Talktalk/BT - Urgent Help Required

scruffyone

Have since discovered that my mother was given 10 days by Talktalk to reverse her decision to cancel (even though she hadn't asked them to cancel her account). As she was away from home for Christmas and New Year the 10 days passed without her being aware that there was even a letter to answer.

Still need assistance with this one, preferably legal position if there is anyone who knows.





Returning home after 10 days, my mother has a letter from Talktalk stating that they are sorry she has cancelled her account with them. She didn't. She phoned and they confirmed that the account has been cancelled and suggested that BT might have done this. She phoned BT but was unable to get anyone to talk to her only machines. Has anyone any constructive advice as to how she can deal with this situation. The call to Talktalk cost her in excess of £4 as she had to call an 0870 number. The whole family is on Talktalk and of course now this is going to cost us all to phone her or her to phone us.

Well done Talktalk - how can they cancel an account without authority from the account holder?

Please please help this frustrated daughter and her equally frustrated mother.

skylight

I had this with Talk Talk. They refused to help - claimed that they couldn't as BT still actually held the line, it would be against the data protection act for them to discuss a BT line with me. It was my number!

I told Talk Talk to stuff it.

BT could not tell me who my new provider was - all they could tell me was that Talk Talk were the ones who have cancelled the line and could actually see no new phone provider.

I went back to BT on the strength of this. It was the second time that Talk Talk refused to help - the first was when I wanted to change phone number after obscene calls. It had nothing to do with them and I had to contact BT - although I consider my contract with Talk Talk - it was them that I paid!

Heinz

charlotte664 wrote:

I went back to BT on the strength of this. It was the second time that Talk Talk refused to help - the first was when I wanted to change phone number after obscene calls. It had nothing to do with them and I had to contact BT - although I consider my contract with Talk Talk - it was them that I paid!

And probably saved yourself money into the bargain (click the 'HERE' link in my signature below for some possible ways for others to do the same).

I have to say I have never heard of BT 'slamming' before (although anything is possible) so I'm inclined to think the OP's problem is as a result of a TT foul up (not unheard of, I believe).

scruffyone

Heinz - while I appreciate your help, my mother is in her 80s and I don't think that she would remember all the complicated suggestions you have made. Something simpler would help with her predicament.

Thanks for your concern.

Heinz

scruffyone wrote:

Heinz - while I appreciate your help, my mother is in her 80s and I don't think that she would remember all the complicated suggestions you have made. Something simpler would help with her predicament.

Thanks for your concern.

Yes, I have the same sort of 'problem' with a number of very elderly relatives now and have been giving this one some thought.

They're all in the 'GPO', 'Water Board' and 'Gas Board' era so CPS and, as you say, different routes for different types of calls, is out of the question.

My 'solution' is to make sure they're on BT Together Option 1, are not still paying to rent telephones (you'd be surprised how many still are) and then to buy an Orchid V2 for each phone socket (most only have one). With it (them) programmed with their home STD code and to use 18185 for ALL calls, that saves money on the vast majority (to UK 01/02 numbers at all times of the day) although, of course, it's not cheapest for all types.

The drawback though is that I have to set up and maintain their 18185 accounts online because they have no internet access but, TBH, I just add them to my account and pay the few pounds for them. As itemised lists for each telephone number are available online, it is possible to cut and paste details of their calls into an Excel spreadsheet and print them out but I usually only bother to do so if I want to make a point about a 'silly' call they've made (usually hanging on for ages on an 0870 call).

scruffyone

Heinz - BT have now accepted responsibility for the error but Talktalk are saying that they cannot resurrect the original account (!), we would have to abandon the BT line and sign up with them. This would cost my mum £121 per annum but a lot more should she wish to go back to BT. I am sure that Talktalk are being bloody minded but other than writing to the MD don't know what to do now. I have to say that I do the same as you. Some elderly wouldn't know how to even turn on a PC let alone manage their accounts. This is not such a bad thing at least in the old days companies were more helpful.

Anyone else got any suggestions too.

Heinz

You lost me a bit on the costings there. If she now has a BT line, the cost is £11/month (paid by DD) plus calls. AIUI, TT charge the same for their line rental.

If she has a BT line now, I'd leave it at that and set her up with a 18185 account and an Orchid V2.

shavedchimp

Heinz, you seem to know what you talking about

Do you know if it's possible to 'turn off' or over-ride a carrier pre-select if you've signed up to one? I have BT option 1 and use One-Tel as a CPS for calls in the evening and unavoidably (it seems) for when I make 0844 calls.

I have a suspicion that One-Tel adds on a little bit for themselves everytime I call an 0844 number - is this correct/possible? Therefore, is there a way to turn off the CPS when I want to those calls

Thanks for any suggestions

Shavedchimp

Heinz

shavedchimp wrote:

Do you know if it's possible to 'turn off' or over-ride a carrier pre-select if you've signed up to one? I have BT option 1 and use One-Tel as a CPS for calls in the evening and unavoidably (it seems) for when I make 0844 calls.

I have a suspicion that One-Tel adds on a little bit for themselves everytime I call an 0844 number - is this correct/possible? Therefore, is there a way to turn off the CPS when I want to those calls.

If you're still paying your line rental to BT, you do, indeed, just CPS your outgoing calls by default.

I have a similar setup (but use Primus as my CPS) and I call it 'hopping back onto BT' when I want to make a call via BT. It's not actually a question of turning the CPS off, it's more a question of 'forcing' an individual call to go via your line provider or via another carrier. That's done with a prefix.

To force a call to go via BT, prefix it with 1280.

To force a call to go via 1899 prefix it with 1899.

To force a call to go via 18185, prefix it with 18185.

You've got the picture by now.

You're right BTW, OneTel add 10% to BT's 084/087 prices so using a 1280 prefix for any such calls will instantly save you 10%.

BexTech

When I had a BT line and when TalkTalk was a pretty good landline phone service (a couple of years back now) and offering free weekend calls via CPS only and not their pathetic line rental service, I was only with them around a month when the calls were took over again by BT, called BT and they said "We thought with our new offers, you'd want to come back". Couldn't believe what they were saying, but I managed to get TalkTalk to put me back on the same free evening tariff and they credited me £10 or £20 (I forget which now) for the hassle, I later got TalkTalk to switch me to free evening and weekend calls as that was what new customers were getting.

Such a shame TalkTalk turned bad, seems to have got worse once they started to offer line rental.

Their broadband has always been useless even when paying for it as a separate item, so not surprised it's just as bad when people think it's free.

I wouldn't advise anyone to have line rental from anyone else other than BT, if they must have a phone line.

milkydrink

Heinz wrote:

As itemised lists for each telephone number are available online, it is possible to cut and paste details of their calls into an Excel spreadsheet and print them out but I usually only bother to do so if I want to make a point about a 'silly' call they've made (usually hanging on for ages on an 0870 call).

75% of my phone bill is to 0870 & 0845 numbers. Sky, AOL, catalogues ECT.

Instead of hanging on for an 0870 call, what else can you do

If this sounds rude, it's not meant too, I would be glad of any suggestions to get this bill down:beer: .

Thanks in advance
Kim