ntl to ntl evening call changes

[soobeedoo]

Hello all, I have just had my bill and discovered that from 13th July I had been charged for my calls from my ntl phone to my mother's ntl phone in the evenings. Previously I only paid the connection charge of 5p and we could talk for as long as we wanted - now it is the 5p connection charge then 2p per minute. I don't remember receiving any info about this change. I rang customer services (at 6p connection then 5p per minute :mad:) and was told that I could go back to the connection charge only in the evenings but only for the next 6 months, then I would have to call back again and they would extend it for another 6 months! What's this all about? :confused: How is an elderly person like my mother supposed to understand and remember to do this so she doesn't rack up big bills when she calls me? All my family went onto ntl when it first became available 10 years ago so we could keep in touch with our elderly parents without having big phone bills. Now we would be better off with BT as, for £11 rental, we can have 5.5p connection charge only calls in the evening - although these are limited to an hour which could be a problem if we have to limit our mum to just 59 mins of chat :Yikes: Has this happened to anyone else? I'd appreciate your comments, thanks, Soo

[Rillington]

Another backdoor price increase?

Baiscally ntl telephone is a LOT more exensive than BT is which is why I stay with BT (plus I generally find BT customer service to be OK).

[m419]

Well why don't you and the other NTL user sign up to Bulldog Broadband which allows customers to call other Bulldog users for free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

www.bulldogbroadband.com (http://www.bulldogbroadband.com)

[King Of Fools]

Well why don't you and the other NTL user sign up to Bulldog Broadband which allows customers to call other Bulldog users for free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or the same with TalkTalk without the need for broadband:
http://www.talktalk.co.uk/

[Helix]

Hello all, I have just had my bill and discovered that from 13th July I had been charged for my calls from my ntl phone to my mother's ntl phone in the evenings. Previously I only paid the connection charge of 5p and we could talk for as long as we wanted - now it is the 5p connection charge then 2p per minute. I don't remember receiving any info about this change. I rang customer services (at 6p connection then 5p per minute :mad:) and was told that I could go back to the connection charge only in the evenings but only for the next 6 months, then I would have to call back again and they would extend it for another 6 months! What's this all about? :confused: How is an elderly person like my mother supposed to understand and remember to do this so she doesn't rack up big bills when she calls me? All my family went onto ntl when it first became available 10 years ago so we could keep in touch with our elderly parents without having big phone bills. Now we would be better off with BT as, for £11 rental, we can have 5.5p connection charge only calls in the evening - although these are limited to an hour which could be a problem if we have to limit our mum to just 59 mins of chat :Yikes: Has this happened to anyone else? I'd appreciate your comments, thanks, Soo
They changed this a few months ago, I seem to remember getting sent a letter about it or a leaflet. The package included with the Line Rental is now called Talk Weekends and only calls made at the weekends are free.

There did used a be a package called the 5p/6p Talk plan which worked basically the same as BT where u pay 5p/6p for the hour. I'm not sure If this is still available though.

[m419]

Well as I said Bulldog offer this and if you both use the internet, it will be a good option.

TalkTalk customer service is terrible whilst Bulldog's is improving.

[King Of Fools]

Well as I said Bulldog offer this and if you both use the internet, it will be a good option.

TalkTalk customer service is terrible whilst Bulldog's is improving.
I think it is rather unlikely that the OPs elderly mother is going to need Bulldog broadband - but you never know!

---------- Post added at 11:52 ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 ----------

They changed this a few months ago, I seem to remember getting sent a letter about it or a leaflet. The package included with the Line Rental is now called Talk Weekends and only calls made at the weekends are free.
Talk Weekends gives free calls to any UK landline at the weekend not just local NTL landlines, so could be argued to be better in that respect (although is obviously not as good weekday evenings).

[lostandconfused]

it sounds like you have been moved from the 321 to talk weekend, id give CS a call and inform then that you never requested this and to be put back on. the 321 talk plan still has free local ntl - ntl calls on eveings and weekends, however this plan is no longer active for sale.

however as you didnt request it, it will be put back on if you call in

[m419]

I'm sorry I came to a conclusion that you were a Telewest customer. I was looking through the NTL tariffs and found Talk Unlimited local which gives you unlimited local calls at evenings and weekends for £12.50 per month.

That NTL 3-2-1 tariff is very unreasonable and there isn't any point stopping on it, Telewest replaced it with Talk weekends a while ago. Telewest also launched Talk anywhere which gives you inclusive minutes to call any destination including 0845,0870,mobiles and international numbers too, so maybe NTL will follow suit. They just copied Cable and Wireless' smart talk service which is basically the same thing but better value.

[lostandconfused]

i agree talk weekend is a better plan to be on, but if all you really wanted it for was to make free local ntl - ntl calls on evenings and weekends its only the 321, unless you want to pay £5.50 to have talk unlimited but it depends what you use it for really

[soobeedoo]

Thank you everyone for your replies.
My parents don't have a computer - they are still struggling with their new dvd player! I am an ntl customer (not telewest) and was on the 321 package. I don't make many phone calls and I don't ring my parents at the weekend because I go and see them - it is during the week, when I can't see them because I am in work, that I need to keep in touch. I didn't ask to change my telephone package so I don't know why ntl suddenly did this without even telling me. I am thinking of changing to BT but I am not very good with computers myself so I might find it difficult to change my computer to BT broadband :dunce: I will have to give it some more thought :D Thanks again, Sue