MSE News: Four million TalkTalk customers to get free upgrade

beardiedog

I decided to give it a try so went onto chat and got them to remove my boost which they did with no questions asked.

Shortly after, the option for the free Anytime Calls boost appeared in My Account. I left it until the following day to make sure and then selected it and all was OK.

I'm now tempted by the free fibre upgrade for 12 months but they lock you into an 18 month contract again. I know they will probably have to increase their prices again during 2016 so maybe it's worth a go with that escape plan in mind.

TrudiHewitt

My two 'tailor made' offers were also a sim or health check. I decided to hell with it I might as well go for the free health check as I have been having a lot of connection problems (faulty router maybe?) - after finally getting through (by phone as no link online & no email etc) I was told that my choice of a free broadband health check was not available in my area!

I then decided to complain via the online chat facility (finally got a link) and half way through I lost connection (faulty router?) To add insult to injury the last message from the online chat that managed to limp it's way onto my screen said was there a problem as I had not answered the last post! GRRR!

Been thinking of leaving for a long time - this has made my mind up - but who to go with? Any suggestions? (I don't seem to get a good signal in my house - or on a mobile phone)

smw1948

I have accepted the free anytime calls, can someone tell me if 0500 are included for free?

Neil_Jones

0500 numbers are universally free from any phone line regardless of package or provider. There may not be too many 0500 numbers around now but where they do exist, they are free to call.

They won't exist after June 2017.

zetortractortrailer

beardiedog wrote: »

I decided to give it a try so went onto chat and got them to remove my boost which they did with no questions asked.

Shortly after, the option for the free Anytime Calls boost appeared in My Account. I left it until the following day to make sure and then selected it and all was OK.

I'm now tempted by the free fibre upgrade for 12 months but they lock you into an 18 month contract again. I know they will probably have to increase their prices again during 2016 so maybe it's worth a go with that escape plan in mind.

What price have they quoted you for the free fibre upgrade over the 18 months? Also, if you sign up to a new 18 month contract, are you allowed to carry over the free anytime calls upgrade to the new contract?

What I don't quite understand is that existing customers are being charged for what they term the "call plan", such as Simply Broadband, for £7.50, and then the cost of fibre on top of that, which they are now saying is free for 12 months, meaning that you pay £7.50 plus line rental for 12 months for fibre.

Yet it seems new customers are just paying the line rental, and effectively do not have to pay the £7.50 for Simply Broadband. Yet when I tell TalkTalk this they insist that I have to continue paying the £7.50 for Simply Broadband and that the fibre is free, but how can it be free if they want to charge me £7.50 a month more than new customers on supposedly the same deal?

beardiedog

zetortractortrailer wrote: »

What price have they quoted you for the free fibre upgrade over the 18 months? Also, if you sign up to a new 18 month contract, are you allowed to carry over the free anytime calls upgrade to the new contract?

In My Account, click on the TV/Broadband/Calls tab and then Check availability on the Superfast Fibre option. At the top it says "As part of your upgrade we will carry over your compatible boosts and offers and add them to your new package", so I assume once you complete the order, the system will override what's in your basket for any special offers you may already have for your simply broadband (though I wouldn't trust it to do this TBH). It does show your current boosts though.

The downside is there's a £50 connection fee and £6.75 router delivery charge.

I have 4 months half-price broadband left and then it reverts to £7.50 again. I worked it out it would cost me roughly £11 a month for 12 months including the cost of connection, then £17.50 a month for the remaining 6 months, ex line rental.

If I go for it I might use online chat to try and get a discount on the connection fee and ensure the half-price broadband gets carried over too.

zetortractortrailer

beardiedog wrote: »

In My Account, click on the TV/Broadband/Calls tab and then Check availability on the Superfast Fibre option. At the top it says "As part of your upgrade we will carry over your compatible boosts and offers and add them to your new package", so I assume once you complete the order, the system will override what's in your basket for any special offers you may already have for your simply broadband (though I wouldn't trust it to do this TBH). It does show your current boosts though.

The downside is there's a £50 connection fee and £6.75 router delivery charge.

I have 4 months half-price broadband left and then it reverts to £7.50 again. I worked it out it would cost me roughly £11 a month for 12 months including the cost of connection, then £17.50 a month for the remaining 6 months, ex line rental.

If I go for it I might use online chat to try and get a discount on the connection fee and ensure the half-price broadband gets carried over too.

Based on what they're offering online, I averaged all the costs, including set up fees, over 18 months for fibre and it still comes to around £32 a month, which staggeringly is MORE than what they offered me initially before I cancelled my anytime calls boost and took it as the free 12 month upgrade. Previously I was offered a price that worked out to about £29 a month including anytime calls.

Maybe others are having more luck with TalkTalk, but the prices they are offering me just aren't competative. I think I'm going to wait till the new year and see what deals other providers are offering, surely £32 a month for fibre and anytime calls can't be that hard to beat.

Rogbrad

I am a TalkTalk customer for my mobile phone yet I can't get the free upgrade (mobile SIM) because I'm not a phone / broadband customer. That's not what it says on their website! "Free for everyone" / "all our customers". I give up - I've spent too many frustrating hours trying to get sense out of TalkTalk "Customer Service". I've just applied for a free SIM that includes free minutes / texts / data from FreedomPop. It does sound a bit too good to be true but I've had so much Bovine Excreta from Telecoms companies that I don't worry any more.

babyj3

TrudiHewitt wrote: »

My two 'tailor made' offers were also a sim or health check. I decided to hell with it I might as well go for the free health check as I have been having a lot of connection problems (faulty router maybe?) - after finally getting through (by phone as no link online & no email etc) I was told that my choice of a free broadband health check was not available in my area!

I then decided to complain via the online chat facility (finally got a link) and half way through I lost connection (faulty router?) To add insult to injury the last message from the online chat that managed to limp it's way onto my screen said was there a problem as I had not answered the last post! GRRR!

Been thinking of leaving for a long time - this has made my mind up - but who to go with? Any suggestions? (I don't seem to get a good signal in my house - or on a mobile phone)

I rang and explained what I wanted,was very polite and patient and after speaking to a manager they gave me the free anytime extension for 6 months when my present one ends BUT I have to ring TT when the current free boost offer ends and they will set it up then as they are physically unable to extend with the computer screens options they themselves are working from
I have the name of the manager who has logged my complaint and the resolution reached and my complaint number to quote when I ring. I just have make a note to remember to call them as I will not get it automatically
I am happy with my offer and happy to stay with TT now

Crabman

Rogbrad wrote: »

I am a TalkTalk customer for my mobile phone yet I can't get the free upgrade (mobile SIM) because I'm not a phone / broadband customer. That's not what it says on their website! "Free for everyone" / "all our customers". I give up - I've spent too many frustrating hours trying to get sense out of TalkTalk "Customer Service". I've just applied for a free SIM that includes free minutes / texts / data from FreedomPop. It does sound a bit too good to be true but I've had so much Bovine Excreta from Telecoms companies that I don't worry any more.

Ask them to register a formal complaint that you can escalate to ombudsman services.

That will cost them a three-figure case fee + any remedy the ombudsman considers appropriate.

TalkTalk will try to stop you making a formal complaint but you should persist. Part of the problem is that too many customers just give up.