Talk Talk opinions sought, sorry!

[sparky]

Hi guys,

I know that the title of this post is likely to result in a big flame, but please bear with me and understand my problem.

I have had intermittent phone line problems for six months, since BT "fixed", supposedly at the exchange, a hard problem on my line last August. I've gone through all the usual channels and done all the usual things, which is quite easy as I have a 1980's style master socket with just the one phone jack. So I've tried different routers and splitters plugged in directly, etc etc. But when I get a crackly line I can plug nothing other than a wired BT phone directly into the master socket and I still get the crackling. BUT it's intermittent. Very bad some evenings and mornings, non existant at other times. I've tried switching everything off in the house as well. BT say there is nothing wrong with my line when they test it (i wonder how flippin good these tests that they run really are because they dont show a fault even when its crackling) and will only send an engineer out if I agree to pay them. No deal. My IP profile is currently set at 500kbps but has been as low as 135kbps. My connection (not IP Profile) today is 3616, but that will only stay until the router re-synchs and it will drop tonight. It will resynch as soon as the phone rings this evening. Prior to this problem starting I had a solid connection of 4640kbps and an ip profile of 4000 kbps.

So, an option that I have is to transfer to TalkTalk LLU. It might not (and most probably wont) fix my problem, but if I have to suffer a cr*p line, I might as well save myself what would amount to £200 per year. At this point let me say that I don't want to leave Idnet, but I cannot justify paying £17.99 a month, plus BT line rental, for a premium internet connection that I am not getting, no fault of Idnet.

Now I know that TT get slated in various areas, but DSL Zone have them resonably highly rated now. I've seen complaints in forums, like rubbish and So Slooooooow! etc, but no justification to these bad comments. If I could get 1000kbs, it would be better than I currently get.

Has anyone here any recent experience of TalkTalk LLU and can honestly justify their opinions. I am not an online gamer, just a middle aged guy who needs access to the internet for work, shopping  and email, the occasional file downloads, Skype and the occasional video link on some web sites.

Cheers.

[dujas]

Well the downside to TalkTalk is their poor customer service and being trapped in a 12 or 18 month contract.

BT Openreach shouldn't charge you if the line fault is on their side of the responsibility divide; assuming you've exhausted the support of Idnet and BT Retail, have you considered AAISP's "we'll fix your line" pledge?

[Glenn]

The problem with moving to another provider, even on LLU, is the 'final mile' is always the same BT cabling, so wherever you go, the problem will still exist, and most likely the very slow connection.

I had a intermittent noisy phone myself earlier this year, the engineer couldn't hear any noise on the line when he arrived, but did some tests outside, 4 days later, BT dug up my lawn and replaced the line.

[Simon]

Most of the people who comment here on Talk Talk have come from them, due to them being unhappy with the service.  In truth, they are probably no better or worse than other mass market ISPs, but you're tied into a long contract, and you won't get the same standard of customer service as you get with IDNet, and other smaller providers.

[sparky]

have you considered AAISP's "we'll fix your line" pledge?

Thanks, that's a good one.........might investigate that further.....

I understand the business of customer service not being so good and yes, it's an 18 month contract, but my contract with BT has been about "25 years" !!  I'm also aware of the "final mile", but I'm just so fed up with having to pay good money and getting a s*** service, not only broadband but voice to. I just as well pay as little as possible for a s*** service ! (no reflection on idnet I might add).


Idnet support have helped me, but as BT are my phone provider then there is nothing they can do. I have to raise it with BT as a voice fault, and BT say there is nothing wrong. Having read various forums on the internet, am I mistaken or is this type of fault just  getting more and more common and all BT do is put little "gottcha's" in place so that they don't have to use engineers time to resolve them at their cost.

[dujas]

Its because the regulatory standard of service requirement on BT Openreach is so low, that your telephone line has to effectively cease functioning for them to feel pressured into properly diagnosing and fixing the problem. Unfortunately Ofcom seems solely focused on broadband competition and consumer pricing, rather than the infrastructure and its state of repair.

[Steve]

As Glenn said the final mile is down to BT, so whilst you may save some money you'll be tied in probably with the same issues for 18 months instead of 1 month,at least with AAISP its a one month contract,free if they can't solve the problem I believe.So I suppose little to loose but logically I can't see what they can achieve that IDNet can't.

[Glenn]

There is the option of moving your voice traffic to IDNet, they can then fight BT to fix the line problem, as with the BB it is a monthly contract.

[dujas]

Another approach for those who have their voice services with BT Retail is to email the CEO of BT Group, ian.livingston@bt.com, it can be effective in getting BT to deal with an issue.

And when the telephone line is crackly, phone up BT and report a voice fault. Ask the operator if they can also hear it, if they can, ask them to add that fact to the fault notes, it can count as a proof.

[sparky]

Thanks for the opinions guys. A few things for me to think about here.

You are all right about the contract issue, I'd hate to make a big mistake and be tied in for 18 months.

[sparky]

Can't believe it !

Just done a speedtest and got this-

Download speedachieved during the test was - 2791 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 600-7150 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :3616 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 3000 Kbps

Unbelieveable!  If an engineer arrived to test my line now, I would no doubt get a bill!

But the same test yesterday looked like this,

Download speedachieved during the test was - 471 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 50-500 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :2798 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 500 Kbps

I've started powering off the router after 6PM if I'm not using the internet as I think  it saves messing up my IP Profile when the router keeps re-synching. Or am I wrong to do this?

[Steve]

Well if it keeps your profile up why not.Obviously you shouldn't have to though.

[bobleslie]

In the past, this has happened several times to me.

BT says no fault, so no action. You know it's them, it always is. 

Some time later it gets fixed automagically. 

