Router was fried in September's storms and I have been charged for an engineer to fix it!

[Rysy-Pys]

My internet stopped working after the thunder and lightning last September. I ran all the diagnostic checks with Talk Talk to try and get it working but couldn't. Talk Talk said they would send out an engineer. I asked if I would be charged for this and was told 'no'. The engineer found that my router had been fried by the storm and ordered a new one, after which my internet was fine.

I have just opened my bill to find that I have been charged £65 for an engineer for something completely outside my control - Talk Talk were unable to provide me with the service I pay for and are trying to charge me for fixing it!

Does anyone know how I can challenge this? I was lied to and this is very wrong

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi Rysy-Pys

I can help with this I first need to confirm some security questions

I have sent you a PM on the community

Regards

[Skynet_TX]

Hi @Rysy-Pys,

A £65 charge would presumably indicate that it was an Openreach engineer that was sent out. Openreach are only responsible for the phone line up to your master socket, so as the fault was not with Openreach maintained equipment that will be why Openreach have charged TalkTalk for the call out. I'm not suggesting it is right that you have then been charged, I'm just explaining what has probably happened !.

So really if there was no indication of any problems with the external phone line when TalkTalk carried out line tests, then they should not have sent out an Openreach engineer, they should really have sent out one of their own engineers who could have looked at the equipment and wiring in your home (although that would still have been chargeable at a lower rate).

The support team here will be able to pick this up tomorrow and may be able to help further.