TalkTalk first bill: Not as Advertised

RustedKnight

One evening after browsing a website wihch compares Internet Providers I recieved a phonecall from TalkTalk.

During this (supposedly recorded) phone call I was offered the following deal;

Line Rental at £13.80 a month
TalkTalk Plus (internet and phone) at £14.50 a month
Total £28.30 per month.

I was informed my connection charge of £50 would be refunded on my first Bill, and my first month would be free as part of some special deal they would give me for transferring from another company.

An engineer was sent out to my home where he informed me a mistake had been made, and that no new line needed to be installed.

Well a month has gone by and I have recieved my first bill for £92.04

I've paid £13.74 for part monthly charges, thats fine.
But my first month has certainly not been free, at £28.30
and my connection charge is still sitting there £50 for a new line being installed.

I contacted talktalk and was informed I need to send them hard evidence of my first month being free, and that my connection charge would be free.

I have replied stating that my phone call should be on record and they can check that, as I never recieved in writing stating that either was free.
I also directed them to their own advert, still showing FREE CONNECTION on TalkTalk Plus, of which I obviously haven't recieved.

Am i in my rights to ask for a copy of the phone call to listen to? I feel i have been swindled with false advertising, and am disgusted.

I am willing to pay the part month fee of £13.74
If pushed I will pay the first months fee of £28.30
I will NOT pay the connection fee, which as said above, is STILL advertised as being FREE.

Mark_In_Hampshire

I'm sure this has come up on here before. If I recall correctly, the Talk Talk commitment involved them refunding the connection charge "within the first three months". (Do you still have the link to the advertising? Does it have some small print to that or similar effect?)

In effect, that credit makes the connection fee "free". But it is not the same. Free means free [of charge]. So if the above is right, the advisor would have needed to go into that in some detail and make you aware, as otherwise, you're going to take the perfectly reasonable step of not paying the erroneously applied charge. It needs voiding off the invoice.

As regards the first month being free, it's your word against theirs given no documentation exists. Personally given the erroneous connection charge I'd refuse to pay either and have both charges put into dispute.

Talk Talk do frequent these boards, so hopefully they'll see this and sort it.

RustedKnight

My partner was sitting with me when I was on the phone to TalkTalk.

The TalkTalk salesman spoke to both of us during the phone call, and we both heard the salesman tell us our first month was free, and that the one off connection charge of £50 will be refunded on our first months bill.

This is different to being charged £50 on my first months bill.

I think i am going to need to have a copy of the phone call. If only I could remember what time and what day it was

As for the advert, it can be found at the top of TalkTalks internet and phone page.
I would love to give a link but I'm a new member, so I can't.

It clearly states FREE connection.

Just been in and read the small print on the site and came across the following;

• "Free connection worth £30.00 is only available to new customers signing up for Essentials or Plus on the TalkTalk website. You will be charged for the connection fee on your 1st bill but then the £30.00 credit will be applied on the 1st or 2nd bill. Offer ends 30/11/2011."

Firstly my charge is for £50, not £30, and secondly this states specifically only for customers signing up via the website, whereas I was advertised and sold this via the phone.

This is a case of false-advertising in my opinion. And I am not happy.

I would be glad if someone from talktalk could view this incident, and give me some answers.

TalkTalk

Hi RustedKnight,



The difference in connection charge sounds as though you have had a new line installed, rather than transferring service from another supplier. The £30 connection fee is relevant when we take over an existing line, new lines are charged at £50.


If you were promised a free connection the terms of this should have been confirmed at the point of sale i.e no charge or refund of charges applied. If you join the TalkTalk Members Forum we can investigate into the issue in more depth, look to obtain the necessary confirmations from the sale and apply any credits as necessary.

Regards

Mark

RustedKnight

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

Hi RustedKnight,



The difference in connection charge sounds as though you have had a new line installed, rather than transferring service from another supplier. The £30 connection fee is relevant when we take over an existing line, new lines are charged at £50.


If you were promised a free connection the terms of this should have been confirmed at the point of sale i.e no charge or refund of charges applied. If you join the TalkTalk Members Forum we can investigate into the issue in more depth, look to obtain the necessary confirmations from the sale and apply any credits as necessary.

Regards

Mark

I'd love to join you on the forums, infact I tried to register there before coming here.

After reading your post I tried to register again.

talktalk_forums wrote:

Oops... Something went wrong.

Your telephone / account number combination is missing from our database or the account is no longer active. You must have an active account to access the Members Forum. [deleted account details here] If you believe your details are correct please use the Contact us Form to notify us that you are having problems registering on the forum. Ensure that you include your TalkTalk phone and account number.

I know the details I entered are correct, as I took them straight off the bill in front of me.


I can't call to confirm the details, as I no longer have a phone after transferring from BT to TalkTalk. (I had an internet phone)
So am using the contact form above to try and sort this out.

And, the above obviously answers one point in your reply.


I transferred from one company to you. I did not require a new line to be put in, and I did not have a new line installed.
Which means, obviously, I shouldn't be paying for a new line fee.

TalkTalk

Hi RustedKnight,


If you have used the contact us form as directed you should receive a reply in due course resolving the issue, allowing you to register on the Members Forum.

At present all emails receved to that inbox are upto date with replies so if you sent your details earlier today you may already have a reply.

Regards

Mark
TalkTalk Online Community Executive
TalkTalk Online Community department

RustedKnight

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

Hi RustedKnight,


If you have used the contact us form as directed you should receive a reply in due course resolving the issue, allowing you to register on the Members Forum.

At present all emails receved to that inbox are upto date with replies so if you sent your details earlier today you may already have a reply.

Regards

Mark
TalkTalk Online Community Executive
TalkTalk Online Community department

Details were indeed sent today. No Email recieved as of yet though.
Shall wait a further working day for the email.

EDIT

Email recieved, now recieving help on TalkTalk forums.

TalkTalk

Hi RustedKnight,

The Contact Us Forms usually receve a reply within 24-48 hours. Im glad to see you have now sucessfully registered and are in receipt of support. Feel free to link your thread here or post the outcome for the purposes of visibility to the MSE posters. Anyone can also view the thread wihtout being registered on the TT Members Forum for the purposes of clarity.

If you have further queries feel free to post these in your thread.

Regards

Mark
TalkTalk Online Community Executive

cacrosby

I have a similar problem, I signed up in my mothers name, same address same everything I couldnt give direct debit at the time....anyway after the first month I changed the ownership of account to me, sending of the paperwork they needed...now I am trying to get the £50 returned to me...they need authorisation from my mother who owns the account...they completely made a new account number for me..I didnt take ownership of the original account, subsequently I have fallen out with my mother...yep stupid I know but she refuses to add a password to that account so I can claim the refunded connection fee...I have told them I owned the account from day one its my address everything, they quote data protection act at me.....is there any way around this...surely when I take ownership of the account which my mother signed she signs ownership to me and I should be able to access the account...thoughts please....I understand talk talks point but it stinks of foulplay