Renew contract or not

Susan1942

Currently I am a TalkTalj customer having changed from AOL My contract is up on 18th Dec
Currently Broadband is free until then. I have an anytime phone package paying £7 50 a month I also have an international package at £5 month
I had to call them today regarding a bill The person I spoke to was very keen to get me to sign up to a new contract
The line rental is increasing on 1st October. He was keen to get me to pay a year rental up front. I told him that I was unsure whether I would stay with TalkTalk as I am frequently dropping the signal
He then wants me to change to fibre optic at a cost of £10 for 6 months
He was pretty insistent . I have a smart TV as well as a You View box so don't need a TV package. He says it is a free gift but I don't see the sense in that
He asked to call me tomorrow so I am concerned about that .
The new package would be £15 but if I want phone as I have at the moment would be another £12.50 so £27 50 just too expensive. I would also have the line rental
As I am a pensioner therefore I am on a fixed income I need to keep my costs down. The current contract runs until December therefore I see no reason to make a decision right now .
I would appreciate advice as to whether I should consider changing provider in December ? How do I deal with this insistence of the person I spoke to. He is going to call me tomorrow.?
HELP! I would appreciate some advice.
Many thanks Sue

MataNui

TalkTalk dont do 'free'. The sales guys on the phone are also completely incapable of honesty. It sounds like you only have BB with TT at the moment. They wont just renew that. They WILl sign you up to line rental as well. They probably wont tell you about that bit though. You are swimming with some serious sharks when you talk to TalkTalk.

Susan1942

I already have my line rental with them . I had been with AOL since 2004 without any problems . Last year they talked me into changing to Talk Talk As well as line rental I also had a calls package.
I am having a lot of problems with dropped signal . Not sure why . I found tonight that the person was so insistant but I just don't feel able to make any decision right now.
Thank you for your response I do appreciate it .
Size
.

JJ_Egan

Decide what you want regarding services first .
Drop the packages you don't make use of .
Use the web and look to price up with other ISPs what you want . Line Rental + Broadband + .

Dropped signal multiple reasons why TT or the BT cable or your internal wiring/ setup .

System

I'm afraid the talk talk operators can be very insistent. He offered you the 'fibre' deal because of the cut outs you've been experiencing, I suppose, but in the end if you cannot afford it/ do not need it don't let yourself be browbeaten. As jj above says, there are multiple reasons for the dropped signal which may not be helped by fibre.

My value line rental runs out at the end of November so the operator I spoke to said I could arrange to pay the lesser charge (around £185 for the year) near the end of September, before the price rise on 1 October, which I shall do.

Regarding the 'package' I was insistent that I only required simply broadband plus the anytime calls boost and stated that I was a pensioner who could not afford any higher prices and frankly did not want any tv package (I had tv essentials for a year, not because I wanted it but because it was their best deal at the time; I was told I didn't have to use the box and could "put it in the loft" - good grief!). Thankfully being calm but insistent led to the remainder of the tv essentials contract (also ending in late Nov) being cancelled and the simply broadband being instated in its place. My monthly bills have dropped as a result .

As others have advised, keep calm, but politely insist on the package you really want. I have to admit I had everything written down before having to face the dreaded call.
Now, the next problem is the cutting out....but deal with that separately.

Susan1942

Thank you so much for your replies. I am not going to arrange new package with this man. He was far too pushy and insistant about changing me to something I didn't want. My contract is until the 19th Dec so I have plenty of time to research the options
I have just had the call back. I simply stated that I didn't want to make any changes at the moment. He was ok and said no problem . He asked if I was happy with what had taken place. I told him that I felt he was very pushy and that I didn't like that. I stated because of this I made the decision to have no further discussion on the matter.
Thanks for your advice. I am also pensioner and on a fixed income. As you say at the end of the day it is the package I want rather than what they want to sell me.
Thanks again Sue

joe134

uselessaver wrote: »

I'm afraid the talk talk operators can be very insistent. He offered you the 'fibre' deal because of the cut outs you've been experiencing, I suppose, but in the end if you cannot afford it/ do not need it don't let yourself be browbeaten. As jj above says, there are multiple reasons for the dropped signal which may not be helped by fibre.

My value line rental runs out at the end of November so the operator I spoke to said I could arrange to pay the lesser charge (around £185 for the year) near the end of September, before the price rise on 1 October, which I shall do.

