NTL stuff left in house - can I remove?

frostyspice

The previous owners of my house subscribed to NTL so there are various boxes and wires on the walls of a few of the rooms. Can I just pull these out and get rid of the boxes? What about the wire which comes in from the street? Does NTL own any of this stuff?

I don't want cable in the future, and have just started redecorating so I'd like to tidy things up.

rjm2k1

I think you will find that NTL own ALL of that stuff!

You say you don't want cable (TV?) in the future but have you considered that you will be able to get a telephone and broadband from them as well as TV? Always a good plan to have an alternative option to BT (even if you don't use it at the moment) , moneysaving wise.

Fedz

I suspect it's classed as criminal damage!

Personally I'd just leave them as they're white anyway so colour match almost any decoration

frostyspice

rjm2k1 wrote: »

I think you will find that NTL own ALL of that stuff!

You say you don't want cable (TV?) in the future but have you considered that you will be able to get a telephone and broadband from them as well as TV? Always a good plan to have an alternative option to BT (even if you don't use it at the moment) , moneysaving wise.

I wouldn't touch NTL with a bargepole, given their cr*ppy customer service. And the wires and boxes aren't in the least tidy-looking.

I can just see me phoning them to ask them to come and remove the stuff and listening to their holding music for half an hour...

dmg24

You are able to remove anything inside the property. However, if you were to want the services in future, they may charge you for a new installation. They will not remove the items for you.

I used to work for ntl, this is the advice that they will give.

(I assume you mean the box on the wall, and not the actual set top box?!)

Fedz

With millions of customers it's fair to say any company would have it's fair share of dissatisfied customers- NTL/CableTel/VirginMedia is no different

You can always decorate over the wires on the wall (if any) or hide trailing wires under the carpet (if any) and the box on the wall can be painted over to match decor and or hidden behind furniture

I prefer to leave things like this for the very fact it is a good selling/renting point having cable and non-cable telephone/TV and or internet access to a property

Badger_Lady

I would keep the entry into the building, but recommend cutting back some of the stuff to make it look tidier.

My previous owners had NTL/Virgin and I decided to stick with it... but they had wires trailing across to all sorts of rooms, and I'm just going to move the cable back to its source point (front room) and have the TV / telephone in there, thereby cutting back on the wires everywhere.

If you can do something similar, you won't be compromising the look of your property but will still have it installed as a possibility for yourself / future occupants.

Fedz

dmg24 wrote: »

You are able to remove anything inside the property. However, if you were to want the services in future, they may charge you for a new installation. They will not remove the items for you.

I used to work for ntl, this is the advice that they will give.

(I assume you mean the box on the wall, and not the actual set top box?!)

I think you'll find you're wrong - as it belongs to NTL/CableTelVM so is classed as criminal damage.

Obviously how does one prove who did cut the wires and filler over it and throw the inside box/wires ...etc away - but, still if done it is criminal damage

Badger_Lady

Well, when the guys were "installing" my telephone, I asked about moving the boxes and they replied:

"Well, if you call up, they'll someone out to do it for about £60, but you're better off doing it yourself - it's dead easy".

Doesn't sound like they're very fussed about the "criminal damage"!

missile

It is your house, remove it if you want to.

Perhaps if you had a contract with NTL they may have a claim, but criminal damage ........... I hardly think so. However if you are concerned, you could write them a recorded letter giving them 14 days to remove it.

Fedz

It's criminal damage because the wires and boxes are the property of NTL/CableTV/VirginMedia, deliberately damaging them is technically criminal damage in law.

I very much doubt they'd know and or even care if you did it but, that's a different matter but, regardless it's the property of the company and still criminal damage.