Views on Talk Talk

[CaroleF]

My husband is thinking of changing our phone,tv,broadband from Virgin to Talk Talk - he says they're cheaper. Since we got our Super Hub from Virgin a couple of years ago their service has been very good. I'd be grateful if anyone who uses Talk Talk can tell me what they think. The last time I heard someone speaking about them they didn't give very good comments.

Carole

[barney]

In my opinion Carole, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

If you are happy with the sercvice level and you can afford it, stay put.

There's more to life than having an extra ten bob in the bank.

[suespud]

My husband is thinking of changing our phone,tv,broadband from Virgin to Talk Talk - he says they're cheaper. Since we got our Super Hub from Virgin a couple of years ago their service has been very good. I'd be grateful if anyone who uses Talk Talk can tell me what they think. The last time I heard someone speaking about them they didn't give very good comments.

Carole

Dancing queen has talk talk...she will enlighten you...

Iv just got a loyalty customer deal from Virgin..phone up...tell them you are thinking about moving..
We got updated to the newest box, hub, and a reduction of £30 month!!
Shy bairns...etc..

[Silver_Shiney]

When installing/configuring web connections for others, I've had nothing but trouble from Talk Talk and wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

Virgin, on the other hand, I can't recommend highly enough.

[Manoverboard]

We know three couples, in different parts of the Country, who have had ' Talk Talk ' ... they each had problems and switched to Virgin = no problems.

Service can fluctuate with any provider but their worst problems related to sorting out their ' Bills ' after cancellation. Very time consuming and extremely irritating due to crass inefficiency.

Don't do it is my advice

[Stephen]

In my opinion Carole, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

If you are happy with the sercvice level and you can afford it, stay put.

There's more to life than having an extra ten bob in the bank.

Couldn't agree more Barney.

[colwill]

Talk Talk get terrible reviews. 'Which' did a report recently which I imagine is available online, and I don't recall them going much on TT either. PlusNet (who I am with) got good reviews from memory, though I wouldn't change if happy with the current service.

I was once with aol. They were a NIGHTMARE!

[Silver_Shiney]

The only good thing about AOL was the .wav file of Joanna Lumley telling you that you've got a new email.

As church treasurer a few years back, it was necessary that I reduce expenditure wherever possible, so I arranged to change from BT and A N Other ISP and take out a TalkTalk phone/internet package. They were given full details of where the office was and agreed a changeover, so I contacted BT and the ISP to cancel the contracts. After a couple of weeks without internet access, TalkTalk said they were unable to provide internet access in that area. I cancelled the whole deal and they tried to screw me for breach of contract for cancelling the phone. They only backed down when they said they couldn't find a record of my initial conversation with their sales team. As I said, and others too, don't touch them. Besides, you'll never get as good a connection going through an ordinary phone line.

[Dancing Queen]

Oh where shall I start they are absolute RUBBISH or at least that has been our experience !!!

[Silver_Shiney]

Oh come now, Jo, they're not that good

[Dancing Queen]

Oh come now, Jo, they're not that good

[Onelife]

From what l've just been reading it would seem Talk Talk never seem to want to Talk to you when you have a problem

[gfwgfw]

The Giant just lubs a Virgin

[CaroleF]

Thank you everyone - I read all the replies to my husband and I think I've convinced him to stay with Virgin. I think it's just reaction to the fact that we're buying a new car and he now feels he's got to save money elsewhere! I told him better to stay with someone who's giving good service. We have found that Virgin have definitely improved in the last year or so - as far as customer service is concerned. Prior to us getting our Super Hub - we had an old router - I dreaded having to phone Virgin - I usually got someone whose first language definitely wasn't English and they kept assuring me that the trouble we were having was not our router - it was a cable problem and was going to be fixed. They even arranged an engineer to call and then cancelled it without telling me so I waited in all day. Eventually I lost my temper and said we were going elsewhere and magically a Super Hub appeared. Since then it's been really good.

On one occasion there was a local problem and I phoned to ask what was happening and a very pleasant girl told me they knew about it and it was going to be fixed by 8pm - it was fixed by 7.30pm. The next day, to my amazement I got a call from Virgin asking me if everything was ok now. I said that the TV was fine but I hadn't used the computer. She asked me to switch on the computer to make sure the internet was fine - it was. I couldn't believe it - they must have had a real change around to their customer service section.

Carole

[oldbluefox]

Oops!! When we moved up here five years ago we couldn't get Virgin because there was no cable so we went to TalkTalk. Since then my brother and my mother and next door neighbour have gone over to them and I have taken out a couple of mobile contracts with them - all without any problems at all. If ever I have had a problem with phone or internet I have always found them most helpful so my experiences are totally different to those of the rest of you.

