Heamoraging money to NTL: Switching Advice Please

Arcadian_2

I have been a long-term customer of NTL (10+years) and desperately want to switch all or part of package. Having read many of the helpful articles and threads on this forum and elsewhere I'm suffering from information overload so I would really appreciate some clear, concise advice on my options.

My situation is as follows: I have a digi-cable (base-pack), 3mb cable BB internet (unlimited), & phone (2 lines) package with NTL which breaks down cost-wise as:

cable TV: £21.50 p/m
phones rental + extras: £7.50 p/m
Internet: £24.99
+ average monthly call spend: £50

So I'm paying ~£1250 p/a!! and for that i get crap customer service and consistent over-billing. The only positive is the internet service which I can't fault though its not the cheapest.

I work from home and my elderly parents live with me, so we need to make uk and international calls at all times of day/evenings etc. I also use the internet all the time, though this is mainly browsing with the odd mp3 download etc - no heavy streaming or gaming, but i need an always on reliable service which up to now ntl has delivered.

For TV, i've just got a Humax PVR with freeview, so the NTL box can go, (saving £258 p/a and recouping the cost of the Humax :T )

It's with the phone/internet options that i begin to get confused..

For greatest choices of provider/switch-ability now and in future I gather I need to be on a BT line - switching direct from cable to third party providers poses problems i understand.

So I was thinking of three possible options:
1. move to BT and take out one of their packages ( i am interested in the Home Hub/Total BB thing)
2. move to BT and combine with override provider options as suggested by HEINZ et al
3. investigate VoIP telephony - either with someone like Vonage, or with a unlocked Linksys PAP2 box and independent provider such as Sipgate etc.

The proviso has to be that with any of these options usage has to be simple and seamless to operate - minimum dialling of different prefixes at different times/tariffs, for my elderly parents to understand (and me!)

Also minimum equipment outlay - though if necessary this could be justified/mitigated through cost savings over time.

If anyone can help me sort the wood from the trees I'd be eternally grateful! :beer:

TIA

Heinz

Welcome to the MSE forums Arcadian.

You can guess which one of the three options I'd recommend!

Seriously though, your monthly call costs are, as you obviously realise, the area in which there is potential for the greatest saving and dumping cable and renting a BT line (one, not two) would be the "start here" position I'd favour.

If Freeview's channel offerings are not enough, Sky will supply you, free of charge, with a brand new satellite receiver and dish and install for you. I believe half price subscriptions for 3 months are currently on offer too.

Certainly, VOIP could well be an option for you but, in view of your comments about your parents, I'd suggest you take the 'standard telephony' route as the simplest to start with (although the VOIP route for the business is an option you may want to keep in mind for possible later implementation).

I'd unreservedly recommend an Orchid V4+ LCR to negate the need to remember prefixes for particular calls and make dialling out uncomplicated. It sounds like I don't need to mention call providers!

Although you could have a second BT line for the business, use of TwinTalk (a £30 purchase) with BT Callsign or even just BT Callsign (£1.75/month) on its own may well be all you need.

Arcadian_2

Heinz,

many thanks for your advice - In fact it was as a result of one of your posts on the Digital Spy forum that I discovered this excellent site!

I am certainly very interested in the Orchid, and this clever little device is probably swinging it in favour of the 'standard telephony' route you recommend.

Since i posted my first message, I read on the NTL/TW thread that another poster, tidyfilms, managed to get his/her ntl bill down to £10 pm for 8mb BB and Talk unltd. So my thinking is that if I can get my bills reduced 90% from the ~£100 p/m i pay now, then I might well stick with NTL (but let them know that I'm keeping the situation under review!). That is my first objective - for Ntl to match TalkTalk for £10 all in, or I'm off!

Ntl's one saving grace is that the internet service is stable and reliable, its the only reason i would consider sticking with them.

I'm not interested in Sky at all - I wouldn't use the channels and Mr Murdoch has enough money as it is! I have freeview which is sufficient for my needs.

The slight complication is the phone issue - I currently have 2 ntl lines/numbers which I need: one main line, and one for my home office. I used to be with BT before I switched and I still have the socket. The trouble is that there is only one and it is located in an inconvenient place. So I'd need that moved and a second one installed, which would cost quite a bit i'm guessing.

