Faster Fibre Order - Escaping is not for the faint hearted!

[swiflee]

Hello Everyone,

Ordered a new Fibre 65 BROADBAND ONLY line last Thursday (3rd March 2023) with 18 month contract. Advised install would be around end of March 2023. During my order I was assured a callback on Monday (7th March) to confirm whether the April 2023 price increase would apply.

Obviously the call did not happen so I am looking to exercise my cancellation right within the 14 cooling off period as nobody seems to know.

This cancellation has lead to a whole host of other issues which I wanted to share with new customers and the excellent mods on here.

1. FTTP (0345 172 0074) and FTTC (0345 172 0088) are two different departments on two different numbers but the security check questions are the same. As there is no telephone number associated with the account (isn’t that the point of broadband only?) how can I give this information? Have I misunderstood something?
2. There is no account number printed on the generic contract documents I have received by email. In-fact there is no identifiable information for me to register on the portal at all.
3. The email address I have received the generic documents on is not the one which is apparently registered. Remember it is one email address per TT account.
4. The generic contract points me to the number ending 0074 for cancellation which I am failing security on as there is no telephone number or account number.
5. Raised as a complaint on a call attempting cancellation. Complaint open and closed during the call. Statistics box ticked but problem unresolved?
6. Written Complaint requesting cancellation to concerns@talktalkplc.com. Response today has been to redirect my query back to the FTTP number above including my telephone number, account number and postcode. Back to point 1…

Fortunately my existing broadband and line is with another provider which I have not cancelled as yet so I won’t be internet-less.

If you are dependant then think carefully.

I will post updates as this moves along but my experience so far is that to escape is not for the faint hearted…

Regards,

swiflee

[Landline2]

Hi Swiflee,

Sorry you are still battling away, I know what its like unfortunately.

I'm afraid I can't be specific which avenue got it escalated as I had two Complaint Managers, written in to the postal address for complaints to which Customer Relations replied (they were the worst so don't think it was them) and was PM'ing with Chris on this forum. The Complaints Managers were well out of their depth, Customers Relations just kept sending pointless e mails and Chris on here was very helpful.

Suddenly, I received three texts out of the blue from the CEO's office with an immediate refund amount and a promise to discuss a resolution. A few days later I was called by the CEO's Office and hey presto it was all sorted. All the other Talk Talk actions were either blocking or incompetence I can't work out which really, probably a combination of the two.

It meant I decided to cancel my second Talk Talk Contract as I wasn't ever going through that again. That took x3 Talk Talk attempts before it was cancelled. I sent a related PM on here and was asked to raise a topic, since then the support team on here haven't answered any of my PMs asking what happened to the related complaint and why it was so difficult but at least I have a cancellation confirmation so nearly out of the woods on that one too.

Sorry I can't be more specific but the Talk Talk process is impenetrable, I will give them that much!

Landline2 

[Arne-TalkTalk]

There is nowhere else for this thread, please let us know how it goes.  You already have an open complaint, you can ask the complaint manger to escalate your current complaint to CEO. 

[swiflee]

Dear All,

I have now provided the date and time of the call when the order was placed as well as the "contract" was emailed.

@Arne-TalkTalk - if this thread is more suited elsewhere then please feel free to move it...

@Landline2 - How did you get your issue referred to the CEO office? Do you mind sharing?

Regards, swiflee

[Arne-TalkTalk]

let us know how it goes.

[swiflee]

@Landline2 - thanks for the link to your thread. It does look like a similar experience!

I'm sure that @ferguson mentioned on another thread that the support forum can't assist once a complaint is raised to the CEO office. Even if I escalate it I am not quite sure what it will achieve.

I will agree that I have ALWAYS found the advisors & mods here to be very good and responsive.

@Arne-TalkTalk Thank you. Your efforts are appreciated. If there is no record of any order then hopefully there will be no installation next week which is what it is looking like...

I'll give it a few days before I order elsewhere / renew with existing provider.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

@swiflee I have searched every system I have access too, and it looks like the complaints manager has also, Our provisioning team have searched against your address there is no order.  If you request a SAR you will get the notes on the account from 10 years ago, and your recent complaint notes. 