I once fought BT for 18 months to fix a crackly 'phone, and received compensation. 

[sparky]

Another approach for those who have their voice services with BT Retail is to email the CEO of BT Group, ian.livingston@bt.com, it can be effective in getting BT to deal with an issue.

dujas.........I didn't believe an email to that address would do anything other than get bounced.....

An hour and a half later I get a phone call from someone calling themselves an Executive Complaints Manager working for Ian Livingstone's dept!!
He now has all of the information that I have and is going to speak to OpenReach. Will you you know what happens............

[Hatari]

Sound like an intermittant join on the line. They need to use a TDR on the line, there exchanged based equipment won't pick it up.

Be interested in the result via the CEO's office.

[Supanova]

My parents just went through all hell with Talk Talk after being talked into switching their phone from BT to them.

After a month they got their first bill and discovered talktalk had been blocking some of their calls! My mum runs a business through that phoneline so she was 'slightly' angry at the idea of talktalk deciding to block calls without informing her.

She tries to cancel the service but because its over the 14 day grace period she is told she can't without paying the £70 early cancel charge.

4 weeks and 3 letters written by my Aunt who was a solicitor for the Halifax and talktalk finally gave up. Without the letters she would have been forced to pay the £70 I'm sure.

Their customer service is absolute crapé, they have hidden charges that they simply do not tell you about when you enlist (you can ask them all the probing questions you want, they will still not tell you about the hidden charges) and apparently they feel the need to block the occasional telephone call without informing you. After all that they still try their very hardest to get your disconnection fee out of you.

Maybe just a one off experience, however I know another family who found out about their hidden charges too late as well. I would avoid, but it's your dice to roll.

[Simon]

I've just had Talk Talk knock on my door trying to sell me broadband!  I know they're only doing their jobs, but I still told them to sod off.   

[Steve]

They're as popular as JWs around us!

[Rik]

That popular? 

[Hatari]

They're as popular as JWs around us!

lol I wonder if telling them the same as we tell JWs will make them run a mile lol

[Rik]

We tell JW's we're into witchcraft - it usually works...

[Steve]

Blood suckers

[Hatari]

HRH tells them we are Jewish they seem to find that horrifying and just leave.

[Rik]

 

[bobleslie]

HRH tells them we are Jewish they seem to find that horrifying and just leave.

They need some more on-the-job training!

The standard answer to that response is:

"Well, Jesus was a Jew!" 

[Hatari]

They need some more on-the-job training!

The standard answer to that response is:

"Well, Jesus was a Jew!" 

Yep that is the response I have always expected never has it come lol

[Lona]

Sparky,  I had the identical problem to yourself a few years ago and it didn't matter what isp I went with I had a terrible connection.

Because the phone worked BT wouldn't do anything. I was told it was my router and to replace it and all sorts of other nonsense.

One day I got one of the few good Bt engineers and he was saying all the phone lines to my house from the telegraph pole had been updated within the last 7 years and that's when I told him nobody had replaced my cable since I had moved into this house which I had been living in for 30 years.

He went up the telegraph pole to check and some lazy so and so of an engineer had missed my house out when the newer core cables were installed so it was assumed I had been updated.

Ask BT to check the cable coming into your house as from what you say you have been there for some years.  If it's the old type cable then you will have problems running BB.  The older cables were ok for just telephone. 

The other tip is cut the cable accidently on purpose but don't tell anyone it was me that told you to do it.

[Supanova]

The other tip is cut the cable accidently on purpose but don't tell anyone it was me that told you to do it.

I had a problem a couple of months ago where the cable was semi-severed half way across the road to the pole. BT came out and fixed it for free and I got the new cable I needed. Lorna's advice is a pretty good idea if you can stomach it, though I know most people are too nice...it is BT though 

[Hatari]

Just be careful if you nick the cable that the cut is outside of your property boundary

[sparky]

Sorry guys, been away.

Well I had a phone call yesterday from an Escallations Engineer?  Anyway, he has just been. Great guy, easy to talk to. He took in all of the information that I had, but typically, this morning the phone line was clear.

Except, his hearing obviously being better than mine, he said he could hear a slight humm that definitely shouldn't be there. Anyways, he fitted me a nice new NTE5 faceplace, then tried the phone again..........BINGO!  It crackled!  He went off the the green box down the road, rang me back and said that there is definitely a fault between there and the house. He has now gone off to raise a job card with the underground team.

Hopefully we are getting somewhere.

As for TT. I've taken all of your comments in and won't be going there. Once my line is sorted I will probably just transfer my voice to idnet.

Thanks for all the comments...Sparky.

[Rik]

Glad you got a good engineer, Sparky.

[Glenn]

Sorry guys, been away.

Well I had a phone call yesterday from an Escallations Engineer?  Anyway, he has just been. Great guy, easy to talk to. He took in all of the information that I had, but typically, this morning the phone line was clear.

Except, his hearing obviously being better than mine, he said he could hear a slight humm that definitely shouldn't be there. Anyways, he fitted me a nice new NTE5 faceplace, then tried the phone again..........BINGO!  It crackled!  He went off the the green box down the road, rang me back and said that there is definitely a fault between there and the house. He has now gone off to raise a job card with the underground team.

Hopefully we are getting somewhere.

As for TT. I've taken all of your comments in and won't be going there. Once my line is sorted I will probably just transfer my voice to idnet.

Thanks for all the comments...Sparky.

They will need to dig a trench through your garden/lawn, but a mole will dig under any pathways. Or at least that is what happened with mine in January.

[Hatari]

Glad that things are moving the right way sparky

[Lance]

Glad to hear that the problem is hopefully going to get sorted and good to see that an email to the boss has yet again reaped rewards.