MSE News: TalkTalk worst for complaints – again

Better_Days

Was told that they now now have a new switchboard at our local exchange and can offer us a good deal:
1) 5.2 meg (bit faster than currently) - used my phone to ring up TT and check
2) £21.05 pm including free phone 24/7, unlimited broadband 'for ever' which will not be throttled (altho' may be slower at peak times)
3) Free n class router
4) £30 connection fee
5) Call centres have been improved and a new one opened recently in South Africa
6) 12 month contract after which price may change
7) MAC code to transfer providers no longer needed
8) First DD of the £30 connection fee and first months line rental/phone/internet would not be taken for 63 days

But

TT only have a limited amount of 'slots' on the exchange which will quickly get snaffled so I had to decide there and then.

This was a huge red flag for me and when I said I wanted a couple of days to decide they were out of the door faster than a Labrador dog eats a digestive biscuit. (btw I wasn't home alone otherwise I wouldn't have let them in). I took down their names on their brochure, but they took it with them. However I can remember the name of one of the salesmen.

I rang up TT to find out if I was being told porkies. Spoke to a very nice lady who confirmed the deal BUT also told me the 'limited number of slots' story was not accurate and I did not have to decide today. She also said that if I 'signed up' over the phone they would credit my account £30 re the connection fee.

TT salesman now has my phone number and postcode - I am worried that they will try and xfer me to them without my consent. Can they do this with the info they hold?

macman

Better_Days wrote: »

Was told that they now now have a new switchboard at our local exchange and can offer us a good deal:
1) 5.2 meg (bit faster than currently) - used my phone to ring up TT and check
2) £21.05 pm including free phone 24/7, unlimited broadband 'for ever' which will not be throttled (altho' may be slower at peak times)
3) Free n class router
4) £30 connection fee
5) Call centres have been improved and a new one opened recently in South Africa
6) 12 month contract after which price may change
7) MAC code to transfer providers no longer needed
8) First DD of the £30 connection fee and first months line rental/phone/internet would not be taken for 63 days

But

TT only have a limited amount of 'slots' on the exchange which will quickly get snaffled so I had to decide there and then.

This was a huge red flag for me and when I said I wanted a couple of days to decide they were out of the door faster than a Labrador dog eats a digestive biscuit. (btw I wasn't home alone otherwise I wouldn't have let them in). I took down their names on their brochure, but they took it with them. However I can remember the name of one of the salesmen.

I rang up TT to find out if I was being told porkies. Spoke to a very nice lady who confirmed the deal BUT also told me the 'limited number of slots' story was not accurate and I did not have to decide today. She also said that if I 'signed up' over the phone they would credit my account £30 re the connection fee.

TT salesman now has my phone number and postcode - I am worried that they will try and xfer me to them without my consent. Can they do this with the info they hold?

This 'one day only unrepeatable offer' is a classic sales scam, there's no way that their entire LLU capacity on a newly unbundled exchange will all be taken within a couple of days.

bod1467

bod1467 wrote: »

2. Check the TT member forums (Customer Service & Billing). There's been a thread quite recently about calls to 0871-type overseas numbers. (I don't remember the answer).

http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69296 is an example of what I was talking about.

TalkTalk

Hi Grimsalve,

it looks as though your questions have been answered but to clariy

point 1 - Essentials is 40gb limit. If this is exceeded regularly then a boost is added to the account for £5 which gives upto 80gb. TalkTalkPlus is the only unlimited package (subject to fair usage)

point 2 - 0844 and 0871 calls are not inclusive in any package, it is the 0845 and 0870 which are inclusive based on your package (i.e evening and weekend on Essentials, Anytime on Plus)


point 3 - We do still operate offshore call centres and not all operations are UK based. However if you do have any issues feel free to join the TalkTalk Members Forum where we will always do everything within our abilities to help and assist.

Better Days - It is unlikely that capacity would be something a store agent would have visbility of sufficient enough to know whether capacity would not be available the following day. This is because it would have to take into account all potential sales completed that day compared to the number of available connections at the exchange and from my awareness we do not have a system that projects this.

