Telewest charges for no services!!!

[Matrah]

Telewest charges for no services!! Hi,

Could anyone please advise as to whether they have experienced Telewest's fantasic insistance to charge customers for services when they can not provde them?

I spoke to them today in order to cancel my services as I am moving to an area that they do not cover. I was told that as I "signed" a "contract" with them for twelve months I still have to pay for tv, broadband and phone servcies for the remaining 7 months totalling almost £200.

I would be more than happy to pay for these services if I were able to receive them, but is it lawful that they hold customers to these contracts if they are unable to provide the goods?

I was also told that if I went to Virgin for my broadband services I could enter into a contract for no fixed period, and Telewest would refund me the £98 for the Broadband charges. This is nonsense!

I have written to them, and have spoken to managers, but alas, no joy. Could anyone please help?!!

Matthew

p.s I can't recall signing any contract!(and was told by one representative that I might not necessarily have one!)

[dw190]

Originally Posted by Matrah

Telewest charges for no services!! Hi,

Could anyone please advise as to whether they have experienced Telewest's fantasic insistance to charge customers for services when they can not provde them?

I spoke to them today in order to cancel my services as I am moving to an area that they do not cover. I was told that as I "signed" a "contract" with them for twelve months I still have to pay for tv, broadband and phone servcies for the remaining 7 months totalling almost £200.

I would be more than happy to pay for these services if I were able to receive them, but is it lawful that they hold customers to these contracts if they are unable to provide the goods?

I was also told that if I went to Virgin for my broadband services I could enter into a contract for no fixed period, and Telewest would refund me the £98 for the Broadband charges. This is nonsense!

I have written to them, and have spoken to managers, but alas, no joy. Could anyone please help?!!

Matthew

p.s I can't recall signing any contract!(and was told by one representative that I might not necessarily have one!)

I would write them a letter asking them to provide a copy of the signed contract together with a copy the full terms and conditions within fourteen days.

[meagain]

I'm currently experiencing a similar problem with NTL. I have asked them repeatedly to cancel my services, only to be told "Disconnections isn't open right now, I'll pass your details on and they'll get back to you." One month later, I've heard nothing. Nastygram time, methinks. I've made it clear to them that, despite their insistence that I am contracted to 12th July, I'm absolutely not paying a penny past 17th June, when I moved out of my last place. Of course, they can't take me to court for the money, since they'd inevitably lose (especially if they slap one of those lovely "late payment fees" I've been reading about).

[xoxnitaxox]

NTL (Who now own Telewest) have always had a bad reputation for the way they treat people both during the period that they have your custom and especially so when you try to cancel. I cancelled in July last year and was still being billed in March of THIS year. I spent a hell of a lot of time on the phone trying to explain to the dim wit on the other end that I had cancelled but to no avail. They eventually closed my accounts but not before sending me a bill for £254 which I refused to pay as they'd screwed up in December of the previous year and had demanded around about the same amount. I wrote to them saying that I would pay off the debt at a rate of £1 per month but that I was seeking legal advice as I know the debt couldn't have mounted up so high (I only had broadband, the sums didn't add up!) I haven't herd anything from them, and am currently not paying a penny to them. Touch wood they finally figured they can't try to take advantage of me.

If they continue to mess you around, go see citizens advice. FYI the 12 month contract in my case was only on phone line. I was able (if they'd done things correctly) to cancel my broadband and TV within 6 months. As the previous person said, get them to send you a copy of the contract, if you haven't kept yours... theres most likely something in there that will sort this out to your benefit.

[Rob S]

NTL! What a bunch of idiots. I had an internet account with them from October 2000 to February 2004. All was well until October 2003 when they "enhanced" the service. It was total pants so the following February I took my custom elsewhere. I phoned up to cancel the account and I was told that I had to give 30 days notice. Fair enough I thought, but on getting home I discovered they had disabled the account that same day! So I didn't pay for the final months service ( fair enough I thought as I couldn't access the service).

A few months later I got a letter from a DCA asking for payment of £15. I had heard nothing from NTL in that period of time. I hadn't moved and my phone number had remained the same, but instead of contacting me, they passed it on to a DCA! I wrote to the DCA and explained the position, informing them of what had happened and the DCA replied and stated they were passing the matter back to NTL. I have heard nothing more since.

NTL really are a waste of space.

[xoxnitaxox]

Look out for letters in the post from a different DCA - NTL tried and failed to get money out of me by involving three different agencies. Once I'd explained my position to those agencies, all passed the account back to NTL. Doesn't that say it all? Completely incompetent staff - or at least every single one that I spoke to there seemed that way. you can be on the phone forever and get abslutely nowhere. they passed me from pillar to post during one call, which I started at 3pm - by 5pm (still on the phone) they told me the department I needed was closed! Typical BS you get from reps who have no idea what to do with you when you won't walk away quietly.

[meagain]

Result! (for the interim, at least)

Had a bill for £102 in the post today, including the dreaded "LATE PAYMENT FEE". After a long conversation on the phone to Moves & Transfers at NTL, explaining the circumstances around my move, etc., the guy on the other end agreed to credit £105 to my account. I queried this, and he pointed out that the £35 service charge for my package for August was already on my account, just not billed yet. So, taking this into account, I am apparently left with £32, of which there is £11 in call charges and £21 service for the part-month before I moved out, though I will be double-checking this.

Advice? Remain civil, but take a stern tone - there's no need for the Mr. Nice Guy act. Make sure you get the points across. If you have moved, when they talk about a notice period, point out to them that if you're not in a position to take their service with you (not available in area, it's not your phone line, etc.) they are de facto not providing the service. Not even the extant period of a fixed-term contract can get them out of this.

I have to say, all of this is such as shame. NTL's services are pretty good when they work (since I use a Linux router of my own, I would need a proper ADSL modem rather than the junk most ISPs send). It's just when you have to talk to them that everything falls down ...

[xoxnitaxox]

Nice to see you got a result - of sorts