Tiscali customers could find that TalkTalk's not so cheap
Tiscali's broadband users could pay 33% more after TalkTalk takes over ISP
One million Tiscali home phone and broadband customers will be switched over to TalkTalk from 7 January following its takeover of the company – and some could see their monthly bills rise by as much as a third.
Some customers who use the Tiscali broadband-only deal currently priced at £14.99 a month will see their monthly fee rise to £19.99 in January. A recent letter said they could continue to pay the same £14.99, but only if they agree to take TalkTalk's calls package which, in some cases, may be neither appropriate nor possible.
If you are a customer, call Tiscali's helpline and request a Migration Access Code (MAC) to move supplier (see below). Guardian Money has found that the call centre, desperate to keep customers, immediately drop the price to £7.99 a month, with three months free, if the customer agrees to lock into an 18-month deal.
Few households will mourn the passing of Tiscali, which has fared less well in recent customer satisfaction surveys, but they will be even less happy if they end up paying more.
TalkTalk this week said most Tiscali customers would either end up paying the same or less for its package. But it declined to say what the new prices would be; customers will only find out from February onwards.
TalkTalk isn't normally so shy at revealing pricing structures but says it wants to write first to all customers to tell them exactly what they will be paying under the new regime.
Notwithstanding the problem for broadband-only subscribers, the bigger question for most of Tiscali's existing customers is what will happen to tariffs on the landline-plus-broadband and calls packages, which have been popular because they were so cheap. A straight comparison of the Tiscali and TalkTalk tariffs shows the former's deals are considerably cheaper.
Tiscali's basic phone, broadband and calls package costs £14.99 a month (including landline), undercutting the TalkTalk equivalent by £3.49. If you want international calls with TalkTalk – currently offered for free by Tiscali – you need to add another £2 a month.
If the two tariffs are merged, Tiscali customers could therefore find themselves paying an extra £5.49 a month for the same service.
Tiscali customers on the all-the-calls-you-can-make (£19.99) package could see their monthly bill rise to £28.48, although they will have the benefit of free calls to 0845/0870 numbers and free technical and customer support, for which they currently have to pay.
TalkTalk spokesman Mark Schmid says the company is currently ploughing through the 50 tariffs it acquired when it agreed to takeover Tiscali. "Our aim at the end of this process is to have one set of clearly understood set of prices, that will mean that no one is paying more than the TalkTalk tariff and is fair to everyone," he says. "We think the overwhelming majority of Tiscali customers will be either paying less or the same when the new set of prices are published.
"We don't think it unreasonable for our customers to learn of the changes in a letter from us, rather than in a national newspaper."
It is also unclear as to whether Tiscali customers will face download limits in the future. Currently Tiscali broadband users have unlimited use – subject to a fair use policy – while new TalkTalk customers on its basic package face an admittedly generous 40Gb per month limit.
If the price hikes do go ahead, it would be a reversal for TalkTalk, the company that first introduced the concept of "free broadband". Plagued by terrible customer service at the start, the company has managed to turn round its reputation.
Call the shots for some big broadband savings
Paying too much? Try a MAC for size
Whether you are a Tiscali customer, or just concerned you are not getting the best deal from your broadband supplier, simply ring up and ask for a Migration Access Code (MAC) code and you'll be amazed at the deal you'll be offered.
Anyone planning to switch broadband supplier needs a MAC code and if you ask for one, your supplier will come up with its best deal to keep you. This week a Guardian Money Tiscali customer rang asking for the code and was immediately offered a package for half the price he was currently paying – plus three months free.
But ask about lock-in periods – you will normally be tied into an 18-month contract. If you're happy with your supplier but want to pay less – and are out of contract – threaten to leave and see what is offered to you to stay. Also ask about the speed of service you get; new customers tend to be offered faster speeds than existing ones.
Based on our experience, every Tiscali customer receiving a letter from TalkTalk in January should threaten to leave, to see what deal they are offered.
Meanwhile if you want to switch supplier, there are plenty of good deals out there at the moment. Sky is going to offer six months free to those signing up to its unlimited package. If you already pay for Sky TV, this is a no-brainer. The offer starts of 26 December.
The highly praised Be is offering half-price broadband for a year – at £6.75 a month (only a 12-month contract) with unlimited use. Plusnet is also offering broadband for £5.99 for the first three months, then £11.99.
