Why did Talktalk charge me when my router was found not to work?

In July I contacted Talktalk about getting a new router. At the same time I agreed with Talktalk to extend my contract by a further 12 months.

When my son tried to install it the network indicators didn’t light up so Talktalk said it would send a technician out. I was told that if no fault was found I would be charged £49.99.

The technician confirmed the router was faulty but my latest bill shows I have been charged the money anyway.
Malcolm Graham

We wonder if wires have been crossed because an internet service provider doesn’t usually send a technician out to check if a router is faulty. It’s much cheaper to return them for a new one. So we need to check with Talktalk why it sent someone out to inspect the router.

Verbal contracts are as binding as written ones, so if the technician confirmed the device was faulty and he wouldn’t be charged, then he shouldn’t have been. But Mr Graham told us that when he called the company an employee disputed that Talktalk had ever said he wouldn’t be charged if the router was faulty.

This shows the problem with verbal contracts – it’s one person’s word against another.

We have asked Talktalk to investigate this case because it seems unfair that one of its customers has been charged for a call out, which was unnecessary considering the router was proved not to be working.