Suffering and problems with TalkTalk broadband signup

[kev_gordon]

I originally signed up on the 2nd November for TalkTalk's 1Mb ADSL + Landline.

It now exactly 1 month later, and I still haven't been migrated from my old provider. To top it off, they (Pipex) have now suspended my service, and I am no closer to getting TalkTalk's landline or broadband.

I emailed Charles Dunstone, CEO of TalkTalk, this afternoon in desperation, as I am so hacked off. Here's a copy of the email, listing all the problems I've had, and the utterly unbelievable service I've been treated to. Bewarned, it's long, but makes a good read if you want a tale of woe and suffering....

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Dear Mr Dunstone,

Reference: Broadband and Landline application

I am writing to you personally as I am at the end of my tether with regards to the abysmal service that I am receiving in connection with my on-going attempts to join your Broadband + Landline scheme.

I called TalkTalk on the 2nd November after your 1mb broadband and Landline scheme were recommended to me by a friend who is already a TalkTalk customer. To date, now the 2nd December, I am still awaiting connection. To make matters worse, my current service provided by Pipex has been suspended as your company could not manage the migration in time.

I have kept notes on every phonecall to TalkTalk, and will list these below. I will try to keep this as short as possible, however, you will see that a catalogue of failed promises and poor service means that my comments are unavoidably lengthy.


2nd Nov-
I called my current ADSL provider Pipex and obtained a MAC code, which I was informed was valid for 30 days. I then called TalkTalk and joined your 1Mb ADSL + LandLine Talk 3 plan. I gave you the MAC code as requested, and was informed that the landline activation should take place within 15 days and the broadband 7 days after that.


11th Nov-
As I had not received any paperwork or any other communication I called TalkTalk. I spoke to someone over the phone who could not find a record of my broadband order. Apologising, he took my MAC code again, and said he would arrange to reprovision the line.

11th Nov-
I called back again on the same day and I spoke to Paul. Initially I called to ask about the referall scheme, as a voucher code did not arrive in my email until several days after my friend referred me. When Paul checked my records, once again he could not find any indication that my order has been processed, even from earlier on the same day!. He asked for the MAC code yet again, which I provided. He then told me the broadband would be reprovsioned once again. I was told that the broadband activation would take place first, followed by the landline.


17th Nov-
I was called on my home phone number by Keith. He asked me to confirm my MAC code. I provided this to him, and asked if there was a problem. I was told by Keith that there was no problem, and that he was just ensuring all the details were correct. He told me that the provisioning of the broadband service was going ahead as planned.


19th Nov-
I called TalkTalk and spoke to Rob, to enquire about the progress of my order. I was told that the order had not gone through, and he would have to reprovision the broadband once again. At this point, I was understandably extremely annoyed, and I asked that he find out why things were taking so long. He said he would find out and call me back.

19th Nov-
Later that day, I received a call back by Rob. I was informed that no action could be taken as the TalkTalk computer systems could not accept my 19 digit MAC code, and that this had only been just discovered as being the cause of the problem. He told me that your systems were being altered to allow the 19 digit MAC code within the next few days. He told me someone would call me within the next few days to let me know when the reprovisioning of my line had taken place. I did not receive any phone call in relation to this.

At the same time, I complained about the service I was receiving and asked to speak to a supervisor. Rob told me that he would pass my comments on, and a supervisor or manager would call me back. Once again, I did not receive any phone call.


26th Nov-
I called TalkTalk again, and spoke to Dean Baybut. He confirmed he knew about the 19 digit MAC code problem, and this had now been fixed. However he was unable to confirm what was happening with my order. After pressing him to give me some answers, he checked and told me that my MAC code had been entered and had done through the system, and that you were now simply awaiting BT to confirm that migration had taken place. He then put me on hold for about 5 minutes while he spoke to a manager. He told me it had gone through to BT and they were just waiting for confirmation from BT.

He then said as they had no definite details from BT, he would reprovion the broadband once again, just to be sure. Yet again, he asked for my MAC code, which I provided.

I enquired about my landline, and was told that this was still awaiting the broadband migration and would take place after migration had occurred. I voiced my annoyance that I had been waiting a month for this, and was paying BT phone rates unnecessarily.

