Poor Talk Talk service ... can I get out of contract ?

tcr_3

PS Fully admit I know nothing about the technicalities but we had BT for 20+ yrs before we transferred last year to Talk Talk and before BT my 'rents had the good old GPO ... you picked the phone up & got a dialling tone, it was that simple ...and it's that we're not guaranteed at the mo' with Talk Talk.

macman

Have you tested the line using ethernet (not wireless) from the BT test socket behind the master socket split faceplate? This is the first basic test to ensure that it's not your wiring or equipment that is at fault.

DVardysShadow

tcr wrote: »

Talk Talk have had umpteen opportunities to fix this, I'm afraid. They sent two young men in a white van to tinker about with it, they installed a plate thing to go over the main telephone socket, that improved the broadband signal (it only craps out now maybe once or twice each night, but the phone line's still ropey ... and it's the phone line which is the problem, we're out in the sticks where moby reception is dire so a landline is a must).

What about the T&C's ? Changes to our material detriment mean we can get out of contract ... does that include price rises ?

Appreciate we may be jumping from one frying pan into another.

You could get out on changes to your detriment. But it does duck the issue. Just record the problem, the efforts so far by TT and the fact that the problem still exists and give them a reasonable amount of time to give you proper service. If they fix it, I take it you would be happy. If they don't, you are free to go without penalty.

This is nothing to do with the published T&C's - it is an 'implied term' of your contract that they deliver a service which does what it is supposed to do.

tcr_3

macman wrote: »

Have you tested the line using ethernet (not wireless) from the BT test socket behind the master socket split faceplate? This is the first basic test to ensure that it's not your wiring or equipment that is at fault.

The repair guys checked the master socket & installed a new plate over the bottom of the socket. They connected the computer to the router with a yellow cable. End of the day they said it wasn't the wiring or the router causing the glitches, that it was up the exchange.

tcr_3

DVardysShadow wrote: »

You could get out on changes to your detriment. But it does duck the issue. Just record the problem, the efforts so far by TT and the fact that the problem still exists and give them a reasonable amount of time to give you proper service. If they fix it, I take it you would be happy. If they don't, you are free to go without penalty.

This is nothing to do with the published T&C's - it is an 'implied term' of your contract that they deliver a service which does what it is supposed to do.

That's the thing, though, DVS, this has been going on for months ... should've said earlier. Seem to spend more of my time phoning call centres, stuck in queues, getting cut off ... than anything. It's a pain in the butt.

Aren't minded to give them another chance, tbh. Just really sussing you folks out to establish if I can end contract without some heinous financial penalty.

But, hey, cheers for listening ! Appreciate your input :beer:

macman

tcr wrote: »

The repair guys checked the master socket & installed a new plate over the bottom of the socket. They connected the computer to the router with a yellow cable. End of the day they said it wasn't the wiring or the router causing the glitches, that it was up the exchange.

I suggest you carry out the same test yourself-this is the very first thing TT tech support should have asked you to do, the first time you reported a problem.
Use the test socket, not the master socket.
Do you have noise on the line (dial 17070, Option 2, BT Quiet Test)?
If the fault is on the local loop, then it will remain even if you switch to another ISP.

DVardysShadow

tcr wrote: »

That's the thing, though, DVS, this has been going on for months ... should've said earlier. Seem to spend more of my time phoning call centres, stuck in queues, getting cut off ... than anything. It's a pain in the butt.

Aren't minded to give them another chance, tbh. Just really sussing you folks out to establish if I can end contract without some heinous financial penalty.

But, hey, cheers for listening ! Appreciate your input :beer:

Yes, you have had the run around - which you didn't want. But now, I suggest you do want the run around. It is your get out of jail ticket.

The problem is that by phoning you have nothing on record. Fortunately, these guys did turn up, so you can refer to it. You now need to WRITE - not so much to get their attention, but to prove that you have given them every opportunity to sort the problem. Keep a copy, you'll need it

tcr_3

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Yes, you have had the run around - which you didn't want. But now, I suggest you do want the run around. It is your get out of jail ticket.

The problem is that by phoning you have nothing on record. Fortunately, these guys did turn up, so you can refer to it. You now need to WRITE - not so much to get their attention, but to prove that you have given them every opportunity to sort the problem. Keep a copy, you'll need it

That's a good point, actually. Because when I phoned them last week to report that the broadband was playing up ... and threatened to take my business elsewhere ... the lady I spoke to said it was the first time I'd ever reported a problem ... and I must've been on the phone to them about it umpteen times since the Summer. She didn't even know the repair guys had been out.

Okies. Everything in writing, now.

tcr_3

macman wrote: »

I suggest you carry out the same test yourself-this is the very first thing TT tech support should have asked you to do, the first time you reported a problem.
Use the test socket, not the master socket.
Do you have noise on the line (dial 17070, Option 2, BT Quiet Test)?
If the fault is on the local loop, then it will remain even if you switch to another ISP.

Thanks for that phone number, it doesn't give me options unfortunately, it simply reads my telephone number back to me then disconnects.

Cheers for the advice about the test sockets etc. But I'm insufficiently techy to know what that entails & am scared of breaking the socket ... so I'll give that a wee miss.

Your advice is appreciated, though :beer:

macman

tcr wrote: »

Thanks for that phone number, it doesn't give me options unfortunately, it simply reads my telephone number back to me then disconnects.

Cheers for the advice about the test sockets etc. But I'm insufficiently techy to know what that entails & am scared of breaking the socket ... so I'll give that a wee miss.

Your advice is appreciated, though :beer:

Then you are on a TT LLU line, not a BT line, which makes your line provider options post TT somewhat easier...
There's nothing remotely 'techy' involved, if you can hold a screwdriver. This is the standard user test that any half-competent ISP's tech support would first ask you to conduct (but not TT of course). You simply undo the 2 screws on the lower half of the master socket split faceplate, ease it forward, and the BT test socket is behind it-that is what you then plug your phone into, isolating your iinternal wiring. Nothing to break.