Regards

Mark

Sooler

pixwix wrote: »

They simply don't LISTEN! Absolutely NOTHING you say to them - by email, post or phone

This is true, but people, listen up ... that is why the TalkTalk Company Representative on here keeps saying use the TalkTalk members forum.

Pity the telephone staff don't just advise the same.

TalkTalk

Hi Sooler,

The Reason we advise to join the Members Forum while on the MSE site is because MSE do not allow Company Reps to send or recieve private messages.

As such where we need to check accounts and conduct data protection verification (which is conducted in private messages for obvious security reasons) we advise to join the Members Forum as we have the facility to check this information.

When the ability to send and reiceve PM's from.to company reps was in place we provided the same support via MSE as via the Members Forum. Unfortauntely a small number of company representatives (from other companies I may add, we dont specifically know who but we were advised of the chages by MSE) attempted to subvert the impartiality of MSE by takin commercial advantage of the Private Message facilty to obtain new business, instead of jsut offering support. As such MSE revoked the PM facility from all Company Reps.


Im unsure as to why addressing each of the Op's numbered points in order quantifies us as "failing to listen" as per the quoted comment in your post.


As for telephony agents directing people to the forum this may not be the most appropriate course of action. We offer the forum to customers who raise concerns via social media and online forums as a matched contact. If customers choose to use such medium to complain likewise we offer the same medium to support. As such the telephony agent handle the issue on the call, as the customer chose to call us by phone to have thier issues resolved. The crux is to drive improvements so that every customer who does choose to call us, feels they are being supported fully to resolve their issues.

Regards

Mark

dodger1

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

Hi Grimsalve,

it looks as though your questions have been answered but to clariy

point 1 - Essentials is 40gb limit. If this is exceeded regularly then a boost is added to the account for £5 which gives upto 80gb. TalkTalkPlus is the only unlimited package (subject to fair usage)

Mark

Whilst I realise most ISP's make this claim it is simply a lie. By adding "subject to fair usage" it means that the package is not "unlimited". Why not be honest and stop calling it unlimited. It's about time all the ISP's realised that customers like honesty and offering an unlimited package that is not unlimited is dishonest.

tweeter

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

tweeter - During the course of a merger it is not always possible to continue the current contract terms. In the event there are changes to the contract terms you originally agreed then you will not be held to the term of the contract and are given the option to cease service if you do not agree with the newly proposed terms. My understanding is there were a large number of different active and legacy plans and tariff with Tiscali and as part of the merger we undertook what’s referred as a "rationalisation" process providing matched tariffs from the Active TT Tariffs (TT Essentials or Plus for Phone and BB customers, Evening and Weekend or Anytime for phone only). Where these changes were seen as detrimental whether due to an increase in price or a decrease in service (using your example of unlimited to 40gb limit is a detrimental change) customers were given the option to either continue on the newly proposed terms and tariff or to cease the services and transfer elsewhere, without penalty.

Regards

Mark

If I had broken a contract initially with Tiscali or its successor Talk Talk in my case, both would be looking to squeeze me until I coughed up in the courts if necessary, yet when it comes to these companies, its easy for them to flannel us with "it is not always possible to continue the current contract terms" but they would be a lot more wary to try that on with any large company they were involved with in Britain.

It's more difficult for companies to ride roughshod over citizens in America, regarding setting out and changing the terms of consumer contracts to their own advantage, than here.

TalkTalk

Hi Dodger,

I appreciate your point and please note I am only quoting the details as advertised and at present there is no industry concerns with how such services are advertised. However you are welcome to raise you concerns in regards to this matter but TalkTalk do publish the Fair Usage Policy on the TalkTalk website. This is available prior to sign up for customers to decide if they wish to go ahead with the receipt of any services.


@Tweeter - In any contract there are terms under which either party can cease the contract without penalty and these are detailed in the Terms and Conditions. In the event the supplier (i.e TalkTalk in the case of taking over Tiscali) were not able to continue the terms of the service then as a receipient of service you are given the option to either a) cease the contract without pentaly or b) agree to the new proposed terms fo the contract for the remaining period. This is a consumer right.

Regards

Mark

bod1467

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

at present there is no industry concerns with how such services are advertised.

Really? I call your bull and raise you a new broadband advertising code.