TalkTalk Changing contract terms

WolfyDC

Hi Everyone,

I did do a search and was unable to find if anyone has had the same experience that I have had with TalkTalk so please point me to any existing threads that have got buried.

I had the problem before about 2-3 years ago, but it was not of great importance then, so I ignored it, but it has happened again last year, twice, and I feel TT have a deliberate tactic to dupe consumers (and maybe other corporations do it). So please let me know if you have experienced the same.

How many times have you spoken to someone at TT and agreed a package for your Broadband (possibly happens for mobile as well). You agree a price and a 12 month contract term. You get a confirmation letter or email from them and file it away without reading it fully. Then in 12 months you come to change providers and suddenly TT point out you are contracted for 18 months. :mad::mad: !!!!!!? Conversation too long ago...I must have got it wrong!???!!

NO!! :money:

You did NOT get it wrong! What they do is verbally agree with you , knowing you do not have it down in writing and it means almost nothing in British contract law. If you do have it in writing or taped then it also means nothing contractually as their confirmation (with changed conditions i.e 18 month term) is what is called 'a counter offer' and if you continue you are deemed to have accepted this and again in contract law it will always be taken that the last dated change in writing stands and superseded all previous changes or agreements.

What is happening is they are using consumer's lack of knowledge of contract law to their advantage. I only realised when I had got my online written chat saved and I was able to refer back to it. I argued with another online customer services person and they agreed that my contract was for 12 months and to ignore the 18 month 'change' in their letter as it was not important, or an accident. I said this was not fair as I cannot just ignore a change made in writing. They agreed that it was to be a 12 month contract. A few days later another confirmation email or letter comes through again stating 18 months contract :mad:

They have done it again. Was this a mistake or deliberate? Well it happened before and now it has happened again, twice, but now with my written documentation as evidence. I make a formal complaint and it get escalated. They try to ask me what I want to settle the matter and I am reluctant to let it go as I feel there is a deliberate deceit going on here that I want to expose. To cut a long story short(er) my wife was undergoing surgery for a brain tumour and I could not fight more than one war at a time and I just had to give it up. Well they are rattling my cage again and this time I would like to see if others have had the same underhand abuse of consumers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and most responses will be from vague memory but please let me know if you feel that the contract, you are told that you have, was not what you thought you had agreed to. The abuse may be wider than you think and be more like a corporate deception policy. I am sure it is more widespread than just to TalkTalk and broadband contracts.

TalkTalk

Hi WolfyDC

Did the confirmation letter/email state the correct contract length. We would advise that you always read over any correspondence that you receive from us at that time and query anything that isn't correct.

Vicky - TalkTalk Social Team.

WolfyDC

Vicky
Well thanks for the response. I am not sure how much clearer I can be. Please read my thread carefully. I agree terms with your operatives. The confirmation letters and email then change the length of the contracted term. So NO they do not state the correct contract length. TalkTalk deliberately changes with a 'counter offer' letter increasing the term that had been agreed. I am trying to see if other have had this and is it a corporate wide deception of consumers

WolfyDC.

TalkTalk

Hi WolfyDC,

We understand, if you'd like us to look into this further for you, you can reach us either using the 'contact us' page on our website, our Online Community or Twitter (@TalkTalk).

Thanks,
Becky