TalkTalk Remains Most Complained About Landline Provider

October 19th, 2011 by Mark | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

TalkTalk remains the most complained about provider of fixed broadband and telephone services in the UK, it has emerged following a recent Ofcom report. The report aims to provide consumers with relevant information about the volume and nature of complaints against various telecommunications providers to help them make an informed decision about which provider to choose.
Out of the providers of mobile broadband and telephone services, 3 UK came out worst with a density of 0.14 complaints per 1000 customers, driven largely by disputed charges and customer service issues according to the BBC. A spokesperson for Three commented: “We are disappointed by these figures and we will work with Ofcom to better understand what is driving them… We take all complaints seriously and continue to work to improve our ability to resolve them.” At the other end of the scale, O2 was the least complained about provider of mobile telephone and broadband services with a density of just 0.02 complaints per 1000 customers.
Problems with TalkTalk Group services have been partly the result of a problematic takeover of Tiscali in 2009. One of the most significant issues arose when many customers were charged for services they had already canceled. As well as being a customer relations nightmare for the British telephony firm, erroneously charging consumers has cost TalkTalk a total of £5.5m – £2.5m in payouts to affected consumers spread across refunds and courtesy payments, and £3m in fines levied by industry watchdog Ofcom.
TalkTalk has been predictably keen to draw attention to the fact that it has made significant improvements over the past few months. This is what the company had to say following the Ofcom report: “It’s encouraging that Ofcom’s data demonstrates that, following the Tiscali integration, the service we offer our costumes has significantly improved in the last quarter with the number of complaints as a percentage of customers dropping by over 50%.”
Although TalkTalk competes with other cheap landline providers in the UK, it does not always offer free phone line installation along with its other services. Whichever provider you are considering for your landline, you should make sure to check the relevant pricing system thoroughly as you may end up incurring more charges than expected. We recommend using one of the many comparison sites available online, such as HomePhoneChoices, before settling on a provider for your home phone line.

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Teenagers spending more time on the phone

September 1st, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

• Large families could see big rise in bills if they don’t look into different providers
• Teenagers phone usage still high despite the internet and use of Facebook

1st September, 2010

It’s an old cliché that teenagers spend all the time on the phone, and these days Facebook has taken over from the telephone as a way for many of them to keep in touch – which is great news as it means less money to spend on phone bills. However, anyone who says the invention of the internet has stopped teenagers chatting on the phone regularly at all hours has obviously never lived with a teenager.

In fact, a recent press release from the post office has suggested that there are some big time phone hours logged by teenagers across the UK, so parents should be thinking about their bills. Calling a home phone during the evening isn’t a big deal, but many teenagers call their friends directly from a home phone TO a mobile, which might save them money on their bills, but will see yours sky rocket. With a large household teenagers chatting to friends on mobiles can cost as much as £40 a month according to recent studies.

The best way to keep these costs down is to search out a provider that’s specially geared to this kind of phone use.

Choosing a provider other than BT is often a good way to save money as they are one of the most expensive landline phone rental companies around, but it can also save you more because other companies may offer special deals for mobile calls or allow you to set up many different ‘friend’ numbers which will give you a substantial discount.

This way you can save money on your monthly bills without having to put up with teenage angst because you’ve had to remove phone privileges!

About DigitalChoices.co.uk:

Launched in 2005 the DigitalChoices.co.uk website has provided a wide range of features for people who wish to learn more about the busy world of phone line rental, once ruled by BT and now offering a much wider array of providers.
While the main function of the site is to compare different service providers the features of the site extend well beyond that, giving deal hunters unparalleled access to community features, guides and FAQs, as well as providing regular new updates about the industry and one time deals including exclusive offers.

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Michael Phillips, product director at Homephonechoices.co.uk comments on Ofcom’s announcement of cheaper charges for UK consumers to end phone contracts:

June 21st, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

Michael Phillips, product director at Homephonechoices.co.uk commented:

“Ofcom’s move to reduce early exit fees will definitely make it worthwhile for many home phone customers to switch providers early if they are unhappy with the service they are currently receiving. Switching home phone provider is very easy and usually takes about 14 days. Millions of households in the UK have never switched provider, so we think its about time they did – the savings will soon mount up.”

Homephonechoices.co.uk’s top tips for switching home phone provider:

1. Check your phone line: “Cable phone customers, or those on an LLU network, can face added complications or costs when it comes to switching providers. They will need to have an active BT-compatible phone line installed or re-connected before they can take advantage of the full range of home phone providers on offer. Remember, other providers in addition to BT can arrange this for you.

2. Think ‘literally’: “Try to realistically consider your needs as a home phone customer. If you are working during the day then you’ll probably just need a standard evening and weekend call package, but if you are mostly at home during the day then a cheap anytime calls package will be more suitable for you.

3. Pick and mix: “Many home phone providers now offer ‘add-ons’ for people who want extra features such as cheap international calls or an additional phone line, allowing home phone customers to effectively ‘build’ their ideal home phone package.

4. Compare online: “The best deals are usually accessed online, so ensure you use a reliable price comparison website to check what packages are available in your postcode area.”

For further information please contact:
Michael Phillips/Jon Ingram Homephonechoices.co.uk 020 7400 6234
Karen Wagg/Emily Church Polhill Communications 020 7655 0540

About Homephonechoices.co.uk

Homephonechoices.co.uk was founded in March 2005 and is part of the Consumerchoices.co.uk network that operates a portfolio of seven price comparison and consumer advice websites encompassing consumer finance, credit, insurance, energy and communications services (broadband, home phone and digital TV).

Established online brands including Confused.com, Comparethemarket.com and GoCompare.com rely on Homephonechoices.co.uk to power their homephone comparison services.

The company’s broadband service, Broadbandchoices.co.uk, is the UK’s leading Ofcom accredited broadband comparison calculator and is one of only two such websites in the entire price comparison arena to carry this coveted kite mark.

Homephonechoices.co.uk – working hard to save you money

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