Reporting faults on premium number?

[DaBoz]

I've been having a lot of probs with NTL broadband and cable TV. But most of my problems are in the evening (see previous threads regarding connection dropouts, DNS error etc.) and to get any kind of compensation with NTL they say you have to report the fault when it occurs.

But if that happens in the evenings, then you HAVE to call their 24 line which is 10p/min.

If I called every time my connection dropped out over the last month, and assuming an average call time of 5 minutes, I would be up to at least £10 by now.

Come on NTL, play fair! Give us a 24 hours 0845 number, or allow us to report problems during your CS opening hours. You shouldn't be allowed to cover your fault costs by charging the users suffering those faults!

:rant:

Boz

[homealone]

my 2p

they should operate an 0800 'call screening' service - then switch you to a pay or no pay, option

- paying to be on hold to report their faults should not be an option, for example, but paying to connect, immediately, to e.g. organise a change in service level, might be more acceptable???

- and, having just used a text message to enter a competition, & seen the reply, why can't NTL text me, rather than me wait on a call back??

[ofirgal]

NTL are now doing something that could be dimmed racketeering as they can directly profit from creating faults.

They can also make tons of money by playing you a recorded message lasting 90 secs before allowing you to be put on hold for 10-20 minutes.

[mmm]

...
If I called every time my connection dropped out over the last month, and assuming an average call time of 5 minutes, I would be up to at least £10 by now.
...

You obviously haven't called recently, minimum call time has been 15 mins for me maximum 66 mins, most of it on hold. And for Broadband Technical faults all they can suggest is that you reboot your PC - or book an engineer to call. The out-sourced Indian helpdesk do not seem to have been given any network monitoring tools and are totally unable to understand that they cannot run diagnostic on your PC if the cable light is out on your cable modem!

[bongman_uk]

I agree

About 2 months ago, both our TV and Cable Modem went down at the same time!
No signal on the TV, No signal on the Cable modem.

So, I called NTL. Was put on hold for at least 10 mins, to talk to an agent who couldnt do anything but send an engineer. I told them it was an area fault and i wanted to report it. Again all they could offer was an engineer.

I dont like being treated like an idiot. And thats what it felt like.

Outages can happen, I accept that, but if i call to report a fault, I expect them to investigate!!!!

I work in a call center, and if we operated like that, we would lose the contract.

[DaBoz]

my 2p
- and, having just used a text message to enter a competition, & seen the reply, why can't NTL text me, rather than me wait on a call back??

I was given the option of a text message to confirm my 12-6pm service engineer appointment. Nice thought, but a really pointless use of technology.

What would be more useful was for the engineer to text me 30 minutes before arriving so that I could nip home from work and not have to take a whole sodding day's holiday!!

Boz