Trying to obtain price for continuing contract

[Weevie]

I am trying to find out what TT are going to try to charge me  for continuing my contract at renewal (in two months) but am unable to speak on the phone (disabled) - so I tried LIVE CHAT - first question "Please type the mobile number registered to your TalkTalk account without any spaces ?"

My answer "n/a" (I am not interested in mobiles - just an internet connection.)

BOT ..."That doesn't look quite right. Let's try again..."

Me "human please"

and so it went on for the next ten minutes

I WAS UNABLE TO RAISE A HUMAN

I am currently paying £27 including unlimited calls.

The reason for this early quote request is that TT business can offer me what I have now with TT residential for £31.99. FTTP is not yet available - so it's got to be FTTC 65Mbps with unlimited calls package.

Alternatively I can get a local FTTP - 450Mbps at £35 with calls at £4

Unbelievably - I would prefer to remain with the devil you know - TT residential - but not if I am unable to even get a decent price......

[Weevie]

@Arne-TalkTalk 

Arne,

I have been emailed by the CEO's office who sorted me out a fairly decent deal - so you have me on the books for at least another two years - my 22nd and 23rd with TT.

Thanks for your input.....

[Weevie]

@Arne-TalkTalkThanks Arne.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

@Weevie let me see what I can sort out, if I can get you contacted via Email I will.

[Gliwmaeden2]

Thanks for the clarification, @martswain  - if you wish to discuss your own order, please start a new thread.

[martswain]

Apologies @Weevie but I need to put @Gliwmaeden2 straight.

My Fixed Price Plus ends 29 Sep but Option 1 is a rolling contract at the same price with a CPI increase (not CPI + 3.7% or £3) each April, from the email below in bold.

The first option is to continue with your current service which includes Fixed Price Plus¹ so you'll continue to pay £24.95 per month. Your monthly price will rise each April in line with Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation. You don't have to do anything. You'll then be out of contract, giving you the freedom to upgrade whenever it suits you.

Although it mentions FPP it is no longer fixed term but complies with the original FPP Ts and Cs which says it continues as follows, again in bold.

A Fixed Price Plus package means there will be no rise to the price of your broadband service for the duration of the minimum contract period and this will rise in line with inflation each year once this has ended.

[Gliwmaeden2]

The full fibre packages are always described as data only.

Current customers must order VOIP at the time of ordering, via Chat / phone call, @martswain.

Your fixed price plus plan is what protects you from the £3 increase. If you take out a plan without that PLUS aspect you will be subject to the increase in April. 

[Weevie]

@martswain I am unable to get an answer to the reason that TT do not even have the facilities to deal with accessible needs customers - unlike Sky (accessiblecustomerservice@sky.uk) and BT (accessibility.issues@bt.com)

Why can TT not offer similar ?

because I and many other disabled customers prefer to communicate via Email rather than live chat (even when I can raise a human rather than a BOT)

[Weevie]

@martswain

That's extremely similar to my experience.....

Also this £3 annual rise makes me wonder when it will stop - I have been a paying TT customer for 21 + years and had the £3 annual rise been common place during that period - I would have been paying over £100 per month today !!

[martswain]

My renewal options email arrived 23 days before the current contract expiry date.

Interestingly at the end of my Fixed Price Plus 24 month contract for Fibre 35 at £24.95, if I just roll over onto an out of contract monthly agreement the price remains the same and will only increase by CPI each April.

A new 24 month Fibre 35 contract is £28/month with a £3 rise each April.

TT are also offering Fibre 65 VoIP at £30/month for 24 months, but once again the system does not seem to recognise that I cannot even get full Fibre 35 speeds at my home.

Even though the street has now been cabled with Openreach full fibre I have not had any direct offers from TT for FTTP and all the "offers and upgrades" are showing as fibre only with no VoIP options.

[Weevie]

@Arne-TalkTalk 

"Im really sorry that you are still having problems. Raising a complaint will always result in a call which is not going to help in this case. The only way that I can see to resolve this is the nominated user route"

No it won't !!

"You can complain by email by contacting us at concerns@talktalkplc.com. Depending on the nature of your complaint, we may need you to call us for us to better understand and resolve your issue. Please include the information noted in paragraph 2.1(d) below.

Your email will be given to one of our specialist agents who will always try to contact you using the most suitable method available, this could be either telephone, email, Letter or SMS to resolve your query."

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Weevie, for someone who doesn't like waiting for slow responses in Chat, your speed of response would be FAR slower by email. 

You complain about not knowing who these people are ......you'd have no better idea in an email reply.

And honestly the time and energy that you have spent on here complaining about it would surely have been better spent patiently following up whatever they are able to offer?

You are perfectly at liberty to leave if you find any company doesn't meet your expectations and you reach the end of your minimum term (or pay early termination fees).

[Weevie]

@Gliwmaeden2 @ferguson @Arne-TalkTalk 

Even BT have an accessibility email - which, I admit, is not widely known about - as do Sky - so why do TalkTalk not have one ?

Not only for account renewals but also for general fixes and grumbles

It could be used by disabled customers who have registered their disability on MY ACCOUNT - That's the way that Sky works !!

[Weevie]

@Arne-TalkTalk 

I did not say that Arne - and in any case -  I was referring to TT and other Companies as a whole - I was definitely not referring to you !!

[Weevie]

@fergusonI am not saying that - all that I am saying is that is the result of trying to raise a human on CHAT

And even, in the past - when I have been able to chat with a human - they are generally not the best type of person to chat to on  as stressful day - Last time I did it - The first thing that was said was "Sorry that you are disabled -  I hope you get better soon"......

You do not say that to a disabled person.

Plus they are trying to get the best deal for TT - obviously not willing to even consider any discounts.

[ferguson]

@Weevie 

Getting stressed while waiting to be connected is not a disability. Have you tried chat again using the tips I suggested?

[Arne-TalkTalk]

We are not discriminating against your speech disability, we are giving you the alternative methods to use,  which you must have used before. 

[Weevie]

@Gliwmaeden2Have you ever heard of POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION ?

Can you really say that TT  "think ahead and take steps to address barriers that impede disabled people."

In doing this, it is a good idea to consider the range of disabilities that your actual or potential service users might have.....

[Weevie]

@Arne-TalkTalk 

No - live chat is definitely not a disabled friendly way of communicating

It is extremely stressful waiting to be "connected"

And then there's the fact that you have absolutely no idea who or what you are chatting to....

And I really wish that you would stop the "nominated user" because most disabled people prefer to deal with things themselves

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Weevie, none of us has access via email, so there is no sense in which this disadvantages you.

While Chat may take time, it is far quicker than the turnaround time might be, should an email customer service ever be introduced. 

[Arne-TalkTalk]

"the fact  that TT could and should offer a disabled friendly way of communicating with the company - email being the preferred method - with TT being a service provider - I am extremely surprised that this is not already done !" 

is Live chat not disabled friendly way? 

Ability to have some one speak on your behalf (ie Nominated user scheme. )

You can email but you have to understand you are asking for an account change, new contract/pricing and an agreement of that pricing  so there has to be 100% confirmation that the named account holder is making the change, what if your email was compromised?