TalkTalk Mobile Closing Down: Customers Offered O2 Contracts

TalkTalk Mobile is contacting customers to tell them that they will not renew their contracts when they expire. Now in partnership with O2, TalkTalk Mobile will instead offer customers a discounted O2 contract. TalkTalk intends to close its mobile business to save money, and focus on its broadband services instead. So what does this mean for the 900,000+ SIM customers with TalkTalk Mobile? If you also have TalkTalk broadband, you can get a 25% discount on an O2 bundle. Otherwise, you will have to switch to another provider when your contract ends. TalkTalk Mobile will no longer be an option.

Simplifying TalkTalk

The move to get rid of the mobile platform comes as part of an effort to overhaul TalkTalk. Previously, TalkTalk relied on Vodafone as a mobile network operator since 2010. Last summer both TalkTalk and Vodafone were among the telecoms companies customers complained about the most. According to Which? TalkTalk has been voted the worst internet service provider in the UK five times in a row.

With this track record, the company desperately needs to shake things up. Apparently, TalkTalk believes the answer is scrapping TalkTalk Mobile. A spokesperson said that the agreement with O2 is great news for TalkTalk Mobile customers. They will now have access to a wider range of 4G services for great value. Shifting Mobile customers to O2 will also allow TalkTalk to invest more time and money into improving the landline, broadband, and TV services on its fixed network.

Changing Providers

With the closure of TalkTalk Mobile, customers have few choices. If they take the offer and switch to a discounted O2 tariff, they still have to keep TalkTalk broadband. Alternatively, customers can choose to switch to a different mobile provider entirely. They could still keep a TalkTalk package of other services such as broadband if they chose to. However, the attraction of “quadplay” services is the convenience of not having separate bills.

In withdrawing from the quadruple play market, TalkTalk might lose some of its customers. Additionally, the hassle involved in changing providers might not make staying worth it. Either way, even if they accept the O2 offer, customers will have to get a new SIM and request a PAC code to keep their TalkTalk phone number. As they will effectively be O2 mobile customers, they will have to contact O2 with any problems. If they are still on TalkTalk broadband, they will have to deal with separate customer services all the time.

What Should TalkTalk Mobile Customers Do?

TalkTalk states that business will continue as usual for Mobile customers until their contract runs out. The company will contact every customer in advance to offer them the O2 deal. At the moment, there is no cut-off date which customers have to make a decision by. Even the O2 deal is liable to change, so while it is currently 25% off, this isn’t a permanent discount. For this reason, TalkTalk Mobile customers might be better off looking for a deal elsewhere.

Since switching mid-contract incurs termination fees, even if it’s to O2, customers should wait until their contract is about to end. Around this time, take a look at the packages and prices available across multiple mobile providers to compare them. Sale prices often change throughout the year and only last for a fixed term. Just because it’s cheaper for the first year doesn’t make it worth it to have to switch providers again later. Customers should also take into account local network coverage, customer service quality, and any other incentives before choosing a provider.

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