TalkTalk download useage.

Mr_Linnet

I received a letter yeaterday from TalkTalk my broadband provider saying that they noticed my useage in August was 117.87GB.

From the next calendar month - under the fair useage policy - if I go over the 40GB limit a charge will be added to that months bill. ( They also give an exanple stating that a large 40GB download limit is enough to download either 55 feature length movies or 900 albums every month ). I have certainly not downloaded 55 feature length films, in fact using their calculations of 117.87GB would equate to nearer 165 feature length films!

I had a Netgear wireless router fitted in June 2009 but this was purely for my son to play on his Playstation against online opposition. I use the internet evenings and weekends for browsing only, very occasionly I`ve watched BBC iPlayer.

I spoke to the local Carphone Warehouse shop where I opened my account 5 years ago. They phoned their head office and I was informed that there was a "Glich" in the system and several people had received similar letters. They would check their records and systems and report back to me with their findings in approx 2 weeks.

How can they send out these insinuating letters without checking their facts first?

I was also informed that I could check my useage by going into my TalkTalk account. There is no such facility after following the instructions I was given.

Anyone else had a letter fron TalkTalk? What course of action should I take next?

Many thanks in advance for taking the time to read this post and would appreciate any help or advice.

Steve

stevehafc

Count yourself lucky they warned you.

See my post below about BT hitting my for 3 months over usage without a warning or informing me I had until I received the bill for the previous 3 months.

lukens

I had a similar email saying I'd downloaded 84.61GB this month and would be fined £5 next month if I went over my limit again. They also suggested I upgraded to their 80GB a month account, for an extra £4. This hardly seems an incentive, as I would have been over 80GB too, so presumably would still have received a £5 fine.

Besides, I don't for a minute believe I went over 80GB, unless out network was hacked or one of our computers taken over by malware. Of course, as TalkTalk have no way for you to check, I just have to take their word for it, and have no way to look at what traffic actually was going over my network.

It's slightly reassuring to hear there was a "glitch" in their system, but I wonder how many people signed up to pay an extra £4 a month due to this "glitch" (Cynical, moi?).


Anyway, there's been quite a few people twittering about this too, and someone has set up a petition here:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/track-broadband-usage

(sadly very few signatures so far though).

Mr_Linnet

Many thanks for your replies, slightly reassuring I`m not the only one who has been informed of such over useage but still doesn`t make the work ethic or potential sales techniques used by TalkTalk creditable.

Should Trading Standards be made aware of the situation or is this matter something for OFCOM to deal with?

Many thanks Steve

trdriver

Hi Mr Linnett,

If you go onto TalkTalk's user forums, you'll find that there is a large number of customers who have had similar notifications, and it appears that the usage quoted may be overstated by a factor of 10 - somebody's "fat finger" perhaps!!

On the question of usage, ther is no meter yet, although it's been promised for a long time, but you can post a request for usage figures anytime and the Forum "executives" will give you the data pretty promptly.

The Forum is one of the best support resources of its type that I've come across by the way. You'll find it at talktalkmembers.com/forums.

HTH,

Regards, Steve