Talk Talk Price Increases. Bundle Changes. (Including Inclusive 0845/0870 calls)

billsavings

"Changes to Services and Pricing

We are making some changes to our prices and products. These changes are summarised below:
Line rental

We are changing our standard line rental price from £10.50 to £11.25 a month. This change will take effect from your next bill. Our paper bill charge will remain the same at £1.25 a month. If you haven't already switched to online billing, you can register today via the My Account section of the website.

1st May Changes

Free Local Calls
From 1st May 2009, we are introducing free local calls. This will only be available for customers who pay their line rental to TalkTalk and opt-in. Customers with our Broadband service simply need to move to the myTalkTalk plan to enjoy inclusive local calls.

Call Connection Fee
The call connection fee will be increasing from 6.85p to 8p per call. This fee does not apply to calls that are free or inclusive or those that carry a fixed fee element.

Daytime UK calls
We are also changing the cost of UK calls made during the daytime. These calls will be charged at 4.5 pence per minute from 1st May.

International Rates
From 1st May 2009, we are increasing our standard international rates to some countries. Despite this increase, rates to these countries will still be 25% cheaper than the equivalent BT rates.

Inclusive call length
From 1st May 2009, we are reducing the inclusive call length from 70mins to 60mins per call.

2nd June Changes

Free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers
From 2nd June 2009, we will be offering our customers free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers at the same times as you get inclusive calls under your existing call plan. To take advantage of this you will need to be a line rental customer with TalkTalk.
The availability of free 0845 and 0870 calls is weekends only with the Talk UK Weekend Plan, evening and weekends with our Talk UK Evening & Weekend Plan, or at all times with the Talk UK Anytime Plan. Customers with our Broadband service simply need to move to our Essentials package to enjoy inclusive local and 0845/0870 calls.
The availability of free 0845 and 0870 calls excludes indirect access numbers and dial-up Internet access. The inclusive call limit of 60mins also applies to these calls.

Call Plan Changes
From 2nd June 2009, we are also making some changes to the prices of two call plans. The Talk UK Evening and Weekend monthly subscription charge is changing from £2.65 to £2.95 per month and the Talk Evening and Weekend International plan will be changing from £5.89 to £6.49 per month.

Change to Essentials Package
Customers on myTalkTalk will automatically enjoy inclusive local calls during weekdays and inclusive 0845/0870 calls during the evening & weekends or at all times if you have opted into the Anytime boost.

myTalkTalk customers will also be able to benefit from free parental controls and 1GB back-up. We'll send you some more information on what to do nearer the time.
The price of the Security Boost is being halved (reducing from £4 to £2).

From 2nd June 2009 the following changes will also take place:

• Non-inclusive 0870 and 0845 calls will be charged at the same rates as standard local or national calls.
• The charge for a Direct Debit failure will increase to £7.50.
• A £5 charge will be applicable for customers who exceed their 40GB download limit."

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/pricechanges

billsavings

Be interested to know.

1. What Talk Talk defines as a local call? Is it a call made to the same exchange area.Eg 0161. Does the whole of London count as one exchange area for the purposes of local calls.

2. If a TT line rental customer opts in for Free local calls,does he have to take out a new contract?

Perhaps Talk Talk support might care to advise on this.

deklan99

No change to their £3.50 p/m non-direct debit Admin fee then?
Funny how BT's fee of only £1.50 p/m is greeted with howls of outrage.

utilitybroker

billsavings wrote: »

From 2nd June 2009 the following changes will also take place:

• Non-inclusive 0870 and 0845 calls will be charged at the same rates as standard local or national calls.

So the price of non-inclusive 0845 will increase ,havent had a chance to check out 0870 offpeak but the price will go down for non-inclusive peak.

EG. 0845 current price 2p a minute peak. New price 4p a minute.If not inclusive.

I wonder will their be a fair use policy for 0845/0870 like BT have.

The free local calls might be handy if you use someone like www.localphone.com

TalkTalk

Hi Guys,

Local calls are calls that fall into the same "charge group" as your area code does. There are several sites that offer information on what area codes you would be able to dial but as I dont know where they are getting the information from I dont really want to link to them. We are looking to introduce a tool shortly so you can see what area codes you can call to be classed as a local call.

As far as I am aware if you are in contract there will be no obligation to take a new contract when changing plan to myTalkTalk to get the free 0870/0845 calls - this would only be necessary if you are out of contract. I am waiting for clarification on this.

Cheers
EmmaL x

1984ReturnsForReal_2

deklan99 wrote: »

No change to their £3.50 p/m non-direct debit Admin fee then?
Funny how BT's fee of only £1.50 p/m is greeted with howls of outrage.

That must be because TalkTalk spend 3 x more time on the phone to you sorting out problems they have caused.

It is a business you know.

1carminestocky

I feel a bit sorry for people who don't actually make any/very few 0845/0870 calls as it would appear from the 2 telcos that have included these 'for free' so far that it's being recouped (and more so) by the upping of prices elsewhere. At a time when most commodities are having to reduce in price. Don't you people know there's a recession on??

lgb2100

The changes due to take place May/June 2009 seems to have caused complete confusion with its customers.

As a Talk2 International customer, I decided that to benefit from the free local calls, I would change to the myTalkTalk plan.

This increases my payment fron £5.89 to £6.49.

As this was going to increase to £6.49 as from June anyway, I wasn't going to lose anything !!!!!!

or was I ?

Depending on who you talk to at TalkTalk, I am giving the following impression.

As a current customer, I would still receive my free international calls and that only new customers will not receive this option.

or

From May/June the free International calls element will no longer be available to any customers.

http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15008
http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15009

Emma from these forums have assured me that as I have moved from Talk2 International to myTalkTalk I will not lose any of my free International Calls benefits.

Will just have to wait.

matrix999

Hi Emma,

I was wondering if you can help answer a question.

I'm currently with Talk Talk but i'm on a very old legacy plan called "Talk Total Anytime" it costs £14.49 per month and gives free calls during the day/evening/weekend to landlines and also 100 minutes of inclusive calls to mobiles as well as inclusive calls to 55 international destinations, TalkTalk Broadband also comes as standard with the tariff.

It's a cracking tariff!! :j :j

What I would like to know is how will the May and June changes affect my tariff? Will I get the free calls to 0845/0870 numbers with this tariff?

Thanks for your help.

TalkTalk

Hi Igb2100,

As per the posts on the TalkTalk Members forum you will not loose your international calls element after 2nd June as you have changed plan now. Only customers taking the myTalkTalk plan after 2nd June will not get international calls as part of the package.

Kevin,

Free 0870/0845 calls are only being offered as part of the myTalkTalk plan so you would need to change tariff to benefit. There are no planed price changes for your tariff at this time.

Cheers
EmmaL x

Heinz

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

As per the posts on the TalkTalk Members forum you will not loose your international calls element after 2nd June as you have changed plan now. Only customers taking the myTalkTalk plan after 2nd June will not get international calls as part of the package.

Free 0870/0845 calls are only being offered as part of the myTalkTalk plan so you would need to change tariff to benefit. There are no planed price changes for your tariff at this time.

Sounds like you're unnecessarily adding complexity to the number and types of available tariffs on offer. The resulting confusion with customers and your call centre personnel is inevitable.