Talktalk - a warning

steveobugrit

Hi All,

I posted the followig as a response to an earlier thread, but thought it might be useful to start a new one so it gets maximum exposure, read it and then at least you have been warned!

I have been a Talktalk customer for a while without any problems, however I have recently been getting deceitful marketing calls from them that made me so angry it made me want to leave.

The marketing calls entailed a salesperson with very poor English thanking me for being a long standing customer and that as a thank you they were going to give me 3 months half price - they then straight away ask if you want to confirm this is ok, and here comes the hit. Its only after I asked if there was a catch that they reluctantly admitted that if I took the offer it would instantly tie me in to a 24 month contract.

When I explained I did not want to be tied in they got very shirty so I ended the call. This has happened twice now both with exactly the same script from someone with a difficult to understand accent, making deciphering what they were trying to do difficult.

Be warned if you get this type of call don't agree unless you really want to be stuck with them for another two years.

Due to what I saw as immoral actions on TT's part I decided to leave, I want no association with such a corporation.

This is where the problems really start.

Phoned lots of times without getting through to anyone, when I eventually did again they were very difficult to understand.

I was told that I could not simply leave TT as I was on an LLU line, which basically means that TT own the line and other providers are barred from taking it over. This then means that I have to have a new line installed at considerable cost.

The chap I spoke to said, I think, that he was unable to cancell my account without disconecting me straight away! Not absolutely sure about this as his English was rubbish.

Its strange that TT don't mention such a huge aspect of their service when you sign up, I wonder why that is? I don't think they would get many new customers if they were to make it absolutely clear that even after the end of a contract you would have to pay a massive fee to leave.

Shame on you Talktalk, the way you operate may be legal but it is not moral.

Members be aware of this, I feel it is little more than a scam to keep customers. At least I have the funds to get me out of this, some may not and end up being stuck.

P.S. Going over to the Post Office, not the cheapest deal, but when I was ringing round providers their customer service was fantastic. I am quite prepared to pay a £1 or so more per month for the level of service I received.:T

I have ended up emailing TT asking to cancel on the date my PO line goes live and have cancelled my DD to TT.

I will keep you all posted how it goes, I have a funny feeling that things are going to get interesting with TT trying to hit me with charges/stopping my phone etc.

If TT make it difficult then I will make it my mission to do what I can to stand up to them, complaints, Ofcom, every forum I can find, papers, Watchdog, courts I don't care what it takes I will not put up with their "customer services".

macman

This is not correct, you do not have to have a new line installed. You can do a return to donor back to BT, which is free but requires a 12m line rental contract. Once you are back on BT, you can place your broadband where you wish, It's near impossible to do a direct LLU to LLU transfer from/to any ISP-it's nothing to do with TT and not within their control. Any provider is free to LLU the line within the terms of your contract.
If you go into your TT online account you will find that you can tick a box to opt out of marketing calls-the default is 'enabled'.

BlueFox

The easiest solution to moving away from an LLU provider is to move your phone service back to BT - they usually do this with without charging, although they will tie you in to an 18 month contract.

If Talk Talk continue to cause you problems, as they did with me for months then I suggest an email to their CEO will do the trick - dido.harding@talktalkgroup.com

Good luck

Niv

I have (thankfully) left TalkTalk after a similar experiance. What I find amuzing (and frustrating) is that as soon as I left to go to another supplier I get bombarded with junk mail from them offering me 'great' deals to return. Are they stupid? If I have only recently left wouldnt you think that I have at least a minimum 12month contract with any other supplier I had gone to? Pathetic company, pathetic 'service', horrible tactics. If you are with them good luck, sometime soon you will need it.

steveobugrit

Thanks BlueFox, might just drop him a line.

Hi macman, I did not want to go to BT as I will never use them as I had problems with them a few years ago.

I have swapped internet/phone provider a few times over the last 12 years or so and never had such a problem switching and what really got me anoyed is that I did not know anything about such things when I signed up. Had I been given the information then I would not have gone with TT in the first place. Also the extremely poor response from customer services, it felt like I was being mocked - leave if you want but we make sure you have to pay for it attitude.

Re the marketing calls, it was not the fact that they called it was the fact I found their script was deceitful that upset me and the way I was talked to when I refused to accept signing up to a 24 month contract.

JJ_Egan

It's near impossible to do a direct LLU to LLU transfer from/to any ISP-


Me LLU F2S/Talk Talk moving to BE LLU .
Simple MAC code via phone call to Talk Talk and one to two weeks has been the time-scale for switchover .

jje

macman

JJ_Egan wrote: »

It's near impossible to do a direct LLU to LLU transfer from/to any ISP-


Me LLU F2S/Talk Talk moving to BE LLU .
Simple MAC code via phone call to Talk Talk and one to two weeks has been the time-scale for switchover .

jje

But have you actually completed the switch yet?
TT may well tell you it's possible, because their clueless CS people don't know otherwise. There were several reports of Sky offering to do this a while back, but very few follow ups reporting a succcessful migration.
If you were on an old F2S tariff, was your line fully LLU'd?

Niv

macman wrote: »

But have you actually completed the switch yet?
TT may well tell you it's possible, because their clueless CS people don't know otherwise. There were several reports of Sky offering to do this a while back, but very few follow ups reporting a succcessful migration.
If you were on an old F2S tariff, was your line fully LLU'd?

I can report a successful migration to sky.

Niv

macman

Who were you with before Sky?

bod1467

BE LLU is broadband only - the phone is still a BT line rental to BT equipment in the exchange. TalkTalk LLU is fully unbundled - your line connects to TT phone equipment as well as broadband equipment.

Therefore a TT-BE migration is actually a return-to-donor, not a true LLU-LLU migration.

bod1467

macman wrote: »

Who were you with before Sky?

I believe Sky may do a TT-Sky (both LLU) migration. But they are one of the few companies to do this, and I'm not sure it always works.

Edit: as your earlier post indicated.