Miles Brignall
The Guardian, Saturday 19 December 2009
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
Tiscali's broadband users could pay 33% more after TalkTalk takes over ISP
One million Tiscali home phone and broadband customers will be switched over to TalkTalk from 7 January following its takeover of the company – and some could see their monthly bills rise by as much as a third.
Some customers who use the Tiscali broadband-only deal currently priced at £14.99 a month will see their monthly fee rise to £19.99 in January. A recent letter said they could continue to pay the same £14.99, but only if they agree to take TalkTalk's calls package which, in some cases, may be neither appropriate nor possible.
If you are a customer, call Tiscali's helpline and request a Migration Access Code (MAC) to move supplier (see below). Guardian Money has found that the call centre, desperate to keep customers, immediately drop the price to £7.99 a month, with three months free, if the customer agrees to lock into an 18-month deal.
Few households will mourn the passing of Tiscali, which has fared less well in recent customer satisfaction surveys, but they will be even less happy if they end up paying more.
TalkTalk this week said most Tiscali customers would either end up paying the same or less for its package. But it declined to say what the new prices would be; customers will only find out from February onwards.
TalkTalk isn't normally so shy at revealing pricing structures but says it wants to write first to all customers to tell them exactly what they will be paying under the new regime.
Notwithstanding the problem for broadband-only subscribers, the bigger question for most of Tiscali's existing customers is what will happen to tariffs on the landline-plus-broadband and calls packages, which have been popular because they were so cheap. A straight comparison of the Tiscali and TalkTalk tariffs shows the former's deals are considerably cheaper.
Tiscali's basic phone, broadband and calls package costs £14.99 a month (including landline), undercutting the TalkTalk equivalent by £3.49. If you want international calls with TalkTalk – currently offered for free by Tiscali – you need to add another £2 a month.
If the two tariffs are merged, Tiscali customers could therefore find themselves paying an extra £5.49 a month for the same service.
Tiscali customers on the all-the-calls-you-can-make (£19.99) package could see their monthly bill rise to £28.48, although they will have the benefit of free calls to 0845/0870 numbers and free technical and customer support, for which they currently have to pay.
TalkTalk spokesman Mark Schmid says the company is currently ploughing through the 50 tariffs it acquired when it agreed to takeover Tiscali. "Our aim at the end of this process is to have one set of clearly understood set of prices, that will mean that no one is paying more than the TalkTalk tariff and is fair to everyone," he says. "We think the overwhelming majority of Tiscali customers will be either paying less or the same when the new set of prices are published.
"We don't think it unreasonable for our customers to learn of the changes in a letter from us, rather than in a national newspaper."
It is also unclear as to whether Tiscali customers will face download limits in the future. Currently Tiscali broadband users have unlimited use – subject to a fair use policy – while new TalkTalk customers on its basic package face an admittedly generous 40Gb per month limit.
If the price hikes do go ahead, it would be a reversal for TalkTalk, the company that first introduced the concept of "free broadband". Plagued by terrible customer service at the start, the company has managed to turn round its reputation.
Call the shots for some big broadband savings
Paying too much? Try a MAC for size
Whether you are a Tiscali customer, or just concerned you are not getting the best deal from your broadband supplier, simply ring up and ask for a Migration Access Code (MAC) code and you'll be amazed at the deal you'll be offered.
Anyone planning to switch broadband supplier needs a MAC code and if you ask for one, your supplier will come up with its best deal to keep you. This week a Guardian Money Tiscali customer rang asking for the code and was immediately offered a package for half the price he was currently paying – plus three months free.
But ask about lock-in periods – you will normally be tied into an 18-month contract. If you're happy with your supplier but want to pay less – and are out of contract – threaten to leave and see what is offered to you to stay. Also ask about the speed of service you get; new customers tend to be offered faster speeds than existing ones.
Based on our experience, every Tiscali customer receiving a letter from TalkTalk in January should threaten to leave, to see what deal they are offered.
Meanwhile if you want to switch supplier, there are plenty of good deals out there at the moment. Sky is going to offer six months free to those signing up to its unlimited package. If you already pay for Sky TV, this is a no-brainer. The offer starts of 26 December.
The highly praised Be is offering half-price broadband for a year – at £6.75 a month (only a 12-month contract) with unlimited use. Plusnet is also offering broadband for £5.99 for the first three months, then £11.99.
Miles Brignall
The Guardian, Saturday 19 December 2009
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
