Earlier this year my cable provider "Telewest" merged with "NTL".
This is what they told us about the changes to come:
Surely my services are going to change?
Today it's business as usual and there's no change to your services, contracts, prices or customer service contacts as a result of the completion of the merger. However, we will go through a process of integrating the businesses, based on taking forward the best of both. As decisions are made and changes take place, we will ensure that information is communicated to you as early as is possible.
What sort of changes might take place?
Our aim is to offer a consistent service to all cable customers - taking the best of both companies - and therefore some changes to the services offered today may take place. It's too early to be specific. New technology and innovation may also lead to new services.
It sounded great. I was going to get the best of the NTL offerings and NTL customers were going to get the best of the Telewest offerings.
This morning I received this leaflet in the post:

It goes onto say:
Since Telewest and ntl joined forces, one of the first things we’ve done is make sure our prices offer the same great value to everyone. We’ve tried to make everything clear and simple for you.
Now I love the idea of simplicity, and I was anxious to find out how my life was going to be made simpler.
They had changed the name of my TV package from "Supreme" to "TV Size: XL". Not much problem with that, although it does make me sound like I have a TV obestity problem.
I then looked at the price changes and saw that my renamed TV package was being simplified from £17.50 a month to £20.50 a month. That means that I will be paying 17% more each month to watch the same TV I am watching now.
I wondered if NTL customers were already paying this amount and I just happened to be getting the raw deal in the "simplifying" process.
After looking at the equivalent NTL leaflet I saw that the NTL package that was called "Family" had also been renamed to "TV Size: XL". They are currently paying £19.50 a month for their package and they will soon be paying the simplified £20.50 as well.
Now forgive me for being a bit stupid. But there is only one option available that would take "the best of both companies" foward. Telewest customers continue to pay £17.50 a month and NTL customers have their charges reduced from £19.50 to £17.50.
The next worst option would be to charge NTL customers the same £19.50 a month and increase the Telewest charges from £17.50 to £19.50 a month.
The absolute worst option would be to charge NTL customers £1 a month more and charge Telewest customers £3 a month more.
That's not simplification. It's a bloody rip-off.
If you look at some of the presentations that they have been making resently, you can see how they have already "saved" over £150 million pounds this year by sacking staff:
and it is clear that the current "alignment of products" is just the start of the "Virgin Media" rebranding process that I am going to have to pay for.

It's very interesting to listen to the audio presentation while looking at the slides and you can hear how they are "getting rid" of the NTL customers who aren't paying enough (slide 3).
I wonder why they didn't put the presentation link in their leaflet?
Recent Comments