A warning to those on "free" call boosts - always check your bills!

[dawsont]

I took out a Broadband + Landline contract with Talk Talk in July 2021 and renewed following their email recommendation to do so in June 2023.

Today, I log into my talk talk account to look at upgrade options and was shocked to see that I have been charged £16 per month on top of the standard broadband rate for an "unlimited uk calls boost" add on - looking through my bill history, this totals to £160 in additional charges for a "boost" that I have absolutley no use for.

During the renewal last year I specifically stated during the "choose your plan" process that voice calls were no longer required. This resulted in a small discount and I naturally assumed any phone related call boosts etc.. would expire along side voice functionality on the landline. At no point have I been notified that this "boost" was still active, nor that the cost had risen sharply from £0 to £16 per month after July 2023. 

After spending nearly an hour on the phone with Talk Talk to switch off said "boost" and explain the above, I have been given a credit note of just £5. Apparently, these "boosts" are independent of contract renewal - I agreed to the T&Cs during sign up and I should of called sooner to remove it.

Clearly nothing can be done in hindsight, so posting as a warning to others - what was once a "free" add on may now be costing you, regardless of contract changes since, so check often!

I will be looking at other providers once my contract expires and will be keeping a much closer eye on my account dashboard in the meantime.

[ferguson]

@MarkRobbins 

Your own topic is here in case you can't find it amongst the others you have posted on.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@MarkRobbins, please follow up on your own thread!

[Gliwmaeden2]

@MarkRobbins, you can't reply to the Talktalk notifications as it is a No Reply address.

All responses should show in the thread (unless staff ask for a response by PM).

[MarkRobbins]

Dear all, 

I am putting this up here as my emails are not being received by Talk Talk, my emails are being returned and there is no obvious way to contact them. We are in the complaints system, I think. MPR

'OK, and they will be in contact with me soon I guess.

This appears to be part of a generic series of complaints regarding phone calls from TalkTalk landlines to mobiles (which even though they have our numbers are almost always apparently registered with T mobile, while our genuine phones are with other mobile providers).

The irony of this of course is that many of your customers have been surprised by being charged for 'free call boosts over the last year even though rarely if ever use, or want to use landlines. Please note the comments of dawsont (Team Player) etc. These are the sort of issues, especially when widely discussed on social media (and unresolved) can absolutely destroy a company such as TalkTalk.

I am confidently expecting a suitable resolution for me and others of your customers, before we all decide to leave. Virgin mobile have just fitted SuperFast broadband outside of my home.

Additionally I have received a curious and slightly threatening email about my direct debit. I have only mentioned that I am considering altering my DD and I am sure that TalkTalk would not wish to charge me for phone calls that I and others have not made from our landlines.

Prompt action regarding these topics might be a good way to go.

Dr Mark P Robbins'

 

------ Original Message ------
From: no-reply@community-notifications.talktalk.co.uk
To: mark_robbins@talk21.com
Sent: Monday, June 10th 2024, 13:28
Subject: Re: Phantom phone charges (TalkTalk Help & Support Subscription Update)
 

Hi MarkRobbins,

Arne-TalkTalk (Support Team) posted a new reply in Billing on 10-06-2024 01:28 PM :

---

Re: Phantom phone charges

Hi MarkRobbins

I can see the complaints team have now picked this up. 

[MarkRobbins]

I am not @Johnny52 and am not quite sure what the question means.

However my landline is connected to my/your socket in my lounge. No one else has access to my landline.

MPR

 

------ Original Message ------
From: no-reply@community-notifications.talktalk.co.uk
To: mark_robbins@talk21.com
Sent: Monday, June 10th 2024, 13:46
Subject: Re: landline charges incorrect (TalkTalk Help & Support Subscription Update)
 

Hi MarkRobbins,

Arne-TalkTalk (Support Team) posted a new reply in Billing on 10-06-2024 01:46 PM :

---

Re: landline charges incorrect

Hi @johny52 

Do you have a landline handset actually plugged in to a phone socket?    its the same number again to a person with the same surname as yourself.  

[dawsont]

My thoughts also Mark, hence my posting here. It wouldn't bother me so much if I hadn't specifically stated that I don't need a landline during the contract re-newal - it feels underhanded to be charged for something that was obviously redundant.

Nearly £200 wasted since (Talktalk - you've charged me more again for May's bill after I called you) and apparently it's all my fault for not checking  bills more closely. I won't a customer for much longer.

[MarkRobbins]

With respect. If customers have told you that they don't want the landline service, it does seem to be sharp practice to be charging add-ons to a service that they are clearly not using. Have any other Talk Talk customers had this experience? If in doubt, rip the land line from the wall perhaps? MPR

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi dawsont

We do produce a bill each month showing all additions, and also when a boost discount is coming to an end it will be noted on the bill.  

Sorry for any confusion.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@dawsont, the free phone boost was always the exception rather than the rule - sometimes a sweetener at renewal etc, but always as a boost.

The core contract is only ever Broadband (and landline for old ADSL, FTTC, or VOIP) with TV for those who want it.

People can check for free things that are ongoing, like Caller Identity Display and Last Caller Barring.

Everything else is listed in Pricing. 

Boosts are not part of the core contract. They have a minimum commitment of one month, after which you can remove them at any time. Any discounts may not be available if you then wish to re-add the boost for another minimum one month - it's very much the luck of timing and being watchful for offers.

It does require customers to be proactive about studying bills and small print carefully. 

That boost has not been available for free for at least 18 months. It's still often discounted.

Thank you for highlighting the fact that customers need to actively remove the boost themselves or ask customer services to remove it when it is no longer needed. Particularly if you originally had it free, it might easily be overlooked.