Been sold to another broadband supplier. What are my rights?

twopenny

So was happily with the PO broadband for years.

They sold to Shell - not as bad as I thought, pretty ok.

They sold to Octopus - ok good reputation but still dealing with Shell.

They sold to Talk Talk.

I made a contract with Shell, special price because they had overcharged me the previous year.

The price with increased (inflation rate) within 1mt. Infuriating but being poorly let it ride.

TalkTalk have given little info and I have to sign into a new site tomorrow. The one thing they say is that there will be a price rise.

I'm on a small pension and in poor health at the moment, only use the net for fun and helping people on forums.

I've been made to use it for all my bills which now come through email.

The prices I've seen on line now are beyond my means for the usage I get. Once we're over £20+ a month it's going to have an impact. And no I'm not on pension credit or entitled to it.

Any idea if I'm entitled to leave the contract free of charge as it wasn't what I agreed to nor the company I made the contract with?

littleboo

No, you can't generally leave under these circumstances as long as the contract is honoured by the new provider. You were ready receiving a TalkTalk service, just rebranded by the previous providers.

M25

Maybe you can qualify for a social tariff with another company https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/compare-broadband-deals/broadband-social-tariffs/

There may be termination fees with Talk Talk which might be helped by the saving of moving.

I wouldn't give my money to any of those companies you mention.

Neil49

What happens if you don't sign into the new site that you mention in your original post?

iniltous

If Talk Talk are continuing the existing terms and conditions then you don’t have the right or reason to quit penalty free , but if they change the terms and conditions then they should give you a period to accept or reject the change , doing nothing is deemed consent, and although I don’t use TT ( and never would ) I’m fairly sure that the change from one company to another will be ‘legal’ , so if you are entitled to move to another company without penalty because the T&C’s have changed , then the documentation will include that , but it will be time limited .

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2024/02/shell-energy-broadband-sold-talktalk/#:~:text=If%20you're%20a%20Shell,phone%20customers%2C%20in%20December%202023.

This article states there isn’t anything changing ( apart from the ownership ) so no penalty free way to leave .

twopenny

Thank you everyone.

Because I was going through a tough time I'd already been though the hassle of negotiating a good deal for 24mts so that I would be free of agro on that front and now I'm worried again.

Neil I need to create a sign in with TalkTalk to see what they are charging, what may have changed and my bills, a contact number etc. But I dread dealing with them again.

I've already had a look around for new suppliers but the market seems to be narrowing.

I know there are still some other small suppliers out there from email adresses from contacts but nothing shows up on a search. It's all the big boys seem to be on the net of course, starting a lot higher than I've been paying.

It seems wrong to have to pay for BB (and I need a new laptop/tablet) just to see my bills. I use it only for helping others mainly which takes me out of myself, could drop it and use the library but that would be tricky, not impossible.

Quite a number of people I know don't use it at all so it must be possible.

M25, I'll look into that but always I seem to be not quite eligible for most things. Never heard of it though so you never know.

There's always the possibility of using data if I have to get a new gadget and I'm a low user. But that's a whole load of research I don't want the hassle of at the moment.

littleboo

Do you have a smartphone with a data allowance? If you are a very low user, you could use a smartphone to as a way to get internet access for a laptop or tablet, without the need for a broadband service. Do you need a "landline"?

JSmithy45AD

twopenny said:

Thank you everyone.

Because I was going through a tough time I'd already been though the hassle of negotiating a good deal for 24mts so that I would be free of agro on that front and now I'm worried again.

Neil I need to create a sign in with TalkTalk to see what they are charging, what may have changed and my bills, a contact number etc. But I dread dealing with them again.

I've already had a look around for new suppliers but the market seems to be narrowing.

I know there are still some other small suppliers out there from email adresses from contacts but nothing shows up on a search. It's all the big boys seem to be on the net of course, starting a lot higher than I've been paying.

It seems wrong to have to pay for BB (and I need a new laptop/tablet) just to see my bills. I use it only for helping others mainly which takes me out of myself, could drop it and use the library but that would be tricky, not impossible.

Quite a number of people I know don't use it at all so it must be possible.

M25, I'll look into that but always I seem to be not quite eligible for most things. Never heard of it though so you never know.

There's always the possibility of using data if I have to get a new gadget and I'm a low user. But that's a whole load of research I don't want the hassle of at the moment.

You should be able to ask for bills to be sent via the post although some companies will charge more for this. Does the MSE BB comparison site not help you?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/compare-broadband-deals/

twopenny

Yes I have been having paper bills until recently and the last contract renewal. Everything seemed to have gone pear shaped after that. Guess it was all the reorganisation but I wasn't concerned as it was all going though correctly.

No, the site didn't help me on this occasion Smithy as it came up with POP and Onestream? as cheapest and their reviews were poor (not just the complainers).

I see Shell Energy is still advertising..........don't know what that is all about if they've sold their customers twice.

That is the sort of thing that makes me think I don't know what I'm doing any more

stclaim_2

Why are you not on a social tariff? Anyone on certain benefits can go on a social tariff. (Universal credit, pension credit etc).
Only £20 a month. 
If you were on a social tariff with Shell energy (like I was) then you can cancel without charge because TalkTalk do not provide a social tariff.
If your contract with Shell energy has passed it's expiry date (12,18 or 24 months), you can cancel at no charge.

matelodave

stclaim_2 said:

Why are you not on a social tariff? Anyone on certain benefits can go on a social tariff. (Universal credit, pension credit etc).
Only £20 a month. 
If you were on a social tariff with Shell energy (like I was) then you can cancel without charge because TalkTalk do not provide a social tariff.
If your contract with Shell energy has passed it's expiry date (12,18 or 24 months), you can cancel at no charge.

you generally need to be on benefits to qualify for a social tariff and the OP intimates that he has a small pension and doesn't qualify for pension credit which I assume precludes him from getting a social tariff.

TBH it where the benefits system falls down - you get a penny less than the threshold and you are in line for everything thats going, one penny over and you fall off a cliff and get nothing.

Doesn't really seem all that fair does it.