NTL cut me off because the previous (dead) occupier didn't close account

MoominPapa

This would have to happen the night the Sopranos is on

Came home, postcard through the letter box saying "Withdrawal of service"
Cable and digital both cut
The previous occupier is dead and neglected to pay her bill before dying, how inconsiderate little old widows can be to global conglomerates is beyond me.
Rang the number on the card: Credit Management, gave account, immediately told a mistake was made, put through to customer service and told I would be put on a queue, as high priority, to have someone sent out to fix the problem.
When I asked the obvious question: "Do you not cross check to see if there is a new account at the address, which is direct debit and therefore bang up to date, before cutting your bill paying customers off for no reason?" I was told that they can only apologise. When I asked what are they going to do in recompense I was told they will credit me for any time I was unconnected, wow, rang back after an hour and told my "query" has been passed on to the disconnect crew who would contact me within half an hour, still waiting.
I have had to ring NTL sales lo-call number because the customer support number is unavailable to mobiles. The fact that more and more people are abandoning landlines seemed to bemuse the support person but maybe she will bring it up at her next team meeting and win some brownie points
Anyone else experience anything like this from this shower of morons and how do you rate my chances of watching the Sopranos without me having to bodge up some rabbit ears?

The tax man

Coat hanger aerial for the night. Reconnection tomorrow at the earliest I'd say.

MoominPapa

After a further three phone calls, one of which I was cut off I was told that Customer Support Management are on the case but they still haven't bothered ringing me I have now been told that it could take up to 2 working days for the said Customer Support Management to contact me, not resolve the problem but contact me, I am now looking to a w/e of rte and reading. Is this grounds for me to tell them to shove their contract up their jacksy and switch to sky?

Ulsterman 1690

Is this grounds for me to tell them to shove their contract up their jacksy and switch to sky?

Of course

MoominPapa

Ulsterman 1690 wrote:

Of course

Hmm, just dug out my contract and according to section 19.5 I can terminate the contract "by notice in writing if we fail to perform or observe any obligation ... (and in the case of a breach capable of remedy) we fail to remedy the breach within a reasonable time from receiving from you a written notice specifying such breach and requiring us to remedy it"

So I have to write to them to inform them of the problem and then the clock starts ticking. If they don't do something in a reasonable time, whatever that is, then I have to write to them again to inform them the contract is terminated. So all my calls and wasted time don't count as far as the agreement is concerned. Thats great, isn't it?

who is this

MoominPapa wrote:

The previous occupier is dead and neglected to pay her bill before dying, how inconsiderate little old widows can be to global conglomerates is beyond me.

Btw Liberty Global (i.e. NTL and UPC) is not a conglomerate - a conglomerate is a company which owns subsidiaries which operate in substantially different markets - not LGI which is limited to communications.

But about the "reasonable time", this is usually judged by the company. Usually if you contest that it is reasonable you have to go to court and have the court declare that their definition of "reasonable time" was not reasonable.

MoominPapa

Amazingly I'm reconnected, of course the only contact was from the technician rehooking me. Perhaps my fruity e-mail may have done the trick. Pity there's feck all on