Help Please - TalkTalk Debt

AnnieAx · 23 April 2015 at 2:15PM

I made a financial decision to cut off my home phone and broadband for financial reasons after my income dropped dramatically and I was left only with my ESA to live on and keep my daughter and myself on this while she finished college in the Summer.

I asked them to do this which they did but charged me 90 quid and then 20 on top as late payment charges (my own fault).

Contacted them 5th Feb to organise a repayment scheme which was sorted on the phone that day and I waited and waited but nothing came. I wrote to them on 17th March complaining about the whole scenario and telling them I was till waiting on the repayment thing to come in the post. I got a letter about a month later regarding my complaint but still nothing was done.

Today I got a call from talktalk which resulted in a horrible telephone conversation with a young woman who's attitude was really bad and now they have disconnected the debt and sent it to debt collection agency and there was no movement from her today to resolve it by sending the promised replayment key fob thing they spoke of.

So now my financial decision to stop me going into debt has escalated and I will be faced with debt collection agencies fees ontop of this debt.

I cannot get to speak to a manager as this was refused today on the phone, I cannot access complaints on the phone as it directs me back to a menu for departments and I cannot access complaints online either. Something which I reflected upon in my complaint letter.

What can I do - I dont want the hassle of debt collections coming to door or phoning me as I have an illness that can be triggered by stress and it does not make for good living.

Where can I turn to get this resolved as really it was not my fault, I was happy to repay but they didnt send me the documents I needed to do so.

Many thanks

greensalad · 23 April 2015 at 4:16PM

Debt collection agencies are usually better at handling debt repayment plans and such than companies, because that's what they do.

Personally I'm one for just holding my ground and telling them what I'll be doing, not the other way round. Send the new debt collection agency a firm letter stating how much you'll be repaying and for how many months. Make the amount reasonable, it needs to be reasonable enough that you can pay it off quickly, so really be honest with yourself about how much you can afford to pay and don't just offer something low because you don't like the idea of paying loads.

Also firmly state that you will not accept calls or emails, only letters. I state this in every letter I write to my main debt collection agency and after a few weeks it filtered through and now they only post things to me, and I only reply my post.

I bet you if you're firm and polite about it they'll send a letter back confirming that they're happy with that.

PollyPrissypants · 23 April 2015 at 4:16PM

You could complain to their regulator - I think it's Ofcom. I'm pretty sure that they're not supposed to deny any customer a manager to talk to if asked for a start.
If nothing else, a regulator complaint should freeze your account and stop any debt action whilst it's being investigated.
Bonus point - it would also seriously peeve them off because they get fined for all complaints whether they're upheld or not

Candy53 · 23 April 2015 at 4:53PM

PollyPrissypants wrote: »

You could complain to their regulator - I think it's Ofcom. I'm pretty sure that they're not supposed to deny any customer a manager to talk to if asked for a start.
If nothing else, a regulator complaint should freeze your account and stop any debt action whilst it's being investigated.
Bonus point - it would also seriously peeve them off because they get fined for all complaints whether they're upheld or not

Yes, when I read that the OP was refused a talk with a manager, I agree with you, I don't think they can. This has been a right with any company, as far as I can remember.

I once demanded this myself when I was being treated badly by customer services on the phone, and at first they refused, but I said it was my right, and they put me onto the manager.

Candy.