Are Sky selling my personal details to other companies? 17 September 2008 at 11:32AM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Praise, Vent & Warnings 18 replies 6.4K views

Minerva69

In November last year I had Sky+ installed, through Sky, who sent one of their own engineers to do the job. I was already a Sky customer and I was upgrading my digibox. I already had the Sky repair plan to cover breakdowns etc.

This morning I received a letter (personally addressed to me) from a company called Digital Satellite Warranty Cover Ltd, whose registered office is in London and whose "service" office is based in Kirkby, Liverpool. The letter said as my Sky+ system is almost out of warranty, they want to sell me a (very expensive) extended warranty for my system.

How did they get my name & address details? I wondered if someone at Sky is selling customers' information, or could it have been the Sky engineer passing details on of jobs that he's done? I can't imagine Sky are happy about this, as if I took out the other company's warranty they would be losing out. Just wondered if anyone else has experienced this and if they did anything about it?

McKneff

They are a separate company and have no connection with Sky.
No i dont think sky like it too much at all. i would hang on to it and see what Sky will charge you for your renewal of warranty. You are likely to get a few more of these from other companies and then when you ignore them they will ring you nearer the date of renewal.

Minerva69

Thanks but I'm not sure if my original post was clear, I don't actually want to get the extended warranty from this company. I'm more concerned about how and where they got my personal details from. AFAIK the only ones who know my Sky+ box is nearly out of warranty are Sky themselves and the Sky engineer who installed it. So I'm assuming one of them has passed my personal details on to this company and I want to find out who it was, and if there is anything I can do about it (ie are they breaking the Data Protection Act by passing on my details without my consent?).

philnicandamy

bit of a read here

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky-sky-tv/10396-beware-bogus-sky-tv-warranty-letters-telephone-calls.html

and the advertising standards agency have been involved
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_43603.htm

and this firm have been on watchdog regards their dodgy deals with "extended" warranty, Digital sat warranty play the numbers game. They don't actually know that you are a Sky subscriber and hope that you are. The thing is people fall for it, and that is the worrying part.

Alfie_E

At the end of last year, Sky did make a controversial change to their service terms. This allowed Sky to give out customer details to more third parties. This could have been how Digital Satellite Warranty Cover Ltd got your name and address. However…

As philnicandamy says, this has come up on the BBC’s Watchdog programme. The episode for 10 March 2008 covered Satellite Direct UK Ltd, a company making a similar sort of offer but misrepresenting themselves as Sky. The report stated that that company had no information on Sky’s customers and were simply fishing using a general list of names, addresses and telephone numbers.

oldagetraveller

In spite of being registered with both the TPS and MPS I used to receive mailings and 'phone calls from Digital Satellite, not been a Sky customer for years - upgraded to Freeview. I got fed up of reporting them, the TPS and MPS were/are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard/teapot.
I managed to find the 'phone number, 0151 547 5250, gave them a call which although not abusive was quite "forceful" demanding my details were removed from their system. Not had anything now in months.
I also had a go at Sky but they insist it's not them who are passing on details, more than likely the original equipment installer. So why not do something about it Sky, the installer is representing you and/or working on your behalf?

dinglebert

oldagetraveller wrote: »

In spite of being registered with both the TPS and MPS I used to receive mailings and 'phone calls from Digital Satellite, not been a Sky customer for years - upgraded to Freeview. I got fed up of reporting them, the TPS and MPS were/are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard/teapot.
I managed to find the 'phone number, 0151 547 5250, gave them a call which although not abusive was quite "forceful" demanding my details were removed from their system. Not had anything now in months.
I also had a go at Sky but they insist it's not them who are passing on details, more than likely the original equipment installer. So why not do something about it Sky, the installer is representing you and/or working on your behalf?

I too believe it to be the installers. The warrenty requests do not often come at ramdom but do appear around the 11 month mark after any new install or indeed replacement box.

SMC_2

I received a letter from Digital Satellite Warranty Cover Ltd, interesting considering there is no Sky Box registered to my name!!!!

sweep9

Sky only charge around £60 for a call out anyway. This includes the cost of replacing the box if it has died.

This charge can normally be circumvented by a threat to remove your custom...

SMC_2

sweep9 wrote: »

Sky only charge around £60 for a call out anyway. This includes the cost of replacing the box if it has died.

This charge can normally be circumvented by a threat to remove your custom...

Yep that is probably correct but I am more concerned about companies trying to sell warranties to people who don't even have a Sky box registered to them!!!! :eek:

SMC_2

For goodness sake have just received another letter from Digital Satellite Warranty Cover Ltd, two in less than 2 weeks!!! :rolleyes: