talk talk (pipex) bar my phone

Sheff_Andy

Tried using my phone tonight and Talk talk have barred all outgoing calls and turned off the internet. When I rang them they said I must set up a direct debit before they will reconnect. I received a letter saying they would charge me £2 a month extra to pay by credit card but I can't understand why they have changed policy without bothering to inform me. I tried to register a complaint but the operative said I would be placed in the complaints queue, after wating a few minutes I put the phone down and have attempted to e-mail my complaint. Are they allowed to do this? I really can't understand why a company would post me one set of terms and conditions and then act in a totally different way.

Sheff_Andy

I have another question about this situation if anyone can help. Given that Talk Talk have suspended my line is it possible to make them permanently suspend it with a view to re-connection in a month or two with another company. I am away a lot with work at the moment and could manage without it for a while. Will other companies re-connect for free?

Mark_In_Hampshire

Well, in the absence of anything to the contrary, it appears that Talk Talk have decided to both breach and end their contract with you. Specifically, they would like to change the Terms of the account, and have decided they will do so without the necessary agreement of both parties.

So if you wanted to move away, now might be a good time.

On the other hand, I'd thought Talk Talk only accepted direct debit payment, which you don't appear to have. Did you or the Bank cancel the direct debit mandate, and that's why the service has been cut off: because your agreement to allow them to take money out of your bank account was a Core Term of Contract, in which case, actually, the breach is yours, because in your dealings with them you contractually agreed to leave them with open access to your bank account?

In terms of moving away however the fact that there is no direct debit mandate bodes well, as with one of those, you have no control at all over what sort of charges and fees get debited.

There isn't really such a thing as a suspended line. Talk Talk rent the line from Openreach. It's either rented, or it is not. Generally when a service is "suspended" it's still "rented" for a while, but then "ceased".

Set up of a new line and/or migration to another provider can carry a fee depending on who you go with and a couple of other factors. The fee to set the line up (yes, even if it has a dial tone and is working) is from £0 to £150.

macman

You don't mention how much you owe them and how long it has been overdue-if this is the case?
Your post suggests that there is some history of debt or late payment on the account, but you don't give any details.

Sheff_Andy

Thanks for you reply, I have been paying Pipex by an automated credit card monthly payment for over 3 years and even in the recent bills it stated 'Automatic monthly card bill payments will need to be made 14 days after your bill is produced. Don’t worry, there’s nothing you need to do’.

If there is any outstanding balance it is probably for November only.

macman

Recurring credit card authorities are about the worst possible way of paying bills-you have no control whatsoever over the process, and you cannot ever stop the authority-only TT can do that.
DD is vastly better.
Have you discussed with the card issuer as to why the attempt to take the payment failed?

Mark_In_Hampshire

OK - so, it appears my first supposition might have been right, that Talk Talk have decided to end the contract, so you're free to go where you want to now, if that is somewhere else. Indeed if you're away for a while, you might like to tell Talk Talk they're not getting a direct debit mandate from you, and can choose whether or not to take the outstanding payment as previously arranged and additionally whether to retain your custom or not. Let the service lapse, then start again when you get back with someone else?

If you're overbilled, or charged any "early cancellation fees" then you can't stop this happening, but you can have the Bank refund them via something called a "charge back" to recover the money.

If payments do get taken/continue to be taken (looks like they've stopped anyway) then you can contact the Bank and they can and will be able to put a stop to it especially if you start asking for a chargeback every time they debit the account, it's in their interest to help.

In this respect recurrent card payment is worse than direct debit because the process of getting the money back is a bit more long winded and less unequivocal, for such things I use a prepaid debit card which runs with a nil balance and shift the money onto it in time for debits. No money owed = no funds = no authorisation = no payment and no bank charges either when the payee messes it up.

DVardysShadow

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

OK - so, it appears my first supposition might have been right, that Talk Talk have decided to end the contract, so you're free to go where you want to now, if that is somewhere else. Indeed if you're away for a while, you might like to tell Talk Talk they're not getting a direct debit mandate from you, and can choose whether or not to take the outstanding payment as previously arranged and additionally whether to retain your custom or not. Let the service lapse, then start again when you get back with someone else?

If you're overbilled, or charged any "early cancellation fees" then you can't stop this happening, but you can have the Bank refund them via something called a "charge back" to recover the money.

If payments do get taken/continue to be taken (looks like they've stopped anyway) then you can contact the Bank and they can and will be able to put a stop to it especially if you start asking for a chargeback every time they debit the account, it's in their interest to help.

In this respect recurrent card payment is worse than direct debit because the process of getting the money back is a bit more long winded and less unequivocal, for such things I use a prepaid debit card which runs with a nil balance and shift the money onto it in time for debits. No money owed = no funds = no authorisation = no payment and no bank charges either when the payee messes it up.

I agree with the above, but OP, do put something in writing to them giving them the opportunity to put things right first. And keep a copy.

You will need to do this is they start to trash your credit record.