Sorry, our Fibre Speed Boost isn’t available - Why?

[theronkinator]

Hi, I'm thinking of switching to Talktalk, I'm currently on 38meg now Broadband but before that had 52meg BT and got the full speed. As my Now contract is coming to an end I'm wanting the speed increase again, trying to look at ordering Talktalk and it's saying the Fibre Speed Boost isn't available? Any ideas why? I've checked the BT site and that doesn't want to sell me their Fibre 2 either, although as their standard package is 52meg is it's less of an issue. PlusNet and Vodafone will also happily sell me their faster Fibre though, the BT Wholesale checker also says that I should be able to clear 60meg.

Can someone look into this?

[Chris-TalkTalk]

I'm sorry Andrew but it's not available now even if it was available before. As before I can only advise you to following our complaint process

Chris

[bananasareyellow]

Good luck with this, Andrew, but in my experience, you'll not get anywhere. You'll get some more senior person phoning you up at home to explain what you've already been told, that the speed boost is not available, even though you had it before and it worked just fine and gave you a faster speed. In my case, initially, I refused to let them close the case because they had not given me what I wanted. But not closing the case means someone will phone you every week to tell you the same thing. In the end, I got fed up with these phone calls and allowed them to close the case but to add a note that I was not satisfied with the outcome. I wish you luck.

[Andrew17856]

It clearly is available, because you've enabled it before.  See the preceding post:

"in the end they agreed to "override the system" and renew my contract for 18 months with 18 months speed boost..."

So, it's just a matter of finding the right person within TalkTalk with sufficient access to the system to enable it.

Please can you escalate it as appropriate.

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Andrew,

I'm really sorry but the option to add the speed boost isn't available. I can only suggest following our Complaint Process, apologies again for any inconvenience.

Chris

[Andrew17856]

I have the same issue as the above.

I called your loyalty team to renew my TalkTalk contract.  I had speed boost enabled, and a sync speed of 50Mbps.

When I renewed, the loyalty team agent could not find the option on the system to keep the speed boost, because it was automatically removed by the system.  However, I was told that once I had renewed, I could call the customer services team and the speed boost would be added without additional cost.

Relying on that, I proceeded to renew my contract with TalkTalk.

Having called the customer services team, they can't find the option either.  It clearly exists somewhere, per the above.

Please can you therefore enable the super speed boost on my line without extra charge.  If you look at notes on my account you will see it confirms explicitly that the speed boost should be added without charge.

If the speed boost is not enabled, then my contract with you is voidable for misrepresentation.

Thank you in advance.

Andrew

[mudlux]

i have the same situation. contract up for renewal, already have speed boost and im told cant keep it on renewal. However after an hour on the phone and 3 people they explained it was because their system says i cant get over 40. i insist that i in fact get 45-50 and in the end they agreed to "overide the system" and renew my contract for 18 months with 18 months speed boost...why is it soooo hard!!

[bananasareyellow]

I phoned the customer loyalty team, but they said there was nothing they could do since the speed boost is not available currently for my address (even though I already have it). However, since the boost is an option that I can add anytime later, I've renewed my contract without it, and I'll keep looking to see if the option appears at some point in the future. I'm assuming this is to do with capacity in the street cabinet, and when my current speed boost is removed, it will then become available for me to add it back again!

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi @bananasareyellow

If you already have the speed boost it should remain on, I would advise calling our loyalty team to renew your contract. 

Regards

[bananasareyellow]

I have the same situation.

My TalkTalk 18 month contract has just ended, so my monthly cost has automatically gone up, as expected. The TalkTalk website has a Renew Contract link, but this does not offer me the Faster Fibre Speed Boost, even though I already have this boost!

Currently, a speed test in a web browser shows a download speed of 55 Mbps, and my router reports the following connection speeds:

Upstream line rate (kbit/s): 14434
Downstream line rate (kbit/s): 58877

Maximum upstream rate (kbit/s): 14355
Maximum downstream rate (kbit/s): 68048

The Broadband Availability Checker for my address shows the following speeds. I can't seem to include the screenshot, so here's the text:

VDSL Range A (Clean)

Downstream = [58 High, 39.6 Low], Upstream = [14.3 High, 8.8 Low]

VDSL Range B (Impacted)

Downstream = [56.1 High, 35 Low], Upstream = [14 High, 8 Low]

These figures seem to match what my router is reporting.