Regarding the 'package' I was insistent that I only required simply broadband plus the anytime calls boost and stated that I was a pensioner who could not afford any higher prices and frankly did not want any tv package (I had tv essentials for a year, not because I wanted it but because it was their best deal at the time; I was told I didn't have to use the box and could "put it in the loft" - good grief!). Thankfully being calm but insistent led to the remainder of the tv essentials contract (also ending in late Nov) being cancelled and the simply broadband being instated in its place. My monthly bills have dropped as a result .

As others have advised, keep calm, but politely insist on the package you really want. I have to admit I had everything written down before having to face the dreaded call.
Now, the next problem is the cutting out....but deal with that separately.

I've been with AOL for years, and changed as they changed until I'm now with TT. Touch wood I have had no problems, and my line rental is up in december, but, usualy I pay november.
I have unlimited, anytime, calls and broadband,for £2 per month, and a £5 boost for 5000 mins to any uk mobile.(hardly use any, but they are handy), so I pay £7.10 per month+ line rental.
I am going to renew my line before October,upfront, and hope they leave my plan the same?
I had a problem renewing last year, it is ,confusing, as line rental and contract dates are different dates.?so Pro rata. to my plan applied and it was not correct. They sorted it, but it took a long few phone calls.why they cannot just start new line rental after old one, I don't know? instead of restarting.
See how I go.:beer:
I've been happy enough for years, so why change, may as well renew earlier.save a tenner.There's worse than TT.

Susan1942

Thanks for that information I didn't want to change to fibre. I also wanted to have my current package without TV I only rang them about my billing. It seems that you can't call them without being subjected to a barrage of sales. I was offered by a person when I had to call regarding another matter. They were prepared to reduce the bill rather than increase I still have 5-6 months on my contract so didn't want to do anything at that time. I just hate to be pressured and I really want to buy the package that suits me. You certainly have got a great deal and I would be very happy to have the same. Currently I am just paying for my phone package Local and National calls which includes mobile
£7 50 and £5 for International calls. plus the line rental with the early payment discount I am paying in total £26 35. I am happy with this but the Fibre package was £15 + £12 50 plus the line rental so a lot more .
I know that I can speak to them later and not become embroiled in buying something I don't either need or want.
Thanks again for posting Sue

joe134

Susan1942 wrote: »

Thanks for that information I didn't want to change to fibre. I also wanted to have my current package without TV I only rang them about my billing. It seems that you can't call them without being subjected to a barrage of sales. I was offered by a person when I had to call regarding another matter. They were prepared to reduce the bill rather than increase I still have 5-6 months on my contract so didn't want to do anything at that time. I just hate to be pressured and I really want to buy the package that suits me. You certainly have got a great deal and I would be very happy to have the same. Currently I am just paying for my phone package Local and National calls which includes mobile
£7 50 and £5 for International calls. plus the line rental with the early payment discount I am paying in total £26 35. I am happy with this but the Fibre package was £15 + £12 50 plus the line rental so a lot more .
I know that I can speak to them later and not become embroiled in buying something I don't either need or want.
Thanks again for posting Sue

You are paying roughly the same as me.if you are including a mobile boost.
£7.50>£7.10
The mobile boost extra is either £3 for 100 mins, or £5 for 5000.
same as your international calls boost.
The only trouble I find with renewing early to save money, is you lose the money you saved renewing early last year, and your billing date changes.If it followed on, it would be ok.
I always find them hospitable, perhaps you had a bad one, BUT, they will try and sell you something you don't require. Stick to what YOU want
.I think you will find, they will give it to you.
Hope I'm not tempting fate:-)
I never watch TV , so no good me having it in my package,I just want the basics. I'm also an OAP.
All i want is the basics, BB,+ phone both unlimited and anytime, and my Line. upfront.It was bad enough losing 084 numbers from my package, but, that was not TT's fault.EU.s

Susan1942

Thanks for your post I have a smart TV and a You View box so don't need any extra TV package
Like you I want the BB Phone calls and line rental This chapbwas insisting that I only need evening and weekend calls I didn't want this which is why I would not agreed.
When I spoke to the person today he was actually OK about it I think he realised that I was just not prepared to sign another deal almost 4 months early.
I am OK today but felt incredibly vulnerable last night Was pretty tired I think .
Thank you all for your encouragement. She.

macman

Your contract is not 'up' in December, Your minimum term is. If you do nothing it will simply continue on the same terms, although you will start to be charged for the broadband once the promo period ends. Do this on your own terms and schedule and not on theirs-the nearer you are to December, the better the deal will be.
Or, since you don't feel confident negotiating on the phone, why not simply upgrade or renew online and then you can pick the package you want, without any sales pressure?