Talktalk Billing

Mabboo

We've just started a DMP with the CCCS so, to stop the bank nicking our money while it's being set up, I changed our DD payment to TalkTalk to a different account.

Shortly after I received the details of the new Bank Account I had set up. I thought I would wait until my January Talktalk bill was paid before I changed the details to my new account.

This morning I decided that I was tired of waiting for the bill to come out, it was due on Jan 27th, and gave Talktalk a ring. I updated my details with them, after giving my address and date of birth to verify who I was, and I enquired about my January payment. The assistant checked my account and told me that I would be billed twice on 27th Feb, 1 bill being Feb's the other being Jan's. I verified this with her twice and she assured me the money would be taken in Feb.

Safe in the knowledge that the money would not be needed this month, and knowing that I will have a little overtime in my next pay packet which will cover the bill, I used the money to buy a present online for my son. His birthday is this month and until that point he wasn't going to get anything.

Within an hour I had a call from Talktalk's Credit Control dept. After asking me to confirm various details because they didn't have an address for me (the same address I had confirmed earlier) and asking for my date of birth (which they told me was incorrect and I was actually 14 years younger than I really am) they informed me that my bill from January hadn't been paid and that I would have a bar placed on my phone if it wasn't paid today! As far as I'm concerned I acted after receiving the advice of their representative and subsequently the money is no longer available.

I spent in excess of half an hour on the phone trying to explain this to them while they played tennis with my call and batted me from Customer Services to Credit Control and back again, each claiming it was the others responsability and both saying that they can't stop the bar as it's system generated. Apparently no-one can override the system.

Eventually a guy named Chicco actually stopped demanding money for long enough to actually take my details and pass my problem onto a manager. I have to call back tomorrow to find out how it's progressing.

:mad:

Heinz

Welcome to the MSE forums Mabboo. Pity about the circumstances.

What you describe sounds fairly typical of Duncestone & Co. - they make an error but you have to phone them back!

Mabboo

Thanks Heinz! I've been lurking for a while and I needed to vent about the poor customer service that I had received.

Spoke to Talktalk this morning and told them the whole story again. At least they still had my address on file! They have taken note of my complaint, agreed that I was wrongly advised and promised that the block, which coudn't be cancelled yesterday, will be cancelled.

For some reason I'm sceptical...

Mabboo

Today (14/02/07) we had our phone restricted. Goodbye TalkTalk.

Heinz, I'm going to follow your 6 Steps.