MSE News: Four million TalkTalk customers to get free upgrade

butterflymum

It would seem as if Talk Talk are suggesting Anytime Calls are part of a package (thus why some customers are not being offered the 12 months free), when the are not. They are a boost, in addition to a package, and by Talk Talk's own definition, can be added and/or deleted by a customer anytime during each month http://help2.talktalk.co.uk/about-anytime-uk-calls-boost .


To say that a customer cannot have the free 'thank you' gesture of 12 months Any Time calls if they already have the boost, therefore seems somewhat petty of them. Customers should not have to find ways around the issue (such as cancelling the boost then waiting for the 'thank you' options to update and offer the calls, as some seem to be doing), but should instead be given this option regardless of whether or not they currently happen to have the boost.

rosyw

While it's VERY frustrating for all the customers unable to get the "upgrade" they want, it's worse for mobile only customers - we get NOTHING! I've cancelled my land line & broadband since the hack and as I refuse to pay early termination fees I'm stuck with 6 more months of my mobile contract, I'm told my details were "safe" - this time! however they weren't in the previous "breach" so I'm getting countless scam calls to my land line. Talktalk don't give a damn for mobile customers, we can't access our accounts but are expected to pay up on time without being able to check our bills are correct, I don't WANT a free "upgrade", I want to be able to cancel my mobile without penalty which would actually cost them less than some of the upgrades being offered, but of course I'm not allowed to do that. I'm not alone, there are many that feel as I do, we are all being ignored.

zagfles

Crabman wrote: »

New information from TalkTalk - customers who currently pay for the UK & mobile calls boost are not eligible to have it free for 12 months.

Yet customers who don't have the boost are eligible to have the boost free for 12 months.

So it transpires TalkTalk have misled MSE about this too - here's what the article says:

1. Unlimited UK landline and mobile calls – open to broadband/home phone customers
   
   For those who already have a TalkTalk landline and broadband, it's offering calls to mobiles and 01, 02 and 03 numbers (excludes 084/087/09 as well as 118 numbers) free for 12 months.
   
   While it's 'unlimited', TalkTalk does operate a 'fair use policy' of 1,800 minutes per month (30 hours). Calls are free for the first 60 minutes only, so if you pick this option, make sure you hang-up and redial within the first 60 minutes or you'll be charged the standard rate of 11.5p/minute for landlines and mobiles. Some non-inclusive calls may be subject to a connection charge of 17p too.
   
   This calls package normally costs £7.50/month.

But you can just remove the boost and then you get the option to add it as a free upgrade.

It might be a bit of a struggle - I tried getting them to remove it 2 days ago but still didn't have the option, phoned them this morning and they said there was a "technical problem" removing it on Weds, but they have now removed it. Got an email confirming removal.

Then 30 mins later, logged in and now got the option to select anytime calls as a free upgrade, took it. Have confirmation emails saying the free upgrade anytime calls boosts was successful and it will be active tomorrow.

So just need to go a day without making too many calls...

zagfles

Raimonds wrote: »

What number did You call to remove the Anytime Calls Boost, not the onegiven for free upgrades?

I called 0800 049 1424. Answered pretty quick, they removed the boost successfully.

macman

I was denied the option to remove the boost by phone/Live Chat in order to then 'reboost' with the free Anytime upgrade, on the basis that Anytime UK was not a boost but a calls package. Having finally 'borrowed' a TT broadband connection I was able to log in to the 'slimmed down' account, but as others have found, the option to remove or add boosts is not currently available. It's totally absurd that they have this restriction in place when you are still able to change your password, pay your bill with a credit card etc and carry out other financial transactions -but you can't modify your bundle.
The site is either now secure or it is not, and if it is it should be fully open again. TT really need to be held to account for this. From reports above the advisers are not treating customers with this issue with any consistency. Perhaps the trick is to simply phone up or go on Live Chat and ask for your Anytime boost to be removed (don't mention the free upgrade at all). Wait 24 hours or so and then log in and see if the Anytime option is now up as a free upgrade option)?

Raimonds

zagfles wrote: »

But you can just remove the boost and then you get the option to add it as a free upgrade.

It might be a bit of a struggle - I tried getting them to remove it 2 days ago but still didn't have the option, phoned them this morning and they said there was a "technical problem" removing it on Weds, but they have now removed it. Got an email confirming removal.

Then 30 mins later, logged in and now got the option to select anytime calls as a free upgrade, took it. Have confirmation emails saying the free upgrade anytime calls boosts was successful and it will be active tomorrow.

