The UKs Cheapest Home Phones Solution Article Discussion Area

Am I the only one who has found it almost impossible to get any joy out of Talk Talk? Below is one of my despairing letters to TalkTalk. They haven't even responded to that letter. I do intend to try and seek publicity about this greedy incompetence on the part of Talk Talk.

Dear Sir/Madam,

In early June this year I signed up to Talk Talk for free broadband with the landline phone service that was, and still is, being heavily promoted by the company.

I was told that I would have to wait a couple of months for the broadband to be installed as there was/is a long waiting list. After the requisite waiting period I was contacted by Talk Talk and told that there was 'an incompatible product' on my line and they could not connect me because of this. I was told to contact BT and sort this out. When I phoned BT they told me the responsibility for sorting this out was not the customer's but the service provider. In fact BT has a department that specifically deals with this problem.

For some weeks now I have been phoning Talk Talk on a regular basis, almost on a daily basis - this is a matter of record, to try and arrange to have the braodband connection installed.

This has been an absolutley frustrating task. Each time I phone and speak to a beleagured operator in India I am told that there is 'an incompatible product' on my line. I can't get beyond that. Occassionally I am told that someone will phone me back within 24 hours but this never happens. Talk Talk take my money but seem either incapable or reluctant to provide the service that I am paying for. This contravenes the Sale of Goods Act and is therefore illegal. One should get the service that one pays for according to the Act. There are, almost certainly, many others in my position.

I am currently paying AOL £17.99 per month to maintain a braodband connection in the absence of the braodband service that I am paying Talk Talk for.

Please feel free to edit this letter if needs be if you will be good enough to publish it in theconsumer pages of your newspaper. My telephone number - if you require further information or you wish to discuss the matter further.

I feel it is imperative to get across to those who may be taken in by Talk Talk's promises that the company clearly cannot provide the service they are offering because, it would seem, there is a huge demand, and understandably so as it is a great offer 'on paper', but not the resources to provide a service. And surely Talk Talk should recompense those who have not been provided with the service they are paying for? This is surely illegal.

I plan to go to my MPs surgery to see if something can be done through my MP as well as seeking publicity to expose this scandal.

Thank you for your co-operation with this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Dan Burnett

I have had an EXTREMELY bad experience with talk/talk (the company incidentally you cannot actually talk to!) and would urge anyone thinking of changing to them not to do so. I signed up when they first advertised and as I moved nearer to my connection date I found it absolutely impossible to get through to their customer services. I called over 100 times! On the rare occasion I did get through (India/South Africa) I was rudely disconnected after I started to evem hint at my unease.It was impossible to establish if they were actually going to provide a proper service. No excecutive there replies to registered letters and I suspect all those who do sign letters are computer generated individuals. Unable to get through I sought a new provider (BT) but Talk/Talk refused to give me a MAC code (according to Offcom they are NOT part of the industry voluntary agreemnet re MAC codes). So I was now without internet access. I signed up to a dial-up service, then Talk/Talk came on line and I accessed it briefly as it was the only available option. Finally after over 2 weeks they gave me a MAC code under threat of legal action. Now they have sent me a bill for £140 for use of their service! Today their customer Services rang to say there was no way to waive this payment due which I am withholding pending a proper dialogue with a senior manager (if they actually exist). This just proves that going for the cheap option can leave you far up the creek and padderless. CHOOSE SOME OTHER PROVIDER!