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Old 08-12-2005, 15:39
The Wardster II
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Well, looks like BT have lost another customer. Namely, me!

I want a line activating at a new property and they have just told me that I will be looking at the 29th of December before they could get a engineer out to connect the property!
But, being impatient, I need the property connecting way before this!!

So, if NTL can book me in for next Tuesday, which will involve Mr/Ms Engineer to take a cable from the underground termination point, to wire up an external terminal box to the outside of the house, then to route the cables into the property and fit a master socket and television point, why can't BT??

Have they lost so many engineers that their capacity planning is totally out of the window?

Wardster
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Old 08-12-2005, 19:13
timboy
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Originally Posted by The Wardster II
Have they lost so many engineers that their capacity planning is totally out of the window?
The simple answer to that is yes, BT has allowed that many engineers to take early release that when it comes to this time of year, several bank holidays close together and extra leave allocated, that the appointment book is out the window.

They are supposed to be taking on some 'seasonal' engineers though. When they will go out into the field I have no idea and the likelyhood is that with the bad winter being forecast they will be used on repair as opposed to provision.
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Old 09-12-2005, 22:53
BexTech
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I think I'd rather wait for BT than to have NTL for phone service.
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Old 13-12-2005, 09:07
Steven L Hunter
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Your best to go with NTL as you dont want to be over christmas without a phoneline.
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Old 13-12-2005, 09:14
BexTech
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But by going with NTL you are limiting the use of cheaper call providers, seems a little silly paying a higher cost, just to have a phoneline a few weeks early.
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Old 13-12-2005, 14:27
dawson
 
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The other thing to remember is that you may have a physical phone line over Christmas if you go with NTL, but whether you can use it to make or receive phone calls is a totally different question...
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Old 14-12-2005, 11:02
Steven L Hunter
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Originally Posted by dawson
The other thing to remember is that you may have a physical phone line over Christmas if you go with NTL, but whether you can use it to make or receive phone calls is a totally different question...
Why is it that people seem to think that cable lines go down all the time, we've had this phoneline for over 3 years in this house and it hasnt gone down once plus we had it in our old house too.
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Old 14-12-2005, 11:11
BexTech
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When we were with Telewest for phone line, it was often going down and certain services not working.

When we were with BT phone never went down, the only problem we had with BT was crackling on the line, which was sorted out as they replaced a very long section of cable.

Many people local to ourselves switched back to a BT line because it was more reliable, and more so recently because Telewest is too expensive compared to services via a BT line.

Another thing that was annoying was if there was a local power cut, and often there was due to vandalism at the local sub station, cable phone lines would go down, but BT ones wouldn't.

Cable phone years ago was worth the hassle, as it was around half the price of BT on line rental and call charges, these last few years it is just crazy to go with them.

Now I have neither a BT nor cable line. Just VoIP and a mobile. (Yes if we have a power cut, it means I have no VoIP, as the ATA requires power and our broadband is via Telewest).
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Old 16-12-2005, 11:03
The Wardster II
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Oh no. What have I done??
Why didn't I take your advice Bex ?

The NTL engineers didn't turn up to install a new line, and their customer services are, erm, useless.

I have been given promises of call backs by supervisors and they seem to cut you off with repeated regularity.

How can a line be disconnected is it has never been installed?! And why cannot refund the deposit (ok, its only £25, but its MY money!) back to my card, when they took it from my card. I've been told that I won't recieve a refund cheque until after the new year.

Does anyone have a direct contact for complaints etc etc?!!

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Old 21-12-2005, 09:19
jaydog
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I am sorry to hear of your crap with NTL, I have for over a year now with a many others been researching various suppliers of telephone companies as a little side earner for a certain review company.

The findings I beleave will be published soon in the new year, all the hassle of people go to to find things that little bit quicker or that little bit cheaper does cost them in the long run and never really saves them money.

From our own tests we discovered that all the time and money spent chasing these new deals with telephone companies falls over very soon when it comes to dire customer services and support.

Others in the team I have been working with have also found that the areas they have been looking into such as Mortgages, Power, Gas etc that many of the old original companies in the end are the best ones to stick with.

Hours and hours and of course call costs to non 0800 numbers trying to get things started or actioned adds up in the end.

If you can find any way of stopping NTL and your contract I would advice you to strongly, we found them falling over in many areas with poor customer care.
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Old 22-12-2005, 19:03
blueblade
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Originally Posted by kill_your_tv
I am sorry to hear of your crap with NTL, I have for over a year now with a many others been researching various suppliers of telephone companies as a little side earner for a certain review company.

The findings I beleave will be published soon in the new year, all the hassle of people go to to find things that little bit quicker or that little bit cheaper does cost them in the long run and never really saves them money.

From our own tests we discovered that all the time and money spent chasing these new deals with telephone companies falls over very soon when it comes to dire customer services and support.

Others in the team I have been working with have also found that the areas they have been looking into such as Mortgages, Power, Gas etc that many of the old original companies in the end are the best ones to stick with.

Hours and hours and of course call costs to non 0800 numbers trying to get things started or actioned adds up in the end.

If you can find any way of stopping NTL and your contract I would advice you to strongly, we found them falling over in many areas with poor customer care.
Yes, their customer services is a nightmare. But in fairness their landline telephone service is quite good and cheap, compared to BT.
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Old 23-12-2005, 16:20
dundeered
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wardster may i be the first to say ho fcken ho , i work for bt and customer like you deserve all they get, asking for a phone to be connected to new house at this time of year. i am stuck in office at moment getting nutters asking to move service on the 24.12.05 and even the 25.12.05
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Old 23-12-2005, 18:33
BexTech
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Originally Posted by blueblade
Yes, their customer services is a nightmare. But in fairness their landline telephone service is quite good and cheap, compared to BT.
Compared to BT, NTL is dearer, with NTL it is more difficult to use low cost call providers.

NTL have a call connection charge, BT do not.
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Old 23-12-2005, 21:13
GaryC
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BT have one of the highest minimum charges in europe.
63% of average call gross profit margin is from min charges, btw.

BT for line provision, then get to another provider CPS or line rental asap.
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Old 23-12-2005, 21:33
BexTech
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Originally Posted by GaryC
BT have one of the highest minimum charges in europe.
63% of average call gross profit margin is from min charges, btw.

BT for line provision, then get to another provider CPS or line rental asap.

BT for the line, and definitely a CPS provider for calls. (two offer free evening and weekend calls for no charge), and then use 1899 and 18185 for other calls, also the odd call back over BT (1280). Wouldn't recommend line rental from anyone else - stick with BT for this.
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Old 24-12-2005, 12:24
skyguy2003
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sorry dont get this.

im with BT and i am moving home on 6th jan, i askd for them to activate a phone line at my new house and it was as simple as them saying at 3pm my old line will be switched off and my new one activated at my new home, so dont get why u need an engineer or am i missing something.
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Old 24-12-2005, 14:42
dawson
 
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Originally Posted by skyguy2003
sorry dont get this.

im with BT and i am moving home on 6th jan, i askd for them to activate a phone line at my new house and it was as simple as them saying at 3pm my old line will be switched off and my new one activated at my new home, so dont get why u need an engineer or am i missing something.
If you are moving to a property that already has a BT phone cable going to it, yes it usually is that easy.

But if you are moving to a property that does not have a phone cable installed, someone has to come and physically install it.
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