NTL Bill - puzzled

Mountjoy Mugger

I just had a look at my current bill and noticed something odd:

Date To Date Description €
28-07-2003 27-09-2003 Go Digital Dublin 19.00
28-07-2003 27-09-2003 Go Digital Dublin 19.00
28-07-2003 " Basic TV Pack 2 monthly Dublin 28.10
28-07-2003 " Digital Sports 2 monthly Dublin 33.88

Charges (Ex VAT) €99.98
VAT at 21% €21.00

Charges for this Period €120.98

Why the two instances of Go Digital Dublin for an identical period?

I've scoured their website, but can't find the answer. I'm sure it's something obvious, well I hope it is...

Formatting is a nightmare.

celticfc

I take it you don't have two digital subscribtions.

I'd get straight on to them about it, they can be a crowd of chancers, thinking that no one notices that their charging twice.

innisfree

This sounds like the period where it all went messy with our NTL subscription.
We have 2 digiboxes, one getting the sports channels as extra. Supposedly, you're supposed to pay for an analog signal to every tv that takes one. Though this applies to nearly every house in Ireland, it's a very relaxed rule.
Because we got 2 digibox's, we were 'admitting' we had more than one tv that took the analog signal (because it's obligatory with ntl digital). However, we opened a subscription at the time when they said they'd connect a certain amount of extra tv's to analog for free, which I understood to mean you only got billed for one analog source.

Our bill began ending up something like this:
Go: DIGITAL
Go: DIGITAL
+SPORTS PACKAGE
+ NTL ANALOG
+NTL ANALOG

and after a while some of those began appearing in multiples. Every time we rang the apologised and said they'd see to it, yet it seemed to make things worse when the next bill arrived. I think our last statement said we owed them something like 300-400 euro's, which we don't. We haven't paid them in about 2 months, stating we want a correct bill before we'll pay, yet they keep sending out an increasing bill every month with 'overdue' amounts on it.

I'm guessing they've an outside accounting firm who do the bill work. They are either very bad at their jobs or else there's extremely bad communication between the 2 companies.

celticfc

Originally posted by cableguy
What price is against Ntl Analogue???
Remember the offer with digi installs where they installed
extra points for free,give 3 months free rental on these but then start charging for them. Price on an extra point should only be a few euros each bill.
If they have it down as the full yearly price on each Analogue start screaming at someone quick.:eek: :eek: :eek:

Absolutley,
They should only charge for extra TV points & not 2 seperate analogue subs.
BTW an extra TV point costs €1.97 per month.

icdg

The only advice I can give is to get on to Customer Services at 1800 321 321. (But make yourself a cup of tea and bring a good book first...).

Meanwhile NTL have switched us all to two-monthly billing, only after trying to make sure everyone but basic TV customers were on monthly billing. Ho hum...

Incidently if that pricing below is correct, that means the Go Digital pack is now EUR 9.50 a month, and the basic TV 14.05 a month. At 23.55 for the basic pack that does make it a good deal cheaper that the EUR 27 (last time I checked) Sky Digital family pack.

(/me makes mental note to update ICDG website when next given a chance)

Mountjoy Mugger

UPDATE:

Got on to CS today - only waited about 1 minute!!:eek:

In simple terms - it was a screw up. They don't know why, or how, it happened. Credit to be put on next bill...yeah right.

sceptre

Originally posted by innisfree
and after a while some of those began appearing in multiples. Every time we rang the apologised and said they'd see to it, yet it seemed to make things worse when the next bill arrived. I think our last statement said we owed them something like 300-400 euro's, which we don't. We haven't paid them in about 2 months, stating we want a correct bill before we'll pay, yet they keep sending out an increasing bill every month with 'overdue' amounts on it.

Report them to Comreg. Right now. It'll be pretty relevant in the court case if there is one or most likely, they'll actually sort it out pretty quickly. Don't let it go on any further.

innisfree

Originally posted by sceptre
Report them to Comreg. Right now. It'll be pretty relevant in the court case if there is one or most likely, they'll actually sort it out pretty quickly. Don't let it go on any further.

