Any experience of Talk Talk

[DaveC]

Just wondered if anyone out there has any experience (good or bad) of Talk Talk, as a telephone service provider and as an ISP?

 

Seems to be a good deal on their web site, including one of those TV boxes that will record freeview and including all telephone calls. (This being for a home phone not mobile.)

 

Answer by PM if you prefer not to give your opinion via an open forum.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Dave

 

 

[Leo No2]

I was with Mercury Communications (remember them?), who passed their customers on to Tiscali and then to Talk Talk. I found Talk Talk quite awful as far as customer service were concerned, they continued to reinstate my Direct Debit more than a year after I had moved everything back to BT (and they are nothing to write home on about customer service). I had to talk to Ofcom about them and eventually I had all my money reinstated and some compensation.

 

They probably provide as good a service technically as the others but their customer service was quite awful. However that was four years ago now. We used to say in the airline industry that any airline could get you from LHR to LAX but it was how you got them there that mattered.

[Clo]

My parents have been with them for years for telephone and broadband.

My mum likes the packages they give out on the telephone so she only pays for line rental and the packages.

The Internet is good never had issue, not the fastest but them we are in a rural location.

Customer service is ok as well not the fantastic but no means terrible. They also have been good for competing with competition and when threaten with leaving they have given more discount.

 

Hope that helps.

[Albion]

I was with Tinyworld (no you probably don't remember them) and when they went bust Tiscali took over their customers. Eventually Tiscali went down and Talk Talk took over. Absolutely crap customer service in my opinion. It was OK (tolerable) as long as you didn't need their help and things ran smoothly but when they didn't it was awful. I decided to change and went to PlusNet who have been great for customer service. However I had to have a lengthy discussion with Talk Talk's customer leaving department when trying to get my MAC (Migration Authorisation Code). The guy was only trying to do his job but in the end I had to repeat 'Just give me my MAC code please as I am definitely leaving you!' several times before he gave up trying to prevent me leaving. My advice would be to try PlusNet but I have no idea whether they give you the hardware that you are seeking. I'm with PlusNet for ISP and Phone by the way.

This was about 18 months ago.

Roger

Edited November 30, 2013 by Albion

[andyb116]

Having been with tiscali, then talk talk, I can say the service is ok until you need to deal with there customer services. Having recently moved from land to boat , when I phoned them to give them a months notice that I was moving and would not need a landline service any more, they said it was no problem as I was well out of contract. They then promptly cut my phone off immediately. When I contacted them (@ stupid money a minute) they basically said tough. Still waiting 3 months later for my account credit to be refunded!!!!

[Guest]

If you are in a Virgin Media Cabled area have a serious look at them too.

 

Like the others their customer service and technical support is dire when things go wrong but it seems to so rarely do so these days that it doesn't matter. Cable is far superior to 'copper wire' broad band.

 

If no cable I would have a look at Plus Net (like Albion) as they seem to have some excellent deals at the moment and I think their customer service is UK based rather than Mumbai based which helps considerably when you are trying to describe an issue to them. If I couldn't for any reason get Virgin Cable, PlusNet is who I would be trying.

 

PlusNet linky

[John Williamson 1955]

I've got no personal experience, but all the people who I know who've had Talktalk have had problems with both getting faults repaired and quality of service.

[GUMPY]

We have 2 TT lines one for the boat and one for the cottage.

Cottage one is fine 3.75mb in a rural area, boat one can be a bit iffy in cold weather needs rebooting every so often. I should really sort it out but just can't be bothered.

Needed to contact CEO (Dido Harding) to get it connected to the boat as customer services didn't service.

Both lines are faster than with the previous ISP and much cheaper, all in all provided you don't need customer services they are fine.

[blackrose]

Don't do it!

 

http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.talktalk.co.uk

[Chris G]

Used TalTalk as ISP, phone, phone line rental and TV (youview). All works well. Only contacted Customer Services once, about TV. Problem sorted reasonably quickly.

[Albion]

If you are in a Virgin Media Cabled area have a serious look at them too.

 

Like the others their customer service and technical support is dire when things go wrong but it seems to so rarely do so these days that it doesn't matter. Cable is far superior to 'copper wire' broad band.

 

If no cable I would have a look at Plus Net (like Albion) as they seem to have some excellent deals at the moment and I think their customer service is UK based rather than Mumbai based which helps considerably when you are trying to describe an issue to them. If I couldn't for any reason get Virgin Cable, PlusNet is who I would be trying.

