Broadband
Talk Talk Broadband Review
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TalkTalk is a name synonymous with broadband and phone calls.
Since emerging onto the scene in 2003, TalkTalk has made quite a name for itself in the telecoms world and has won a raft of awards, including Money Supermarket's Best Value Provider 2015. TalkTalk’s broadband claims to be 4.5 times faster than regular, box-standard broadband. It promises a lot, but can TalkTalk walk the walk? And would you want to sign on the dotted line? Read on and find out for yourself. 
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How good is TalkTalk at resolving complaints?
Reviews online suggest TalkTalk are pretty good when it comes to resolving complaints in a swift and professional manner. The company can be contacted by post, phone, email and live online chat and aims to respond in ten working days (or 72 hours for emails). When it comes to solving an issue, TalkTalk can take anything up to 14 working days depending on the nature of the query, but the company’s advisors are well-trained. TalkTalk’s online technical assistance is well developed and easy to use. There is also a TalkTalk forum in which you can ask a question to other customers if you need additional advice. To make a complaint about TalkTalk, use A Spokesman Said’s free tool. TalkTalk currently has a 100% response rate on A Spokesman Said. What are the main perks of TalkTalk? TalkTalk's website doubles up as a news hub, so it's easy to read about what's happening in the world while you're shopping, managing your account or trying to solve a query. The company offers a selection of simple and mainly cheap broadband, telephone and TV options, as well as entertainment bundles to suit a range of consumers. Although TalkTalk boasts well-respected protection against viruses and online fraud, the company lost 100,000 customers last October after a massive data hack. Virus and fraud protection comes with all broadband and TV packages. As part of the service, the company also offers free weekend and evening calls to all TalkTalk customers. This worth considering if you have close family members already with TalkTalk. The Plus TV entertainment bundle weighs in at a very competitive price and comes with online protection, a choice of extra channels and totally unlimited broadband up to 17Mb. Although TalkTalk don’t offer as much choice as the likes of Sky and Virgin Media, the company offers well-crafted packages for decent monthly prices. TalkTalk’s broadband speeds explained Simply Broadband: totally unlimited with a download speed of 17Mb. Superfast Fibre Broadband: totally unlimited with a download speed of 38Mb. TalkTalk’s broadband claims to be 4.5 times faster than your average broadband, but for pure speed, it doesn't quite keep up with Sky and Virgin, who can offer speeds of up to 76Mb and 200Mb respectively. Top Tip: If you talk to an advisor through online chat, they will be able to run a quick line check free of charge and advise you on the best broadband package for you, based on your home and location. TalkTalk's broadband can't match Sky or Virgin for speed 
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Is TalkTalk cheap?
TalkTalk's broadband and phone packages start at as little as £3.75 per month, plus a £17.70 phone line rental. Overall, this weighs in at a total of £21.45 per month for unlimited broadband. From the autumn, however, TalkTalk plans to scrap separate line rental charges and offer broadband customers a combined monthly price instead. The company's superfast fibre broadband costs £8.75 per month including line rental, coming in at a total of £25.45 per month. Like the basic broadband package, the price includes online protection and TalkTalk's award-winning Super Router. TalkTalk's talk and surf packages are slightly cheaper than Sky or Virgin and also include free weekend and evening calls. The company's broadband isn't quite as fast as Virgin's, but is reliable and offers great value for money. The Plus TV entertainment bundle includes a You View television box which offers extensive access to catch-up TV, as well as recording and live rewind, pause and fast forward functions; it also comes complete with six Sky entertainment channels. The bundle also includes a TalkTalk phone line and totally unlimited broadband up to 17Mb and costs a total of £37.70 per month. Despite this package being a lot cheaper than Sky’s premium entertainment packages and Virgin’s Big Kahuna bundle, it doesn’t offer quite as much choice in terms of viewing; however, with plenty of free call hours and online protection, it does stack against the big boys - it just depends on what you are looking for. Find out if you could save money switching to TalkTalk by comparing prices |
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Is TalkTalk’s customer service decent?
Customer testimonials indicate that the company’s complaints procedure is quick and easy; however, according to recent data from Ofcom, TalkTalk received a total of 28 complaints per 100,000 between July and September last year for its landline service – well above the industry average of 17. It fared little better when it came to broadband, receiving 33 complaints per 100,000 customers – far worse than Sky (7) and Virgin Media (6), but marginally better than the worst performer, EE (45). Common problems included slow broadband, poor service and incorrect billing. When it comes to Pay TV, TalkTalk, with 14 complaints per 100,000 customers, still received more complaints than the industry average (5). This complaint level puts TalkTalk among the most complained about telecoms providers in the UK. Contrary to the data, the company’s online customer journey is clear and responsive and the online chat service is more than efficient. The only glaring thing that lets TalkTalk down are the telephone waiting times. A Spokesman Said’s verdict Pros: * Very competitive prices * Free evening and weekend calls as standard Cons: * Tiresome telephone waiting times * Slower broadband than some of the other major providers * Big question marks over complaint handling |
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