TalkTalk TV Boosts not Working + Other Issues

DougW87

I cancelled my Sky TV as they wouldn't give me what I considered to be a good deal. I now regret this decision.

I ordered TalkTalk TV when I gave Sky my 30 days notice and asked them to defer the start of the service for 30 days. This is where the issues started. Having already processed the order, I was told the service would start immediately and if I wanted to defer I would have to cancel the contract I had just started and take out a new one in a month's time at no cost to myself. Very strange but this is what I did. The TalkTalk TV box arrives in the post in the meantime.

Fast forward 26 days or so and I log in to my TalkTalk account to start the TV subscription so there would be a cross over of 4 days with the Sky TV to iron out any possible niggles. Upon logging in I find a bill for £72 which includes cancellation fees for my TV subscription and boosts. A few wasted hours on the phone talking to people I can't understand very well, who also can't understand me very well - the charges are dropped and I order the new TV service to start immediately.

I connect the box and fire it up (very slowly). Freeview channels all working fine. No boost channels active (sports and entertainment). Another hour on the phone unplugging everything and plugging it back in again, rebooting and updating software. They book an engineer. I wait in the house all morning on Saturday, the engineer doesn't turn up. Another hour on the phone, they book another engineer. He turns up but can't see any issue and refers it back to TalkTalk.

2 further hours on the phone today repeating many things I have already done and still no boost channels. They're now sending me another TV box due in 3-5 working days!!!!!

Has anybody else had boost channel issues?

If they can't get them to work, can I cancel the TV contract based on this? I mainly watch premium sports on the TV. It's no use to me without the boost channels.

The only saving grace is that they also supply my broadband so are liable for the incoming stream to the point it hits the box.