I'm coming back, need a little help.

[#1]

Yep.
I just had a call from a customer service rep saying my complaint is being looked into, and it I pay the outstanding balance, they will credit my account once it's sorted out.  I declined.
Beyond a joke!!!

[#2]

As they are causing you grief you need to cause them grief as well. I suggest you post about your issues on as many sites as possible.
I've started the thread linked above on thinkbroadband for you, I'd strongly recommend you post on the MSE forums that Matt recommended as that is read by a lot of people.
Anyone any other suggestions for well read sites?

[#3]

Quote from: jelv

Anyone any other suggestions for well read sites?

Could try IDNetters.

[#4]

This story has a slightly familiar ring to it:  A colleague was a customer of OneTel, which was absorbed into TalkTalk.  He was reasonably happy with OneTel but was moving house and decided to switch suppliers (for a number of reasons).  He made sure his account was clear before requesting the move, but was then told by TalkTalk that there was outstanding payments due (a much smaller sum than the £500 the OP quotes) so they'd deny the transfer.  He argued with them and then contacted Ofcom and got the same story about needing to follow the (lengthy) complaints process, but was told "next time you speak to them ,say you've spoken to me - they know my name and that's often enough to get them moving".  As it was, on his next call to TalkTalk he managed to get through to a group that were still announcing themselves as "OneTel" and they sorted him out straight away.
Anyway you could always try The Register - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/ofcom_quarterly_complaints_report/ - there's a "Send us news tips" link at the bottom of the page , they might take up your story as a case example.
[Edit] ... or post a comment on PC Pro's article: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/broadband/377200/talktalk-three-top-ofcom-complaints-tables-again

[#5]

I've just read one of the comments on PC Pro:

Quote

I worked for a company taken over by talk talk in fault management. We worked extremely hard to minimise the time our customers spent without service and had an experienced technician whose sole responsibility was to personally action any fault unresolved after 5 days. Talk talk had better stats than us for this key metric...turns out they automatically closed any fault ticket open for 5 days whether resolved or not! When we had to start using their process we saw that many of their fault tickets were being closed without any fault action taken as they were not getting to action the ticket within the 5 days period.

[#6]

I read that too.  In other words "If the job takes longer than 5 days then it's too much hassle so let's not bother".
However, being charitable, what might have been intended was that if the customer didn't follow up within 5 days of CSA response that the ticket should be closed as the issue might have resolved itself.  Depending on how it was worded that could then have been interpreted by lazy CSAs (or CSAs trying to meet targets) as an easy cop-out.

[#7]

well guys, 2 hours on the phone to TT this afternoon, and I got no where.
The same attitude again, pay the money, we don't have to explain our decision to you.
I then spoke to a lady who tried to make sense of things, she said there is also lots of problems with the way my account has been set up, and couldn't make head or tail of it, and seemed to give up because my call was 'mistakenly' cut off.
I asked them to either provide a full break down of the bill, or wipe it.
Both requests were declined.
I give up.  😞

[#8]

Perhaps sending a recorded delivery snail mail letter to the chief executive, the complaints department, or both might be the quickest way to resolve this. Telephone calls unfortunately seem to get nowhere.
Obviously you would need to keep a copy of the letter.

[#9]

1 step a head of you..
I will be checking who signed for it tomorrow, and following it up with a phone call.

[#10]

Umm... Just a thought here:  Someone else I heard of who had problems with TalkTalk found that they'd been stung for the cost of the calls trying to sort things out with them: Their sales number is free as is their Customer Support number if you're calling from a TalkTalk line, but all of the others (such as the cancellation line) are 0870 numbers at up to 10p/minute.  So a two hour call might have cost you £12

[#11]

You could try emailing dido.harding@talktalkplc.com which is apparently the CEO's office (got the address from the CAG forums, a post there may also help you out! linky )

[#12]

I had a reply to the complaint I raised via the talktalk website...
Copy and paste below:

Subject
I have been disconnected for a bill I do not owe.
 
Discussion Thread
Response Via Email (Simundele Blessing Nene) 25/10/2012 10.38 AM
Dear Marc
Thank you for your email regarding your account disconnection.
Your details at point of sale match those on a bad debt account in on our records, which is why your service has been disconnected. The bad debt account has an outstanding balance of £553.39 which would have to be paid by you.
If you choose not to pay this balance then all future orders placed in your name will be canceled because of this bad debt account.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to reply or visit www.help.talktalk.co.uk for more information.
Kind regards,

Simlindele Blessing Nene,
TalkTalk Customer Relations.
Auto-Response 23/10/2012 01.47 PM
The following answers might help you immediately. (Answers open in a separate window.)
Title: Change the owner of my account
Link: http://help.talktalk.co.uk/app/answers/detail/a_id/2191
Title: Change my Name
Link: http://help.talktalk.co.uk/app/answers/detail/a_id/2140

Dear Marc
Thank you for contacting us.
Your incident number is ******-******. Please keep this safe as you will need to use this number in the subject line of any emails you send us about this issue.
Our Customer Services Team will reply as soon as possible.
Kind Regards,
TalkTalk Customer Services
TalkTalk Group Limited
Registered in England and Wales No. 6534112
Registered Address: 11 Evesham Street, London, W11 4AJ
This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s). This email and its attachments may also be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by mistake please let us know by reply immediately and destroy the email and its attachments without reading, copying or forwarding the contents.

Customer By Web Form (Marc ) 23/10/2012 01.47 PM
I have been a customer for under 1 WEEK.
My service has already been disconnected by the fraud dept because they say I have an outstanding balance on an old account.
There has been NO COMMUNICATION from you, I have no other details, TalkTalk will not speak to me, and constantly hang up on me.
I have no idea what is going on or why.
I have never been a talktalk customer before, I do not owe you a penny.
If you think I do, it is a mistake.
I want to see cold hard evidence of this bill, I also want to know why you agreed to my custom in the first place if you think this, and I want to know why you haven't even contacted me.
I also want and demand my MAC code so I can go back to my previous supplier of whom I have never had a problem.
 
[---001:002196:25454---]

[#13]

Thanks for the help and clarification Talk Talk.
The above is still the only communication I have received.

[#14]

I had been thinking about migrating to TT or BT when my Plusnet Fibre 18 month contract expires (mainly for the TV services that Plusnet don't offer) but I think I'll strike TT off my list for ever.

Quote

Your details at point of sale match those on a bad debt account in on our records

Any idea what they might mean by this?  Could you be the victim of Identity Theft, or do TT simply have a bad debt owed to them by someone who just happens to have the same (or similar) name?
They should, at the very least, tell you what 'details' they have on record that apparently match yours so that you have an opportunity to clear your good name.

[#15]

This is the thing, I have been asking TalkTalk for information, such as, is the account in my name, is it the same account number, is the telephone number the same, etc, and don't seem to be able to tell me.
Now, when I sign into my account on the TT website, they have an incorrect email listed as mine, and an incorrect phone number listed as mine to.
I have dialed the number, and it is dead, and sent an email to this incorrect email address, basically letting them know it is incorrectly linked to my account, and I have had no reply.
I have mentioned this to TT, and they have said I must be mistaken, my details are correct!!!
Like I don't know my own phone number!!
I did wonder about ID theft, but I'm not so sure, I think it is just incompetance.