Talk Talk Direct Debit - Cancelling During Contract

AirborneConstable

Hi,
I am really at my wits end so any help would be appreciated with this.

In March 2014 I bought my own house, and I had talk talk provide the internet, TV and phone line for around £30 per month, for 18 months.

I am now 12 months in, and I have never had a stable internet connection. Sometimes it goes down for hours, and it goes down at least once a day (and I am only at home a small amount of time to witness it due to work).

I begun communicating with talk talk about the problem back in June 2014. Fast forward many phone calls later, and around 4 engineer visits, they still haven't sorted the problem. Tonight, before I went to work, it was down for AT LEAST one hour.

In Nov 2014 another BT Openreach engineer was due to come to my address but never showed up. I was charged for this by talk talk, and it was refunded when I pointed out that the engineer never came.

In Jan 2015, the engineer was meant to come out again, again I waited in and he didn't show. Tonight, I have been charged £65 for this, on top of my usual bill.

I have rung talktalk, and as the BT engineer has left notes on the account saying that he came to my address, they say the £65 charge is valid and stands.

The direct debit is due to come out on the 23rd.
Their agreement only requires them to give 3 days notice.

Around 1 month ago, I wrote to the ombudsman to try and get a refund for my services I have paid for, and they have wrote back saying that they can offer me £40 and a letter of apology. They have stated that my contract with talk talk does not force talk talk to provide a 'faultless' service, and that talk talk data shows I have been using the internet 'significantly'. - I do use the internet when it is working.

I have appealed the ombudsman decision - I am pretty upset with them considering I have provided evidence of all my phone calls to talk talk and it is clear I have had a substandard internet service for 12 months now.

Basically, I want to cancel my direct debit for the next bill, as I feel I am unfairly paying for a service I am not receiving, and for a service I have not received with regards to the BT engineer. He says he came, and I've said he didn't.

Since last week, for my ombudsman appeal, I have been taking videos on the internet not working with the time/date and red internet light on the router - I now have 17 videos of the internet connection not working in less than 7 days.

I am looking for advice as to if I am going to lose by cancelling my direct debit... Would I have to go to court before they could send bailiffs to my house if it got that far? Do I have a leg to stand on? Obviously, morally I feel like I do, but I am aware the law can be an !!!.

Thank you for any help.

JJ_Egan

Cancel your DD and your credit record may well get trashed .

To what and how are you connected when you have unstable internet ??? Is it over WiFi or a cable/Ethernet connection .

AirborneConstable

I am connected to my router via wifi.
I have tried everything to fix it within the home and followed all of talk talks instructions.

They have supplied a new router and BT have been inside my home on a number of occasions, still no fix.

I forgot to mention I wasn't told about this 'missed fee' when I booked this appointment, unless I forgot. But that's besides the point, he never turned up.

JJ_Egan

Wifi may be your problem not the internet .
Really needs testing via wired connection from the master socket .

R34GTT

I would never cancel a Direct Debit while in a contract with any company, the risk of defaults appearing on your credit history is too high.

Aside from the technical aspects of the service, an option you may wish to consider is switching to EE Broadband who at present are offering to reimburse customers who incur early termination charges when switching from their old provider. Now, I'm not saying EE will provide a better service but it is one way of getting away from TalkTalk with little or no financial loss.

AirborneConstable

Thanks for the assistance.

JJ, I have tried everything, including what you have said.

I have decided not to cancel the direct debit, and to perhaps pursue the company for a bad service through the small claims. My connection is far from the service I should be receiving.

Any help is still appreciated, thanks.

macman

Ask them to release you from your minimum term contract without penalty, and drop the 'no show' charge, and in return you offer not to commence a small claims case against them for breach of contract?
Even if you win such a case, it will not sort out your connection, which is presumably the remedy you actually want?