[Kizzy]

Help! I really want to change internet providers, I have a fault with my modem but talktalk insisted I sign up with them for a further 18 months before they would send a replacement!
I was fuming and want to change, I pay £26pm for phone and broadband.
Should I cancel talktalk and send the modem back?
Who would be a better provider?

[arista]

Sounds Dodgy


Virgin internet and Sky Internet are good value



BT make you spend a fortune to get connected

[Josy]

Go to Sky

[Shaun]

that's ridiculous :/

I wouldn't really recommend Virgin unless you're sure your area has a decent connectivity with them (I'm sure there's a test your speed thing on their site)... for phone and broadband they're quite cheap, but once you start looking into TV with them the prices begin to add up. The service is very good back home, though. At uni we have Talktalk

[Cherie]

you need to do some comparisons for the area you are in...there are some great deals for new customers....virgin are pretty good at retaining their customers, will give you free upgrades and better speeds free if you say you are leaving so I find them good.

[Vicky.]

o2 has been best for me. Virgin are rip off merchants and I had no end of problems with sky.

You dont currently have a contract do you? Because changing before your contract is up...they will charge you ridiculous amounts for doing so :/

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

o2 has been best for me. Virgin are rip off merchants and I had no end of problems with sky.

You dont currently have a contract do you? Because changing before your contract is up...they will charge you ridiculous amounts for doing so :/

I agree virgin phone charges are huge...I use 18185.co.uk to make my calls, and get my line rental free with my tv/broadband package...you need to keep pushing them for cheaper deals, recently got upgraded from 20 to 60 megs for free so I have no complaints...

[Vicky.]

Virgin tried to charge me for over £200 worth of calls that I never made. I said if I saw an itemised bill showing exactly how I owed that I would pay it. They told me it wasnt possible to send an itemised bill until the account was paid off...which sounded extremely odd to me and to everyone I know too. Needless to say they were told to shove it.

They still chase me for it to this day.

[Ammi]

..I've just recently changed from BT to Sky...it was all quite simple and their charges are reasonable...

[arista]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Virgin tried to charge me for over £200 worth of calls that I never made. I said if I saw an itemised bill showing exactly how I owed that I would pay it. They told me it wasnt possible to send an itemised bill until the account was paid off...which sounded extremely odd to me and to everyone I know too. Needless to say they were told to shove it.

They still chase me for it to this day.

That could be sorted
as you have the bill.
But it takes up your time

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by arista

That could be sorted
as you have the bill.
But it takes up your time

They wouldnt (and still wont) send an itemised bill showing a breakdown of the charges. I have a bill saying x for line rental x for internet £200+ call charges...but they wont tell me where the call charges came from.

Apparently they will send an itemised bill once I pay the 200 quid. Not a chance of me paying that much until I know I owe it.

Thinking about it, havent had a letter for a couple of months now, maybe they gave up

[Kizzy]

I agreed to stay so they would send the modem, I had probs with my lappy it wouldn't connect so phoned talktalk,they said it was not the modem.
I took it to PC world paid £50 for a diagnostic ...nothing wrong with it!
Sis lends me hers and has same prob, ring talktalk they now say modem faulty!
I'm really annoyed, they have cost me £50 and conned me into agreeing to extending my contract

[Vicky.]

Kizzy if you get nowhere by complaining to them, try trading standards. They are fantastic for sorting out things like this.

The problem is, you cant change providers while in debt or in a contract with someone. The only way we managed to do it was because we changed from my name (mine was on the virgin) and said that gav had just moved in so got the other in his name.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Virgin tried to charge me for over £200 worth of calls that I never made. I said if I saw an itemised bill showing exactly how I owed that I would pay it. They told me it wasnt possible to send an itemised bill until the account was paid off...which sounded extremely odd to me and to everyone I know too. Needless to say they were told to shove it.

They still chase me for it to this day.

ouch... I wouldnt have paid it either without proof.

its such an individual thing Kizzy, only you know what you want your internet "to do" and whether you use or even have a landline...so get researching!

[Jake.]

We went from BT to Sky, pretty pain free

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by kizzy

I agreed to stay so they would send the modem, I had probs with my lappy it wouldn't connect so phoned talktalk,they said it was not the modem.
I took it to PC world paid £50 for a diagnostic ...nothing wrong with it!
Sis lends me hers and has same prob, ring talktalk they now say modem faulty!
I'm really annoyed, they have cost me £50 and conned me into agreeing to extending my contract

Seems to me you have a clear cut case to cancel the contract, and if it is still within the 14 day cooling off period try and do it, you should also try and get them to reimburse you the 50 quid

[lostalex]

It ain't hard. why do you think it would be hard?

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

It ain't hard. why do you think it would be hard?

It can be if you are tied into a contract

[lostalex]

A contract? It must be different in the UK then. Here in America, it's a monthly charge. Just like electric and water and rent. I've never heard of having a contract for cable. It;s just like a utility here. If you don't pay yur bill it get's shut off. just like phone or electric or water. You only pay month by month.

How long is the contract for cable in the UK?

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

A contract? It must be different in the UK then. Here in America, it's a monthly charge. Just like electric and water and rent. I've never heard of having a contract for cable. It;s just like a utility here. If you don't pay yur bill it get's shut off. just like phone or electric or water. You only pay month by month.

How long is the contract for cable in the UK?

Depends, usually 12 or 24 months.

If you want to change before the contract is up you get charged, sometimes the full amount for however many months are still left. Ie. If you had a 12 month contract then wanted to cancel 2 months in, you would be liable to pay them for the remaining 10 months, even though you werent going to use it.

[lostalex]

That's horrible, it's like a gym membership then.