Talk Talk Cut us off to force Fibre Contract - GDPR Breach

SuzeQStan

We have been with Talk Talk (TT) since 2006 and took it with us when we moved several years ago. We have had no issues and enjoyed excellent speed/ service up till now for my OH gaming and my WFH. Our BB service inexplicably cut out completely 17/9 and has remained off ever since to no avail.

Please see below time line:

Feb 22: TT email inviting us to telephone to take up their offer of fibre. We do not telephone as we are happy with the existing service.

July 22: TT send a letter saying they are going to connect us to fibre despite us never having contacted them as per their ‘invitation’ to do so in Feb 22. OH gets in touch with TT to advise we have not taken them up on their offer and to update their records with this information.

Aug 22: OpenReach technician rings the door bell to advise that she is there to get us connected to fibre on behalf of TT. I explain that we have already advised TT that we are not taking them up on this ‘offer’ and she apologised and leaves. It strikes us that this is a 3rd party GDPR issue?

Aug 22: OH lodges formal complaint with TT. Gets the usual form letter of apology and we think nothing more of it. Life is busy etc.

6pm Sept 17th 2022: BB cuts out completely. OH is savvy and does the usual tests and all operating as it should - telephone, leads etc.

Sept 19th 2022: TT closed on 18/9 so OH rings 9am on 19/9 and is eventually advised after several useless phone line tests that TT ‘thought we were now contracted to go on fibre with them so the normal BB service was ended’ OH explains (more patiently than I would have) that we had never agreed to any fibre contract and had indeed demonstrable contact from us to show that we were not interested in ‘upgrade’ (read more expensive) to fibre. Their representative say there is nothing they can do until Wednesday 21/9. Which leaves me in the position of having to use a mobile phone as hot spot so I can do my work 20th & presumably 21st.

We are more than unhappy with the service and will now contact Ofcom to lodge another complaint. We also want to leave TT but note that they have a £10 per month remaining contact cancellation fee.  Surely by cancelling our normal BB this would now be void?

I cant see anything on MSE with other similar situations. Apologies if I have missed anything and grateful for any advice. 

The_Fat_Controller

OFCOM don't take individual complaints.

There is no GDPR issue.

Is your phone line also disconnected or is it just the broadband that has ceased ?

You'll just have to keep on at TT to get them to reinstate your service or get them to agree for you to leave without penalty.

AstonSmith

I don't think this is a GDPR breach as such, OpenReach has to be informed by ISPs as to where to go to connect lines, etc. The error is with TalkTalk, but I'm wondering if there's more to this than meets the eye.

You may or may not know, but in Dec 2025 all of the existing copper lines for voice and broadband (ADSL and VDSL/FTTC) will be switched off and removed. Many parts of the country are already in the process of moving to fibre (FTTP), where ISPs can no longer order the old copper products like the one you were using. FTTP is the only product available in those regions.

If you're in one of those regions, you can't get your old service back - FTTP is the only choice now. You definitely shouldn't have been moved without your permission, nobody is  being forced off their existing services yet.

Was the old contract out of the minimum period? If yes, the cancellation fee is bogus indeed, since you didn't accept the fibre contract.

I don't have any particular advice, except trying the "writing-to-CEO" trick. Demand they prove you accepted the offer to connect you to fibre.

SuzeQStan

@The_Fat_Controller - as per my original message our telephone line is working as usual.

‘all operating as it should - telephone, leads etc.’

We went on the OFCOM website and it appears that you can make a complaint via the website. So could you please flesh out your comment, somewhat?

Why would it not be a GDPR breach when TT has clearly given our specific details to 3rd party OpenReach? They are not the same company and we have no contract to get fibre.

they have cut us off without notice  - and completely disregarded our attempts to decline an unwelcome offer.  It appears we are being bullied into fibre.

SuzeQStan

@AstonSmith - thanks we were not aware of that change re copper/fibre.
Going to read up but initially wondering how copper can be phased out when this is how telephone lines operate?
We are in contract till Nov 2023 as we took out a 2 year contract and we have been with them so long without any issues.
thanks for your supportive comment it really helped.

km1500

if you have been withoit broadband you are entitled to automatic compensation per day..

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/automatic-compensation-need-know

looks like £8.40 per day and this is what you should be asking for, via a complaint if necessary

AstonSmith

SuzeQStan said:

Going to read up but initially wondering how copper can be phased out when this is how telephone lines operate?

Phone calls will be carried over the Internet (via the fibre) using VOIP. BT and some other providers are calling it "Digital Voice".

e.g. here's BT's page about it: https://www.bt.com/help/landline/what-is-digital-voice-and-how-can-i-get-it-

SuzeQStan

@km1500 - thanks for that appreciate the link. Would much rather have the BB service working to be honest 😔. But I guess we are fallen behind the times with not realising the implications of phasing out copper. We took our BB for granted and to be fair I don’t think we’ve had a single day in the last 18 years of having to think about our BB (aside from negotiating the best price we could by looking at competitor prices and bashing TT over the head with those at renewal contract dates). Been doing some reading since the heads up from @AstonSmith.  I still think it’s really poor service from TT - no notice whatsoever they would be turning our existing service off. 

The_Fat_Controller

OK, is your "savvy" household member able to tell us whether the line is still in sync or has the broadband signal been completely disconnected ?

If you log in to the router at 192.168.1.1 does it show a ADSL/VDSL connection with no internet ?

What router/HUB do you have and what lights are showing ?

OFCOM will take a general complaint but not individual cases.

If you reach deadlock with TT then the resolution service that you will use is CISAS.

SuzeQStan

@The_Fat_Controller

OK, is your "savvy" household member able to tell us whether the line is still in sync or has the broadband signal been completely disconnected ? completely disconnected.  

If you log in to the router at 192.168.1.1 does it show a ADSL/VDSL connection with no internet ?  Yes: ‘status disconnected’

What router/HUB do you have and what lights are showing ?  Sagecom 5000 TT WIFI HUB. Orange light constantly flashing.

If you reach deadlock with TT then the resolution service that you will use is CISAS

Thanks

littleboo

AstonSmith said:

I don't think this is a GDPR breach as such, OpenReach has to be informed by ISPs as to where to go to connect lines, etc. The error is with TalkTalk, but I'm wondering if there's more to this than meets the eye.

You may or may not know, but in Dec 2025 all of the existing copper lines for voice and broadband (ADSL and VDSL/FTTC) will be switched off and removed. Many parts of the country are already in the process of moving to fibre (FTTP), where ISPs can no longer order the old copper products like the one you were using. FTTP is the only product available in those regions.

If you're in one of those regions, you can't get your old service back - FTTP is the only choice now. You definitely shouldn't have been moved without your permission, nobody is  being forced off their existing services yet.

Was the old contract out of the minimum period? If yes, the cancellation fee is bogus indeed, since you didn't accept the fibre contract.

I don't have any particular advice, except trying the "writing-to-CEO" trick. Demand they prove you accepted the offer to connect you to fibre.

It's not correct that all cooper lines will be switched off by 2025. 2025 is the target data for the PSTN analogue voice platform to be switched off. VOIP/Digital Voice works over any IP connection, be that copper or fibre. Openreach's full fibre build extends beyond 2025, not everyone will be on FTTP before the PSTN is switched off.