weird logic?

[jarrvo]

well i ordered the Family Pack & 123 phone package last tuesday via the NTL website, got a confirmation email 2 minutes later.

saying that i would be contacted within 48hrs to arrange an installation time.

well i rang em today, 1 week later, and they have no record of it.

and no record of the order number the email contains

First person i spoke to cut me off after 8 minutes on hold.

i rang back customer services as i am already a broadband customer, he said it want his department and put me through to sales.

Sales told me there was no record of me ordering TV & phone, and i would have to order it again.

fair enough i said, go on then.

"i cant unless you tell me your customer number" she said.
no idea i said im at work.

"well you cant order it, as your already a customer" she said

so if i wasnt a customer i could order it now?

"oh yes " she said

"but i cant order it if im already a customer", i said.

"no" she said.


does that seem like a pretty stupid logic to anyone else?

i told he my name,address,postcode, direct debit details.



looks like i will go sky & BT then.

[Neil]

I think ntl are right to an extent

I think you should have to prove who you are to be able to add services to what you already have (Data Protection etc) as you would soon be pee'd off if you found you had a range of services that you hadn't asked for (if 'someone else' had rung up & added them to your account for no good reason)

But (as usual) they have communicated this to you in a very poor way, & yet again treated a customer who is trying to put money in their pockets very badly.

This is not the way to do business ntl.

I would do the same as you-give my money to an alternative provider if the one I was with treated me like that (& that doesn't just apply to ntl as I don't have their services-if Pipex/BT treated me like that, I would take my custom elsewhere)

Originally Posted by Neil

I think you should have to prove who you are to be able to add services to what you already have (Data Protection etc) as you would soon be pee'd off if you found you had a range of services that you hadn't asked for (if 'someone else' had rung up & added them to your account for no good reason)

But I don`t see why they would need the customer number to do that. 99.99% of the time I phone NTL I do not have a bill to hand, so have no clue what my customer or account numbers might be. They are happy to ask other questions to establish my identity, so I can`t see why that couldn`t apply in this case.

[SMHarman]

Huh,

Distance selling regulations kick in. You can order it, but obviously would need to sign contracts, whether this is posted prior to install or signed in front of the installer when the job is done.

Seems someones being a jobsworth. Normally NTL (Luton) will action based on your phone number (which the OP does not have, or account number).

[Neil]

Originally Posted by dr wadd

But I don`t see why they would need the customer number to do that. 99.99% of the time I phone NTL I do not have a bill to hand, so have no clue what my customer or account numbers might be. They are happy to ask other questions to establish my identity, so I can`t see why that couldn`t apply in this case.

I did say 'to an extent' for exactly that reason.

The 'jobsworth' angle sounds about right to me-either that or someone who doesn't know their ar$e from their elbow, & thought it would be easier to BS the customer rather than try to find out what they could do to help them.

Originally Posted by Neil

I did say 'to an extent' for exactly that reason.

Fair enough.

[Rob]

Distance selling regulations? When I ordered bb via telephone to upgrade my ntl digi TV and phone, all those months ago, I never saw a contract or was asked to sign anything. Does that mean I don't have BB and can stop paying for it?

I suspect someone is blindly reading from a computer screen, and doesn't know how to operate the PC to work around the problem. You'd think sales would fall over themselves to be signing someone up. It's their job.

[paulyoung666]

looks like another ntl inconsistency problem to me , everytime i have rung them , name address etc aree enough to satisfy them

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by MovedGoalPosts

Distance selling regulations? When I ordered bb via telephone to upgrade my ntl digi TV and phone, all those months ago, I never saw a contract or was asked to sign anything. Does that mean I don't have BB and can stop paying for it?

I suspect someone is blindly reading from a computer screen, and doesn't know how to operate the PC to work around the problem. You'd think sales would fall over themselves to be signing someone up. It's their job.

If your changing packages I don't think they bother, if you have an install done, I've always been left a new contract document as part of the sign off for the work done.

[jarrvo]

welli dug out my first cable bill with my customer number on it, but i think i might go BT & SKY.

well see what happens tomorrow as BT are opening up Line rental to other companies.
ive heard that some will do line rental for £5.50

anyway the NTL sales person on the other end of the line had my account number in front of her on the screen and agreed that i was who i said i was, after telling her all me details except account number.

but refused to sell me the product until i told her my customer, i know technically speaking she was in the right, but i had already ordered it once online and got a confirmation from their system
and she knew who i was...

so i dont think they will be getting my extra £30+ a month...

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by jarrvo

welli dug out my first cable bill with my customer number on it, but i think i might go BT & SKY.

well see what happens tomorrow as BT are opening up Line rental to other companies.
ive heard that some will do line rental for £5.50

anyway the NTL sales person on the other end of the line had my account number in front of her on the screen and agreed that i was who i said i was, after telling her all me details except account number.

but refused to sell me the product until i told her my customer, i know technically speaking she was in the right, but i had already ordered it once online and got a confirmation from their system
and she knew who i was...

so i dont think they will be getting my extra £30+ a month...

Think about this from the flip side - they don't ask for this information - 1 month later you get a bill £30 higher than usual and complain that you did not order the product.

Be glad they want to protect you from unauthorised charges being put on your account. Frustrating, but a good control IMHO.

Unfortunately its inconsistantly applied.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

Think about this from the flip side - they don't ask for this information - 1 month later you get a bill £30 higher than usual and complain that you did not order the product.

Be glad they want to protect you from unauthorised charges being put on your account. Frustrating, but a good control IMHO.

Unfortunately its inconsistantly applied.

Which is what I said back in post #2!

[themelon]

So if you want to be treated well you are probably best just to sit in your house with no services

BT and Sky in my experinece wont treat you any differently. Big companies equal crap customers services its life. I havent dealt with any big company who can offer me better than sufficient Customer service. If you try to upgrade either your BT line or Sky package from work and didnt have your details you would be treated exactly the same.

Having sample the grass on either side of the fence there is really no benefit in switching providers other than a minor cost difference, a a little personal preference.

The only difference with Sky is you will pay for the 0870 call

[jarrvo]

well i wanted to go with NTL, and that they are technically in the right but it was just annoying.


but i think sky & BT will work out slightly cheaper, plus i i choose to go adsl in a few months then at least ive already got a BT line installed.