topic Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account in Billing

TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 11:01:51 GMT

I am posting this here for visibility. I will also be sending a formal letter of complaint.

I had been a TalkTalk customer for over 5 years. I am an NHS clinical scientist and I work from home so my broadband service is essential. I decided to take the TalkTalk service with me when I moved house and I placed a home move order via the website well in advance of my move date. This is the timeline:

11/04/23 – I moved house

12/04/23 – an Openreach engineer came to my new house but unfortunately found there was no landline connection, only a Virgin Media connection. They would have to come and dig up the pavement to install a cable and I was initially told this would take 2-5 working days so I agreed.

25/04/23 – I had been without phone or internet for 2 weeks and there was no sign of Openreach installing the cable. I contacted TalkTalk via chat to ask for an update and a refund on the period I had been without a service. The agent said they had raised an escalation with the back office to cancel my home move order. I was horrified and asked then to reverse that but they said it was too late and I would have to start over again and place a new home move order on the website. I then said I would rather switch to another provider. The agent said I had no active service, was not in a contract, and the home move order had been cancelled so effectively my account was now closed. I was extremely upset and confused following this conversation.

26/04/23 – I phoned TalkTalk customer service. I was on the phone for ~30 mins and spoke to someone in the cancellation department and someone in the home move department but at the end of the call I was satisfied that my account was closed and the home move order was cancelled. I then took out a contract with Virgin Media.

03/05/23 – Openreach (I assume) had dug up the pavement while I was out. I logged on to my account and saw my account was still active and the home move order still in progress. I contacted TalkTalk via the chat and was told my request to cancel had been rejected by the back office. I was very angry and posted on Twitter to complain.

04/05/23 – following investigations overnight I was contacted via Twitter direct message and told in writing that my account was closed and my home move order was cancelled.

10/05/23 Katie from the TalkTalk customer services in Burnley called to apologise and said the account and home move order would be closed in 3-5 working days.

15/05/23 Katie from the TalkTalk customer services in Burnley called and said the order was not yet closed but it would be soon and I did not have to do anything else.

04/06/23 – I received 3 emails within 5 minutes from TalkTalk to say there will be a ‘small delay’ in getting my service set up so the home move order is clearly still active.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Gliwmaeden2 — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 12:45:12 GMT

I'll move this to the billing section for you, @Julie87, and staff should be able to check that your account really has been cancelled etc.

Staff reply during the week, Monday to Friday.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 17:15:07 GMT

Thank you. I have posted my letter of complaint today and sent a separate letter making a Subject Access Request in anticipation of taking this matter to CEDR/CISAS.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Arne-TalkTalk — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:43:07 GMT

Hi @Julie87

Thanks for your post, Sorry to read the problems you have had.

I will contact our provisioning team to check the order has been stopped.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 11:38:13 GMT

Thank you. I have been told five times now by TalkTalk agents that this was done so I will require written evidence before I consider my complaint to be resolved.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Arne-TalkTalk — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:21:03 GMT

When I get a confirmation, I will try sort and that out.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 17:17:00 GMT

You will get my subject access request in the post tomorrow (06/06/23) and 'you must comply with a SAR without undue delay and at the latest within one month of receiving the request' (quote from Information Commissioner's Office). You will also get my letter of complaint tomorrow. I have asked for a deadlock letter as you will understand this has already been going on for weeks and I am keen to submit a complaint to CEDR/CISAS without further delay. I can submit the complaint to CEDR/CISAS on 31/07/23 without having a deadlock letter.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 10:00:22 GMT

Good morning @Arne-TalkTalk - did you hear back from the provisioning team yet please?

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:05:24 GMT

They are ignoring me now. Not to worry I will continue to post daily updates until my problem is sorted or I die, whichever is sooner!

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

ferguson — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:09:38 GMT

Who is ignoring you? The community doesn't offer real time support, each topic and post is dealt with in turn.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:26:40 GMT

@ferguson I asked nicely for an update 6 hours ago and I can see the mods active on other threads.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:28:18 GMT

Besides, I get badges when I post and I'm finding that amusing!

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:31:33 GMT

TalkTalk send me 'updates' about my supposedly closed home move order by text & email & phone almost every day even though I have told them I am autistic and find it distressing.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:34:14 GMT

BTW the complaint/cancellation process is inaccessible to autistic people and anyone else who has difficulty making phone calls. I can post a letter to but all of the information I can find online says the response will be by telephone.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

ferguson — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:35:58 GMT

OK, I realise that you are annoyed because you have an unresolved issue, that is why people often come here. Each subject area has different people from TalkTalk helping, identified as part of the Support Team. They deal with each customer in turn as best they can. Arne has already said that he is on the case and will get back to when he hears back from the provisioning team.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 17:54:59 GMT

It gets worse and worse! This just arrived. I have said over and over again that I wanted to cancel and every time you said that was fine and would be done. I am with another supplier now. When did holding vulnerable customers hostage become a thing?

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

ferguson — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 18:02:24 GMT

OK, I have no idea what is going on there. I have re-escalated this for you, I can do no more I'm afraid.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 18:02:40 GMT

This was from a month ago.

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

Julie87 — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 18:05:48 GMT

Thank you @ferguson

Re: TalkTalk refusing to close account

ferguson — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 18:09:55 GMT

No worries, this is clearly a bit of a mess and I hope you get it sorted soon.