TalkTalk is sh**

Wyse

The story goes like this.
I have been a TalkTalk customer for several years, after BT could not get my Broadband up and running properly. The TalkTalk broadband was also not stable but at least their customer service seemed more dedicated to help than those from BT.
So I managed to survive (not sure how) for a few years with a broadband connection falling in average every 3 weeks. The reason I survived was probably because the connection usually failed for a few hours only and generally came back the same day.
Then recently in May 2011 the failing connection lasted longer than usual. I called the TalkTalk customer service and they booked me for an engineer visit.
When the engineer came a few days later, the broadband was (unfortunately) up and running.
He checked all my connections and settings and I was informed that nothing was wrong inside my house. However I was charged £49.99 for that visit.
Two weeks later my broadband connection dropped again. I called TalkTalk to ask them why I was charged for the engineer visit if no faults were found in my house and if the connection issue is still there. They said an investigation would be done.
The result came via a text message sent to my mobile phone and saying this:
“This is a text message from TalkTalk regarding your engineer charge. We have investigated your claim and found the charge to be valid. We are sorry to inform you that no refund will be processed for this charge. The investigation has now been closed and the charge cannot be reviewed again.”
The only sane thing one can do in that case is to get another provider, which I did.
And my last experience with TalkTalk was when calling their Cancellation Service (0870 087 8745) for requesting my MAC Code. After waiting over 10 minutes I finally managed to speak to a representative who simply hanged up when I was telling him the reason of my call. I tried once more and exactly the same thing happened.
We live in a great world...

TalkTalk

Hi Wyse,

when the advisor was assisting you and about to book the engineer they would/should have advised of the charge and asked you to accept it. If you did then they would uphold the charge with fault or no fault found.
If you were not advised of the charges and therefore did not accept them you would have grounds to complain and have the money refunded.

Ady

kwikbreaks

You can call and ask for your MAC again and they have to provide one within 5 working days or they are in breach of Ofcom regulations. There is no requirement for you to say why you want it. It probably will be useless though as TT LLU your phone line and that will need to be returned to BT (return to donor process - free I think but you'll be on at least a 12 month contract) Once that's done you can approach any ISP for broadband.

You may find another ISP who will provide the phone line at no upfront cost but the BT route is more flexible as it leaves you a choice of just about any ISP.

Whatever you do make sure that you properly cancel your TalkTalk contract or you'll end up paying twice over.

bod1467

Like Ady said, the phone CS person should have confirmed that there would be a charge for a Qube engineer visit (£49.99) and asked you to agree to these charges. However I have read several posts on the TT forums where CS people have allegedly said there'd be no charge if no fault was found.

If your phone is also with TT then you don't need a MAC code to move to another provider because, like Kiwi says, your phone line needs to be returned to the BT network (return to donor) before another ISP can be activated on the line. One exception may be that Sky might do LLU-LLU migrations (bypassing return to donor), but even so you'd still not need a MAC.

Mark_In_Hampshire

Wyse wrote: »

.
When the engineer came a few days later, the broadband was (unfortunately) up and running.
He checked all my connections and settings and I was informed that nothing was wrong inside my house. However I was charged £49.99 for that visit.
Two weeks later my broadband connection dropped again. I called TalkTalk to ask them why I was charged for the engineer visit if no faults were found in my house and if the connection issue is still there. They said an investigation would be done.

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

Hi Wyse,

when the advisor was assisting you and about to book the engineer they would/should have advised of the charge and asked you to accept it. If you did then they would uphold the charge with fault or no fault found.
If you were not advised of the charges and therefore did not accept them you would have grounds to complain and have the money refunded.

Ady

Is it really true that Talk Talk charge customers for faults for which they are responsible for fixing?

This response being entirely predicated on the OP's assertions:

You've supplied an intermittent and faulty service.

The customer has reported this to you.

You've sent an engineer who confirms that the problem is not with the customer's equipment.

Then you charge the customer despite the nature of the fault tending to point to something for which you are responsible (actually, Openreach, but you're the contracted party, so it makes no odds)

Then rather than booking an Openreach engineer, you insist the customer pays you for nothing, whilst continuing to breach contract by supplying a failing service.

Have I got that right?

kwikbreaks

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

Have I got that right?

Sounds a fair summary to me. I must say I'm surprised that you're apparently surprised - this is TalkTalk after all.

Gordon_Hose

The amount of friends I have put off going to Talk Talk because of the horror stories on this website...

Talk Talk need to sort their act out.

TalkTalk

Hi,

to Mark_In_Hampshire the answer is yes. The qube engineer is there to test and repair the customers internal setup, just like if you called a local engineer from an ad in the paper would be.

Ady

alexmills64

I got tired of talktalk when i moved house and they told me it would take a couple of weeks to connect the new line. By the time i had finished waiting i still had no connection and after calling their 'customer service' number multiple times i decided to leave them. Even one of the 'advisors' i spoke to put me through to a travel agents! I wasnt even angry on the phone and they still did that. Talktalk are the worst ISP in the uk, now if i have a problem with orange they resolve the matter immediately with no hassle!

Sterling

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

Hi,

to Mark_In_Hampshire the answer is yes. The qube engineer is there to test and repair the customers internal setup, just like if you called a local engineer from an ad in the paper would be.

Ady

With respect, that doesn’t make much sense to me at all.

If your engineer had found that the problem lay in the customer’s equipment (as opposed to TalkTalk’s) then clearly he should pay the charge.

However, as TalkTalk’s engineer found no problem with the customer’s set up, then the problem lies with Talktalk. It surely cannot be fair trading for TalkTalk to make a charge when they were at fault all along.

bod1467

TT (almost) always charge for a Qube engineer. The problem is that telephone CS don't always make this clear, and leave the customer thinking the charge only applies if a fault is found.