TalkTalk feedback needed; good and bad

redux

MSE_Martin wrote:

What's this all about?

Why do a poll?

For two months I've had a note in the home phones article suggesting that TalkTalk's service is bad. The problem is you always hear more when people have problems rather than its satisfactory. Thus I wanted to try and add some numbers to the problems.

Martin, would you consider adding another voting option?

"Enquired at launch: free broadband not available on this exchange."

I realise that you are hoping mainly to get feedback from people that have actually enrolled, but maybe it would also be interesting to see if TT's claims to have coverage in over 80% of exchanges are actually born out by less than 20% vote for this option.

noelle_t

I have experianced times of non availability and access to Broad Band and after 3mths still cannot get the Email to work. I have not been able to get a reply from their Tech Support and have been sent vauge unhelpful replies to emails sent from my plaxe of work

StartingAgainKayla70

The good and bad of talk talk LOL

I shall be brief or I shall be here all night.


The Good - Finally Cancelled

The Bad - Why did I ever sign up.

LittleStar

Hi all,

My mum signed up to TT in june ... we had very much the same problem as everyone else ... our telephone changed over at start of August ... but no sign of the broadband modem ... was told that we hadn't signed up for bb so had to register again ... even tho that was the only reason why we had joined them ... and prior to finding this out all previous telephone calls to them ... and there was lots ... they continually said the but telephone and bb would be set-up soon ... got the letter containing the bb password, but still had no modem ... after more phone calls we were told it had been dispatched ... 4 days before the launch date of bb still no modem ... contacted them again and was told would dispatch again ... recieved the modem a day before the launch date ... after that everything has run quite smoothly *touches wood* lol

However ... all those who are currently connected at 2.2mbps ... we were connected at that when we first connected ... and too was promised 'up to 8meg' and I also checked using this online thing, to see what kind of speed we could get and it sed approx 5.6mbps ... but about 2 weeks ago we couldnt connect to the internet at all for the whole day ... and then the next day it was connecting at 8.2mbps!! ... so there is light at the end of the tunnel yaay :j

BUT ... my mum still isnt confident enuff to disconnect from our old provider so shes still payin to have the old one bcos we've heard that ppl have still had trouble months into the contract

barbados

I have found talk talk broadband very good up to now.

The big drawback is customer service is very very bad. one can take root waiting for a reply which is very frustrating.

dangooding

Unbelieveably bad service. Talk Talk have turned me from a rational, patient, relativley calm man into a jibbering, jabbering shell of my former self.

After reading the article on cheapest broadband providers (sorry Martin you are partly culpable for my misery!) I signed up for the free Broadband offer and crossed my fingers.

The phone line was hooked up without any issues but shortly after that I recieved a a letter asking for a migration code. I don't have one because its a brand new line with no previous broadband account attached to it.

Every phone call I made to Talk Talk in a bid to rectify the problem was an horrific experience. No only did it take hours to get through but once I did was greeted by an operative who didn't have the foggiest what I was talking about or how to deal with the issue.

After hours of failed phone calls, two ignored email attempts and serious weight and hair loss I rang to cancel. The relief was tangable to all who know and love me, especially as it took a Colombo style investigation to find out how to get rid of the incompetant company.

The good news according to the person who cancelled my order is that currently they are not charging customers to leave their contracts. Now that the best offer I have heard for a long time and I'd encourage anyone experienceing problems with Talk Talk to take them up on it and Walk Walk before its far too late.

bogman_2

My current ISP is Orange. When I asked them for a MAC code so that I could transfer to TalkTalk they said TalkTalk could not provide a service to a previously Orange customer without the customer being without broadband for 10-15 days. Something to do with LLU (whatever that is). Oronge refered me to https://www.samknows.com which they (orange) say confirms TalkTalk have no LLU exchanges. Can anyone explain what this means ?

LittleStar

bogman wrote:

My current ISP is Orange. When I asked them for a MAC code so that I could transfer to TalkTalk they said TalkTalk could not provide a service to a previously Orange customer without the customer being without broadband for 10-15 days. Something to do with LLU (whatever that is). Oronge refered me to https://www.samknows.com which they (orange) say confirms TalkTalk have no LLU exchanges. Can anyone explain what this means ?

