TalkTalk price hike.

Doc_N

EdRWat said:

End result is that I'm switching to a Fibre Fixed Price + package with a fixed price for 24 months together with 18 months free UK calls boost with no set up or equipment fees.  Net result is a price reduction of £10pm for the next 18 months, this time guaranteed.  I have it in writing and have recorded the call so hopefully there's no wiggle room buried somewhere in the smallest of smallprint.

I had a similar deal last time round, all set out clearly in writing that it was fixed, with no price increases - I always do these things by online chat so that every word is fully documented.

Despite that, they still increased the price, claiming it was in the T&C - which it is.  So the T&C will always override whatever statements they may make.  They can, and do, lie through their teeth, using the T&C as a get out clause.  What a bunch of crooks.  And now the damn woman who presided over the huge TalkTalk data leak, Dido Harding, is busily fouling up the jobs she's stupidly been given by that fool Johnson on Covid!

Robin9

Dreadful service from TT today.
I was out of contract and contact TT via Chat to see what they could offer.  First came a Fibre offer till I told them that Fibre was not available. Then clarified if that inc Landline,  Then a chat about calls and quoted £14.  I had to refer  TT to their website saying £7.
Eventually quoted a further 50p off BB.  2021 increase not to apply.
All good - signed off

email from TT  - cancelled the agreement

Second chat  - eventually referred to Retentions

Dreadful line to call centre (South Africa ?)  - operator did not call back

Second call to call centre and fingers crossed all OK

Written letter of COMPLAINT to follow - they need to do better..  I'm rather stuck with my aol email.  be a big task to change otherwi

EdRWat

Doc_N said:

I had a similar deal last time round, all set out clearly in writing that it was fixed, with no price increases - I always do these things by online chat so that every word is fully documented.

Despite that, they still increased the price, claiming it was in the T&C - which it is.  So the T&C will always override whatever statements they may make.  

Thanks again and understood.  I have everything documented because I don't trust them not to try and reinterpret things when it suits them.  In the call I think I read out my understanding of precisely what the fee structure was at least three times and the operative confirmed that it was correct each time.
This complete disregard of pre-agreed contract terms has been a surprise to me.  Again, referencing my financial services background, to me the contract comprises every communication, verbal and written.  As well as the actual Ts&Cs that includes the marketing literature, any forms etc.  If it ever gets to a regulator then any ambiguity will normally go in favour of the policyholder because they are deemed to be non-expert and therefore require protection.  I've a history of upsetting marketing teams by refusing to allow them to use the term "guaranteed" when what they mean is not what a plain English interpretation would be.

smt37

We have been customers of TalkTalk for around three years and received the recent e-mail from them, saying that prices were increasing and terms and conditions were changing. We were in the middle of an 18-month "fixed" price Faster Fibre with Speed Boost service (65Mb) which was due to end in October 2021.

As an avid money-saver I wasn't happy that they could just suddenly start charging us £2/month extra with just 30 days' notice. I also wasn't happy that they could then also start increasing the price automatically every April by inflation plus 3.7%. Inflation on its own I could sort of understand, but where do they even get the 3.7% figure from?

Anyway, so I got on to TT via the webchat and got into a discussion about what deal we were on and how EXACTLY the changes would affect us - as expected they tried to evade most of my questions, but they did eventually admit that our fixed term would still end in October and we would still be entitled to shop around again in October (ie. leave/switch), however we would have to pay the additional £2/month from April, meaning we would be paying £30.50/month for 65Mb fibre.

Without really even asking for a better deal, they put me through to the Loyalty department. They tried to upsell me the Fibre 150, but I said I wasn't interested in extra speed and that the current service level was still meeting our needs. They admitted that the Fibre 65 plan is equivalent in speed to the legacy Faster Fibre with Speed Boost plan that we were on. I asked them if they could do me a deal on a 12-month Fibre 65 plan. They offered it for £23.95/month, so that's what we've switched to. I asked them to confirm there would be no exit charges, and they confirmed this. All we have to do is make sure our next few bills are correct and we should be good to go.

