Telephone hell [Archive]

piercey2

20-10-2005, 19:00

Hi everyone, sorry that my first post on here is likely to be a rant, but there you go!

I've had NTL Cable Telephone, Broadband and TV for about a year. The TV and BB have been absolutely fine, the phone however is another matter!

It started to go on the blink at about Easter time, going dead for sometimes days on end. This happened upwards of 15 times, with Engineers being called out about 5 or 6 times to fix it. It would generally work for a week or so after being 'fixed' but would then go dead again.

This went on until about a month ago when I started to get cross-lines and very poor, crackly sound quality. The Engineer came on Saturday to fix it, which he did, but 24 hours later the line was dead again.

Yet another Engineer came this afternoon to, ahem, 'fix' it again. He said that nothing could be done because the cable needs replacing. "Fine", I said. But then he said the earliest they could come out was Monday the 31st of October. To be honest I'm utterly sick of not having a reliable phone and I have absolutely no confidence in NTL at all. So rather than wait for 2 weeks without a phone line (yet again!). I'm probably going to ring NTL in the morning and cancel the whole thing and probably ask for some kind of compensation for the time off work, expensive mobile phone calls, etc. etc.

Unless anyone can advise me of an alternative route to take?

Sorry about the rant!

Tim.

Maggy

20-10-2005, 20:35

:welcome: to CF.I'm unable to help you but I'm sure that someone will be along who can offer some help eventually.

As for the rant at least you have been polite under the circumstances.Many others would not be. ;)

MovedGoalPosts

20-10-2005, 20:44

:welcome: to Cable Forum :D

Actually 2 weeks is good going for a cable renewal. When I needed one I was quoted some 6 weeks :Yikes: In fact, despite being given a 6 weeks date, I returned home one day after about a fortnight to find a note saying they had done it.

Ntl don't have that many cabling teams. Not making excuses for them, but it#s not somethign that should need to be done often. If the engineer has diagnosed that is what is needed, then undoubtedly you need to let that happen.

Have you spoken to ntl and asked about compensation for excessive interruption and loss of service?

sollp

20-10-2005, 21:49

Use the responstek on the cable forum home page, and complain via that method as well.

piercey2

20-10-2005, 22:05

Angua

20-10-2005, 22:10

Thanks for the replies :tu:

I will ring NTL and ask for compensation & if 2 weeks isn't unusual to get a new cable then maybe (just maybe) I'll give them one last try.

By the way, what is the 'responstek'?

This http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/ntl.php here!

Good luck and http://www.forumup.org/images/smiles/motocanaglia_welkom.gif

piercey2

07-11-2005, 21:27

Hi board,

Just an update on this thread.

We've been without a phone now for about 6 weeks. There has no apology from NTL, only various people trying to dodge responsibility. They were due to come and fix the outside cable last Friday (the 4th of Nov) and then the inside cable this Friday (the 10th of Nov). I called today just to check ...it was lucky I did! Without telling me they had changed the outside engineering work to the 17th of November and seem to have forgotten about the inside work completely! Apparently some NTL muppet had 'incorrectly booked' the appointments on the 4th and 10th :dunce:. This is just the latest in a long, long line of examples of utter incompetence I've experienced with this company.

NTL are a sick joke and I've had it. I'm going to send a complaints letter tomorrow (recorded delivery because I can guarantee they will deny ever receiving it) for whatever good it's going to do, and I'm going to get busy discouraging everyone I know to sign up to them.

BT all is forgiven.

Again, I'm truly sorry for the rant. I just feel so angry I could explode! :mad:

MovedGoalPosts

07-11-2005, 23:10

Piercey2, you have been messed around too much and it looks like nobody at ntl is taking proper ownership of your issues.

Cable Forum has developed good links with senior ntl management. We can escalate this issue for you. If you wish to PM some details, that will only be held by CF until we know the issue has been resolved, we will see what can be sorted.

We need:
Account holder name,
Address including postcode
Account No (as on bills), assuming one has been issued
DAYTIME phone number (ntl will want to contact you)
email addy
Full details of what has actually occurred, with dates.

Web-Junkie

08-11-2005, 01:07

I can vouch for Robs offer of help piercey2, he got the ball rolling for me with my problem when I was being given the old 'Mike Reid' (run around :) ) with my phone problem.

Let him help and I'm sure the problem will get resolved.

alanh

08-11-2005, 08:18

piercey2

08-11-2005, 10:19

piercey2

I have had similar problems, used responstek and got an answer back 2 days later saying that the principal Technician for my area would be in contact with me shortly. That was on 2/11/05 and despite leaving 2 replies, have heard nothing since.

Alan

Hi Alan,

Sorry to hear you're having similar problems.

I sent a message to the Responstek and heard nothing at all, at least you got a reply. I'm not really sure what to suggest because all I've come up against are very high brick walls.

All the best & Good Luck,

Tim.

Web-Junkie

08-11-2005, 13:14

Piercey/Tim, just send RobC the details he asked for via a PM and a summary of everything that's happened to date, who you've spoke to, what they have said etc. The issue will get put into someones hands at NTL that WILL deal with the problem!

MovedGoalPosts

08-11-2005, 13:18

piercey2

08-11-2005, 14:44

He has forwarded details, and our ntl contacts are now on the case :)

Yep, just had a voicemail from NTL saying they are on the case :tu:. So fingers crossed!

Tim.

Web-Junkie

08-11-2005, 21:15

Good news inded, I'll cross my legs for you too :LOL:

piercey2

10-11-2005, 09:58

This morning there was a promising looking NTL van with a large reel of cable and a mound of equipment outside my house :Yikes: .

piercey2

14-11-2005, 17:13

Hahaha! In all my years I have never experienced levels of incompetence as I have with this company.

After the PM was sent (thanks again for your help guys) a very friendly lady contacted me and it really seemed as though something was happening.

I was categorically assured that the line would be fixed this afternoon. My partner had to take a day off work (I literally cannot take any more time off for this) to stay in for them.

Lo and behold someone turned up on cue .....then went away again.

I just had a call from NTL - apparently they sent a 1 man crew when they needed 2 men to pull the cable. Aaaaaarrrrrgggghhh! This is the worst company on the planet bar none!!

They have booked it in for first thing tomorrow morning and you know what? I'm past caring and I couldn't give a stuff because I'm going back to BT.

MovedGoalPosts

14-11-2005, 17:50

There comes a point when you just can't do anything but :bigcry:

piercey2

15-11-2005, 13:01

There comes a point when you just can't do anything but :bigcry:

I'm weeping into my keyboard as I type this! :mad: :td:

.....no-one turned up. Again!! :disturbd:

piercey2

16-11-2005, 09:36

Just to finish up this thread.

We now have a working phone line! :)

It was still shockingly bad service, but there are also some very good people at NTL who must be single handedly keeping the company afloat (thanks Jill).

Kevin

16-11-2005, 11:45

I can't believe you let them install al line at your house after all this, so now you are tied to incompetance for 12 months are you mad ? :Yikes:

piercey2

16-11-2005, 14:25

I can't believe you let them install al line at your house after all this, so now you are tied to incompetance for 12 months are you mad ? :Yikes:

Hi Kevin,

There was already a line at the house, it just needed replacing.

We have received some compensation from NTL (the least they can do really!) so we will probably stick with them for the time being. But if anything else goes wrong then we will drop them straight away - we shouldn't be tied into them because we've been with them for over a year ....I hope!

MovedGoalPosts

16-11-2005, 17:52

Pleased that you have finally got it all sorted out. It was a rather painful process, but definitely thumbs up to Jill, and her colleagues, for persistence in the face of adversity.