Talk Talk Social Tarrif

dean73

Saw this advertised on here 2wks ago. It states:

• TalkTalk – 38Mb broadband free for six months for jobseekers
  

  Jobseekers on universal credit who don't have an internet connection may be able to get six months' worth of free broadband from TalkTalk under a new Government scheme.

  If you think you qualify, you'll need to speak to your Jobcentre Plus work coach. Vouchers are issued on a case-by-case basis, and your work coach will determine if the scheme is right for you.

  TalkTalk told us it will be up to Jobcentre staff to determine eligibility, but if you're out of work, receiving universal credit, and you don't currently have a broadband connection, you could be eligible.

  Those who do qualify will be given a referral code by Jobcentre staff that they can redeem via a dedicated TalkTalk phone number. Applying this way means you can bypass the usual credit check to take out the product, so it shouldn't have a negative impact on your credit score. See our credit scores guide for more info on how these work.

And this was also posted on here a year ago:

Chris Knight | Energy & Utilities Analyst

28 September 2021

Jobseekers may be able to get six months' worth of free broadband from TalkTalk under a new partnership with the Government and Jobcentre Plus. Following a successful trial, it's now been rolled out nationwide and with no contract, there's no obligation to continue after the six months is up. We explain what you'll get under the initiative and how to apply.

There's also no contract, so if at any point during the six months you want to cancel, you can do so penalty-free.

If you keep the service for the full six months, once this period is up the broadband will be automatically terminated penalty-free – unless you switch elsewhere or request to move on to a different TalkTalk package.

---------------------

So, being on Universal Credit, I asked at the Job Centre and they processed it for me (it's free but I saw the paperwork too and it's supposed to cost £195 for the 6 months).
I was given a referral code just as the original article states so I spoke to Talk Talk today and an engineer is coming round in 14 days to sort it.

All good, you might think. That was until I read the contract they sent me via email which states:
"The minimum term of your contract is 12 months. Early termination charges apply if you leave before the end of the minimum term. Your early termination charge is £10.20 for each remaining month of your minimum term."

"Once your contract ends, the monthly price for your Fibre 35 broadband plan will revert to £29.95 plus the value of any increases applied during your contract at the rate of inflation (the Consumer Price Index rate, published in January each year) plus 3.7%."

I need to find out now if I get 6 months free and then have to pay for the other 6 months as a minimum.

Also, Talk Talk seem a bit clueless as they then sent me 3 emails in quick succession, all in the space of a minute.

1) contained this...

There may be a small delay in getting you set up

Hello Dean,

We're just letting you know we've come across a problem getting your services up and running, but we're doing everything we can to get this sorted.

2) After telling me the engineer is booked for Oct 19th, the 2nd email said this...

Good news, you'll be able to get up and running sooner

Great news, Dean – you don't need an engineer anymore

You'll be live on 19 October 2022

We've got some good news. We've checked your address and you don't need an engineer to install your new Fibre 35 (FTTC-OR). You'll be live on 19 October 2022. And, even more confusing was 3) Your service starts on 19 October 2022. We double-checked your address and found that you'll need an engineer to connect your broadband. Don't worry, there's no charge for this. We double-checked your address and found you won't need an engineer to connect your broadband. Just plug in your router and you'll be ready to go. ----------------- Erm, what? I do and I also don't need an engineer. But what's annoying me is that I was told this was free for 6 months with no obligation after, was also told that by the job centre, but now it appears that it's a minimum 12 months of which only half is free. Am I reading this wrong?

dean73

*Tariff
I knew it didn't look right!