Whopper NTL bill

Posted this in the TV forum but thought I'd stick it here as well. If this is unacceptable, then please delete/lock as you see fit.

Okay,

We have NTL Digital, and we also have their Sports package and the Setanta Premium Pack (we don't have any of the movie packages).We also have our Broadband service provided by them.

The setup for paying the bill, is that you pay 2 months in advance, and then you receive another bill for the forthcoming 2 months.

We paid for the last 2 months at the appropriate time and it was €222. About the middle of September, we got the digital installed in the bedroom as well. This incurs a once off fee of €50, but that should be it as far as extra charges go.

When we first got the multi-room installed, the sports channels and the setanta channels weren't viewable, and I rang them to ask if we had to subscribe to them again for the bedroom, but I was told over the phone that no, they just hadn't been activated, and that we didn't have to pay for them.

So, we got the bill for the following 2 months on Friday and it's a whopping €423 .

It's a bit hard to follow reading the bill, but it appears as if they are charging us:

€50 for the sports (25 per month)
€30 for the Setanta (15 p.m.)
and €15 for the rest (must be 7.50 p.m.)

as well as

€40.16 for the sports
€24.09 for the setanta
and €12.29 for the rest
(This must be because we ordered the extra stuff in the middle of a billing period)

These are all for the bedroom set though, and looks like they're charging us for all the sports packages, when your man on the phone told me that we didn't have to pay for them.

This is an extra €144. It would also make sense as our last bill (€222) plus the once off installation fee (€50) plus the extra €144 comes to a total of €416 which is close enough to the new bill.

Does anyone else have NTL multi-room with any extra packages? Do you have to pay the extra for the packages, 'cos it effectively means we are paying for the same service twice.

I'm gonna ring them now this afternoon, but thought i'd check with everyone here before I rang them and gave them an earful.

Thanks in advance for any replies, and sorry for the length of the post.

Poppers1888

HI,

Got movies last weeka nd was told also that you just have to pay for it once even though it is in 2 rooms. So it must be just an admin mistake

delop

Every bill I have ever got from them has been wrong...

Just ring them up, be as nice as pie, say you dont understand the bull, I mean bill, and get them to walk through it with you. I guarantee they will discover an error, and then promise to sort it, The following month when they havent corrected it, ring them again, and then it will be sorted...

Sometimes I think I need a red bat Phone with a direct link...

prendy

sometimes theyl get so confused with the various offers on the bill youl end up getting it way cheaper too.there bills are nearly always wrong

Thanks folks, rang them there and was on hold for a measly 13 minutes (must be a record for the shortest hold time ever) but when i gave them the a/c number they asked for the name of the a/c holder (which is the missus).

I'm obviously not her so she asked if the missus was around. She works in the same building as me so i tried to transfer the call to her, shae was away from the desk, and got back on to the operator. She then told me that there was something amiss with the bill, and that even though she was unable to talk to me about the bill, that Ms. Shifty is "due some credit".

The ball and chain is on hold now again to them but all is looking good, hopefully.

Thanks again for the replies.


Update: The gf got through after 25 mins and they acknowledged that we were over-charged. The method of sorting out is that we pay the current bill and then next time they'll credit us with the amount overcharged (€144). So, happy days !!!

wyndham

Deleted User wrote: »

The method of sorting out is that we pay the current bill and then next time they'll credit us with the amount overcharged (€144).

You are going to pay the whole lot? I wouldn't do this without at least a written acknowledgement that the credit is due on the account. Sounds like BS. Why pay what is not due? Pay the amount that is actually due and leave the rest on the account until they credit it.

Beano

wyndham wrote: »

You are going to pay the whole lot? I wouldn't do this without at least a written acknowledgement that the credit is due on the account. Sounds like BS. Why pay what is not due? Pay the amount that is actually due and leave the rest on the account until they credit it.

What he said. I can never understand how asking you to pay what they know you dont owe and then refunding you later is acceptable.

jor el

Deleted User wrote: »

Update: The gf got through after 25 mins and they acknowledged that we were over-charged. The method of sorting out is that we pay the current bill and then next time they'll credit us with the amount overcharged (€144). So, happy days !!!

If you're happy to over pay and wait two months for the credit back then doing that might be the handiest way to go. If you only pay the correct amount, which will effectively leave you owing money even though you don't, then NTL being NTL may decide to cut you off or charge extra on the next bill due to non payment. Now, this can probably be sorted with a phonecall if it comes to that, but it is extra hassle for you.

Just so you know, you are under no obligation to pay an incorrect bill. You can insist that they fix the account and issue a new bill before any money is taken/paid. If you're paying by direct debit then cancel it until they sort this out.

144 euro is not an insignificant amount and it's unfair to expect you to carry that for two months when they are fully aware of the mistake in advance of payment. BT do the exact same thing, and for many people the credit doesn't get applied and the next bill is also wrong, leaving you further out of pocket. As delop says, every bill he gets is wrong. This could potentially go on for longer than two months.

I see where you are all coming from, 'cos thats exactly what my original thoughts were....."fnck them robbin' bastards" etc.

But, the next bill is gonna be coming in 2 months time, i.e. approx. 20th December and a bill on xmas week will be a bit of a killer, so if we can afford to pay the majority of that bill now, then why not?

If they make a bags of the next bill, then I'll refuse to pay that one.

Danno

They are not a bank - so why deposit €144???

LegacyUser

NTL were overcharging us for months...without us knowing....that is untill we recieved a letter stating so. We're now in credit for a period. Iv had many run ins with them in the past...including a time when I asked for my internet point to be changed to a different room.After being put on hold for 30mins I got chattin to a guy from Bangalore!!! Too Good!!

UrbanFox

BTW did NTL increase their prices in the year up to October 2007 ?

mad m

I'm having trouble with them,I have a direct debit setup like most of us but keep getting final payment notices....Rang them before and sorted it and now its starting again.....Thicks.

bugler

Yep, they're a disaster. Always forgetting things, or adding things on, or cutting things off.

Unfortunately due to the lack of available competition and rules regarding Sat dishes these jokers are guaranteed a market share for a long time yet.