I checked the Sky website and likewise, it says I can have Sky Broadband Unlimited but it says Sky Fibre Max is "not available right now".

Is this something to do with capacity in the street cabinet, perhaps? If so, might the faster broadband become available again if I wait a bit?

[theronkinator]

I'm unsure how it can't be classed as a bug when the previous answer said you couldn't order if you wouldn't get over 40meg yet I've had 52. Then saying it's based on the openreach estimate, but their estimate is 60 when I check... Seems like a stupid way to lose customers and money, I can clearly benefit from the speed by a minimum of at least 25% and am happy to pay the extra so this is frankly baffling. 

[DanielP9690]

It's not a bug, it is a new thing being rolled out across all providers. As both myself and Martswain have mentioned above, TalkTalk are not the only ones doing this

ISP's are changing how they work due to new laws released by Ofcom. The packages "upto" speeds now have to be achievable by 50% of their customer base at peak times - If they sell the 80/20 service to customers who can achieve just over the lower 40/10 package, then those people will still count towards that products customer base and, as per the Ofcom ruling, will affect the advertised headline speed

So far, this affects TalkTalk, Sky and EE. Considering EE is owned by BT, I imagine it's only a matter of time until BT implement the change as well.

Sky Fibre Checkout

EE Fibre Checkout

Both of those show that I can't order the max package when I put my parents postcode in - I suggest you order from BT or Vodafone before they change how they work too!

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

As you are not a TalkTalk customer, we are unable to look at any circuit specifically and can only base the speeds on the general information that is given to us BT Openreach.  As this is consistent with the information you have also received directly from BT themselves whilst looking at their services as a possibility, we are unable to take this further.  

Thanks

Karl. 

[theronkinator]

Hi, could someone pick this up and look why every other supplier can do the 2nd tier fibre. Obviously the previous claim that it won't be available unless you can get over 40meg is flawed when I previously had 52, Vodafone will guarantee a minimum of 55 and Openreach say I should get 60+. It seems to be a bug in Talktalk's system.

[theronkinator]

@Karl-TalkTalk Sorry but is there no way you can double check this? Vodafone and BT are also happy to sell me the Faster Fibre, Vodafone will guarantee a minimum of 55meg so the issue is with Talktalks system, no need to override, just to fix the bug.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

we can only work to the line estimate supplied to us by BT Openreach.

If they declare to us that this line will not achieve more then we will not sell the elevated product to the customer.

This is something we here cannot change or override and is a business process.  If unhappy with this I can only direct you to follow our Complaint Process.

Thanks,

Karl. 

[theronkinator]

@Karl-TalkTalk  on what basis are you deciding the speed threshold is below 40, given I've had the full 52 from BT and the Openreach checker says I'll get 60+, it seems the system is broken.

[DanielP9690]

At the end of the day, it should be down to the customer. If the customer wants to spend an extra £5 in the hopes of getting slightly more speed, that's their choice! One thing the OP could look at is mobile broadband. I recently got an unlimited 4G service from Three and even with 2 bars of signal, it's faster than the 75Mb I get from TT. It's actually cheaper too at only £22 a month whereas I pay £27 a month for TT

Here is my Three mobile broadband (admittedly I bought a different 4G router as the one supplied is rubbish)

Here is my TT FTTC connection

Obviously it depends on signal in your area but if you're looking for faster speeds then it's definitely something you should consider

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

Just to confirm, our systems will not allow a faster fibre service to be added if the speed threshold is below 40mb.

Thanks

Karl. 

[martswain]

I think @DanielP9690  has hit the nail on the head.

My line can theoretically handle just over 40, but the minimum guaranteed speed/handback threshold is 30.

It looks like the new rules mean that ISPs are not going to sell you their faster service if the handback speed is not well above 40.

Hopefully TT's occasional mis-selling of the fibre boost on lines which cannot handle it will now cease.

I checked the SKY site, their fastest product is not available to me.

[DanielP9690]

Since the new advertising rules came in, some providers won't let you order the 80Mb package if you won't get as near to it as they'd like. I think if you don't exceed their "average upto" speed then you have to order the slower package! I think more providers are starting to do this as Sky has recently started doing it as well!