Why is Talktalk's upgrade offer to me so bad?

[Cypher]

I'm currently on a legacy 150 speed connection with Talktalk for about £30 a month and am looking for a better deal. The small block of flats that I live in all have a Cityfibre connection, and yet the only available upgrade offer in my account is to "Renew to Fibre 150 for just £40.95 a month, 24 month contract"?

Why would I want to pay £11 more a month for the same speed I'm getting already? Why, when I log out of my account and use Talktalk's service checker for the other flats in the building, does it offer a Full Fibre 500 deal for just £34 a month? And a Full Fibre 900 deal for £39.95? Why am I not being offered these services despite having a Cityfibre connection here in my room?

I'm checking with other services and IDNet, Vodafone, Zen, and several others can all offer me 500+ speed for less money than Talktalk want to charge me for 150.

As a customer of several years I can't help feeling insulted at this joke of an 'upgrade' offer. Could someone explain what's going on here? A glitch in the system? Or is there a reason why 150 is the best speed they can offer despite several other ISPs offering up to 900?

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Cypher, your previous thread was archived along with everyone else's prior to a certain date not so many months ago, just because of the need to tidy up space on the forum

There was nothing insidious about its removal. 

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Cypher, it does not really matter any more, does it?

Talktalk have you down as being on Gfast & cannot simply flip a switch. 

As I said, it might actually have been very brief.

But just because CityFibre has installed it doesn't mean it's available right now with Talktalk. 

[Cypher]

Yes, the replies were pretty baffling, Dismaid. As you said, they don't really care. But at this point I don't want them to do anything anyway. They already caused me a big headache as you can see from my thread which has mysteriously disappeared from the forum but is still visible via Bing here: Speed dropped from 150 to 75 after FTTP installed: farcical customer service - Search (bing.com)

I'm moving away from Talktalk to a better provider.

[Cypher]

No, it's you who are incorrect. I have FTTP installed by Cityfibre. It's right here in my room, I'm looking at it as I type this.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@dismaid, you are not correctly informed. The switch from Gfast to Full Fibre is like from FTTC. So new infrastructure. 

The cease service may be brief, but it will be there. 

From BTTcoms:

 

[dismaid]

I sympathise with Cypher.  Why does the service have to be stopped, and even if it does, how long does it take to get it running again with a new provider/service.  You are not installing any new wires or fibre.  Why would it take more then two minutes to fix at the exchange or the control box in the basement or similar.  And why are you showing absolutely no interest in solving the problem, but simply repeating a cold and indifferent explanation that its not possible - 'the line will need to be stopped then a new order placed, meaning you will have a loss of service'.  You have effectively received an order already, so get Cypher's formal application, then stop the service if you have to, but be ready to reinstate it immediately under the new service type.  The words "it's not possible" do not belong in the response to this thread.   Get your management and engineers off their backsides and make it possible.  It is this lack of empathy that TalkTalk shows for its customers problems that has got it where it is.

I wonder how long it would take for one of your competitors to switch Cyber to their faster service ?  I'll bet that for them 'it is possible' and its possible pretty quickly too.

[Cypher]

I give up...

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Your current service is called G.fast which was our older Full fibre service,  its not possible to regrade the service to new Full fibre as the line will need to be stopped then a new order placed, meaning you will have a loss of service.

[Cypher]

I appreciate you're here communicating but could you please be a bit more explanatory with your answers? What do you mean you have to cancel and re-order? What is it that you have to cancel? And why? I have the connection already here in my room. 

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Basically we cant give you Full fibre without cancelling the line and then re-ordering. 

[Cypher]

I don't know what that means or how I can use that information to help.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

The issue as far as I can see, is that we don't have the option (yet) to move you to FTTP also known as full fibre, from Gfast without a cease and re-provide.

[Cypher]

Well I just spoke to Talktalk customer services. The best they could do for me as a loyal customer was to remain on my current 150 plan for £3 less per month. I was told that 47% of Talktalk users aren't properly connected with Cityfibre and that I am one of those people. This was after I'd already told him that I have a Cityfibre connection right here in my room, and that other ISPs have offered me deals with their Cityfibre service.

To be honest I'm left quite bemused by this. If I log out of my account and use Talktalk's own service checker, it offers me up to 900 speed deals at the other five flats in my building. But apparently when it comes to my flat the Talktalk computer says no. Well, the other ISP computers say yes. Vodafone can do me 500 up/down for £30 a month. So, unless Talktalk pull something out the bag, that's where I'm going.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi Cypher

You are currently a G-fast customer so you would need to call our loyalty team on the number given and they will be able to help. 

Regards

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Cypher, we always recommend that customers don't take the renewal offers at face value, and don't renew through My Account. 

You can avoid unwanted extras and usually negotiate a better deal via Chat or phoning 03451 720088. 

Speak to the "loyalty team".

However, if very fast speeds are available to your neighbours, it doesn't mean that Talktalk can offer the same. The infrastructure companies, like Cityfibre  or Openreach have deals with specific ISPs, and till they do the deal with Talktalk, you can't expect Talktalk to make it available. 

Chat / phone support will be able to confirm what's actually available for you. They'll be open live from 9am.