Can I suspend my ntl BB contract?

[dirtydog]

I have had ntl broadband for about four months, and I understand the contract is for a minimum of 12 months.. the problem is I need to move home, and the place I will be living in temporarily (with friends) already has ntl broadband installed there.

What I'd like to know is, can I either:-

1) get my broadband installed there as well (do ntl allow two separate accounts at one address - I doubt it?) or

2) suspend my account for the time I am living with friends, and restart it when I move to a new home and can get it reinstalled?

The reason for asking is otherwise I stand to lose eight months' line rental which even at £17.99 (I am on £24.99 600k but can get it knocked down to 150k/£17.99) is £144 I'd rather not just throw away if possible.

Any ideas how I can get round this? Thanks

[scrotnig]

Originally Posted by dirtydog

I have had ntl broadband for about four months, and I understand the contract is for a minimum of 12 months.. the problem is I need to move home, and the place I will be living in temporarily (with friends) already has ntl broadband installed there.

What I'd like to know is, can I either:-

1) get my broadband installed there as well (do ntl allow two separate accounts at one address - I doubt it?) or

2) suspend my account for the time I am living with friends, and restart it when I move to a new home and can get it reinstalled?

The reason for asking is otherwise I stand to lose eight months' line rental which even at £17.99 (I am on £24.99 600k but can get it knocked down to 150k/£17.99) is £144 I'd rather not just throw away if possible.

Any ideas how I can get round this? Thanks

Depending on area, you ought to be able to do 1) without any great difficulty, speak to your local moves and transfers team. They should be keen to keep your business.

[dirtydog]

Well I rang them up just now and suspending it is not an option

I was told that if I was moving to an unserviceable address I could cancel without penalty, but as that doesn't apply in this case, I can either pay up the contract or get it installed at the other place.

What I'm curious about is: will they run an entire new co-axial cable from the street all the way into the house and upstairs to my modem, *or* will they be able to somehow 'split' or use some kind of connector on the existing co-axial cable (which goes into a modem upstairs in the house) to connect my modem to?

If the former, I will just have to cancel the contract and wear the cost, but if the latter, I may get my account moved to the new place. If someone knows this and can tell me, it would be appreciated

[quadplay]

Depending on how many pieces of cable equipment are already installed (Cable Modems/STBs), they should be able to split the existing feed without too much trouble.

[dirtydog]

Just one cable modem at the moment - so they could run two entirely separate accounts with their own separate bandwidth, off one cable into the house? That would be good if so

[Chris W]

you could always lie and tell them you are moving somewhere that they don't provide services...

oops... who said that!

[dirtydog]

lol I never thought of that :o

If I thought I could get away with it I would but I guess they have ways of finding these things out

[quadplay]

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Just one cable modem at the moment - so they could run two entirely separate accounts with their own separate bandwidth, off one cable into the house? That would be good if so

Yes And ignore Monkeybreath - I'm sure you'd never think of doing such a thing!

[dirtydog]

Cheers for the info jimbo, it's good to know that's an option

As for the other option, well...

[Neil]

Originally Posted by monkeybreath

you could always lie and tell them you are moving somewhere that they don't provide services...

oops... who said that!

'Fraid not-that is defrauding ntl , & anyway-they would ask for proof of the move!

[dirtydog]

What sort of proof would they need, I wonder :o

Anyway I rang up ntl and was told I can't suspend it, but I could have it installed at an address alongside an existing ntl broadband line, so that's one option.

I would prefer to cancel it if I could do so without penalty though as it would just be simpler.

What I forgot to ask when I rang up (doh) was, does the 12 month binding contract apply to broadband, regardless of how long you've been an ntl customer? ie. I've had broadband for four months but have been an ntl customer for just over three years - I had phone, TV and dial-up internet form then until four months ago, when I ditched all that and just got broadband. Any idea? (Why didn't I ask this when I phoned them )

[Neil]

Originally Posted by dirtydog

What sort of proof would they need, I wonder :o

Legal documents showing your new address I would guess.

Originally Posted by dirtydog

I would prefer to cancel it if I could do so without penalty though as it would just be simpler.

What I forgot to ask when I rang up (doh) was, does the 12 month binding contract apply to broadband, regardless of how long you've been an ntl customer? ie. I've had broadband for four months but have been an ntl customer for just over three years - I had phone, TV and dial-up internet form then until four months ago, when I ditched all that and just got broadband. Any idea? (Why didn't I ask this when I phoned them )

When you signed up for the BB, you took out a 12 month contract for that particular package.

[Earl of Bronze]

For each account in a house, you need to have seperate install's done. So 2 accounts = 2 drop cables. What you could do is ask the installers to check the signal levels at the ETB (thats the grey junction box on the outside wall of the house). If the signal levels are ok, just ask them to run a catv cable to the room you will have you're modem in, and Bob's you're auntie. On the other hand if you are getting all you're services installed (cm, digi, telco), then they will really need to do a second full install.

Hope this helps.

[dirtydog]

Hmm what you just said, Earl of Bronze, seems to contradict what jimbo said

Bah, what a pain in the proverbial this is..

I'd like to know what sort of documentation ntl would accept as proof of my new address, especially considering it wouldn't be my own place and therefore none of the bills would be in my name.

Regardless of the legal rights and wrongs of the separate 12 month binding contract for broadband, it seems unfair to me, to force me to pay for 12 months when I've been a customer continuously since Feb 2001.

[Earl of Bronze]

Are you going to just have the modem reconnected in the temp address? If so just explain to ntl that, the people you are gonna be sharing with are ok with one new catv to the room you will be using, but not ok with a new drop cable. Failing that phone them up on a different day and tell them that work is sending you oversea's for a year, and cancel you're contract 'thanks very much'.