TalkTalk, Disgusting & Despicable Service

mattdoorman

My mother and father are both in their mid eighties, both have heart conditions and my father is disabled, their phone is their lifeline.

Their phone line developed a fault during the first week in July, a lot of noise on the line and no dial tone. My father contacted TalkTalk to report the fault on the 7th July using his PAYG mobile. Since then he has contacted TalkTalk on several occasions only to be given other numbers to ring, promised callbacks that never happen and one time he was asked to get a screwdriver and crawl about on the floor to remove the BT socket faceplate!

Both my sister and I have been contacting TalkTalk by phone and email trying to get the phone line repaired, we have been told that the fault is on the line and not my fathers phone, but TalkTalk appear to have done nothing, even though they have been told on several occasions how urgent the situation is.

Every time we ring or email we are sent through the same loop, please ring this number, please ring that number, please contact such and such department, all to no avail, we just keep going round and round in circles.

I thought BT customer service was bad but TalkTalk........ There can't be a worse customer service on the planet.

Anyone considering signing up with TalkTalk .........DON'T

lucylucky

Do talk talk "own" the line or is it BT?

Heinz

Good news - Talk Talk Company Representatives regularly visit this forum.

Bad news - their standard response is "Join the Talk Talk forum and post your problem on there" rather than actually doing anything.

mattdoorman

Hi lucylucky,

I don't know who actually "own" my fathers line, but I have contacted BT and they will not do anything because my father pays line rental to TalkTalk.

Hi Heinz,

I've tried joining the TalkTalk forum but can't because I'm a Tiscali customer ?! My father can't join the forum because........there is a fault on his line, (the last bit is just to remind the TalkTalk Rep, should he/she ever view this thread).

Thanks

mattdoorman

I received this email from some idiot at TalkTalk yesterday afternoon, (name and phone numbers removed by me)

"Dear Mr.....................,

Thank you for contacting Tiscali Technical Support, with reference to the case number: UKHD00003673108,

The fault has been fixed and our attempts to call you at (.............) and (............) were not successful.

This is to update you that your accoung has been closed on our end for further assistance please contact billings.

Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Regards,
Arpit Mishra TT"

The fault is NOT fixed, My parents phone is still not working and I was home all day yesterday and NO ONE from TalkTalk attempted to call me.

I have yet to contact anyone at TalkTalk that knows how to tell the truth, they all appear to be compulsive liars.

lucylucky

I am sure you have these details

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/help/further-help/how-do-i-make-a-complaint.html

You could always phone up to cancel as they are not providing the service your parents are paying for and therefore are in breach of their own T & C (I suspect - check first)

Usually a threat to leave prompts companies into action. (Not always mind you)

Skint_Eastwood

As far as i am concerned Talk Talk are no more than organized criminals. I was with Tiscalli for broadband and landline, who i was happy with until they where taken over by Talk Talk. I got a letter saying my monthly bill would be £18 a month instead of the £15 i had signed up for. So, i phoned up to cancel and was told to ignore the letter and would be charged the agreed £15. Then a couple of months later i discover (due to insufficient funds and bank charges) that i was infact being charged £18 a month.

So, i phoned to cancel again and this time i was told that as a "good will gesture" i would be given 2 months free and have the over charge taken from the following bill. Fantastic, i thought. Then i get a call a week later saying i owed them £50 odd because i'd entered into a new contract. I was absolutely livid and said i had not entered a new contract but was told "that's what's on our screen and if i cancel i will be charged"

Anyway, to cut a long story short, i am now receiving debt collection letters saying i owe over £300. What a wonderful company.

Stuart_W

mattdoorman,

I recognise and understand your frustrations.

When my elderly parents moved into their flat they got in a mess trying to contact BT, and actually it turned out for the better that BT couldn't be bothered to deal with them properly because I put them on to the Phone Co-op who are a much smaller, but helpful, company.

They were able to give the personal name and direct line of the person setting up their new phone line, are reasonably quick in answering the phone - and you could get through to the same person you spoke to last time - and when the phone line is so important, sometimes these things matter.

Recently, they've even rolled out improved fault fixing response for all customers.

See this email that they sent out recently: http://thephonecoop.org/6BN-6QDE-2311Y5B5C4/cr.aspx

They also allow a paper bill for no additional charge, which my parents preferred to choose. After awful past experiences, I personally would be very unlikely to ever move to anyone else.

tralu

I was thinking of changing to talk talk from bt, and having their internet too, i am with aol at the mo but not for much longer coz they cud not give me internet access for over a week due to some server problem their end.
I had a chap come to the door a while back asking if i wanted to change to talk talk and have their internet, as aol apparently are part of talk talk anyway? I dont like the hard sell, especially at the door, so i told him i would think about it, and if i changed my mind i would get in touch with them. Well,,, talk about cheeky sod!! he literally laughed at me, and said he cud not believe that i am prepared to keep throwing money away, by keeping bt for my phone, and pay aol 17.99 a month on top. This got my hackles up stright away, and i told him it was up to me what i spent my money on, and for his cheek told him to leave, without going behind my back an signing me up!!!
After readin these threads about what talk talk are like, and my sister too is having probs with them, i will not even think of changing to them now!! I'l stick with BT as dear as they are, i dont seem to have too many probs with them.
Thanks for the tip off about TALK TALK!!
Tralu

Heinz

tralu wrote: »

I had a chap come to the door a while back asking if i wanted to change to talk talk and have their internet, as aol apparently are part of talk talk anyway?

Sounds like a fairly typical truthful doorstepper to me.

macma

I've been with TalkTalk for 18mths phone broadband everthing.I had a problem initially but emailed my complaint and a guy phoned and sorted it out and then waived the connection fee (£30).
I've had a couple of problems since but they have a members forum which is great for finding out stuff etc.They called to ask me to renew and the "new"contract seemed a little misleading so I phoned then emailed and had everything sorted,requesting an email stating the outline of the contract so there is no confusion;)
I'm probaly tempting fate saying I'm happy with them but thus far I am