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NTL and phone bills , a few words of advise

  • 19-07-2001 12:24pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    I've seen and posted to many post related to this and got many differing opinions, well this morning i got my first NTL (oneway network..ie regular dialup) bill which was an eyeopener..here are the FACTS.

    1) All off peak calls are billed at 1.5p per minute, this includes 1890 ones, such as UTV internet uses, ie you are paying 90p per hour.
    The ONLY exception to this is 1891 numbers, you still get billed by Eircom for those, thank God ,in this case biggrin.gif

    2) You will get charged £19.17 ex VAt for the "starter pack", which means the setup cd, which is not even necessary.

    3) The bill layout is very misleading at first. There's a whole page (in my case) itemising "ntl internet access" calls, with a total £ amount at the bottom ( i nearly had a heart attack..until i saw on another sheet that this is deducted from the overall amount), £35 for just one weekend..you do the math..

    So , if you are considering it, and are a heavy user, get an 1891 account also..you will need it (or if you have an old gofree account..the username and password still works on 1891 110 110), this uses caller id it would appear (sorry Gladiator)so if you have moved house since those heady gofree days you are more than likely out of luck.



Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    i knew there was a catch with those 1891 nmbers, they dont provide them anymore, ill have a search around for a cd,
    now the £19.17 ex, are you saying thats a once off charge for getting set up,

    the bill is for 6 weeks its 15 for 4 weeks and i said the other 4 pounds was the difference,

    Anyway i said you would get a surprise when you saw the bill, after a while of lookign at it you see its a pretty good layout


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Longfield:
    So , if you are considering it, and are a heavy user, get an 1891 account also..you will need it (or if you have an old gofree account..the username and password still works on 1891 110 110), this uses caller id it would appear (sorry Gladiator)so if you have moved house since those heady gofree days you are more than likely out of luck.</font>
    That's good news about the 1891 charge staying the same. I beleive the 1891 services are still available. You can certainly sign up for it on Eircom net.

    Gladiator, you don't need a CD if you know how to set up a dialup connection and having one would not help if they had discontinued the service.


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Yes, unfortunately all the 1891 signups involve a monthly charge these days. I ran the indigo setup for the hell of it today, got a whole new username and password etc, but they don't work on the 1891 number frown.gif . The old(free) ones appear to have been migrated to another database and do still work. I suppose it makes sense not to annoy you're longest customers. My good fortune that i wrote them all down before going with snl a couple of years ago ( and subsequently getting booted off)


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Longfield:
    Yes, unfortunately all the 1891 signups involve a monthly charge these days. I ran the indigo setup for the hell of it today, got a whole new username and password etc, but they don't work on the 1891 number frown.gif . The old(free) ones appear to have been migrated to another database and do still work. </font>
    I thought they were always subscription based. I remember when the 'free' ISPs came out, some of the logins used to work through some oversight on the 1891 numbers although you were not supposed to use them officially.

    Also, I've heard that a lot of people who canceled their subscription with ISPs were still able to log in afterwards.

    Still, for heavy users who are forced to use dial-up, the combination of NTL at weekend plus subscription based 1891 is still a good idea.


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I thought they were always subscription based. I remember when the 'free' ISPs came out, some of the logins used to work through some oversight on the 1891 numbers although you were not supposed to use them officially. </font>

    To be honest i don't remember fully Skeptic1, it was around two years ago afterall; the whole "free" access thing was taking off and dotcoms were all gold..so much has changed. I've three accounts that i set up at the time, all of which still work.

    I suppose there are very very few people still using the same isps after all that time so thats probably why no-ones too bothered about it.
    Still, i'm not complaining, i just hope a few other ex SNL'ers have read this post and managed to dig up their old gofree details and benefit like me in a small way.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    you see the place ntl upgrade were the leased likely to take it up, so now they decided to focus their atemps by releasing it in areas of high demand, weather this is high competition or real high demand we dont know,

    if its to compete dont expect it outside of south dublin for afew years, if its high demand start from dublin one and work your way out


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    I remember when I saw my first NTL Bill

    £397 for internet access, I got a fright, and rang them up right away, until they pointed out what a fool I was!


