A KU student sued telecommu-nications giant TalkTalk for over £3,000 after claiming that they caused her to fail her second year.

Zaneta Salamon, 27, insists that TalkTalk’s alleged failure to provide the promised internet service was the main reason for her not passing her psycholgy course.

“I was unable to do things,” she told The River.

“I cannot imagine students doing university work without access to the internet in the 21st century.

“I’ve done nothing wrong, I was paying my bills,” she added.

Zaneta lost the case, although Talk-Talk did offer a £1,500 out-of-court settlement before the conclusion of the trial which she refused. She said that she had lost a lot more money because of the connection problems.

“I needed internet for my psychol-ogy course,” she told Staines County Court. “Lack of internet meant I had to travel to university and have

someone look after my daughter.“It’s not just university being de-

stroyed, but a whole life. I worked hard to get to university.”

She recieved a £68.35 refund of bills she had paid and is now plan-ning an appeal.

Zaneta, who has now passed the second year, told The River: “I don’t feel like a loser. We have to believe in ourselves and we have to fight until the end, whether we win or not.

“I’m concentrating my efforts on deciding whether I should appeal,” said the mother, from Ashford Mid-dlesex. “I don’t want to put pressure on myself and other people as well and it seems like I will have to pay more money, but I can always try. I’m just thinking that it’s my final year and I want to resolve the problem.”

Her contract with TalkTalk started on February 10, 2011 and ended two months ago. She insists that she never received a modem and that she was unable to terminate the agree-ment.

The Polish-born student told The

River that she was given a collection reference number twice by Royal Mail but the router never arrived. She added that the company claimed to have sent the modem to one of her neighbours who told her she never received it.

She added: “I had kept contacting TalkTalk but they just ignored me.

“I had to provide my KU email to friends so they could check if I had any emails from university or from my tutors.”

District Judge Victoria Trigg de-

cided that personal factors contrib-uted more to her failure than lack of internet.

Her husband was rushed into hos-pital with breathing problems last year and had to be kept away from any stressful situations.

In addition, her two-year-old daughter was not sleeping, eating or drinking during that period, the court heard.

TalkTalk barrister Simon Hunter argued in court that Zaneta’s failure had no connection to breach of con-tract.

Mr Hunter also added that even if a modem was not sent, the student should have bought one of her own and the broadband would have im-mediately worked.

District Judge Trigg said: “Not hav-ing [internet] access would have an effect on Mrs Salamon’s studies.

“However, her husband being hos-pitalised on suspicion of a heart at-tack and the illness of her daughter are more likely to explain why she failed three subjects.”

Upon hearing the verdict Zaneta immediately asked the judge about how she could appeal the decision.

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By Konstantinos Lianos

KU student sues after second year fiasco

Zeneta Salamon takes on major telecommunication company Talk Talk after she failed her second year of University due to poor internet connection MANON IBRAHIM

Front page image courtesy eMTy PHOTOGRAPHYwww.emtyclub.tumblr.com

Students frustrated with their internet connection REX FEATURES