Can ComReg assist with my query/complaint on Cable and MMDS services?


Under the new regulatory framework, ComReg no longer has the necessary legislative basis to deal with broadcasting consumer complaints/queries. If you have a complaint with any aspect of your Cable or MMDS service, contact the operator who provides the service directly. If consumers contact ComReg, with details of their complaints, we will not be able to deal directly with the complaint but will pass it onto the relevant operator for them to deal with directly.

Carnate

I find it very strange that people are so quick to judge a "mistake"

as this is all it was a mistake,it happens. You find a problem with

the bill you ring up and get it rectified. Whats the point in posting it here, Now if it was say 100 euros and they were not willing to say it was a mistake then you could do a few things, but Sending a complaint to comreg? Just because of a "small" billing mistake is IMHO abit over the Top.


That said, the mistake was fixed and YES you will get a refund on the next bill.

Overreaction is Irelands biggest Problem when it comes to things like this.

My 2 cents Worth!

Emerson

Originally posted by icdg
Incidently if that pricing below is correct, that means the Go Digital pack is now EUR 9.50 a month, and the basic TV 14.05 a month. At 23.55 for the basic pack that does make it a good deal cheaper that the EUR 27 (last time I checked) Sky Digital family pack.
(/me makes mental note to update ICDG website when next given a chance)

That €9.50 & €14.05 are ex vat... incl. vat, it's €11.49 & €17/m respectively

sceptre

Originally posted by innisfree
Can ComReg assist with my query/complaint on Cable and MMDS services?


Under the new regulatory framework, ComReg no longer has the necessary legislative basis to deal with broadcasting consumer complaints/queries. If you have a complaint with any aspect of your Cable or MMDS service, contact the operator who provides the service directly. If consumers contact ComReg, with details of their complaints, we will not be able to deal directly with the complaint but will pass it onto the relevant operator for them to deal with directly.

Still worth telling Comreg on them. They won't directly act on your behalf but the cable conpanies are still quicker to sort out complaints like this if it comes to them through Comreg. Oh, and next time you contact NTL, tell them that you told on them.

Might be worth sending a wee email to the ODCA as well. Again they won't deal on your behalf but will pass the complaint on.

Carnate, I'm advising innisfree to contact the relevant bodies, not MM. His billing mistake hasn't been fixed and it's a few hundred euros, not a "few euros" - read the thread before ranting. MM's problem is probably a simple billing mistake - we've all had those. Innisfree's problem is a multiplying billing complaint that the company don't seem to be doing anything about.

Carnate

Np's i was commenting on the whole thread

dub45

NTL are the most mindbogglingly inefficient company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with and on past experience I would not belive anything that any of their customer representatives told me because as sure as God (of whoever you believe in ) the next time you ring in you will be told that the last person you spoke to should not have told you whatever they told you!

I had lots of dealings with them over the past few months and each time I rang them I was told that last person should not have told me what they told me or given me that assurance etc.

I rang them to ask them for an explanaton for the two montly billing which they claimed was by public demand (neglecting to mention that in effect its an interest free levy on their customers with a lot of savings too) Two months later I am still waiting for the explanation despite being told by a supervisor no less that I would have it in two or three days but that was about 6 weeks ago!!!

Anyways while Comreg cannot formally help you they do have a contact in NTL who liases about problems that are raised with Comreg so I woujld suggest that avenue and in my experience the lady in Comreg is exceptionally helpful.

dub45

It was actually on your bill if you notice thats how they notified people.

I wanted to ask them how many people had phoned up to 'demand' two monthly billing and thats why I am still waiting.

We are far far to docile us Irish!

NTL are a joke and thats kind I honestly do not know how they stay in business.

I wonder how they woujld react to public demand for decent service or lower rates!