Full Fibre nonsense

[rayd8or1]

On 12th February my fibre 65 stopped working, it was installed 2 years ago. I contacted TalkTalk and eventually an engineer was sent. The engineer arrived at 9am (was told 1-6pm slot!) and found the service light out on the ONT. He made a call and the service light came on. He could not connect to the internet. For some reason at about 8pm the internet came on. 2 days later internet off again. Contacted online chat, which if I'm being brutally honest is appalling unless it's just a loose cable. After about 3 hours of being bounced from one agent to another and going over the same questions repeatedly I was so frustrated that I used my phone to look at Zen Broadband. I was about to switch, when TalkTalk phoned me. The agent told me that to solve my problem I should switch from Fibre 65 to Fibre 500. It was at a better price and with the latest modem which would be with me in 3-5 days. In total I spent 8 hours on the phone and online chat, it is not fit for purpose. After 5 days and no router appearing, I contacted chat again. It would appear that my fibre 65 was cancelled, therefore no internet. I was not told that I would be without internet as I was simply switching from one service to another. I was told that I had a go live date of 17th March 2025 and an engineer would come and install the full fibre! What? No matter how many times I tried to explain that full fibre is already installed no one seemed capable of understanding this. I assumed I was just switching from fibre 65 to 500. I am so angry and frustrated, I work from home for a local hospice, my wife works for a medical museum and needs internet at home to plan visits and talks, my security cameras require Wifi as does my printer. So in summary TalkTalk have deprived me of our work, security and general internet usage for over a month. Nothing seems to change when I try to speak to them, just reminder emails of my impending totally unnecessary installation. PLEASE can someone sort this out before I explode!!!!! I had aggressive prostate cancer diagnosed in July 2024 and a prostatectomy in August. I rely on the internet to receive appointments etc, this is really affecting me and my family at this important time.

[siphosethu-TT]

You have to stay on the line as they are probably queuing, they usually advise you to go there if you are in a rush. I've provided a chat link though so please try that. Thanks

03451720074

Opening Hours:

VOICE - Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm; Sat: 9am-6pm; Sun: closed

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/FutureFibre/bd-p/FutureFibre

[jamieburchell]

I did, you told me to call a number when my broadband is dead that refers me to an online service then hangs up 😂

[siphosethu-TT]

Hi there @jamieburchell, please start your own thread so we're able to assist you. Thanks

[jamieburchell]

When I first contacted "support" about my VDSL sync speed suddenly dropping from 40Mbps to ~7Mbps, they asked "where in the house is your WiFi signal the weakest?" On replying that I used an ethernet cable from my laptop direct to the router and that the WiFi signal was irrelevant to this issue, they persisted with the same question. I reiterated that I used a wired connection to the router and they explained that they needed to establish where in the house the problem was happening the most.

After going around in circles for a bit, I had the issue escalated (what does that do, exactly?) and a complaint was raised. The next operative sympathised with how frustrating it must have been to be repeatedly asked irrelevant questions and assured me they would resolve the issue now. Can you imagine my surprise when the question that followed was none other than "where in the house is your WiFi signal the weakest?".  I replied "are you seriously asking me that question?" and the response? "Yes".

At best it's like chatting to a terrible AI bot. Zero intelligence is applied to any conversation. I see why a script must exist, but it's not fit for purpose. I collared an Openreach engineer outside my house about my particular issue and they said "it'll be those trees opposite interfering with the copper cable and causing a High Resistance fault, it won't show up on a line test.". There is a reluctance to send an engineer out unless their system identifies a line issue. I would have been quite happy paying a fee if the fault was found to be mine instead of being left high and dry.

[rayd8or1]

Jamie, I feel your pain! In one of my posts I said TalkTalk need to seriously look at their customer service. If you forgot to switch the router on, or have a loose cable, it's great. Anything 'off script' and it's not fit for purpose. Hope you get sorted, just don't give in!!

[jamieburchell]

I think I've aged about 5 years extra and my blood pressure has been significantly affected by TalkTalk. Reading your story, I sympathise and lucky you for getting somewhere.

I moved to FTTP because nobody could tell my why my FTTC connection was only syncing at 7Mbps all of a sudden. Now I'm having problems with FTTP randomly stopping working. New cables, new Wi-Fi Hub 3, new ONT.

Called the support number...

"You can now do everything online, we'll send you a text with a link. Goodbye." [call hangs up]

It would be funny if it wasn't so blatantly ridiculous.

[rayd8or1]

Well TalkTalk fans I have an update. To save you reading the whole thread, 2 months ago I lost internet, was advised to upgrade to Full Fibre 500. Lost my original connection as TalkTalk decided to start me on a new package. 7 weeks later, after numerous 8 hour calls and much frustration and anger, I was up and running, annnnnd.....breathe!!!

I then recieved £12.48 compensation!!! For no service, that I was paying for, for 7 weeks!!!

