[HPFGU-OTChatter] Need advice from UK residents on services

[GulPlum]

At 21:10 06/06/03 , Ladi lyndi wrote:

>We're in the ntl network and are trying to contact them to get some 
>questions answered.  For some reason, we can't dial 0800 numbers from
>here.  If any more questions come up, I'll keep you in mind.  8)

Oh well, if NTL services are available, then most of my previous post was 
pretty pointless. :-) However, once you get here, I would still suggest 
that you look into the various options for discounted international calls 
as I'm sure you'll be able to find a better deal than NTL's. (As I said 
last time, until you generate a circle of friends locally, I expect your 
phone will be used mainly to contact the USA or Holland!).

Incidentally, I don't know what kind of installation delays NTL are 
currently quoting, but the last I heard, it takes about 6 weeks from 
initial contact to getting the wires and services installed.

As for not being able to get through to 0800 numbers, that's hardly 
surprising. As I said in another thread about UK telephone numbers 
recently, 0800 numbers are "free call" numbers, and like US 1-800 numbers, 
can't be used from outside the originating country. NTL don't publish any 
other phone number (after all, they're not really set up to be contactable 
from outside the UK) but +44 1962 823434 will get you through to the 
company's head office in Crawley and I'm sure they'll be able to provide 
you with some assistance.

>(who remembers 100 channels in the US and still not having anything 
>worthwhile to watch on TV and hoping the same is not true in the UK ;) )

I had cable TV in a previous home, and although I originally had an 
extended package, I ended up reducing it to the most basic package because 
not only did I realise that most of my TV viewing was limited to the BBC 
and Channel 4, but I watched so little TV (most of the time it was only on 
as "background noise") that the expense was pointless. The TV landscape in 
the UK has changed significantly over the 4 years since I moved, so even 
though there are now about 100 channels available (compared to the 30 or so 
during my time), most of them are of zero interest to me. The only channels 
in which I could possibly be interested are non-British which are no longer 
carried by the cable providers (I used to get a couple of French and 
Italian ones and several German ones). Most of the stuff I'd be interested 
in getting off them can be found online anyway, so I'm not even slightly 
inclined to get hooked up. :-)

In other words, be prepared for loads and loads of pointless programming. 
Standard British network TV (i.e. the basic five channels anyone can get) 
has a very high reputation for a reason.