I voiced my concerns about the impending 30 day validity period of the MAC code. I asked what would happen if it reached the 30 days and the line had not been migrated. He told me it would definitely take place before the 30 day expiry of the MAC code.

I voiced my concern about being billed and extra month from Pipex, if TalkTalk did not migrate my service before the end of the month. Once again Dean told me that it would take place before the end of the month.

I also voiced my concern about what would happen to my current ADSL service if it did not migrate before the 30 days, as I stressed the importance that I was not left without a broadband service. He told me that if migration did not go through by TalkTalk, Pipex would not stop my service until BT migrated the line, so I would definitely not be left in the situation of having no ADSL service.


1st Dec-
I found that my broadband service from my current provider Pipex, has been suspended. I am left without any sort of ADSL connection. I confirmed with Pipex, and they told me that my account has been suspended because once the MAC code is given, migration to the new supplier normally takes place within 6 days, and that is why they give 30 days which is normally plenty of time.

I phone TalkTalk and spoke to David Smith. He informed me he is a senior advisor. He checked my order on your system.

He told me that it appeared that the broadband migration was awaiting the landline migration, which is why it had not yet taken place. This is opposite to what I had been told on several occastion, in that the landline migration would take place after the broadband migration had gone through. He then checked the landline order and found that the landline migration was awaiting the broadband migration!

He then told me his supervisor had left, but another was due to come on shift at 6.30pm that evening, and he would email both managers the details of my order, and comments on my situation and the poor service I was receiving, and that he would personally endeavour to get this situation sorted out. David told me he was not happy with the situation, and would make sure my order was put on a high priority and would be dealt with first thing on the morning of the 2nd. I told him I wanted to speak to a supervisor, and he said he would ensure a supervisor would call me back later in the evening.

Later that evening, David did call me back. I was told that he would have to reprovision the line yet again first thing in the morning, and my order would be bumped up to the 1st in line to be processed. He said he should take 3 to 5 days for my broadband migration to take place.

David also told me that I should be offered compensation for the loss of my current ADSL service, and for the lack of service I have been given since the 2nd Nov. I told him that I did not want to talk about compensation until after I have a working broadband connection and Landline from TalkTalk.

Before the end of the call, David stressed how annoyed he himself was with my situation, and that he would deal with it personally. He told me he would call me back before 10am the following morning to update me on the situation.


2nd Dec -
Time 12:30pm. I have received no phone calls from anyone regarding my order.


It is at this point that I decided enough is enough and I am now writing this letter.

There are several other phone companies offering similar deals. Why I haven’t just told TalkTalk to cancel my order and walked elsewhere is beyond me. This letter is the last chance you have before I do just that.

As you will have read, I have been given the runaround time and time again. Failed promises, poor explanations, unreturned phone calls, missing order information, and a general lack professionalism and attention to detail seem to have been the order of the day. I’ve lost count of the number of times my order has been reprovisioned.

As of this moment I am left without a broadband service to my home, through no fault of my own. I am still paying BT phone call rates through no fault of my own. I do not know when, or even if, I will be migrated to TalkTalks broadband service, as the MAC code has now expired, and your broadband team say they will need to reprovision the line yet again.

Browsing through your company website, I found the page detailing your company philosophy and the Five fundamental rules:

If we don't look after the customer, someone else will.
Nothing is gained by winning an argument but losing a customer.
Always deliver what we promise. If in doubt, under promise and over deliver.
Always treat customers as we ourselves would like to be treated.
The reputation of the whole company is in the hands of each individual.

In my view, you have not lived up to the first four, and the response I get from this email will determine how I feel about the last rule.

I would appreciate a call back on xxxxxxxxxx by the end of today, Thursday 02/12/2004, even if it is to tell me my comments have been received and are being dealt with. There is nothing worse than being left in the situation of just waiting, and I have spent far too long over the course of the last month doing just that.
Kind Regards,
Kevin Gordon
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I know many people must be perfectly happy with their transition to TalkTalk, but how can things go so badly? Is it reasonable for me to expect that sometimes things go wrong? Surely they should never go this wrong? For anyone still wondering if it's worth the risk, well, maybe this post is food for thought.

I will post an update if anyone ever gets back to me from TalkTalk. I'm not holding my breath.