In reply to a post by sean_r:

The amount can and does change. Even though I'm on their Anytime tariff, some calls are still chargeable on top of that, calls to 0870, 0871, mobiles, international. Just checked my 3 previous bills and they are different amounts.

Then don't you pay a fixed (subject to notice of change) DD based on estimates, just like BT does? Or are you expected to pay off each bill in full?

No its like a mobile phone bill. Even though you have a contract that says you get X number of minutes and X number of texts you still get charged for non inclusive calls every month in arrears

As Kamelion says, you have your normal package charge @ x amount plus extras that are not included within the package. This could also include (from what I gather), engineers charges passed on from BT. looking at the TT forum cost seems to be £99+. No chance to query it and a hole in your bank account.

And you have to pay the whole (variable) bill in the next DD?

If so, then I agree that you have a point, only in this case where the bill varies month-by-month. With this new timescale, you only get 7 calendar days notice, in the form of the bill, of the variable amount to be charged in the next DD.

However, remember, the DD Guarantee does say "the organisation will notify you (normally 10 working days) in advance of your account being debited ".

Another part of the problem appears to be the Email notification, that the bill is ready for viewing. This appears to be sent out 4 days after the bill has been raised, so unless you're continually checking your TT account, you're down to 3 days. I suspect that the email notification is sent out at the same time that TT request payment through the DD system.

Hi new to this forum ,and need help. Talk talk has just taken a second payment this month on the 29th after already having a payment on the 2nd. This has left me in the red in the bank with no authorised overdraft so i gotta go have time off work to go and put some BORROWED MONEY back into my account to put it back in the black. I had an embarrassing visit to supermarket had to put food back cos card was declined. Tried phoneing them but no luck as with many other people. Read somewhere on here they sent out emails notifying taking money earlier from march but i had no such email!! . I am also a previous F2S customer who notified me that i did not need to do anything, my DD amount and frequency would not change neither would my terms and contract. I am now broke because of this with 2 days to go till payday. Any ideas on how to sort this out as phoneing is ****. I really need to to speak to a human about this. Also will my payment come out on the 29 th of every month now, if so that means they will have had 3 payments in 8 weeks. THAT IS THEFT ISNT IT??

Have a look at this thread on the TT forum
http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/showthread.php...

Sadly you are not the only affected by this.

The notification about the change of payment dates is at the bottom of the email that you would have got saying that your bill is ready for viewing, assuming that you are on online billing.

We�d like to make you aware that we�re changing our bill payment terms. From March 2011 onwards your monthly Direct Debit payment will be taken 7 days after your bill is produced. There�s nothing you need to do, we will continue to collect payment from you automatically. However, as this is a change to the day we collect your payment you may wish to check your bank account to ensure there are enough funds to cover your future payments.

Its not in bold as some people have said on the TT forum.

Interestingly it states that payment will be taken 7 days after the bill is produced. but it appears its taking 4 days for the notification email to sent, so unless you log into your account daily to see if the bill has been raised, then you're only getting 3 days (including the day you get the email), notice before the money is taken.

Well apparently it is true they have changed the number of days in which they take the direct debit but refuse to change you billing date. They changed mine to the 30th of the month but I don't get paid to the next day so it made me go overdrawn.

They must have been well aware of what would happen when they did this. So if this is there level of customer services they know where they can shove it...I'm off...

The notification period from bill to collection of a DD is normally 10 days but http://www.bacs.co.uk/Bacs/Businesses/DirectDebit/Pa...

suggests it can be different, so time for people to dig out their original Direct Debit agreeement. If people believe the rules have been broken then best to take up and use the guarantee via the bank, enough people do that the banks will have a word with TalkTalk

Spoke with TalkTalk this week after they sent me an email on the 16th stating my bill was ready and tried to take money out on the 18th, thats not 7 days I cried and it cost me a failed direct debit charge. They are refunding the money thank goodness but the same thing is going to happen next month. My payment normally goes out on the 28th of each month as originally set up, so they have tried to take money 10 days earlier. Sent 2 emails to TALKTALK and getting nowhere fast. They say payment should be after the bill is created which was on the 11th, so why does it take 5 days to send me a bill. The problem is I can't do anything about it except to cancel the direct debit, which I have just done. Speed is also [censored], 3.5mb down and 0.16mb up and for £15/ month.