NTL Freedome - Totally Disgusting

Shiggaddi

I have NTL freedom, which gives me NTL Internet (when they feel like it!!) over a BT line.

Today I dialed up as usual, and it wouldn't connect, however I heard voices on the phone, so I listened in and the announement said "Sorry, the number you called could not be recognised, please check and call again"

This was the usual NTL dial up number, and the fact that it's not been recognised, is a failure on NTLs part, and they should fix it, if I were to report it.

However, thanks to saynoto0870, I called their freephone number, instead of 0870, and was given another freephone number to check the status. As far as NTL are concerned, everything is running fine.

I then went to speak to customer services, and told them of the problem, and they said that I should call their 090 number!!! I protested strongly, and said that the problem is a fault on your end, and I should not have to pay to report this problem. She then said that instead I could call a free number, so I said, "Thankyou"

She began to read out the number, and gues what, 0870!!

I then protested, and said that I should not have to call an 0870 number, to report a fault in their equipment, and pointed out that it's a premium rate number. Her response was that unlike other ISPs, who charge £1.50 for technical support, they were only charging 0870 rates.

I then argued that I was not after technical support, I was reporting a fault in their service, and said asked if I could have a geographical number instead. She said that the only way would be to call their 0870 number!! I then started to complain even more and said that I shold not be phoning premium rate numbers to report a fault with their systems. During that, they hung up on me!!!

This is totally disgusting. I am not after technical support. I am reporting a fault with their service, which in theory they should pay me to do, not the other way around!!

Of all the companies that I have dealt with, that rip us off with NGN phone numbers, this is by far the worse abuse I have had yet.

And of course, I could cancel my service with immediate effect, and not pay my next months service, but after last time, when they messed up my payments, they just get Wescot to deal with the matter, even though I had paid!! Imagine the trouble this time, if I were to refuse to pay!!

Now, after getting my Dad's computer downstairs, I managed to find an alternative dialup number for NTL (0800) I therefore configured my settings for the new number.

However, some sites don't load properly (including this one) I can't sign into MSN messenger. I can't check my NTL mail on outlook express. Now this definitely requires technical support. A good way to drum up business NTL. Make your product faulty, then we pay for advice on putting it right. If you get the job wrong, we keep paying until you do put it right.

Glandale

I subscribed to NTL broadband (over BT lines) last christmas, all went well then the line started dropping.

It took me 5 days of talking to the NTL techinal support at £1.50 a minute to get BT out to rewire my internal phone lines for free.

NTL help desk tried to be helpful, but were lacking in 'in depth' technical knowledege (I had more than them as I work in the computer industry).

I simply sent a letter to NTL highlighting my premium rate calls to their help desk and they credited my bill. (The address to send it to is on the bill)

Have you tried that ?

Shiggaddi

The service is up and running now. I did get a reply back from them, and it did eventually show on their page as a problem. Looks like they finally had someone call premium rate to inform them about a fault!!

As for a bill, I only get an online bill, as it's NTL freedom via a BT line. What happens is I get £15 of free phone calls, and I only pay £15 a month for dialup internet, and get the free calls. I don't know how the credit would work, if I were to call their premium rate number. Maybe they would allow be extra call allowances, on top of their £15, which can't be rolled over.

Anyway, I'm calling them up on Monday, and cancelling my account.

I would also like to say thankyou to saynoto0870, for providing me the freephone number for customer services!!

davef

Hi all

My partner was with NTL until before Xmas 2004 and they were pants. Customer services had real attitude, put the phone down on us, lied to us about technical probs etc so we cancelled inside our 12 month contract.

Told them that they had breached the contract for failing to provide a level of minimum service that one should expect (Supply of Goods & Services Act 1982). It worked and were now free !!!!!!!!

We switched to Plusnet broadband (https://www.plus.net) and have 2MBPS plus 2gig download per month for approx £17. The service is excellent. The line has only dropped poss twice in 9/10 months and the helpdesk is an 0845 number with staff who actually know what they are talking about !!!

My partner and I now run 2 pc's in our office through a broadband netgear router and its excellent.

Everytime I hear the company name NTL I cringe. When I heard they plan to takeover Telewest I fear for the planet !!

