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[UncleUB]

Hi,
This might be in the wrong section so please move it if so. 

Last night about 5.30 Sue answered the front door while I was finishing my dinner.It was a young man and woman who looked African in origin.
Have you heard of digital Britain they asked,Sue said yes.
We are checking to see if you qualify for free broadband and free landline calls.
What is your landline and postcode code?
Sue gave it to them.
They then asked if they could come in and use our phone to check to see if we qualify.
She refused to let them in so they went.
She then told me who it was and what they wanted.Did they show any ID I asked.NO she said,I went ballistic.I then phoned the police who said they would send a car to check them out.
I didn't wait,I told Sue to get the car out and we would find them.
A couple of streets away we saw a couple with clipboards(not the two who visited our home)We stopped and I called them over.Who are you/what are you doing..........We are from TALKTALK (I might have guessed)
Have you got other people in the area tonight(a lady with a bright pink coat on)Not sure they said(M'mmm)They did give me their ID numbers and a Talktalk contact number.Their ID's were underneath their coats,but they did show them to me.
I said the other couple DID NOT say they were from Talktalk and DID NOT display their ID's.
Anyway we drove on and I thought if I found them and they did not have ID's I would make a citizens arrest and call 999.
We found them in the next street,I shouted them over and they came.They recognised Sue and when I said I had already called the police they apologised  and showed me their ID's
I gave them a piece of my mind,we then went home and I phoned the number they had given me.I spoke to a supervisor who said the should have from the start made themselves known and had their ID's outside their coats.
Later that night the police phoned to say they had attended,and said they were indeed form TalkTalk and were genuine canvasses.
I tell you what,the old adrenaline was pumping.
Sue was really upset,but she will not make the same mistake again.......

[waltergmw]

Well done Uncle and tut tut Sue !

Like you I suspect, cold calling for the sale of anything is I believe highly undesirable.
Whilst we have a lot more petty regulation than is good for us, I would like to see anybody claiming to provide free services stopped immediately.
On the presumption that the individuals concerned are being rewarded in some way, their "help" cannot possibly be "free" so you would be paying for it eventually.

Given the mountain of dreaded T clients CPW have just acquired, together with the separation of their two business ventures, I'm a bit surprised that they want pour more fat on the broadband integration fire quite so soon.

Kind regards,
Walter

[roseway]

I agree with what Walter said. This sort of cold calling is an unpleasant practice at best, and if they asked for private information without even identifying themselves they were really out of line. I suppose they didn't break the law, but you were right to give them an ear bashing and to report their bad practice.

[BritBrat]

I would keep an eye on who you use for line rental.

Sounds like you may get changed without your knowledge “slammed”.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/landline/company/slamming/

[UncleUB]

That was so unlike Sue,I always try and make her aware of this kind of things.She doesn't use the internet,but I make her aware of all the scams/phishing etc that goes on.
If we get dodgy phone calls she puts the phone down straight away.

Getting back to the canvasses,why should they need to use your landline(whats wrong with their mobiles)I know it would be to get your details inputted into TT's ADSL line checker and then try and sell ypu their product,but do other people?

Why hide their TT ID's and not mention Talktalk at first.........to stop getting the door slammed in their face straight away?

[UncleUB]

I would keep an eye on who you use for line rental.

Sounds like you may get changed without your knowledge “slammed”.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/landline/company/slamming/

We have BT for line rental.

According to the TalkTalk supervisor,they do not use that kind of malpractice...............

Obviously at this point nothing has happened,so is there any need to make BT aware of this?Do they have a dept that deals with this kind of thing?

Thanks for the link BritBrat,if I need it .

[BritBrat]

You can also get “slammed” with your electricity account.

By people on the doorstep.

[BritBrat]

We have BT for line rental.

According to the TalkTalk supervisor,they do not use that kind of malpractice...............

They have in the past, but as you are with BT they normally send you a letter.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=8927509&postcount=1

[UncleUB]

Thanks BritBrat,

I have just spoken with BT,who told me there has not been no order placed for TalkTalk to take over my line(at this moment in time)He has made a note on my account to state that we have no wish to move to another telecoms provider.

Edit,

I have also just phoned TT customer service who assured me no order has/will be place to move my landline to them.

[Oranged]

Getting back to the canvasses,why should they need to use your landline(whats wrong with their mobiles)I know it would be to get your details inputted into TT's ADSL line checker and then try and sell ypu their product,

This then allows TT to phone you even if the number is registered with TPS, because you have enquired about BB using their website.

[toulouse]

Yes, I got caught like that quite recently. I made an enquiry at the TT website, and 2 days later I received a call from them asking if I wanted their broadband service. Having been with TalkTalk at my previous address, I told them that I had previously been a customer and vowed that I would never be one again. The same applies with BT, who I absolutely refuse to do direct business with, mainly because of their shocking customer service.

[kitz]

Ive had talktalk canvassers to my home a few times...  if Im in the right mood and have time I'll play along with them.
My daughter once said I was horrible because I tied one poor guy in knots when he didnt know what LLU was.

The last TT canvassers I came across where some that approached me as I was walking out of Adsa with my shopping a couple of weeks ago.

TT: "May I ask how much you pay for your broadband?"
Me: £22
TT: - Look of shear horror on face...  "£22! thats awful.. did you know you could get broadband and phone for less than that?"
Me: - Yep.. but I have a decent connection at far higher speeds than what you could give me.
TT: - We can do that to.

Long and short of it.. after me them not knowing what Annex_M was and after providing my phone no... they finally admitted that they couldnt.
The only thing wrong with those canvassers is that they didnt really understand BB, nor do they say anything about TT's service throttling.


In Sues case it was awfully cheeky that they asked to use your phone to check..  the ones in adsa used a mobile to ring... It was obvious from the results that they are just using the BT database - so the results they got back will just be the same as those on the sites adslchecker.
To hide their ID is dreadful..  when I came clean with the TT rep and admitted that I knew a lil bit about adsl.. she actually then admitted that TTs reputation from the past was a bit of a problem.

>> According to the TalkTalk supervisor,they do not use that kind of malpractice..

Unfortunately they do..  granted it doesnt happen as often as it used to.. but of all the ISPs TalkTalk is most well known for it and theres still the odd one that trickles through. 

The problem is that TT are full MPF LLU and therefore manage to transfer without a MAC.  This is something I feel that OFCOM should stamp on.

Hopefully you should be ok though cause your phone line is with BT..  if you had given permission for them to take your landline.. then there is quite a high chance your broadband would follow.

[waltergmw]

As well as avoiding the MAC there should also be a clear statement on the implications of changing back to another ISP.

Slightly off-topic, I see the Tiscali broadband page is still advertising cheap broadband connections but now has a TalkTalk logo inserted. Does anybody know whether new Tiscali clients are being integrated directly into the TT systems if their LLU equipment is in the exchange ?

Kind regards,
Walter