By Jo Best, 9 June 2005 13:20
NEWS The taxi driver who replaced NTL's customer service helpline's automated hold message with a four-letter tirade has been acquitted from Teeside Magistrate's court.
Ashley Gibbins decided to replace NTL's 'thank you for holding' customer services spiel with his own salutation after being on the receiving end of a one-hour wait to talk to NTL about getting a broadband connection.
Upon ringing the helpline number, NTL customers were greeted with Gibbins' message: "Hello, you are through to NTL customer services. We don't give a f*ck about you, basically, and we're not going to handle any of your complaints. Just f*ck off and leave us alone. Get a life."
The message, which was greeted NTL customers in the northeast, was intended as a joke, according to Gibbins.
According to the Teeside judge, the message was not 'grossly offensive' and therefore Gibbins could not be prosecuted.
Comments
There are 10 comments. Join the discussion
1. Joe
Fair play, I have had enough of these corporate companies that just leave me on hold for hours on end. You don't dare to hang up to go over the whole slow process again. That will teach them for there impressivly slow customer service response!
2. Adam Finch
Good on the Judge in this case, useless NTL can F*ck off !!
3. Dave B
Good on the Judge! About time we, the 'valued customer' got a chance to bite back! Now a precedent has been set, can anyone tell me how he did it? I know a few companies that need their messages adjusting..... :)
4. anonymous
i don't like NTL and i think that ISPs are taking the p!ss with their service offerings, but ...
the judge was wrong. there is no doubt in my mind that i WOULD have been grossly offended had i received that message.
The point here is not whether or not NTL service is up to scratch, but whether or not the message would offend and i think it certainly would
5. anonymous
From what I have heard from friends and family I don't think NTL would stand a chance with a libel case either.
6. misceng
As an NTL customer I can say that the delays on NTL customer service is most beneficial to NTL. Lots of dissatisfied customers don't complain because it takes up too much of their time.
7. John H Woods
Anonymous is wrong to say that the Judge is wrong: 'grossly offensive' does not seem to have a specific legal definition, and it is therefore up to the magistrate to decide. The claim Anonymous makes, that s/he would have been grossely offended, is completely beside the point. In any case the tone of comment expressed here suggests that s/he is in the minority.
8. anonymous
I have to admit to being the minority here, anyone that defends an ISP these days is likely to be.
However, i stick by my point that what was on trial here were the words that the hacker used and NOT the service offering of NThelL. regardless of whether or not their service sucks, being told to f@ck off when you’re on hold IS offensive and i don't see how any judge can say that its not.
So tell me, do you people actually LIKE being told to f@ck off? I guess if this is how you float your boat then it’s probably cheaper phoning NThelL than your usual premium rate phone line to get the same level of abuse.
It could be a fix, if the judge had decided that it WAS offensive, would all the people subjected to it actually be able to sue NThelL?
9. anonymous
I get grossly offended by many telephone lines support lines. Those that tell me they have automated things "to improve the service", when actually it is to save money, at the expense of MY time (which clearly they value much less than I do). I wonder if I can sue for that reason?
10. Stuart Wakeling
As an NT hell customer I completely sympathise with Ashley. Their (mis)service is nothing more than an abomination.
I'd like to know how he did it though.