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    hi guys,


    i think that it is important to remember that ntl internet access is free!!
    i.e only free when u use ntl - not any other internet provider!! that is the deal and that is what you are signing up for !! other than that you could be screwed! no polite way to say that is there! sorry !

    btw Gladiator > did you ever think ... that it wasn't the least likely take up why they upgraded in some areas but the fact they needed to !!

    regards

    Jessica


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Jessica:
    hi guys,


    i think that it is important to remember that ntl internet access is free!!
    i.e only free when u use ntl - not any other internet provider!! that is the deal and that is what you are signing up for !! other than that you could be screwed! no polite way to say that is there! sorry !

    btw Gladiator > did you ever think ... that it wasn't the least likely take up why they upgraded in some areas but the fact they needed to !!

    </font>
    i fail to see you point on either comment,
    your not limited to useing one isp, ntl at the weekend and what every during the week,

    And they didnt need to upgrade any area as they have shown there is nothing legaly bindign them to upgrade anywere to two way,
    they could have started trials anywere



  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    ntl isp on an ntl network is the only who has free internet access at the weekends - i.e if u use eircom at the weekend on an ntl network .. u are going to be charged - but if you use ntl at the weekends then you won't be !!

    as for upgrading - they did not just chose a certain area for the sake of it and for the fact that there would be less uptake in a service - what is the point in that ? no money to be made .. they upgraded as the network needed it!!! you are right there was nothing legally binding them to upgrade in the area that they did upgrade but what is the point in touching a good part of the network if it doesn't need it !! ntl took the choice of upgrading what needed to be done .....

    would you not agree with this ?



    Jessica


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  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    "ntl isp on an ntl network is the only who has free internet access at the weekends - i.e if u use eircom at the weekend on an ntl network .. u are going to be charged - but if you use ntl at the weekends then you won't be "
    im still not seeing your point, did somebody disagree with you on this, this is plainly clear why would anybody use eircom at the weekend,

    And NTL actually didnt upgrade were need,
    (well the whole network need upgrading)
    they actually upgrade fairly new stuff,

    a better choice would have been dublin inner city, higher demand and the cable there is some of the oldest in the country,




  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    would love to know where you are getting your information from as it is completely wrong !!

    the area they upgraded is a more denser area in relation to population and needed to be upgraded ! the cable system there needed it .. the inner city doesn't ! why fix something that ain't really that broken in the first place! the area upgraded was in need to new cabling - too many breakdowns and something had to be done!


    Jessica

    [This message has been edited by Jessica (edited 24-07-2001).]


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    what complete ****e, inner city dublin has the worst cable in the country, bad reception totaly crap,
    the places that they upgrade are only after building up over the last 20 years and thats how old the cable is, they may have high population but of low to middle income family abite of market research would have shown this


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    when was the last time that the inner city really had a breakdown in the cable system! compared to the upgraded area - the cables in this area needed to be put under ground to stop youngster from knocking 'em down!

    bad reception can be resolved not by upgrading cable but by boosting the signal ! there is not a need to replace all the cables in that area! a signal boost should do it!!

    i agree with what area they upgraded in to some extent - in others i think they should have gone elsewhere!




    Jessica


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    actually i had a break down in service there 3 weeks ago,
    and about 6 weeks ago the reception was so bad the tv was unwatchable, you start going out from the inner city just abite, contarf swords you will see a huge improvement


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    I hate NTL/CableLink but I cannot complain about the quality of their network in the City Centre. I live in Dublin 1 (very close to Henry Street) and over the last seven years I only had one service breakdown (this lasted about three hours).


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    why exactly do you hate them, im sick of ****ing people *****ing, you get what you pay for,


    o and that must be just you, as i know people in dublin 1 with just as bad a reception as me


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">inner city dublin has the worst cable in the country, bad reception totaly crap</font>
    Don't agree with you there Gladiator, i've lived in three different apartments in the city centre over the last 10 years or so and the cablink/ntl reception was excellant in all of them. If its poor i'd call them up and get it sorted if i were you, i mean you pay for a service, and if the picture is crap then they are not giving you that service. My remember my aul 'fella had them driven demented about reception when i lived at home, and that was usually during hot weather in the summer, which for some reason gives the poorest reception(never understood that), but they did fix it in the end.