Would you have any tips on how i could get re-connected to BT and have the two lines sockets installed at minimum or no cost? I could then at least use this as a bargaining chip with NTL.

The other question is, how do i stand with notice periods for quitting ntl? Having been with them for so long, do i need to give them notice (notwithstanding times to get MAC addresses issued etc.)?

Arcadian_2

Heinz - One more quick question if I may!

I notice in your article hyperlinked in your tagline, that if I have my phone line with a non-BT provider (ntl in my case) that I may not be able to use Carrier pre-select services such as Primus or 1866 (and by extention the Orchid device you recommend.

Is this correct?

If so it would pretty much dictate that I move to BT in any even, even if i mangage to get a drastic reduction from Ntl.

Otherise my 'start here' position is to try for a reduction from Ntl to something in the region of <£20 p/m for improved BB speed and Talk Unltd phone - which I could then save further on by using the carrier pre-select services.

hurrah

You can only CPS (EG Primus Saver) your calls if you are a BT Customer. No other carrier allows you to do this.

Its possible that some other carriers might just allow you to use access numbers like 1899/18185,but most of them reserve the right to bar them,and some do so already.

You can however use the likes of 1899/18185 on cable with a Orchid dialler via their 0808 freephone numbers. Different rates apply to normal access numbers.
eg: http://www.18185.co.uk/mobilerates.php

Your find a useful thread about cheaper calls from cable here.
http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1158596692

knuckledragger

Arcadian,
if you want to stick with NTL, then read the "NTL at it again..." thread that I started some time ago. (Don't read all of it). Just call up NTL retentions and tell them that you're thinking of leaving (make up your own hard luck story) and just wait for them to jump through hoops to save a big spender like you...

Arcadian_2

Thanks Hurrah & Knuckledragger. What helpful people you all are. How on earth does one find the time to research and do all of this? As an academic, I can sense the makings of a thesis on "The Tyranny of Choice" !!

Hurrah- I'm a little confused - what is the difference between a CPS service (e.g Primus) and 1899/18185 numbers? I thought they all came under the heading of CPS. Would it matter so much if I couldn't use Primus, but could use the others on NTL?

Fred_Bear_2

Arcadian,
If you decide to leave NTL then my advice is to confirm your calls to them by letter (recorded delivery). I tried to leave NTL earlier this year but still haven't managed to resolve it. They acknowledge receiving my call to leave but dispute what was said. I asked them to cancel my telephone account but they are claiming I only rang to notify them that I would be leaving sometime in the future after I had opened an account with BT! That's why they did nothing. I have had a BT line for many years and only took the NTL telephone because it originally came free with the digital TV. Good luck.
Fred

hurrah

Hi Arcadian.

CPS (Carrier Pre-Select) takes place in BT Exchange. Your outgoing calls are automatically sent over your chosen call suppliers network. It does not work on cable.

18185/1899 etc are(indirect gateway access numbers) that you control.Either by prefixing the call with the code,or by using an auto dialler like Orchid.Again you cant use these access numbers on cable,you have to use their freephone alternatives.

You want benefit from the Free Evening and Weekend Calls if you dont use Primus.But depending on your cable tariff and the time of day you should benefit from cheaper peak geographical,non geographical,mobile,and intl calls using 1899/18185 freephone access numbers.

The Say no to 0870 thread i posted in post five gives you cheaper suppliers to use on cable.

Heinz

Arcadian wrote:

Heinz - One more quick question if I may!

I notice in your article hyperlinked in your tagline, that if I have my phone line with a non-BT provider (ntl in my case) that I may not be able to use Carrier pre-select services such as Primus or 1866 (and by extention the Orchid device you recommend.

Is this correct?

Sorry, only just read this - had to travel some distance for an MRI scan on my back this afternoon.

I see others have answered (in summary, "Yes") anyway so I'll leave you to your deliberations.

knuckledragger

Arcadian,
I forgot to mention earlier that the standard NTL phone package now comes with free weekend calls (7pm Friday through to 7am Monday) and that you can get the Home user tariff free from Phone Co-op which charges 4.7p per evening call (up to a max of 60 mins).