[Landline2]

Hi swiflee,

I had a similar experience to this especially related to the appalling processes, the only way out of the maze was getting it referred to the CEO's office, resolved in one call! The Advisors on here are pretty good particularly Chris but they need to be with what's going on with the process. As for Customer Relations they were worst, they sent me six pointless e mails that added nothing. Here is a link to my issue you might find something in there: 

Re: Complaints - TalkTalk Help & Support

Regards

Landline2

[swiflee]

Hello. A bit of a progress update. Am pleased to report that a case manager has responded within timescale as follows:

1.  Asking whether I would like a copy of the contract and/or conversation had with their agent.

2. An acknowledgement that this complaint has been opened on an account that I used to have which has been inactive for 10 years.

3. If I can please provide an account number or anything to assist it being located which I should find in my email.

I will request the contract and conversation for my records however I can't do anything about point 2 (I wonder if this order was also opened there?) and I cannot provide an account number as I don't have one as per most of this thread. #SIGH

[swiflee]

Hello @Arne-TalkTalk . Just wondering if you had any luck as yet? - I had a response today and have another (2nd or 3rd) complaint case opened for this issue.

@Community - I was thinking of serving a SAR. Has anyone done this before and what was their experience like?

[Arne-TalkTalk]

I will see what we can find via the address, thank you.

[swiflee]

Thanks @Gliwmaeden2

@Arne-TalkTalk I don' t have an account number or order number but I have put the address as requested.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@swiflee, add the home address details for the new order in Private Notes, for @Arne-TalkTalk to take a look. 

Also the order number. 

Your current forum profile will only be linked to the FTTC service and address. 

Go via your avatar/name; settings; Personal Information, and enter the details in Private Notes at the end of that section. SAVE CHANGES. 

[swiflee]

hello @ferguson - I genuinely don't remember. I didn't think a line from another provider could be upgraded. The call was recorded though and I remember the name of the operative. It is for another address though if that makes any difference and I could be classed as a returning customer?

The telephone line and number at the address in question has been there for over 40 years. It was with BT until de-regulation (if that's the correct term). US Robotics modem and the dial up days for those that remember...

It then went to TT when broadband became mainstream up until June 2013. Left TT as we couldn't get more than 5Mb/s download which was just not workable.

From July 2013 it has been with another provider (they were into trains and still into planes afaik :)) but they ran their own cabling and the telephone number was ported. I'm still in the contract from July 2013 so a simple 30 days notice.

I want to cancel this service and replace it with FTTP only (no number) so I decided to order this from TT. The operative who took the order said that as there was no existing line (the copper line from pre-2013 has been removed) then openreach engineers will need to run a new cable which will be at the end of March. 

My plan was that once up and running with TT I would then cancel the other contract completely acknowledging that there will be a slight overlap..

The email I received from TT with the "contract" on 202303040414 is not the email registered.

I am fairly sure my existing provider will agree to a new 18 month contract with broadband only which is probably the easiest route to go down now allbeit at slightly greater cost but I will continue with this thread for the benefit of the community.

I continue to be baffled by the complexity of this process.

[ferguson]

Did you order as a new customer, rather than an upgrade? 

[swiflee]

Hello Arne,

The account number on this profile DOES NOT relate to the FTTP order above. The FTTP order is new.

The FTTC landline for this profile has also been in existence since August 2004 so I am unsure where 2021 comes from?

Is it 1 user per account number per order?

Regards, swiflee

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi swiflee

With the information given in your prolife you only have one account over FTTC with a  landline number since 2021, there is no order for Full fibre linked to this account.  

Is the information in your profile correct. 

[jaspertat]

Absolutely. A paper trail is invaluable when dealing with the wilfully incompetent.

[ferguson]

They will do as soon as they can when they are back online on Monday.

[swiflee]

Can anyone in billing pick this up?

[ferguson]

You're welcome. And absolutely no need to apologise, what on earth for?  🙂

It really shouldn't be so hard. As I said, hopefully the support team can help.