Dave

Nikki

We currently have NTL broadband and phone line, but are changing when we move house in a couple of weeks. We used to have dial up but had the same problems as the op, so changed to broadband(still had a few probs with this). In all the time we've been with NTL we've had loads of problems and found the customer service appalling. They always blame our equipment for the problem - one bloke even told us our phone was knackered. When the problems have been sorted it's never been our equipment that's faulty, but a fault at their end!! The knackered phone incident turned out to be our line unplugged at the junction box!! I wouldn't touch NTL with a barge pole and will be pleased to cancel my account when I move.

ADAM001

davef wrote:

Hi all



Told them that they had breached the contract for failing to provide a level of minimum service that one should expect (Supply of Goods & Services Act 1982). It worked and were now free !!!!!!!!

ive got a 512k connection with ukonline and i only recieve 108kpbs,could i do the same and walk from my contract,they were 3 wks late connecting me too.
PS were they ok about giving you a mac code as you "walked" from them?

davef

Hi Adam001

At the end of the day you pay the ISP a fixed price to deliver a service that should meet a minimum standard. i.e high level of total uptime, consistent speed of connection as per tarriff, quality of customer servcies etc. If it does not why should they keep throwing the usual "yes we know we are rubbish and failing to deliver but you signed a 12 month contract". It is not one sided. A contract has to be entered into by 2 parties or more so why should they be allowed to fail on the commitments within that contract.

I never received a mac code as such. My new ISP is Plusnet who dealt with BT to convert the line to broadband and handled all the setup issues from there. My old account with NTL actually ran through a NTL phone line. That just added to the problems but we stuck at it until we were free of NTL.

If you want to leave and they stall just quote the supply of goods & servcies act. If that fails I crank it up to the next level. That is Watchdog on TV, the crusader at the Daily Express etc. Also threaten to put an entry on every complaint site you can find on the web. It may all sound abit drastic but these companies who sign you up to these minimum period contracts seem all too willing to forget who they are serving, who keeps them in business i.e the customer - you and I.

Its like the marketing guys/girls say - its hard to attract new customers, its even harder to keep them.

If you are going to change ISP's then worth looking at http://www.ispreview.co.uk/broadband.shtml
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/
http://www.codehot.co.uk/broadband/

Rant over - good luck.

Dave

Shiggaddi

After reading some of those comments, I've had exactly the same responses from NTL this week.

On Monday, I had the internet, no trouble when I first logged in at 8am. At 10am, I tried, and got the same problem as last week. The tone saying "Sorry, the number you have called has not been recognised"

On Tuesday I phoned up customer services. When I had waited in the queue for 5 mins (luckily on their freephone number) I started my complaint. I was interuppted, and told immediately, that I should phone their 090 number as it's a technical support issue. I then stood my ground, and said that I did not require technical support, I wanted to report a fault. I was then told in a rude manner "Well, if you want to sort out the problem, you will have to call 090"

I then bought to her attention my trouble of last week, and the attitude of the person I had called then. I then said that under the sale of goods act I should be entitled to a rebate for non service. I was then told in a rude manner again "Well last week's problem was caused by BT, you're not entitled to a refund"

I then said "I've had enough, I'm cancelling my account" She then said again in a rude manner "Fine, I'll put you through to disconnections"

Disconnections were slightly more helpful, they said they would raise my issue with technical support who would call me back. And naturally I didn't receive any call back.

I then phoned them this morning (this time the call queue was 30 mins!!) and the guy on the phone was more polite and actually apologised for the fact that he was unable to put me through to technical support. He did his best to help, but with limited information he wasn't able to do much, so I just asked if I could be put through to disconnections. The guy on there again was helpful, and actually put me on hold, whilst he spoke to someone in technical support. I was then promised an immediate callback, and this is where my praise ends. Never received a callback!!

Problem continued for the rest of the day, and tried a few times to log on, and by shock I managed to get on the net at 7.30pm!! No trouble at all.

I just hope this keeps up (I will still be cancelling my account over this)

I will also be getting in touch with NTL about receiving a rebate for all this trouble, and rude call centre staff. I have paid for a service, which I have not received, and which has caused a great deal of time wasted chasing up the issue.