Questions of Cash: Why has TalkTalk still not activated my account?

Q. I created an account with TalkTalk in November for phone and high-speed medium fibre optic, with free installation – which is normally £50 – and a £6 delivery charge for the router. The router arrived on 6 December and my go-live date was set for 8 December.

I took the day off, but no one arrived. I then received an email advising me that the date had been changed to 30 December. On 29 December I received a further email telling me that my order had been cancelled.

I called TalkTalk and managed to get my account reinstated with a new go-live date of 7 January. My account was not activated on that date. I was advised that "it appears there is an issue with your service".

On 12 February I found that my account had been downgraded and was being processed for "Simply Broadband".

I phoned TalkTalk but was instead directed to the technical department, where the operator tried to sell me updates. I was promised I would be on fibre optic broadband by 25 February 2015. I have now been told this will happen in March. More than three months after agreeing a contract I still have no broadband. DC, Dundee.

A. You contacted us in February and it has taken us several weeks to get to the bottom of the problem. A TalkTalk spokesman said: "We are sorry it took so long to set up superfast fibre broadband on [the reader's] line … This was because of delays at Openreach, which carries out work like this on our behalf."

So we contacted Openreach, a division of BT. Its spokesman said: "An Openreach engineer tried to connect [the reader's] fibre broadband on 8 December, but couldn't complete it as there was a fault on the line. On two occasions in December our system sent new appointments to TalkTalk to complete the work, but as no response was received, these were cancelled.

"An order was placed by TalkTalk on 18 February, 2015 and the broadband was installed on 2 March."

So we went back to TalkTalk, which said: "The information on this has been archived. It's likely that BT is right on this." It then sent a further comment: "We are sorry there were serious delays … We have apologised and provided a goodwill gesture."

You tell us: "They managed to get the fibre installed and working. They also offered me free fibre for 12 months and removed the installation charges. I am now getting what I ordered all those months ago."

Q. I am executor of a will. I have two lots of £50,000 to hold on behalf of two children for another 10 years, until they reach 21. Both are US citizens. Is there a specialist in this field who can help me? KR, Northampton.

A. If we were seeking advice of this kind, we would consider a medium-sized accountancy firm that provides personal finance and private client advice and that has a presence in both the UK and US. We spoke to Moore Stephens and Menzies: both accountancy firms would be happy to assist.

Q. I see that other readers have had problems with the Eco Green Store (Questions of Cash, 3 May 2014). I have placed an order and have just been sent notice from this store that they will not fulfill my order – and that they aren't going to refund it either. HG, Surrey

A. We tried and failed to contact Eco Green Store, but its website now states: "Due to financial difficulties and cashflow restraints, it is with regret that … ecogreenstore.co.uk has ceased to trade … Any customers who have not yet received their order are advised to contact their card issuer or PayPal (depending on their original payment method)." You tell us that you have now received a refund through PayPal.

Questions of Cash cannot give individual advice. But we'll do our best to help if you have a financial dilemma. Email us at: questionsofcash@independent.co.uk