 

PlusNet linky

I'm on fibre broadband with PlusNet as I'm nearly in the town centre and can see the BT junction cabinet from our kitchen window so the copper cable length is very short. Line speed is 80Mb/s (measured at the house master BT socket) but appliance speeds are lower of course. I have seen 76Mb/s on a laptop connected to the router by Ethernet cable but that isn't how I normally connect so is a special case. I can confirm that PlusNet's service is good and is UK based. In the early days I was having a problem with my e-mail using Outlook (can't remember exactly what now) and the technical customer service guy took control of my PC and discovered that it was something with my Outlook rather than with their system/line. He said that technically that was my problem but as he was intrigued by the problem he went in and sorted it for me even though it was down to my software. Now that is the sort of customer service that I wouldn't have got from TT.

Roger

[Richard10002]

I've got no personal experience, but all the people who I know who've had Talktalk have had problems with both getting faults repaired and quality of service.

+1 sister got talked into it by cheap deals - very disappointed. We are with Virgin Media and it seems reliable after 8 months. Nevertheless, 1 outage of broadband, for 5 days - very annoying! Customer service very good.

[Guest]

I'm on fibre broadband with PlusNet as I'm nearly in the town centre and can see the BT junction cabinet from our kitchen window so the copper cable length is very short. Line speed is 80Mb/s (measured at the house master BT socket) but appliance speeds are lower of course. I have seen 76Mb/s on a laptop connected to the router by Ethernet cable but that isn't how I normally connect so is a special case. I can confirm that PlusNet's service is good and is UK based. In the early days I was having a problem with my e-mail using Outlook (can't remember exactly what now) and the technical customer service guy took control of my PC and discovered that it was something with my Outlook rather than with their system/line. He said that technically that was my problem but as he was intrigued by the problem he went in and sorted it for me even though it was down to my software. Now that is the sort of customer service that I wouldn't have got from TT.

Roger

 

Sorry yes my post gave the impression you can't get cable with PlusNet which of course you can, we can't yet as we are not in a BT cable area (which I believe you need to be able to get Fibre with PlusNet)

 

BT Fibre has thus far only got as far as the nearest larger town seven miles away. The rest of our area was cabled back in the old NTL/Telewest days probably fifteen or sixteen years ago now.

[keble]

Like others, TT were OK until things went wrong. In my case the cable between road and house went t*ts up but they totally resisted getting it sorted. It took emails to the man at the top to get it fixed (and far too much stress while going upriver to Stratford!)

Went back to BT who seem a bit more flexible. But that was 4 years ago, maybe they have improved?

[Detling]

Been with Talk talk for last 4 years no trouble at all, very good value for money, so I'm happy. But, I have never had a problem so never needed to contact customer service. I hope I have not released the gremlins in saying that.

[matty40s]

http://youtu.be/NXQYyKzyDaE

 

brilliant band

[Simple Things]

Talk Talk nightmare for when you need a problem rectified. They first blamed me, then the BT lines, then, after three weeks accepted it was their fault. A little bit stressfull being passed from pillar to post in those three weeks and communication difficulties too.

 

BT. Never again. Nasty to do business with. Would go with talk talk any day over these. Check out facebook for the i hate bt page.

 

Virgin Media. Love You. I want you back.

[billh]

Been with TT for about 3 years now, phone & broadband. Significantly cheaper than BT. BT were charging me a fortune for landline phone only and I left them when they sent me a completely incomprehensible 9page bill for only a few calls.

TT is pretty reliable, I had a line problem a couple of weeks ago, reported it on their website, they tested it from (somewhere) result was phone fault detected and, according to them, an outdated (TT) router .Openreach man turned up within a couple of hours and fixed the fault on the BT line and a new free router delivered a few days later, they haven't asked for the old one back. I can't complain on reliability,price or service

[Biggles]

Just wondered if anyone out there has any experience (good or bad) of Talk Talk, as a telephone service provider and as an ISP?

 

Seems to be a good deal on their web site, including one of those TV boxes that will record freeview and including all telephone calls. (This being for a home phone not mobile.)

 

Answer by PM if you prefer not to give your opinion via an open forum.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Dave

 

 

 

I have 4 TT accounts at different properties. Mainly for CCTV live feed and resale BB but not used for calls or TV feed.

 

I have to say I'm delighted with them. Those that know me in real life or on forum world know I would only offer my true opinion.

[Kae]

I've had horrendous dealings with TalkTalk and BT. If you don't fit in their tick boxes, you're banjaxed!

 

I hate TT customer services with a passion, and after 3 months of them buggering around, they cancelled my package (that they still hadn't installed) and then I had to threaten them with legal action to get my money back!

 

BT only slightly better, at least they've installed a line, faulty as it may be!

 

I'm glad that my phone line is the only tethered "service" I have to buy. Getting coal in bags, gas in bottles and diesel via the pump is a damn site less stressful!

[DaveC]

Well as always there are mixed views. Still undecided but many thanks to everyone that responded.

 

Dave