# Disconnected from NTL



## db2admin (1 Jun 2004)

Is this right?
We have sold our house and I had rang up NTL regarding the disconnection. At the time, I was in arrears and had just received a bill for the next 2 months. I was going to just pay the arrears and have it cut off. The customer service rep. said that I could pay the next 2 months bill and then cancel it at any time and they would issue me with a check for the balance. Since we didn't know exactly when the sale would close, I did that. We have now sold our house with a few weeks left on the account. I told the new owners that they could use that and then get connected it the wished to. 
I then rang NTL today to ask them to cut it off when my advanced payments had run out. Now they tell me that it will take 2-4 weeks approx. to get a service engineer out to cut it off and that if they can't get access to do it, I will be liable for the usage until NTL cut it off. 
Is this right?
I am relying on their promptness in cutting it off and it is not really in their interest to do that, since I am paying for it all the time that they fail to do so.
Any help or ideas on what do to about this greatly appreciated.


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## bluebean (1 Jun 2004)

*re: NTL*

Hold off on paying it! Cancel any direct debits you may have to them at your bank.  They will soon cop on and cut it off promptly if they're not getting paid for it!  I rang them up at end of April, said I wanted to get disconnected as I was moving in two weeks.  The girl said she would do what she could to get it disconnected asap.  They never disconnected on time, and have now sent me a bill for May + June.  I have since moved and am certainly in no rush to pay them for this bill.  Nowhere on the site does it give the notice period they require for disconnection, and the girl wasn't able to tell me either, only to say 'she'd do her best to get it disconnected soon'.
I know some people won't agree with my suggestion of not paying, but that's what I would do in your shoes.  Keep them waiting - I'm sure they wouldn't rush out immediately if there was a problem with the service, so play them at their own game.


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## db2admin (1 Jun 2004)

*re: NTL*

Thanks bluebean, I wanted to just cut my ties with the house and have everything closed. I don't like the idea of owing them anything. It just seems to me that it is in their interest not to cut me off as then they can still charge me, so why would they rush out to cut the line.

I don't want to get a bad credit record for not paying this bill.


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## bluebean (1 Jun 2004)

*re*

I understand you want to cut ties with the house.  However, back in my student days when we hadn't paid a bill, NTL had a *very* easy way of disconnecting - first of all they stopped our signal (white fuzz one evening), and then they just cut the wire outside!  They didn't need to get access into the house.  You have paid them up to date, you're out of the house.  I think they're trying to pull a fast one.  I wouldn't pay them anymore, they will soon realize that you are not a mug + they will disconnect.  Thats my tuppence worth anyway.


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## ainec (1 Jun 2004)

"Cancel any direct debits you may have to them at your bank"

Unfortunately, you can't cancel a direct debit with your bank. You can only do so with the service provider in this case NTL. You can only cancel a standing order with your bank.


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## Guest (1 Jun 2004)

I have cancelled many DDs over the years by (a) writing to the company in question (whether or not they acknowledged my letter - usually not!) and then (b) by attending my bank branch and authorising them to cancel the DD. This always worked fine.


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## ainec (1 Jun 2004)

You can't cancel a direct debit with your bank because you have given written instructions to a third party to debit varying amounts, on varying dates, from your bank account. In effect, once you have done this you can only cancel the direct debit with that third party as the bank must continue to pay the debits since you have given permission to do so.


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## Guest (1 Jun 2004)

This is a bit like Garret Fitzgerald's infamous comment "that's all very well in practice but will it work in theory?". The bottom line is that I have managed to cancel DDs using the strategy above. In fact I managed to cancel some DDs by doing only (b). In this specific case it's worth trying to cancel the DD in this way. There's nothing to be lost by trying.


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## Guest (1 Jun 2004)

Also ... if you look at any DD mandate form you will see that one of the items on it is "I will inform the bank in writing if I wish to cancel this Instruction" which certainly suggests that the account holder can indeed cancel a DD unilaterally whenever s/he chooses. E.g.:

[broken link removed]


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## db2admin (2 Jun 2004)

Thanks all, luckily I don't have a direct debit and I think that I will just ignore any extra bills from them.


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## con (2 Jun 2004)

*direct debits*

It seems logical to me that you should be able to cancel a direct debit by writing to your bank.

A direct debit is set up when you instruct your bank manager to pay various amounts from your account to the account of the company/business in question, on the dates they request payment.  If you read the small print on any direct debit mandate you will see this is the instruction.  By signing the direct debit mandate form you are authorising your bank to make these payments.  Therefore it's logical that you can withdraw this authorisation by writing to your bank and instructing them to cease all direct debit payments to the company.

