Intermittent Faults on Landline

[graemeglen1]

I've had an intermittent fault for months which I've lived with as it's so difficult to contact TalkTalk by any means these days. I haven't seen the pop-up opportunity for an online chat, which used to be permanently available, then became apparently random. Now it's just not there at all.

The original fault: for several minutes - sometimes as many as 10 - after finishing one call on the landline, I often wouldn't get a dialling tone at all. Now, for the last week, there's an additional problem and I've set a day aside to try and get through, somehow, to TalkTalk. I've not ruled out, however, resorting to pen and paper if I can find a postal address. It seems an extraordinary situation, for a communications company!

The additional problem now is that, whether I'm receiving or making a call, even after waiting for a dialling tone, once the call has been connected, ie, once the call timer starts counting up, there's absolute silence at my end. Sometimes the person on the other end can hear me: sometimes not. Sometimes, I even get through and can receive or make calls - I'd say at the moment it's approximately 50/50 - but I'm increasingly having to rely on my cellphone and indoor repeption here's not great.

Can anyone give me ANY contact number for TalkTalk, or tell me if/how online chat is still available, even randomly?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Graeme

Thanks for confirming your details. Please can you also provide your availability for this visit AM and PM?

Debbie

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Graeme

I'm just sending you a Private Message to confirm some details so I can arrange the engineer visit.

Thanks

Debbie

[graemeglen1]

Yes, please, Debbie.

Graeme.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Graeme

I will need to arrange another engineer visit to the property but I can add all these notes to the fault ticket

Are you happy for me to arrange this?

Thanks

Debbie

[graemeglen1]

Thanks, Debbie. That's great feedback. I'd much rather have bad news than no news! I don't suppose you've an approximate idea of when this can be tackled? (I won't hold you to it.)

Regards, Graeme.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Graeme

Thanks for the additional information.

I've told our Network Team and they have advised that we need to arrange another Openreach engineer visit.

They also advised that the engineers notes said that is DACs on the line and the engineer should be removing this as there are no orders we can place to do this ourselves. 

DAC’s is old copper equipment used to split 1 line. This is old technology and OR should be removing this whenever they come across it. 

[graemeglen1]

Hi, All.

I really don't want to muddy the waters - selfishly, I just want MY fix :-). However, this might be pertinent. I've been at a neighbour's house. He's also a TalkTalk customer. He's been in a rest home for a month so his landline hasn't been used. I've used his it (with his consent!) within the last hour and its' suffering from the same problem as mine. It definitely won't have been reported as a problem yet but it's another one to add to the four already in this locality.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Graeme

It's no problem and I'm really sorry that this fault is still ongoing.

I should have some information later this morning or early this afternoon.

Thanks

Debbie

[graemeglen1]

Thanks for the emailed updates, Debbie. I really appreciate them.

Graeme.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi graemeglen1

The line tests are clear so I'm contacting our Network Team for their advice on this fault.

I will post back as soon as I receive further information.

Thanks

Debbie

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi graemeglen1

The notes advise 28/01.

I'm just going to do some testing now and I will post back shortly.

Thanks

Debbie

[graemeglen1]

Hi, Debbie.

I've literally just tried again, two minutes ago. Out of six attempts, 1, 2, and 5 worked: 3, 4, and 6 failed. Same sort of results yesterday. Do you know when the line card was supposedly replaced/fixed?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi graemeglen1

I think the work with the card was completed at the exchange, that's what is on the notes.

Did the same fault happen yesterday and today?

[graemeglen1]

Hi, Debbie. I can't understand why the Openreach engineer reported the fault as resolved. This really is most frustrating after a week without progress. The engineer told me categorically on Friday that he couldn't fix it as it was a problem with a TalkTalk line card (whatever that is) in the green cabinet down the road. Three other TalkTalk customers were/are apparently affected in the local area. I'm still no further forward. I've tested the line again, as I do regularly throughout the day. I sometimes get a dialling tone: sometimes not. When I do get a dialling tone and attempt to dial out, I get connected about 50% of the time. The rest of the time, it's just silence. (I can no longer comment on incoming calls. They've had to be diverted to my mobile since I first reported the fault last Wednesday.)

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi graemeglen1

The Openreach engineer has left the below notes on the fault report:

Actions to resolve: Engineer has resolved the fault located at the exchange.

Please let me know if you are still experiencing the fault with the landline today and I will complete some further line tests.

Thanks

Debbie

[graemeglen1]

An Openreach engineer visited as arranged. He tested my home setup and found nothing wrong, then went out to check the local green cabinet. He reported back that the fault was on one of the TalkTalk line cards so there was no more he could do. There had been, apparently three other similar reports of intermittent faults - no dialling tone or silence - in the last 48 hours or so. Whilst the engineer was still with me, I got a text (TalkTalk Update) saying that an engineer has recently done some repair works - it might take a few days to adjust. The engineer confirmed he had absolutely not done any repair work but the text is apparently, according to a TalkTalk operator I spoke to earlier today, a standard automated text that gets sent out even when nothing has been done.

So I'm still a bit in the dark as to what's happening or when. In the meantime, my landline only works about 50% of the time and I rely on it if I have to press my alarm pendant.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hi,

Thanks for the update and please let us know how you get on.

Thanks

[graemeglen1]

Thanks for the contact numbers. I did find one eventually on the website but it's not exactly what you might call prominent! Thanks also, Michelle. I've updated my details and even got through to someone on the contact number when my landline did, randomly, work. I've an Openreach visit booked and the landline number's being diverted to my mobile for the time being.

[martswain]

0345 172 0046/0088

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/Our-live-chat-team/ta-p/2230529#U2230529

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

Can you please update your community profile to include your:

• Name


• Telephone number


• Alternative contact number


 

We'll then look into this further. Please do not post this information on this thread. Once you've updated your profile please post in your topic to confirm it's updated.

Thanks