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?
Rick wrote on Tue, 19 Sep 2006 22:08

NTL sent me a bill for £2 April 2005 out of the blue. When I queried it I was told it was an error and to ignore it; so I did.

Earlier this year I wanted to switch banks, credit card and have a small unsecured loan £3000 for a new kitchen. When I applied everything was declined. I was advised to get a copy of my credit file from Equifax. I got the file and NTL had reported this £2 as a default. It was actually £20 because they had stopped all bills being sent but not the charge being charged. £2 had been racking up "unpaid" even though I didnt owe it to the point where it became a "default". A default of £20!! thats a joke. Hardly 100s of pounds is it.

Had no letters or phone calls that I owed this money either. They removed the default but put it back a month later. To get it removed was a game and a half. Took 2 hours twice so 4 hours in total to get through to someone and get it sorted. Not only that but they had reported i'd paid late twice on an old "closed" account that was on my Equifax file when I had telephone and TV with them ages ago. I had in fact queried the bills as they were incorrect. Thank god I kept all historic bills to dig out as evidence. Was promised amended bills but none arrived. I didnt pay the incorrect bills (why should I) so they said I hadn't paid. I had a game getting this amended. Letters ignored and promised returned phone calls non existent. The default and late payment data has gone now and so have I from their service as I am moving house. Thankfully where I am moving to hasnt got NTL.

THE VERY MENTION OF NTL MAKES MY GUTS CHURN. ONE BIG HEADACHE

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