More complaining and arduous phone calls. I was told that TalkTalk are part of an industry wide auto-compensation scheme and any awards are non negotiable. I therefore assumed that £12.48 was all I was going to get. I was also told that the scheme kicks in 30 days after your issue has been resolved, so maybe there was more?

Last week I received an email from TalkTalk, they said they were very sorry about my loss of service and all the delays in fixing the problem etc. So as a way of compensating me, they credited my account with £379!!!

To say I was shocked would be an underestimation!!!

Point of this post is, don't give up!!

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi @rayd8or1

I have passed the details to the auto compensation team. 

They will contact you via SMS/ Email when the investigation is complete. 

[Arne-TalkTalk]

I will look into this for you.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@rayd8or1, that doesn't sound right!

Try posting afresh in the billing section of the forum and see if staff can look into it.

Add a link in your new topic to this thread for reference purposes. 

[rayd8or1]

Well, here's the final kick in the whatsits..... Auto compensation for nearly 7 weeks of no service....... drum roll.......£12.48

Utter joke and no right to contest it as it's apparently agreed across the industry.

Just sums up the whole experience of my last 2 months....Bye!!!!

[Chris-TalkTalk]

I'm glad to hear that you've been happy with the help provided by the Community and thanks for your feedback about customer services. If you do experience any further problems please let us know and we'll be happy to help

Chris

[rayd8or1]

Thank you Chris. The staff and volunteers on here have been great. I really do think that TalkTalk need to take a long hard look at their online Chat and customer service when you ring them. I fully understand that for most simple issues, it all works fine. But once you get anything 'off script' it's a frustrating and anger inducing experience. For example, on one 8 hour shift (for me that is!) I spoke to at least 10 different 'agents'. Each one took me painstakingly through the exact same process every time. "Check the lights, Is it on? Are the cables in? Restart the router..." etc. This is really not helpful when the next 'agent' has no idea that you've already done all that 9 times before and insist on doing it all again or they can't continue 'the checks'.

I know deep down that 99% of customers have no issue and that from a business standpoint, there is no incentive for TalkTalk to improve this side of their business. Everything is just fine, until it isn't, and that's when the 1% get bad service when they need good service the most. 

Anyway enough from me and I hope, but doubt, that any of you have to go through my experience in the future. Good luck all and stay strong because if you do have an 'off script' problem you better be ready for a long drawn out encounter. Adios!!!

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Ray,

I'm glad to hear that you're back on line, I'm sorry it took so long, apologies for any inconvenience. If you do experience any further problems just let us know

Chris

[rayd8or1]

At long last! After almost 7 weeks of nonsense I am officially online!!! Finally an engineer who knew what he was doing and was prepared to listen to the whole saga and just logically work it out. And, I was correct all along, which gives me no pleasure. It was the connector on the pole opposite my house like I've being trying to tell TalkTalk but no one would listen. Of the 12 available slots, 7-12 were dead. Fortunately the engineer was able to locate an available slot to the rear and got me connected. VOIP working too. So I'm sad to be leaving you all and returning to a vaguely normal life where I don't have to hotspot from my phone at 5mbps (akin to dial-up for those of you old enough to remember). Security cameras and printer back to life, which all seems so trivial, and like most things you only miss when they're gone. So goodbye and I wish you all well and just hope you don't end up in TalkTalk online chat land where nonsense seems to exist just to annoy us all. 

[rayd8or1]

Just Dm'd you Chris as it's getting beyond a joke now....

[rayd8or1]

I hope so. Can anybody at TalkTalk explain why, when I was switching from Fibre 65 to Fibre 500, my Fibre 65 was cancelled? My original ONT was with City Fibre and the new one is with OpenReach just adding to the confusion. If only TalkTalk had bothered to explain this was going to happen, I wouldn't have bothered. They contacted me and suggested the upgrade so they must have known what was about to happen but simply 'forgot' to tell me. Annoying beyond belief!!

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi rayd8or1,

I'm sorry this is taking so long to resolve, hopefully you won't have to wait much longer

Chris

[rayd8or1]

Thank you. I hope you are proven correct. It's surprising how much one needs WiFi. Security cameras, my charity work, printer, online shopping, appointments for my cancer treatment are all online and any medical results, and also just general use like TV and browsing. I am genuinely appalled at the low level of service by TalkTalk, no contact whatsoever despite many promises. I, like most people, can deal with delays if I am told about them and they actually pan out as promised. But not knowing what is going on leads to much frustration and eventual anger. It is all unnecessary and now being committed to another 2 years, I just hope I don't run into any more issues, I think I've had my share!!

[Gliwmaeden2]

@rayd8or1, the compensation scheme ought to apply here:

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/About-your-auto-compensation-credit/ta-p/2326583

It gets sorted out AFTER resolution of an issue, but if nothing shows up after a month from it eventually being sorted, chase it up in the billing section of the forum.