TalkTalk launches broadband ‘flash sale’: will you save?

The cheap broadband provider claims you could save hundreds compared to Sky and Virgin. But do its sums stack up?

TalkTalk has cut the price of two of its broadband deals by around £100 a year.

You can get the Fast Broadband package, which offers up to 17Mbs, for £18.95 rather than £27.

Likewise, the Faster Fibre Broadband deal (up to 38Mbs) is now going for £25 a month instead of £33.50.

Both are fixed for 24 months and the costs are guaranteed to remain unchanged for the entirety of the contract.

The ‘flash sale’ ends on 31 May so you don’t have much time to apply if you’re interested.

Any charges to look out for?

Yes. There is a one-off delivery charge of just under £10 for the Fast Broadband deal.

Good news if you’re after the superfast broadband Fibre package: TalkTalk is waiving the £60 normally charged for setup and Super Router.

How much can I save?

It all depends on what deals are available where you live.

Overall, TalkTalk makes some bold claims about how much you could save over the two-year contract compared to Sky, Virgin and BT: over £380 on the Fast Broadband deal and just under £260 for the Fibre deal.

Now, while it may be true that some people might be on such expensive deals, it’s highly unlikely you’re on one of them.

loveMONEY readers are a financially savvy bunch, and if anyone is paying the equivalent of well over £30 monthly for a 17mpbs line, they are getting royally fleeced.

And of course, those comparisons are against households on existing deals.

As we well know, the cheapest ones are reserved for those who switch.

Read: how to change providers with a minimum of fuss

A quick check of broadband deals in my area found a couple priced similarly to TalkTalk’s Fast Broadband offer, for example.

So, in short, you need to do your own comparisons to work out how competitive TalkTalk’s flash sale really is.

Anything else to consider?

Two things, actually. First, if you’re currently locked into a broadband contract then you could be facing hefty exit fees, making it pointless to switch to anyone at this stage.

Have a read of your contract and make sure you understand what charges, if any, you’ll need to pay to ditch your current provider.

Secondly, it’s important to consider customer satisfaction when it comes to such a vital service as broadband.

While it’s true that we don’t value it as much as we used to, we should point out that TalkTalk has topped the Ofcom complaints chart for the last two quarters, according to the watchdog’s own figures.

It’s up to you to decide how important customer service is, but if you find similarly-priced deals then it should surely come into the equation.

Our verdict

Anytime a company cuts prices it's good news for customers, and TalkTalk’s deals may well be the cheapest on the market where you are.

What’s more, it should be commended for promising not to hike prices mid-contract, unlike some of its rivals. Given it’s a 24-month deal, that’s a handy bonus.

As we mentioned earlier, the most important thing is to do the sums yourself, work out what kind of deal you need, check what’s on offer in your area and, finally, decide how important customer service is to you.

We have a commercial partnership with broadbandchoices, but there are a load of other comparison services out there to choose from. Make sure you do shop around though, as it's the only way to ensure you get the best deal.

What do you think? Are the TalkTalk deals cheaper than your current one? Are you interested in these deals? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.