How strange ... apparantly LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) 'is the process where the incumbent operators (BT and Kingston in the UK) makes its local network (the copper cables that run from customers premises to the telephone exchange) available to other companies. Operators are then able to upgrade individual lines using DSL technology to offer services such as always on high speed Internet access, direct to the customer'. (Quoted from http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/publications/broadband/dsl_facts/LLUbackground.htm )

Also try this website for more information http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/publications/broadband/dsl_facts/LLUbackground.htm

I dont fully understand it myself ... but the way it reads is that BT makes the cables available for other companies to use BB ... but if Orange were able to use it then surely TT would be able to ... i think they might be tellin fibs to keep you

Hope it helps x

shane.13_2

Happy with the service now however applied 13th April. Phone connected 2nd May and Broadband connected 8th August 4 months later. The problem was I used to be a customer and by coming back it caused problems allegedly!!!

angelicfruit

It took 6 weeks, 35 phone calls (half of which ended prematurely because they hung up on me), a letter of complaint to an executive director, a formal complaint to Ofcom and the threat of legal action before I could get TalkTalk to fully cancel an application which I cancelled a day after placing it. I have never come across such appalling service, ever.

Here's a copy of the letter of complaint to to Sir Brian Pitman which I sent by recorded mail 4 weeks ago. Mr Pitman is an executive director of Carphone Warehouse (who own TalkTalk). Unfortunately the letter was completely ignored and I have yet to receive a response 4 weeks later. Ofcom and the threat of legal action seemed to spring TalkTalk into action.

Dear Sir:

I am writing to you in your capacity as a director of Carphone Warehouse with the hope you will be able to assist me in resolving difficulties I am having with TalkTalk. I have exhausted all methods of communication with TalkTalk having spent many frustrating hours over the last 20 days attempting to cancel my application with them.

I signed up to TalkTalk’s service online on the 31st of August 2006 primarily attracted by their offer of free broadband as marketed by their quality advertising campaign. On the evening of the 31st, after speaking to some friends and work colleagues and been told of problems they had experienced with TalkTalk I decided I to cancel my application as per my entitlement with the Distant Selling Regulations 2000.

On the 1st September 2006 I phoned TalkTalk customer services and requested my order be cancelled. This proved to be a troublesome request. I was consistently and systematically hung up on my the cancellations team and it took a dozen phone calls over the course of 6 days before I got finally got verbal confirmation that my application was cancelled.

Unfortunately this confirmation has proved incorrect and TalkTalk have still not cancelled my application and are preventing me from moving to another provider. TalkTalk have left an electronic tag on my phone line which identifies me as an existing TalkTalk broadband customer and as such I cannot order broadband with another provider. I have contacted to TalkTalk about this over 6 times in the last week and am still no closer to a resolution. I am been given conflicting and false information from their customer services team – including that they have 1) scheduled the tag to be removed, 2) removed the tag, and 3) not placed the tag at all. I have confirmed with BT Wholesale today that the tag was indeed placed by TalkTalk and that it is not scheduled to be removed.

As I’m sure you can understand this is very frustrating situation, particularly given the false information I am been provided by TalkTalk and the fact that they are actively preventing me from using another provider. I have found TalkTalk’s customer service poor to the point of disbelief and have never before received such appalling service. After been on hold for 30-40 minutes TalkTalk staff consistently give me false information, hang up on me, and do not call back despite saying they will. I am only grateful that I am not tied into an 18 month contract and so paying for this dreadful service.

I spoken to 17 separate TalkTalk customer services employees in an attempt to cancel my application but am still no closer to getting the matter resolved. I am hopeful that you will be able to help me resolve this matter and make Carphone Warehouse’s senior management aware of the incredulously bad customer services been provided. The phone line in question is xxxxxx. I can be contacted on xxxxxx.

Yours sincerely,
Ronan