Can talktalk force me to migrate to UtilityWarehouse whilst still in contract

[Maggie581]

I am being migrated to UW from talk talk after being a customer for over 2.0 years, because they only want full fibre customers, they say I can stay if I take out a new contract, which, at impact my home and driveway, they won’t send an assessor until I sign the new agreement. If I want to leave talktalk rather than migrate to UW, I will be charged termination fees.  But I am not the one changing the contract, talktalk are. Does anyone else have this issue?

if I wanted to have a contract with UW, I would not have been with talktalk.

I have read the reviews on UW and they are very poor and they are number 1 in the country for highest number of complaints and service.

Any advice would be useful.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Maggie581, there's an interesting thread about this on MoneySavingExpert:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6619310/talktalk-transfer-to-utility-warehouse-is-th...

One comment is a reminder that some alternative ISPs pay off the early termination fees for you if you do choose to leave. So that keeps that option open.

You have to keep careful track of final bills as evidence if you go down that route.

[Maggie581]

Thank you

[Maggie581]

I am a fibre 150 customer.

[Maggie581]

They are forcing me unless I want to pay termination fees, so they are not offering options, “you will be migrated” that’s their words to me.

[ferguson]

Oh, have you received notification similar to the original poster?

[Australiaboy]

If this is the case our freedom to choose a provider has been taken away.I stay with Talktalk because I can haggle a good deal.If they don't want my businesses I would go to a BT seniors package 

[fr8ys]

For info, there is a help page available with FAQs here

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/Utility-Warehouse-Transition-FAQs/ta-p/3118467

[fr8ys]

It is within your terms and conditions.

Your contract will remain in force on the same terms as currently apply.

If you decide to break the contract you will be subject to termination fees.

If you are currently out of contract, then you are free to move to another company, but I would leave it a month or 2 so you are established with UW and any transfer can progress smoothly.

We have seen this issue arise in reverse where Shell customers were transferred to TalkTalk. Existing contracts for those customers were honoured and fees charged for early termination.

As @ferguson has stated, everyone will have to move to full fibre at some stage.

Openreach engineers, not TalkTalk, are responsible for the line egress to your property and they will discuss this with you. TalkTalk are unable to advise on how the line enters your property 

[ferguson]

I think the point here may be "free" to do what?

[Australiaboy]

Once the contract is terminated your free agent.

[ferguson]

This is an unusual story. But essentially yes, TalkTalk can cancel your contract under their T&Cs. I am not sure about "forcing" you to move to another specific provider, but if you do not want Full Fibre presently then it may well be that UW are the only ones still able to offer an old style broadband service in your area.

Do bear in mind that at some point in the next couple of years the old copper service will be shutdown so you will have make the change anyway. Any works that involve digging and suchlike should be put right by the installing contractors.