tip there, if you rant enough they can do it.

In summary NTL are a shocking organisation, the likes of which should simply be hit so hard by watchdogs that they can't operate. When you hear of companies getting hit really hard by watchdogs/omsbudsmans for the most innocuous things and NTL are allowed to get away with this it completely baffles. Vixens post above on the 23rd March was brilliant and I'd bet money is the reality. NTL? I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.

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