| Product: |
NTL |
| Date: |
05/07/00 (283 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: You can make telephone calls...
Disadvantages: ...unless there's power cut.
As soon as CableTel laid the cable network in my area, I jumped at the chance of changing from BT for cheaper calls including 'free' off-peak local calls to other CableTel customers. The anticipation of cable modems in the near future was also exciting.
They were offering a promotion to join at the time; 1p connection - can't be bad - and the cheaper line-rental which included the basic telly package and FM radio hook-up. So I gave them a call.
Apart from the fact that the installers were not keen on routing the cable where I wanted it, the installation was straightforward. They wouldn't however let me keep my number so I held off cancelling my BT line until I'd let everyone know the change - best thing I ever did. Twice in the next couple of weeks the line was dead and when I called them (from the other line) it turned out they were involved in planned maintenance and had omitted to inform their customers.
It's now NTL that supply the service since buying CableTel and generally the service is OK. It's a telephone line and it does what it's meant to. I say generally since a couple of times I've found myself unable to make a call because of a high user demand at the time. Any time I've needed to speak to the NTL Operator, the call's been answered but I've been held in a queue system and for all BT gets a poor review for holding back the telephone industry in this country, their Customer Services definitely get a thumbs up as they've always answered my calls immediately and have been very helpful to boot.
Another thing to watch is if/when there's a power cut in your area - there's a chance that the power has also failed to the green box in the street, which means you can't phone the power company. There was an incident not long ago where contractors had been digging up across the road from me and a few hours after leaving the hole for the night, I heard an explosion as I lost my electricit
y supply. Across the road, a nice fire was burning away inside the hole. Now, if I'd cancelled my BT line as I intended, I would have been unable to call for the Fire Service, et al immediately as my NTL line was dead too (NTL - No Telephone Line). I still have two 'phone lines but never did get the cable modem as it took far too long for the service to appear. The line rental is now much the same as BT (although you do get the TV service included) and unlike BT's minimum call spend (5p), NTL charge a 31/2p 'connection' fee which applies to all chargeable calls and the 'free' calls mentioned at the top.
The TV service is not bad; all the terrestrial channels are there with excellent picture quality. I've got a few others including Sky One, UKGold & VH1 with the 'Front Row' pay-per-view movie channels too. There are plenty others to choose from as options but that's not really relevant to the Telecom's subject.
Summary:
|
Last comments:
 |
- 25/09/03 I am An Ntl user and since their so called improved streamlining of their service help lines ie ntlworld internet help line now ONLY operates on A 8 til 5 system where as it was a 24 hour help line before in my opinion a Definate Step Backwards .
2 you could speak to Customer Services at any time day and night 24hrs a day you could access some one about billing problems of telephone etc Again a step backto the dark ages and also the closure of their cardiff depot was a not right the thing was Ntl was in the red and they had to cut back but why on these vital services ifeel strongly that they should reinstate these services on a 24 hr basis again please as working as a self employed photographer and videographer i work well into the early hours and sometimes get problems with the internet connection . also I find with the digital service the picture freezes quite a lot which is a down fall on their part |
 |
- 25/09/03 I am An Ntl user and since their so called improved streamlining of their service help lines ie ntlworld internet help line now ONLY operates on A 8 til 5 system where as it was a 24 hour help line before in my opinion a Definate Step Backwards .
2 you could speak to Customer Services at any time day and night 24hrs a day you could access some one about billing problems of telephone etc Again a step backto the dark ages and also the closure of their cardiff depot was a not right the thing was Ntl was in the red and they had to cut back but why on these vital services ifeel strongly that they should reinstate these services on a 24 hr basis again please as working as a self employed photographer and videographer i work well into the early hours and sometimes get problems with the internet connection . also I find with the digital service the picture freezes quite a lot which is a down fall on their part |
|
|
- 25/09/03 I am An Ntl user and since their so called improved streamlining of their service help lines ie ntlworld internet help line now ONLY operates on A 8 til 5 system where as it was a 24 hour help line before in my opinion a Definate Step Backwards .
2 you could speak to Customer Services at any time day and night 24hrs a day you could access some one about billing problems of telephone etc; etc; Again a step backto the dark ages and also the closure of their cardiff depot was a not right the thing was Ntl was in the red and they had to cut back but why on these vital services ifeel strongly that they should reinstate these services on a 24 hr basis again please as working as a self employed photographer and videographer i work well into the early hours and sometimes get problems with the internet connection . also I find with the digital service the picture freezes quite a lot why is this cant thy get it right the first time! . |
View all
4
comments
|
Deutschland 
España 
Italia 
France - 
