Complaints against Sky - anyone actually get anywhere with them?!

yellowplum

That's about right, I was an O2 Broadband customer with BT phone service. They offered me the usual to try and keep me, come over to us completely. So I did, wasn't a bad deal, pay for the line rental upfront for the year, half price fibre, free television.

Where do I start, the order was placed on the 13 sept, due to go live 30 sept. It didn't, they screwed up and didn't port the number correctly - without boring you with laborious details I didn't get service until the 18 November.

I am still waiting to be credited for all the charges they billed for until the service went live. I am also continually being billed by BT because Sky have not placed the order correctly and it didn't terminate the BT service.

Ergo after numerous correspondences and emails to the Executive Team (if you can actually call it that, as apposed to Apples which has one handler and one contact that deals with it promptly and amicably) I have finally filed a formal complaint with the communications ombudsman service and let them rule on it.

Kite2010

Might be worth voting for Sky in the Mail's wooden spoon award, might get them to sort themselves out a bit if they end up in the 'bottom' 3

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2517536/Who-drove-crazy-2013-Vote-Wooden-Spoon-Awards.html

pambler

Glad it's not just me Yellowplum - I also was an O2 broadband customer - to be fair the offer from Sky was amazing - free broadband, free TV (with free box, install etc) for a year. Pay the years line rental up front and get a good discount on that as well. It really was an offer not to be refused, so I didn't.

However they have messed up the billing every month so far.
The first month they charged me line rental - I called customer services and spoke to a very helpful guy - he took all the details and said he would get it sorted out for me. I got a text a few days later to say that the problem had been sorted. My big mistake at that point was to believe them and not double check.

Next month they charged me for line rental again, and when I looked at my account I realised they had refunded me the years line rental I had paid up front! I called up again, after a very long conversation where I had to explain over and over what the deal was that I had signed up to, been told that I had requested the refund (I hadn't) the representative said not to worry, If I paid the years line rental up front again, he could re-instate the deal. However the discounted price had now gone up by £25! When I said that I did not want to pay the additional amount, I just wanted the original deal I was promised he was quite rude and told me that I had a much better deal than most customers - maybe so, but I didn't ask for it - I was offered it. In the end we agreed that I would pay the new higher price, and they would put a credit on my account for the difference, however they would not refund the monthly line rental amount they had debited from my account. What made me really mad, was he just did not seem to see that all I was asking for was what I had originally signed up for, no more, no less, however I was made to feel like I was getting some really special favour!

After the call was ended, I called back and made a formal complaint - which I was promised would receive a response within 3 working days. That was the beginning of November and I am still waiting.

I noticed that they have credited back the line rental this month, but I'm not sure if that is in response to my complaint or just another error. I will wait with baited breath to see what happens next month.

I have never felt angry enough to make a formal complaint about anything in the past - I worked for many years in a customer service environment, so I understand that things go wrong, in the past I've found that most organisations will do their best to correct things with good grace, and as a customer I am happy with that, but the CS representatives at Sky just seem really limited on what they are able to do - or what they admit to being able to do!
I will certainly take a look at those wooden spoon awards!

john1002

So like most was going to leave sky, retention's gave me an offer in November and come December when i check the bill nothing like the offer promised.

Currently complaining that I thought was going well, they kept me informed but unfortunately my call was not recorded(fortunate for them) but was assured they would try and help a loyal 9 year customer.

Who am I kidding the last response was tough luck this is what your getting.

So I am now cancelling but my question is can I hold them to the 31 days from my original call to cancel in November, as the only reason the 31 days did not start back then was this promised offer.

Annoyed at present with Sky especially as the guy I spoke to at retention's was so thorough and went over everything including half an hour on the phone ensuring the offers were updated.

john

macman

No, because 'calling intending to give notice' is not 'giving notice'. You changed your mind and accepted a better offer, so no notice was given. You either have to make Sky honour what they offered, or give notice from now and complete your month.

duchy

macman wrote: »

No, because 'calling intending to give notice' is not 'giving notice'. You changed your mind and accepted a better offer, so no notice was given. You either have to make Sky honour what they offered, or give notice from now and complete your month.

Agreed

However what makes you think your call wasn't recorded? Sky record all incoming (and outgoing) retentions and sales calls.

john1002

The customer complaint team told me that the call was not recorded and said not all calls are. I take your point about the notice, but its frustrating that they can change the goal posts as they see fit.

John

john1002

Just to update after getting really fed up with complaints rang to cancel and give my 31 days, went through it all and now have a better deal and one that will be actioned, still annoyed but the deal is making it easier to continue.

macman

So seems you never intended to give notice in the first place.

john1002

No if you read my first post, I was stating but they didn't honour the deal, I was adamant on that last call I was cancelling but she persuaded me to tell the whole story again and cane up with deal, if she had not then my 31 days would have started.