TalkTalk Prices going up - So PlusNet for me

info_addict

Yes, I think it's all a question of how good you are at negotiating and what offers from other providers you can dangle over them. Like the EE deal that offers cashback etc.

Persistence and a cheerful conversation is the key and not really accepting the first offer they make you. After all, even if you get nowhere and get your MAC code, you don't have to use it.

coronach

I have used PlusNet for years and cannot fault them for service. That said, you still have to suffer BT OpenReach for the phone line from the pole. They just changed the pole in my road and I suspected that things would go wrong as soon as they arrived. This time they disconnected my line and did not reconnect properly, no doubt they were in a hurry to get away as soon as possible... again!

I have had multiple issues over the past decade with BT, each time they proved unequal to the task. Each time they blamed another service provider, or my home's internal wiring, each time they were wrong. Eventually, after much pressure and lost time, they were forced into action, yet never without the threat that I would be billed were it found to be other than their fault.

I blogged my experiences then and I am doing so again, in the hope that eventually they provide an acceptable level of customer service, alas I have little expectation that they will ever change.

I was given a repair date by PlusNet, but the specified date and time for BT OpenReach to repair the line that they disconnected when they replaced the pole is unsurprisingly now over without action.

I find it inexcusable that they disconnect the line and then after changing the pole, leave without testing that phone lines work again. Inexcusable, but typical!

My phone is still not working... it is now the third day!

So in a nutshell, PlusNet get top marks from me, but OpenReach get "Null Point!"

U.K.Brian

Just coming up to a month attempting to get Plusnet to sort my upload problem with no success. Ring backs don't happen. I'm told to load their assistance programme one week then told not to the next. "Correction" adjustments are to be done one week and are not. The next I'm told the adjustments are not suitable for my system.
A complete shower in my view.

DS_BB

Burbage_Fox wrote: »

IS IT A GOOD PRICE ?

Well thanks for all the people that have added comments here I have been busy and not had time to look. I have to connect effectively via BT Openreach in the background so no differance to TalkTalk there, I have no other viable option.

Today I finally decided to make the switch to Plusnet, the deed is done. Using the MSE link to the PlusNet web-site and hopefully will get the £70 cheque back. Which I confirmed on a messaging Chat during sign-up.

Here are my numbers:-
I paid for the 12 months PlusNet rental upfront.
PlusNet £12.99/Month x 12 = £155.88
Postage for the router = £5.99 / one off
Broadband and phone £2.50 / month
Anytime calls £5.00 / month
Caller ID £0.99/month (my personal preference to have that)
So £8.45 / month after the one payment.
So that's £193.75 for the year including the £70 back £193.75 / 12 = £16.15 / month for UL BB and anytime phone calls. This is an effective monthly rate for the year, I have obvious paid up front to achieve the discounts.

I also made it all direct debit so I get 3% back on my Sant123 account. So I guess £193.75 x 0.97 = £187.94 .. So effectively £15.66 / month cost to me for UL BB and anytime phone calls. :j

Transfer time is quoted as 2 to 3 weeks, I will update you on how smoothly it goes and will let you know how good the connections are. If TalkTalk are a pain and cuase problems with the switch over I will report on that as well.

By the way the TalkTalk offer when I logged in to inform them via Email was 1/2 price on the Essentials package £4.25/month. Anytime calls would be going up to £7.50/month (Dec2014) and line rental £16.70 / month. When I added this up on a spreadsheet with the new yearly rate would be. £341.40 or £28.45 /month!!. Now I know I could have got this down a bit by paying the rental up front. There are also ways of paying immediately when the bill comes in. But I really don't think I could Talk Talk them down to an effective £16.15 / month from £28.45 / month, last time I rang it was hopeless. So a saving of around £12.30 / month or a £147.60 saving for the year.

We will see how it goes.

Andy7856

I had a similar experience with TT. They (contract renewals number)would not offer me the on going 50% off the call deal and instead wanted me to take out a TV deal when my contract came up for renewal.


I phoned to cancelled (considering leaving TT option), they said they would maintain the 50% discount on a new contract and also offer £2 a month discount off also.

DS_BB

Andy7856 wrote: »

I phoned to cancelled (considering leaving TT option), they said they would maintain the 50% discount on a new contract and also offer £2 a month discount off also.

Yes just not enough to keep me, I am saving of around £12.30 / month, even after the 50% discount they offered, £2 more wouldn't make much difference.
TalkTalk need to work with people who don't want their TV package or other bits. My next door neighbour had the same issue. After about an hour on the phone he signed up with TT with TV package for another year but is now paying, around £8 / month more than me for the next year. Of course he hasn't got to have his line switched.
But when I switched from Virgin media to TalkTalk some 4 years ago, on the day of switch it was working straight off, no real down time. I will never go back to Virgin media because they were a pain to disconnect from and strung it out.
If TalkTalk do the same I will never return to them, of course if they play ball in 12 months time I 'll probably go back, if the price is right and PlusNet wont match it.

ben_m_g

I move from sky to talk talk and found no end of connection issues using their router. With a smart TV and several smart devices it is a real pain.

With the new price hike I am thinking about plus net unlimited. Talk talk where charging me £25 a month for phone bband and TV (that I don't use) plusnet seem to charge £23 a month for phone an bband.

Seems like a good deal for me, hopefully their router will be better, I really don't want to have to shell out on my own router, especially when we are only getting 2-3mb.

ben_m_g

Just off the phone with Talktalk, the (albeit very polite) guy on the phone told me that the constant connection problems that I am experiencing (and that an number of friends who are talk talk customers are also having) are new to him and would be because of the line speed.

When I explained that I think it is a hardware issue as I never had these problems with my sky router, he told me that al the routers are essentially the same inside and changing to a plusnet router would not do a thing.

I asked about cancelation fees with the new Ofcom ruling, he told me that I would have to pay over £100 to cancel my contract.


I really don't know enough about this subject, in my admitted ignorance on the subject I though:

-Fees don't apply if the provider has announced a price hike
-There are hundreds of different routers available, all work differently, (I mean all cars work the same way, but I would rather have a merc than a skoda!)

Can anyone advise please? - still sort of relevant to OP

lizifee

We were previously with Virgin, but when we moved we shopped around and found that, for what we need, Plusnet was the best option.

We haven't had any problems, installation was quick and easy and they're always very helpful to deal with.

:T

kwikbreaks

https://www.google.co.uk/search?sclient=psy&hl=en&q=contact+talktalk