ntl-The Consumers Complaint List-In the Public Domain

I have just spent some 45 minutes trying to find someone to talk to at NTL about a dial up Internet problem.

My frustration/anger has lead me to here as I, as yet, not found a way to get a complaint into their system. Reasonable e-mail requests at the time the dial up went from the free 0800 to £5 (to be £10) 0800 number some months ago, as to speed, have gone unanswered.

From this mornings debacle the first thing they need to address is their automated answer service. I have run through at least four different answer paths. Whilst it is commendable that you do not get the same auto answer voice each visit, it would be nice if the path routes and the scripts were at least similar.

Depending upon which route I took I either ended up not being able to progress since I did not have sufficient information (being, surprise, surprise, at work) or being given numbers where people are not in, or on the two occasions I found a voice, they being unable to help other than suggest I dial elsewhere.

On of these numbers, and I DID check, see above, 0906 558 7654, comes up NU from work for what it's worth, and this is the number I MUST talk to for my problem???

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I would say, at this point I have no complaint with the people with who I do talk. I think, in all the years as a NTL customer I have only had two 'iffy' contacts.

Am I also the only person whom feels 'cheated' in not only being put on hold, after long messages, to sort out a problem of their making, after already paying them to provide the 'service', to have to pay charges of up to 3.95ppm + cc of 4.9p on top?

Oh, my problem, just why will my dial up not stay up? Typically it will disconnect within the first minute or two, constantly. To have a connection 'hold' for more than a few minutes is a rarity. The longest connection I have held, ever, was about 45 mins. I have no problem with the stated 15 mins inactive drop out or the 2 hour redial since my usage rarely requires that. (The odd driver download to support fixing the m/c's at the Special School where I am Governor for IT is an example). For 'serious' connection I have the use of my son's broadband connection, (which only suffers from to many parallel streaming users,) which meets our low requirements and is, at least to date, on most of the time.

I will skip the cost/phone time spent in trying to get that connection up and running and finding I knew more about TCP/IP connections than most of the people I spoke to on sorting that out.

On my problem, I know it is in their farm since if I use another ISP on the same phone lines (on NTL cable) I regularly get a 56k connection (as against always an 33k) and downloads of around 46k, which I suspect are being throttled by the in house extension wiring needed to share this phone line dut to its input point to the house and the location of my (disabled) sons room. I only mention the 'disabled' bit since it is relevant to the needs and functionality of the service we have since it has led to an improvement to his quality of life since it's inception with us.

And they wonder where the customers go.... Regards Jeremy

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Editorial Comments

I agree. I moved house and I have to pay twice what I did at my old house for the same Cable channels. KAI...10 October 2002
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Hi, I'd like to complain in the strongest manner about the quality of the ntlworld email service. Although I don't have exact figures, the email service now fails on a daily basis around 5-7 p.m. The downtime is usually at least 2 hours and sometimes much longer. Even NTL's own service status web page admits there's a fault, although I've noticed that it is not reported here nearly as much as it should be.

I've been reporting my dissatifaction to NTL and have never once received a proper reply from a real person - an automated response fools no-one and in fact inflames the situation, as this demonstrates that NTL is simply 'building-in' failure to its service rather than dealing with it. I hope you can forward this to the highest level at NTL, as the service is no longer worth the money. Regards Ray Tortorella....21 May 2003
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As many of you, I just had enough from this incompetent company and I don't understand how this company's management or even the regulations allows such company to operate in a market knowm by its good service.

I've ordered a phone line and a broadband connection more than 6 weeks ago, and every time I book for an appoitement when NTL's technicians can come an install what I have already paid for, they don't turn up, when I call to wonder what's going on, there system takes at least 45min of my time and at the and they come with an excuse and offer me to rescheduel the installation appoitement. these appoitement must've been missed a least five times.
how can we tackle companies like this either they offer proper service to their customers or shut down their business.

I'll do all what I can to make this company pay for the time they've wasted me. Any body want to join. Tarik Safi ... 18 August 2003
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Why dont NTL communicate with each other so when a customer rings up someone else knows about the problem.i had a rude ntl staff today refuse to talk to me as i wouldnt give out my phone no which is ex directory,she said my account no didnt match my details??just put another complaint into OFTEL yet again re ntl problems/PETER SAVAGE is managing director of ntl coventry time he sorted this company out NOW???
Ms Bellay ... 8 October 2003
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I have called NTL more then 4 times, each time the advisors have been quite helpful but my enquiry has not been dealt with. I have tried calling but each time i have held for up to 45mins without anyone answering. NTL keeps sending me letters regarding an internet account but despite the fact that i have called and put my enquiry in writing (three) times i do not recieve anything to say that you are dealing with it. Please can some one tell me why a good company is treating a good customer this way? Thank you Aman Kaur ... 7 November 2003
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I had an NTL phone line installed 3years ago. At the time, I would often have people talking on the phone when I wanted to dial - and had to wait till they finished their conversations! I called NTL, they sent out an engineer who told myself and my mother that our line had been tapped, and that he would send a report to the effect, as we might get quite an unpleasant bill as a result. That was in 2000, and every time I called NTL, they assured me they were still 'investigating'it. Obviously, I stopped wasting money and time on phone calls to NTL to hear the same thing over and over again.

To my complete shock and surprise, I checked my credit file to see that NTL had put a whopping 600 pound phone bill on my file, stating that I OWED them that money!!! Now NTL completely DENY any knowledge of any fault whatsoever, stating there was NO fault, and NO engineer, and I should pay up, or shut up basically! This is even after numerous letters to Oftel, NTL etc. Basically, NTL have offloaded their loss on me, a poor paying customer, who has no to give away 600 pounds to NTL to clear my good name.I am still waiting for NTL to call me after my last and desperate phone call to complain - 3 months later.
Dimitri Yates .. 9 December 2003