While that's the theory, in everyday practice it works slightly differently!  Try telling your bank to cancel the direct debit...and they will tell you to contact the company you've been paying the direct debits to.  That's my experience but it still doesn't make sense to me.


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## DaveD (2 Jun 2004)

*Direct debits*

I've also cancelled several Direct Debits over the years by informing my bank. They have asked if I have informed the company in question of the cancellation but never asked for any proof.

One of these was with NTL because I was moving and they were unbelievable unhelpful about closing my account and collecting digibox etc. I eventually had to tell them I was going to charge THEM for storage of their equipment before they came to collect it, and cancelled "outstanding" charges.


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## niallymac (2 Jun 2004)

*Cable across my property*

The NTL cable on our street runs across the roofs from house to house. If I no longer want to deal with an incompetent organisation like NTL, do I have the right to tell them to get their cable off my house altogether.

A friend said that he threatened NTL with this option and they said they would write to everyone on the street telling them they would have a significant service interuption while they rerouted the cable back to street and naming me as the cause of this. Can they do this ?


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## Zinger (2 Jun 2004)

*CAN THEY LIKE HELL*

They can write to each member on the street informing them of service difficulties , but to be honest i have never been notified by NTL when my service was being serviced.

If they write to each house informing them of your friends intentions they will be liable under the data protection act , section 2 , 7 and 8.

This is also a basic threat to coerce the resident into giving in , i would take no nonsense like that. They are stating that they will publicly humiliate you if you do not let them have access to your property.Its your property and the permission or retraction of usage resides with you.

I would let them go ahead with the threat then issue like mad.
You should also tell them that you have a quotation for a local private digital network , that will pee them off no end.


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## Guest (2 Jun 2004)

*CAN THEY LIKE HELL*

> While that's the theory, in everyday practice it works slightly differently! Try telling your bank to cancel the direct debit...and they will tell you to contact the company you've been paying the direct debits to.

Not in my experience cancelling DDs on my PTSB account payable to various companies.


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## rainyday (4 Jun 2004)

*Re: CAN THEY LIKE HELL*

I note that the  states the following about direct debits;



> YOU CAN BE SURE
> • payments will only be made in accordance with your instructions
> • any payment which is made in error will be refunded to you immediately and in full
> • you can cancel your instruction at any time simply by writing to your bank



I know I've seen references to 'Direct Debit Guarantee' schemes on some DD forms.


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## crugers (4 Jun 2004)

*Re: CAN THEY LIKE HELL*

Your bank account is just that!
*YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.*
If you instruct your bank to allow someone / anyone to take money from your account they should / will follow your instructions, subject to money laundering act requirements etc...
If at a later date you instruct the bank not to allow that someone to withdraw money from your account they *HAVE TO* follow your latest instructions.
A direct debit instruction is just that! An instruction! It isn't a legal contract between parties that needs agreement of all to be modified or cancelled!
Put the cancellation in writing to your bank, ensure it is delivered! Send an advice to the source of the direct debit. Job done!

As for NTL once you notify them that you wish to cancel/terminate your subscription, preferably in writing, then they can't hold you responsible if THEY continue to supply a service to a premises/residence (unless you signed up for a fixed term contract and want to get out before end of the term).


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## daltonr (11 Jun 2004)

*Re: CAN THEY LIKE HELL*

All fine and dandy,  but your credit Card Account is also YOUR credit card account.  But you can't tell the card company to refuse any future debits under a particular Direct Debit Mandate.

I've spent fruitless hours on the phone arguing this very point with various Customer Service Reps from the Credit Card company, to no avail.

They did say that bank accounts were different,  but for the life of my I can't understand why that should be the case.

-Rd


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## mudahawn (14 Jun 2004)

*can they like hell*

I have cancelled direct debits without difficulty. 1/ write to the company telling them you are cancelling from today,and that you are informing your bank accordingly. 2/ cc. the bank.


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## Murt10 (14 Jun 2004)

*Re: CAN THEY LIKE HELL*

If the bank cannot or refuses to cancel a DD from your credit card account then report your card lost or stolen to the bank. They will have to set up a new account for you and the company that you want to stop taking money from your account will not have the authority to take it from the new account.

BTW a new card costs you nothing


Murt


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## db2admin (16 Jun 2004)

*Good ol' ntl*

They have still not disconnected the line, and have now billed me for 2 more months.


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