Can we talk talk-talk? A cold caller is offering stuff that seems to good to be true! What are they like, please??

[Pan]

I am currently with BT, and they are keen to charge for 'downloads' at a scary rate. ( I didn't know that using Youtube counts as a download!) So I get charged for 'excessive' downloading every month, even without actually downloading very much at all.

Talktalk woman who came a calling offers unlimited downloads and a cheap package for everything else for £23.80 per month incl line rental, anytime calls, router, ant-virus et al.

IS this too good to be true? Are they reliable for connections. (it's pointless having all of htis if stability is rubblish - BT score very well in this regard. I am about 3 miles from the exchange, and she tells me this has been upgraded equipment-wise v. recently)

Any obs. re talktalk??

tia.

and yes it should be too good in the title...

this upgraded the local exchange spiel seems to be being used all over the country to try and persuade you to change over, which makes me a bit cynical. haven't used them myself but they don't have a particularly good rep for reliability in my anecdotal experience

oh I see Chaos - ta.

I'm with them.

I find them generally reliable. Have the phone, broadband and tv/talktalk+ package (not sure if TV is available to new customers at the moment - there was talk of a re-launch later this year).

do you get unlimited downloads Chippin?

You might want to have a look at this current thread, and Talk-Talk's unhelpful response. (Talk-Talk representative came on the thread)

If that is representative of their customer service, I would personally be very reluctant to engage with them.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1324101-To-be-livid-with-Talk-Talk-on-behalf-of-my-very-elderly-parents-advice-welcome

My mum is with talk talk and has had nothing but problems with her internet ever since she switched. She can barely get a connection most days. She is fairly rural, and they are a hell of a way from the nearest TT base station in a hilly area which would seem like the reason to me (DH is in telecoms so know a bit about it). Has been on their case for 2 months and still no joy. She's counting the days till her contract ends in Dec.

I have broadband form Talk talk - and I'm losing the will to live. Cheap is all very well but the bloody thing looses its connection every 5 minutes and at busy times it can talk 10-15 mins to get a connection again - then it drops again after 10 mins.

I live in London its hardly the back of beyond or ancient infrastructure - my last supplier managed perfectly well with it. It think they just sell too many cheap packages then the lines clog up. Sure there is a more technical reason but basically I beleive thats the problem. I live for the day in 6 months when I'm out of contract.

Plusnet has a good reputation and is cheap.

Crumbs! That's all a bit concerning. I did think 'if it's too good to be true, then.....'.

thanks very much all for taking the time to post.

RUN RUN RUN FOR THE HILLS....

DO NOT REPEAT DO NOT TOUCH WITH A BARGE POLE

DH is in telecoms management and talk-talk are well know as the shites of the industry.

Don't touch them.

Right. that's it. I stick with BT and increase the download limit.

Am extremely grateful for this stuff, so mille grazie!!

< gavel>

You don't have to stick with BT. PlusNet they are a BT subsidiary they are normally cheaper than BT, much cheaper, if you are in the right area. They also have UK only call centres and appear to be generally easier to deal with.

I moved my mother in law to them and she has been pretty happy with the service. There are one or two unhappy customers out there, but my impression is that they have fewer unhappy customers than most.

If you have an O2 mobile, then you should get a good rate from O2, who also have a decent reputation.

returns gavel to table....thanks CAUP - will do some checking with them.

I'm a big fan of Bethere

I've been with them for nearly 5 years now and I've yet to get any snottograms about my downloading and trust me, I hammer my connection!

I rarely have to call them and when I do, I've never had to queue and the person answering is always knowledgeable which is good given I'm very technical so I don't need the other person treating me like a moron.

So for example, if I tell them my line is down, I want them to run a line check, not spend an hour asking me to check my own computer and to turn my router off/on!

"not spend an hour asking me to check my own computer and to turn my router off/on!" oh god that statement just wants to make me weep! Talktalk keep telling me they have checked the line and the speeds are fine. Yes thank you when its connected the speeds are fine... when it isn;t connected the speed is 0.

If they ask me to check my computer, whether its plugged into the master socket, what else I have plugged in etc etc etc then truly I will do someone an injury. Its all exactly the same as it has been for 10 years with no problems - the only change has been moving to Talktalk.

They have "fixed" it once when they told me I was on an "unstable platform" and they had moved me - no probelm s for many months when presumably they moved too many people who were complaining onto this mysteriously stable platform.

I don't are any more I'm not calling them again - I'm just marking time until I can move.

TalkTalk are really the pits. They are unsurprisingly the most complained about ISP in the country.

I had the misfortune of calling them once as a now ex-GF had broadband with them and couldn't get them to activate the line.

Now don't get me wrong, I set up call centres for a living so am well versed in processes and talking to Indian's. But TalkTalk seem to employ Indian's with a very low level of English language skill which really does not help. That combined with the lack of technical knowledge and an over reliance on call scripts makes them practically useless in my opinion.