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    hmm, we have allways had bad cable in my area, some very doughy cable,
    i wonder if they can do digital tv over my cable, or will they have to upgrade me to two way.
    it hasnt been touched since it was laid about 50 odd years ago


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Regardless of your experience or opinion the fact is that the quality of the service/reception within the apartment block (43 subscribers) in which I live is excellent and has been so for about seven years. Over the last few years there have been very few problems and most that we have had have been due to illegal connections.

    I have many friends in the Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 areas and in general the quality of the service is good.

    In other words, I do not accept your proposition that I am an exception (my luck is not nearly that good).

    Why I hate NTL/CableLink is because I have found them to be very difficult to deal with ... for example - when I lived in Drumcondra they cut me off for not paying my bill (even though I had paid a year in advance and another nine months remained). I spent hours on the phone trying to get them to understand that I did not owe them any money. Eventually following legal action they agreed that it was their fault ... they then restored the service and then tried to bill be for a new connection and then because I did not pay this bill they disconnected me again and in total I did not have any service for almost ten months.

    Second example: When I first moved to my Apartment they were advertising a special offer whereby there would be no connection fee if I subscribed prior to a certain date and if I agreed to pay a year in advance. I accepted this offer and paid the first year in advance, three months later I was still awaiting connection so I complained only to be told that they had technical problems. Two or three months later, after numerous complaints, they contacted me by letter to inform me that they would not connect me unless I paid an installation charge of £120. They claimed that I did not qualify for the special offer as the service had not been installed prior to the date on which the offer ended (even though I had applied and paid a year in advance well before the expiry date).


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  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    well the only thing i got going for me is the ****e cable and that they will have to upgrade me to two way in order to provide digital tv,

    You live in a new apartment block i take it,


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">You live in a new apartment block i take it</font>

    Doesn't matter in the least, i pay the same as you correct? So why do you get less for you're money then i do?

    I'd understand the rationale if you were living in the bog somewhere in the sticks, but you aren't, there is no excuse.

    One of the places i lived in after college was a grim bedsit type deal on Mountjoy street, but the reception was still fine.

    Gladiator i cannot believe that you are not kicking up a stink with NTL over this , i would, if you are afraid of them then just buy a signal booster in Argos biggrin.gif


    [This message has been edited by Longfield (edited 24-07-2001).]


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    new building, new cable,
    i dont really care to be honus, at one stage the reception was so bad and they had no plans of improving it, we told them to **** off and hadnt TV for 6 years, reception goes bad, what can i say, i dont watch it.

    you see there probably only half the capacity in my area for the number of people on cable, since sky came in it improved




  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    i actually have one, works great, bought it years ago, never worked, then ntl did something recently and i had to use it,
    its better then pulling my hair out, i know what has to be done, they need a new signal box at the end of my road, but they wont do it


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    You'll get that about as soon as they upgrade to two-way services in the city center, where I live.

    From my reading it seems they are keener to provide this "digital TV" toss more, which is bolloc*s as far as I am concerned as exactly how much better will Sky One get if I have the same crap TV?

    And why do I need 200+ channels?

    Digital TV is only of benefit to those selling excessive advertising space IMHO.


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Gladiator:
    hmm, we have allways had bad cable in my area, some very doughy cable,
    i wonder if they can do digital tv over my cable, or will they have to upgrade me to two way.
    it hasnt been touched since it was laid about 50 odd years ago
    </font>

    Wow, whoever laid it must have been way ahead of their time, considering BBC was demonstrated in the RDS by way of a special transmitter mast that was brought in 1951 and RTE 1 wasn't even setup until 1961. rolleyes.gif


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Red Moose:
    And why do I need 200+ channels?
    </font>

    Star Trek and Babylon 5 24/7 ? biggrin.gif


  • Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    <font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BNC:
    Wow, whoever laid it must have been way ahead of their time, considering BBC was demonstrated in the RDS by way of a special transmitter mast that was brought in 1951 and RTE 1 wasn't even setup until 1961. rolleyes.gif</font>

    Sorry i wasnt arounds to inspect it when it was laid, its seems like its 50 odd years ago, but actually i can only account for 25 since my family moved there, buts its been in the area longer then that



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