How to escape TalkTalk

proevpete

Hi

Yesterday I cancelled my account with TT after approx 9 months with the company. I paid no disconnection fee.

If you dont want to read the long story then skip to the points at the bottom.

Around March I began suffering dropping connections. I work from home and so use the internet alot for gathering research. In May I finally called TT. Over a two day period I spoke repeatedly with Line 1 and Line 2. I followed their instructions. I repeatedly answered their questions. No change.

I eventually said I want to cancel my account. A guy from retentions persuaded me to stay. I said no, you are not providing me with the service detailed in the contract, i.e. a stable internet connection. He said "You have to give us 30 days to try and rectify the situation".

That is the key phrase. "You have to give us 30 days to try and rectify the situation".

I said "OK, I am giving you 30 days. If the situation doesnt change then I will cancel my account and not be required to pay the cancellation fee". He confirmed this.

The key fact in the proceedings is that at this point the guy from retentions told me he would send me a router. I agreed. I never received the router.

The connection continued to drop. I could no longer work from home.

I phoned TalkTalk yesterday saying I had given them almost 3 months to help me. I had no follow up call (that I was promised) and no router. I had given them 30 days to rectify the situation and nothing had changed.

I spoke with retentions. After 10 mins he passed me over to "customer services". This guy in CS (admittedly doing his job) was very aggressive and continually repeatedly "Mr XXXX I dont want to frighten you but I promise you that if you cancel now you will be charged the disconnection fee". I explained the situation. I explained it again.

He then said he would send me a new router. I said no thank you. He then tried to say that I was refusing TTs offer of rectifying hte situation. The cheek! I explained I had already given then almost 3 months. He warned me of the watertight contracts that TT had. I told him that they could check the records of the telephone conversation I had explaining the 30 day rule. After 40 mins talking to him he suddenly stopped and said "Mr xxxx did you say that you had given TT almost 30 days and you received no router? That is unacceptable service. You will not have to pay the disconnection fee".

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It would seem that the main way to approach this is:

1. Phone TT with the problem. State at this point that you would like to cancel your account. State clearly that you accept their help but at the end of the 30 days nothing changes then you will not pay the fee. Get the person on the line to repeat this back to you. TAKE A NOTE OF THE DAY YOU PHONED. THEY WILL CHECK YOU UP ON THIS
2. Give TT 30 days.
3. Phone retentions /cancellations. Explain the situation and procedures you followed. Explain that you have given TT 30 days. They will continually offer you more help. Explain you have given TT 30 days to rectify the situation. You will have to repeat this a number of times. Be calm and strong.
4. You may be passed over to a more aggressive and stubborn rep. Repeatedly state that you have given TT 30 days in a calm manner. They will try to twist it. Be clear. Cite the day you phoned. Cite the fact you have given TT the opportunity already.
5. Asking them direct questions and to explain the exact reasons why they are saying what they are saying is a good way to throw them off and make them talk so you can relax and get your thoughts together.
6. You will be on the phone for over 30 mins. You will repeatedly say the same things. You will have to say NO repeatedly.
7. They will ask you "Are you asking me to close the account" DO NOT SAY YES. Say "I want to close the account as I am not receiving the service outlined in the contract and I have given TT 30 days to rectify the situation.
8. When the person eventually agrees to the cancellation and no disconnection fee be gracious and thank them. They are just doing their job.

Be clear, be calm, and be strong.

It can be done.

bettie_paige_2

Hi Pete

I've just read the above and can identify with you every step of the way; the lack of the router, the engineer not calling me back etc etc. To make my story just that little bit more exciting add in the fact that when we moved (having been TT customers in London for 3+ years), we moved into an area where the local loop hasn't been unbundled. Basically that means we were required to pay an additional £15/month and because they didn't call me to get confirmation I was happy to do this, they cancelled our order. We had to wait 3 months for broadband, and then we were experiencing dial up speeds, and paying £40/month for the privilidge!

Anyway, I left TT in a similar manner to yourself, and moved to BT (great service in his area with blisteringly fast speeds compared to TT - who were adament it was the "area" and we couldn't get any faster). But this morning, I received a final bill featuring a £103 disconnection fee...

Having researched this to death I am armed with info - the ofcom ruling for being able to disconnect without a termination fee if you are not getting advertised speeds, and also the new ruling that the exit amounts have been slashed to £8 per month remaining - as TT cancelled our existing account when we first moved they will try to claim that we are 8 months into an 18 month contract. Even so, 10 months remaining at £8/month... you do the maths!

I hope that you don't have a similar experience - I honestly have no idea how they can justify the amount they have charged for 8 months of non service. And don't even get me started on their customer service department!

Glad to know I'm not the only one.

Good luck!

adam.derry

oh Talk talk has the -10 (it is minus ten) customer service. Had real difficulty to cancel their service after 3 months. Still I got phone call asking "Why did you leave Talk Talk" "Did we p**s you off?" (these are exact wording). I politely ask them to remove my phone no from their database and stop calling.

I guess you can run from Talk Talk but you can't hide