With TalkTalk, looking to save AND get faster Internet

leitmotif

So how are you guys managing to get things like the £25 fibre connection fee waived? I have spoken to several people from retentions and they're all utterly inflexible. The pricing I have been quoted is £28.50/month for 36 MB fibre, £7.50/month anytime UK calls, £3.75/month international calls, plus one-off £25 fibre connection fee, and I've been with TalkTalk for many, many years.

MurkySurfy

leitmotif wrote: »

So how are you guys managing to get things like the £25 fibre connection fee waived? I have spoken to several people from retentions and they're all utterly inflexible. The pricing I have been quoted is £28.50/month for 36 MB fibre, £7.50/month anytime UK calls, £3.75/month international calls, plus one-off £25 fibre connection fee, and I've been with TalkTalk for many, many years.

I didn't have to pay for a fee as I already paid when I originally signed up when FTTC came to my area a couple years ago. They gave me half price connection fee which was £25.
It possible to have the fee waived but it will depend what was agreed. It basically down to how calm and polite you sound and whatever the operator's mood at the time. You can try to ask for a callback for a complaint manager and try to explain your situation.
You will probably no longer can get a 38/76mbps package + calls for 28.75 as they increased the prices for 2017. That was only possible when they offered at the £27 introductory price.

leitmotif

I've gone with BT's Unlimited Infinity 1 package. £29.99/month for 52 mbps (though they've given me a guaranteed minimum line speed of 54 mbps), plus £6.50/month anytime UK calls and £7.50/month for 600 minutes international calls. Once you factor in the set-up fees, the £125 reward card they give you, the £60 cashback I will get for going through Topcashback, and the 10% off line rental (£22.80) saved by paying for line rental upfront, it works out at £31.67/month for a 12-month contract.

leitmotif

leitmotif wrote: »

I've gone with BT's Unlimited Infinity 1 package. £29.99/month for 52 mbps (though they've given me a guaranteed minimum line speed of 54 mbps), plus £6.50/month anytime UK calls and £7.50/month for 600 minutes international calls. Once you factor in the set-up fees, the £125 reward card they give you, the £60 cashback I will get for going through Topcashback, and the 10% off line rental (£22.80) saved by paying for line rental upfront, it works out at £31.67/month for a 12-month contract.

And now the switch has happened and I'm getting 47 mbps download speed and 21 mbps upload speed, wirelessly, 12 metres away from the router and through two walls with no signal enhancer. Pretty happy with that. Thanks for your advice all.

MickeyDaMouse

I doubt you'll miss Talktalk while you're on BT. In my experience much better router, broadband and customer service every time. Talktalk are shocking.

50Twuncle

MickeyDaMouse wrote: »

I doubt you'll miss Talktalk while you're on BT. In my experience much better router, broadband and customer service every time. Talktalk are shocking.

Bollards
Most of BT's resources go towards annoying ads !
And paying stupid American actors

MickeyDaMouse

I can put up with the adverts when the service offered by BT is superior to that of Talktalk. It seems I'm not alone either. I visited a technical broadband related forum and saw that BT are known for offering faster connections than Talktalk. Something to do with three levels of broadband available on the same line. Talktalk tend to offer the slowest one through their own choice. Makes sense as even retentions at Talktalk told me BT would probably be faster than they can offer and then accused them of being underhand. The broadband forum explained it's not underhand but that Talktalk don't offer the faster line as they look for reliability instead. That said, my faster BT service is more reliable than the Talktalk slower line and the wifi coverage, separate to the connection provided, is also better so it's win win for me.

They can put whatever adverts they want out when they're supplying a much better service all round.

50Twuncle

MickeyDaMouse wrote: »

I can put up with the adverts when the service offered by BT is superior to that of Talktalk. It seems I'm not alone either. I visited a technical broadband related forum and saw that BT are known for offering faster connections than Talktalk. Something to do with three levels of broadband available on the same line. Talktalk tend to offer the slowest one through their own choice. Makes sense as even retentions at Talktalk told me BT would probably be faster than they can offer and then accused them of being underhand. The broadband forum explained it's not underhand but that Talktalk don't offer the faster line as they look for reliability instead. That said, my faster BT service is more reliable than the Talktalk slower line and the wifi coverage, separate to the connection provided, is also better so it's win win for me.

They can put whatever adverts they want out when they're supplying a much better service all round.

Thats your case ...
My case is thar I get a reliable (true) 80Mbps connection at considerably less than BT charge ...

MickeyDaMouse

50Twuncle wrote: »

Thats your case ...
My case is thar I get a reliable (true) 80Mbps connection at considerably less than BT charge ...

You're doing well with Talktalk but I would suggest you're not an average Talktalk user.

For a start you're in a package that nobody else seems to be able to get. Quite an advantage in the first place and not a true reflection off their packages.

Secondly, your speed is good but again not the average for Talktalk. Even official organisations like ofcom recognise they tend to offer slower speeds on average than providers like BT. Talktalk are officially a mid range provider.

And lastly their customer service is officially poor. It's said to be improving but still recognised as poor. Even their retentions team were frustrated at this bit when I left them. They could combat most things with offers (although nothing as good as what you say you're on) but when the customer services were mentioned they sighed and almost gave up on that one.

I can see you're quite passionate about Talktalk and at first I suspected you worked for them and had some sort of loyalty, but now maybe not. Either way I don't want to see people misled from an unusual user experience that's not the norm in to getting a package and service they'll probably not enjoy when on average better packages and services are out there.

50Twuncle

MickeyDaMouse wrote: »

You're doing well with Talktalk but I would suggest you're not an average Talktalk user.

For a start you're in a package that nobody else seems to be able to get. Quite an advantage in the first place and not a true reflection off their packages.

Secondly, your speed is good but again not the average for Talktalk. Even official organisations like ofcom recognise they tend to offer slower speeds on average than providers like BT. Talktalk are officially a mid range provider.

And lastly their customer service is officially poor. It's said to be improving but still recognised as poor. Even their retentions team were frustrated at this bit when I left them. They could combat most things with offers (although nothing as good as what you say you're on) but when the customer services were mentioned they sighed and almost gave up on that one.

I can see you're quite passionate about Talktalk and at first I suspected you worked for them and had some sort of loyalty, but now maybe not. Either way I don't want to see people misled from an unusual user experience that's not the norm in to getting a package and service they'll probably not enjoy when on average better packages and services are out there.

No, I do not work for TalkTalk - I have been with TT (in one form or another) for 14 years - starting with Nildram who became Opal who then became TT Business (at which point, I transferred to TT Home) - I have no complaints about TT - They have done me well since I joined Nildram (in 2003 on a 56kbps dial up line) - I have had a few issues, but these have quickly been sorted out and I have not been put to any financial "loss" due to these problems.. My connection has been excellent for over 18 months now, with zero downtime and a good price, which I negotiated at the time that my contract was due to expire !!