Talktalk discount / recommit beware

insert_random_name_here

I wanted to save some money on my talktalk TV/phone/broadband bill by downgrading my fibre large (76 Mbit/s) to fibre medium (38 Mbit/s), so I called asking for the downgrade. I'm more than half way into an existing 18 month contract.

The call handler said I could save £5/month by downgrading, but if I wanted to recommit for another 18 months I could get stay on fibre large and still get a £5 reduction. That seemed reasonable, but having been burned before by imprecise call centre droids, I made sure that I echoed back to him what he was offering before I agreed to the change, e.g. "So you're offering me a £5/month discount in return for an 18 month recommit, and I keep my fibre large speed?". All good, so I did the deed. Then the confirmation email arrived. That said I was getting a 12 month £5 discount on a 18 month contract. At no point during the call did the droid say it was only for 12 months.

Cue another call to talktalk to cancel the new contract and revert to my original (plus the £5/month downgrade) under the 20-day right to change. They just lost a customer when my original contract expires. Numpties.