So just need to go a day without making too many calls...

As I mentioned earlier, that I was denied the removal of Anytime Calls Boost over the chat.

Yet again, I spoke to someone sounding polite and knowledgeable guy over the phone yesterday and he also confirmed to me, that it would not be possible to remove my boost, because it is not paid for, but as a free promotion for 3 months given in October as compensation for losing out on Speedy Payment Discount. As a remedy, the guy did not try to spit in my face by just a tenner one off credit to my account, instead he offered to upgrade my whole package from Essentials with Fiber (no TV) to Plus (also, no TV, because I don't want it) with all the discounts as normally only new customers get for the full 18 months contract. This package upgrade option would cost me the same as the present Essentials TV + Fiber (without using TV), when my present discounts run out at the end of February.

And the offered package upgrade would also include Anytime Calls Boost.

Need to do a homework on future costs of staying with TT and accepting the package upgrade, thus tying myself in another 18 months contract plus paying another Value Line Rental before November next year. OR just to wait the ending of my present contract in August, paying the full package price between February and August and see what the market has to offer then.

My main reasons for trying to haggle and stay with TT are:

- they almost always offered me something with a better value as an upgrade or ever downgrade of my package, compared to what I had at the time AND

- as far as I have discovered, TT are the only phone company to offer a fixed 5 pounds a month International Calls Boost giving me unlimited (with a cap of 3600 mins/month, if I remember correct) up to 60 mins of calls to landlines and mobile abroad.

Still, the misleading of customers in this so called "Free Customer Upgrade as a Thank You!" should possible be lodged to Ombudsmen services as TT goes unaccountable against it's own wording in definition descriptions in their Terms and Conditions.

Clearly stating, that Anytime Calls is only a Boost, that can be added or removed anytime, but trying to convince You of not being able to remove any promotional Boosts (only the paid for ones) is a lie.

TT states in this Free Customer Upgrade offer, that the offers are selected according to Your present package. In reality, the only offer of Anytime Calls Boost, that would be related to present package of many customers with Phone only, Phone and Broadband and no TV is being made unavailable and ineligible.

Hope, that MSE will persist and try to investigate the ugly and contemptuous misleading in TT's false advertising!

butterflymum

I think it is somewhat ironic, and laugh each time I see it, that in the 'free upgrade' publicity, the curved pink and white arrow has 'strings' attached. Aside from fact it is probably to represent the arrow light as hanging, one could almost wonder if it were a Freudian slip or foresight on part of artist.

trinidadone

I renewed my contract with talktalk, including bagging my free anytime local/national and mobile calls for the next 12 months, (free upgrade), happy customer here, ya

MothballsWallet

They've also taken the "Speedy Payment Discount" option away as of 1st of this month; I wonder if that's to pay for the ICO fine (if any)?

I've already written to Dido and let her know how poor I think these "gifts" are, and that I doubt I'll be staying with them when my contract comes up next summer.

Raimonds

trinidadone wrote: »

I renewed my contract with talktalk, including bagging my free anytime local/national and mobile calls for the next 12 months, (free upgrade), happy customer here, ya

Thanks, You encouraged me to give another call to TT!

I needed a little time to cool off from the shock and unpleasant experience with couple of other TT's advisers I had a live chat and phone conversations with. They all were trying to convince me, that the 12 months Free Anytime Calls Boost is not going to be available to me since I have a 3 months of same Boost promotion applied to my account earlier. All I was being offered, was apologetic "Sorry! There is nothing we can do!" and a £10 one off credit to account, which I regarded as a spit in a loyal customer's face. There was no good result coming my way at all, when trying to express to TT's advisers my anger at company's false advertising, misleading and consequently leaving me with the appalling feeling.

I phoned the number given on my account page for Free Customer Upgrade 0800 230 0403 and spoke to a regular TT's CS adviser, but the young lady was not able to make any changes to my package or boosts. Still, she was kind to transfer my call to Loyalty Team.

As a result of having a 20+ mins conversation in a kind manner and looking through all present and available options, I ended up with a nice and very acceptable offer to renew my contract with the same monthly cost, but with all the available benefits.

If You are in a similar situation, where the desired "Free Offer" is being made unavailable and inaccessible without any other remedy offered, try to get through to Loyalty Team and be very polite in looking through Your account options for an early Renewal or Upgrade to package. Trust me, it will most likely return Your smile and the feeling of being a values customer!

Here is the result I received in email confirmation