To those who are thinking of contacting TT, my advice is to do a quick comparison of broadband deals using a comparison website first. This will give you an idea of the sorts of deals you can ask TT for (we actually got a better deal from TalkTalk than the comparisons were offering). Approach TalkTalk with an open-mind first off. If you go in guns blazing they might not offer you a good replacement deal. Also, you should push for a 12-month term if possible, and make sure you call before 1st April 2021. That way you will have the opportunity to switch again before they do their inflation + 3.7% increase on 1st April 2022.

ChangFai

Did anyone else get the reason it was rising by £2 a month was because "you are using 64% more braodband than you did last year"
LOL, its hardly surprising considering.

millie

I had my email about the £2 increase last Friday. I phoned them this morning and told them I was not happy about it, I said tha t I understood that I could cancel my contract if I chose to do so. She then transferred me to retentions. I was paying £21.95 a month for 36 mb fibre and anytime calls. I was offered the same deal ( she said the speed would be slightly increased) for £20 a month for a 2 year contract. I questioned the yearly increase and was told it would not apply until April 2022 and she said I could phone again and they could sort it out. I am more than happy with that, dont have to phone and haggle with them for at least a year.
I did mention that I could get Now Broadband for £23 a month with £80 cash back just for a 12 month contract, not sure taht made any difference though.
My brother in law who never bothers to phone them to haggle, just accepts the price rises is paying £40 a month with them. I think he is planning to call them now. 

dprice8893

Similar to others, I took out an 18 month contract in August 2020 with the boast that there wouldn't be any mid contract increases. I've been with TT since the start and have always found them hard work to negotiate new contracts with, albeit, I always put the work in and got a new deal. They're a bit like the Ryan Air of the tele communications world.
However, this time after 15 odd years I'd had enough and decided to switch.
Within an hour of starting the process with the new provider, TT had sent me an email asking me to reconsider. They even stated the early exit charge of £108, which doesn't apply in the 30 days following their notification of the price hike. 

mrochester

dprice8893 said:

Similar to others, I took out an 18 month contract in August 2020 with the boast that there wouldn't be any mid contract increases. I've been with TT since the start and have always found them hard work to negotiate new contracts with, albeit, I always put the work in and got a new deal. They're a bit like the Ryan Air of the tele communications world.
However, this time after 15 odd years I'd had enough and decided to switch.
Within an hour of starting the process with the new provider, TT had sent me an email asking me to reconsider. They even stated the early exit charge of £108, which doesn't apply in the 30 days following their notification of the price hike. 

I’ve had the same early exit charge email (and letter now too) but I suspect they are just automated.  However, I would not be surprised if talk talk do try and charge that and we’ll have to claw the charge back afterwards!

millie

mrochester said:

dprice8893 said:

Similar to others, I took out an 18 month contract in August 2020 with the boast that there wouldn't be any mid contract increases. I've been with TT since the start and have always found them hard work to negotiate new contracts with, albeit, I always put the work in and got a new deal. They're a bit like the Ryan Air of the tele communications world.
However, this time after 15 odd years I'd had enough and decided to switch.
Within an hour of starting the process with the new provider, TT had sent me an email asking me to reconsider. They even stated the early exit charge of £108, which doesn't apply in the 30 days following their notification of the price hike. 

I’ve had the same early exit charge email (and letter now too) but I suspect they are just automated.  However, I would not be surprised if talk talk do try and charge that and we’ll have to claw the charge back afterwards!

I have had a new contract letter even though I told them to do it by email which they did. No mention of early exit charges

dprice8893

I've just had an email offering me the world if I change my mind and stay. It's a pity it has to get to this stage before they value you as a customer. I shall still leave and see what how I'm treated by their competitors.