TalkTalk ending contract 1 month early

deadwoodftuo

Hi, I would like to hear from any TalkTalk customers who have may experienced the same problem as I am having now. I have my landline and internet services provided by TalkTalk, I am on the second of two back to back 18 month contracts, last month I was notified my present contract would end in November when the end date is the middle of December - it amounts to a month and 2 days less . 
I logged onto my account and gave them copies of my 1st contract start and finish dates etc, the email reply stated I had renewed my second contract a month early and also contained for example a line that stated "you have agreed to renew ....".
 I sent a recorded delivery letter to their address asking for an explanation as to why a customer would renew a contract more than a month early and informing them I had neither agreed to renew or cancel the renewal. I also pointed out that I never received a letter with details of the second contract which I assumed was due to the lockdown at the time. I asked for a reply by email or letter and now two weeks since posting they have not been in contact. Why does it seem that sooner or later with telephone and internet providers you will experience such devious and poor service. TalkTalk are my 3rd provider, the previous two went simply because of bad service. Thanks for any input.
 

sourcrates

I have always found live chat to be the quickest way to contact them.

They have been my provider for a number of years now, had various minor issues with the service, nothing major.

What exactly are you complaining about here? losing a month off your contract?
Why would that matter?

Are you staying with them, leaving?

There are numerous reasons why contracts get renewed early, a better deal for example, a change of package, tell me if I have missed something, because I don`t see your issue?

born_again

Talk Talk will not have put you on another 18 month contract without you agreement. 

Many renew before end of contracts as they barter a better deal. Or you end up on a rolling monthly contract that costs more. 

Perhaps have a look back through your emails around time of renewal, as they must have sent something out for a new contract.

Ectophile

I'm confused.

How did you end up in a second 18 month contract if you never agreed to renew your contract?  You should have ended your initial contract and gone onto a rolling monthly one.

Or did you actually phone them and agree to a new contract?  If that's the case, then they presumably started the contract at the point you asked for it, not when the other one would have ended.

I'm not sure what you have actually lost here anyway.  A month of a contract isn't actually a thing of value, since it involves you paying them money.

deadwoodftuo

Thanks for the replies, I keep a file of paper communications as well as emails but found no record of this second contract details but yes of course I did agree a second 18 month contract, possibly done by a phone call from TalkTalk. In my letter to TalkTalk I suggested that as there was a lockdown in place at the time and people working from home things can go wrong but I still think a customer is entitled to an explanation as to why the 1st contract was ended earlier than agreed. If it was just an error well fine no big deal, I get the impression paper communications to TalkTalk are to be discouraged as much as possible and phone conversations are the way to go as the customers have no verbatim record of the conversation and TalkTalk do.
Logging on to my account before emailing the only renewal option offered was 2 years at £5 month more, the email reply offered another 18 month contract at the same cost as I am paying now -  but this is now classed as a contract with a discount. This is some marketing technique used by all the internet / phone suppliers when in fact the inflated price first offered is completely unsellable. Is it any wonder customers are distrustful of their suppliers.
Once again thanks for the replies but as no one has identified themselves as a present or past TalkTalk customer which is what I was seeking please do not reply further.

born_again

You might be better asking to get this moved to Internet section. As it is not really a consumer rights issue. Given the time frame. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/broadband-internet-access

deadwoodftuo

Thank you for that Forumite, I was unsure of the choice to make from the multitude.

Rodders53

Sound normal to me.   Has happened like that most times I've renewed with TT.

When you agree/renew towards the end of a Contract with TT the new Contract starts immediately (and you get all the strange-looking Bills at different rates and date periods, that actually add up correctly).

It's a matter of what price you negotiated at the renewal date.  Last one I agreed a fixed price 24 month Contract rather than the default 18 month period.

You'll likely find switching to another provider will be cheaper, and if so, that might be used to renegotiate the TT price?

anotherquestion

I have left Talktalk after nine years with them, not all bad, but absolutely terrible customer service these past few months.

I took up their offer of a trial for FTTP two years ago, they kept me on old DSL package as a backup, so just paid for that.

However in July of this year I wanted to officially upgrade to FTTP their Future Fibre 150 package with digital voice.

What a nightmare with them, after spending at least fifteen hours troubleshooiting with their Future Fibre and Tech teams, I was told two months down the road that the order was initially cancelled, so all the troubleshooting was a waste of time.

Wrong package on account , being overcharged each month, Just glad to go.

I'm going to BT, they have some good full Fibre packages at the moment, I ordered this one 500 mbits down for £30.99.

deadwoodftuo

Thank you for the comments, the reason for the "early" termination has now been revealed - so to speak. When the last contract was about to come into the final month I was invited to renew which I did and I consider reasonably assumed the next contract term would begin at the end of the current one, the new contract began the next day. Maybe I should have paid more attention to details, maybe TalkTalk should have asked when I wanted the new contract to start.
When I left my last provider they wanted another £3.65 on top of the final monthly payment, they (Virgin) refused to explain the reason for. I complained to Ofcom who I know do not take complaints and did not reply but the ADR system at the time was similarly unhelpful and very time consuming.
TalkTalk have now added an amount onto my last monthly payment, the nearest I can get as a reason is I am coming to the end of my discounted period. As my billing period is out of synch with my monthly contract - the billing period finishes 6 days after the end of contract date I asked if this was the reason  - no answer.
Can anyone throw some light on the practice of the billing period being as it is, I am just left with the feeling it is just a way of bringing in revenue. In my view there is just not enough easily accessible information which should be front and centre at the beginning and end of contracts. Being ushered for example in the direction of web site chat rooms for answers is an abandonment of customer service.
The isp discount is like the furniture manufacturer's sale, the before numbers advertised are to be treated with contempt as it is the same sale 365 days a year.  Oh happy days. 

southsidergs

You seem to be turning this into a major problem when it isn't, your contract ends a month earlier than you thought so just do everything a month earlier! Either renew or change suppliers based on that, nothing has changed on the billing period either, you're likely seeing a higher out of contract price for part of the month after the contract ends