Am I happy with TalkTalk? Yes
Would I recommend them on my own experiences? Yes, without doubt.

Now talk to me about Santander and that would be a different matter because I found them a total nightmare when I was power of attorney for my uncle. But I fully expect there will be many who swear by them. (I swore but it wasn't in a positive way!!!)

[Stephen]

The Giant just lubs a Virgin

Rare as hens teeth.

[xmaslisa]

Don't go anywhere near talk talk as soon as our contract is up were off!! Customer service is appalling and the billing is always incorrect... I wish we had the high speed broadband down our lane i'd have sky or Virgin in a heartbeat!!

[CaroleF]

A friend of ours called round yesterday and John was asking her about her broadband - she has Virgin for tv, phone and broadband just like we do and I told her that John had been thinking of changing to Talk Talk. Her reaction was "Good Heavens don't do that..." she then mentioned three lots of friends who had bad experiences with Talk Talk and had changed to Virgin so hopefully John is now convinced! OBF you must be the exception that proves the rule!

Carole

[Grando]

We have been with Talk Talk for a few years for telephone and broadband and have to say in the past 3 years have had no problems at all. Maybe we are lucky, we are in East Sussex. Doreen.

[oldbluefox]

OBF you must be the exception that proves the rule!

Carole

They know a good customer when they get one Carole!!
Judging by some of the comments on here we must be lucky since everything has run smoothly for us and no problems for the rest of my family who have them.

[CaroleF]

Well, I can now relate the end of the saga. John had some stuff back from Talk Talk which he was studying hard! After a "don't you dare swap" talk from me he disappeared to phone Virgin. He came back saying that Virgin were going to increase our Broadband speed, give us a new set top box which would give us the ability to record which we can't do at the moment (John was unwilling to pay the extra!) and do it all for less than we are paying now and £5 less than the price Talk Talk were offering - so John's happy and I'm happy we're staying with Virgin!

Carole

[Silver_Shiney]

Great result!

[CaroleF]

I thought I'd related the end of the saga but no! We had a letter from Talk Talk saying that an engineer would be calling on 18th Nov between 1-6pm to connect us. We also received a router through the post. This was last week. So on Saturday morning I told John I would call them to cancel as he was out working. I called about 9.45am and after answering a lot of questions eventually got through to a person who told me the systems weren't up and running but they would be at 11am. So I then called back at 2.30 in the afternoon and guess what - the systems still weren't working and no the person at the other end couldn't help me and suggested I call back on Sunday.

So on Sunday at 2.30pm I called again and after answering the same lot of automated questions got a recorded message saying they had a high rate of calls and my waiting time for hanging on would be 20 mins. The message helpfully told me that it was much quieter between noon and 4.30pm and to try calling then - hello - I was calling at 2.30pm!

Also on Saturday in The Daily Telegraph's money section there was an article entitled "How to get Talk Talk to talk to you" It was basically about readers who had contacted the money section about the poor service they have received from Talk Talk. It said that the Telegraph's Money mailbag has been inundated recently with letters from frustrated customers who are not receiving the service they are paying for. The article goes on to tell people how to complain directly to the company.

So on Monday I tried again and got to speak to a person - found them very difficult to understand but I told them we wished to cancel the contract, that we had returned the router through the post office and didn't want the engineer to have a wasted journey the next day. I should have guessed - because it was John who had signed up to the deal they wouldn't talk to me - date protection! Eventually after trying to make them understand that John was not available and I didn't want the guy to have a wasted journey the next day I gave up.

John got back earlier then expected so he then had to call. We had found a different number to try from the one I used and once John said he wanted to cancel he got put through to someone he could understand and of course they tried to persuade him to keep the contract. John told them that friends and articles in the paper are all talking about the problems TT are having and he wasn't about to go ahead with the contract and was staying with his current provider. Eventually the man gave up, and issued John with a Cancellation Reference so hopefully that is the end of that! No engineer turned up yesterday so we assume it has all been cancelled. What a performance! Still out of it all we have got extra from Virgin and at a cheaper rate!

Carole

[Manoverboard]

So .... John thought he knew better than us lot eh, bar Foxy of course ...

E R R O R

[Stephen]

Carol

Hang on here, I'm a bit confused

Having read you posts I thought you weren't going over to Talk Talk.
Did your husband already start the ball rolling with Talk Talk or had he made an initial enquiry and they grabbed the opportunity to sign you up without your authorisation. They sound an absolute shower and I wouldn't go anywhere near them. If there is one thing I cannot stand it's bad customer service.

I've been with Sky broadband for a year now, and touch wood they have been very good, not that I have had much cause to contact them.