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Rizzo
8th April 2005, 22:16
So here's my story.
My dad decided to change the phone to ntl for cheaper calls, you also got free digi tv for a year with about 45 channels, fair enough seems a good deal. So when my dad rang up he got it sorted and made sure that the internet would be ok (tiscali), soo after all the account stuff and paying a date was set for the ntl guys to come round and install it.
When they came they were pretty fast at installing but I noticed that they did not fix the ntl box on out side wall, also they didnt bury the wire going from the house to the road, also they said that the phone would be activated in 24 hours and same with the tv. The next day came, oooo Sky One Stargate!! ooo E4 E4+, the tv was fine but the phone was dead, a letter came the same day saying that it had been done and to have the phone line from the bt box to the ntl still dead, ah now were stuck with 2 dead lines great!
So we called ntl (on my mobile) first time I was put on hold and my credit was wasted on that, so my dad used my sisters mobile, got through to ntl they said they would send someone out to sort it out. That day came and went. He aparently tried to call home to say he couldnt make it, hummm, wait a min, WE DONT HAVE A PHONE! Right so we rang back and they said he will be back next day, he came round and we fount out that he wasnt a the phone guy but a tv dude, he said that the black cable form outside to the phone was ment to be white not black cable. Hummm, another problem soo thats week 1 gone. Week 2 we called back and asked for another techi guy, wednesday came and a whole mass of ntl guys were here to dig up the road WTF! so they came and went.
Friday came, we had now topped the mobile phoen credit spent up to about £30, now used on ntl and about 25 times we called them.
So me and my mum went round my nans to use her phone to call ntl and explain everything for the 25th time she said monday is the best we can do, WHAT ANOTHER 3 DAYS !!!!
So a techi dude came on monday sorted the phone out WOOT, we have a phone, after that I tried the net and didnt know that tiscali or any isp wouldnt work on a ntl but wait a min ntl requires a ntl to install, soo shouldnt it work, well I take it not so once again called ntl and was forced to order ntl broadband and thats it.
Atm my dad is writeing a letter to ntl and hopfuly, we will get some sort of reply.
So thats it I was one of the unlucky ones that gets F*** over by NTL.

Total calls made to NTL support 33
Total Credit wasted on mobile phones £50

Amobe
8th April 2005, 22:22
thats one hell of an ordeal you went through there. Hope it all turns out for the best and you get a reply from NTL. :)

DaeMord
9th April 2005, 01:33
unfortunately that does sound about right for NTL, using them only because i have to, i know what kind of rubbish they spout out, and how stupid they are, the worst part is, your tale is not one of the worst i have heard from them, neither is your tale uncommon, best piece of advice to anybody out there, dont touch NTL unless you HAVE to.

spaz
9th April 2005, 08:12
Had major grief when first had our cable modem installed (was installed in August, took until mid september to get the thing to work). Was a good few years ago now, but sounds like nothings changed.

Rizzo
9th April 2005, 12:38
I knew and warned my dad many times befor, that NTL would be crap and NTL:Hell meh he didnt listen.
Ah also ntl guys cant go higher than 14 foot when on ladders, so I couldnt get the cable to my room for the modem, so it had to come thought my mums room, then he couldnt drill though the roof even tho there an ariel wire going up into the roof, so now we have a nice cable from my mums room to my bedroon (attic), looks like a nice little job for my dad.

Optimus
9th April 2005, 12:48
the only problem ive had with them after 3 years of subscribing (at 3 different addresses in Swansea) has been a dodgy cable modem that was replaced the day after I phoned through to complain about it...
Was only on hold for 10 minutes as well...

The thing to remember about NTL is that its franchised, so service in some areas is going to be better than others...

KingDaveRa
9th April 2005, 14:53
Nah, NTL run the local franchise. The country is broken up into a whole range of areas, all operated by the same NTL. NTL is the same NTL all over the country.

The main problems come with ex Cable and Wireless areas (Aylesbury is one) where they tend to cock up royally, but also their support and attitudes in general.

We tried to order NTL quite a few years ago, and they reckoned they couldn't install it to our house due to some cabling restriction. The fact they had installed the conduits right outside our house, and the little inspection hole didn't seem to matter. Our neighbours have it, and they are on the same cable run as our house would have been.

On the whole, they seem totally feckless, and couldn't give a monkies what happened, but this is no massive surprise as NTL have been so iffy with finances that I can't imagine staff having much loyalty anyway.

So OK, the alternative is BT/Sky for most people, and to be honest, it just works. Yes, they all have problems, but at least they manage to get it installed properly in the first place. My Sky+ install didn't work properly to start with, but he still left me with a working box, it just couldn't dial out properly, and a technician came and sorted that a few days later.