'My TalkTalk broadband contract was cancelled unexpectedly'
Do you have an issue you need put right? Which? is here to help get your consumer problems sorted.
Dear Which?,
I received an email out of the blue from my broadband provider TalkTalk. It read: ‘Sorry that you’re thinking of leaving us - here are our early disconnection fees’.
This wasn’t something that I had initiated, so I immediately contacted TalkTalk to find out what happened but was told it was too late for anything to be done.
The next day, TalkTalk confirmed that my broadband was being disconnected. It said if I wanted it reconnected, this would take 14 days due to the timeframes used by the installer, Openreach.
I complained about the disconnection, but all I received back was a daily text message stating someone would be in touch about my complaint. I’ve also received confirmation of a disconnection fee and a request to return my router or pay a further £50.
I’ve now had to arrange a new broadband package and installation with a different provider.
Is there any advice you can offer?
Roland Phillips
Put to Rights
Tali Ramsey, consumer rights expert at Which?, says
I contacted TalkTalk on your behalf and it told me that it disconnected your broadband in error. It said it would compensate you £130 for loss of service, and a further £50 as a goodwill gesture.
TalkTalk said that once a customer’s account has been disconnected, the only way to get back online is to place a new order. It apologised and confirmed that you won’t need to pay the disconnection fee it initially requested.
It's unclear exactly what caused the error in this instance, but if you experience poor service from your broadband provider, you have a right to make a complaint under the Consumer Rights Act.
If you don’t receive a satisfactory solution from your provider within eight weeks, you can escalate your complaint to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme. Your provider will either be signed up to a scheme operated by the Communications & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) or Ombudsman Services: Communications.
The telecoms regulator Ofcom doesn’t investigate individual customer complaints, but it’s worth reporting the issue as it may investigate the provider in question if numerous customers report similar problems.
Need to know
- Learn about the protections offered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
- See our advice on when to take a complaint to the ombudsman.
- Read about your rights when it comes to broadband billing and service problems.
Get in touch. If you've got a consumer rights problem you need put right email us at yourstory@which.co.uk
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