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

[Deleted User]

scorpian99 wrote: »

I am now just going to take no notice of them. i have clearly told them and cancelled my direct debit.

If you cancel your direct debit Sky will continue to charge you and will ultimately set debt collectors on you and trash your credit rating. Best to "bite the bullet" and call them to formally cancel. You can then complain to them that your E-Mails were seemingly ignored.

Moneymaker

Moneymaker wrote: »

Everyone makes the same mistake: they rely on word of mouth and they don't record their calls.

The simple answer is to deal with companies ONLY in writing and to keep copies and proof of posting.

^^^^^^^^^

By "in writing" I was referring to a printed letter sent by post with signature required on receipt. Forget email. Forget phone. The old fashioned way is recognised by the courts.

pen1

Moneymaker wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^

By "in writing" I was referring to a printed letter sent by post with signature required on receipt. Forget email. Forget phone. The old fashioned way is recognised by the courts.

Not by Sky Cancellations, however, as Sky's director of customer services claims, according to the Telegraph, that it is "vital to speak to customers on the phone before cancellation in order to satisfy data protection law and address outstanding payments".

In response to complaints that the terms & conditions were misleading, Sky have re-written the terms & conditions.

Note, that Sky now state that webchat is a valid alternative method to telephone, to have notice of cancellation "processed immediately".

This method, at least enables the customer to print a copy of the conversation for evidence.

13. Notices
(c) Any notice you give us to end this Contract where you have a right to do so (other than where you are exercising your right to cancel during your cooling-off period for which see 'Your Rights to Cancel Your Order' section below) must be given by phone (03442 41 44 14) or by using our webchat service on sky.com. Notice given by these means will be processed immediately. You can also write to us (Sky Subscribers Services Limited, PO Box 43, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 7DD) or email us via your My Sky account on contactus.sky.com. Notice given by these means will not be effective until we have spoken to you and verified your account. We will acknowledge written requests by return letter or email and will contact you by phone to verify you as the account holder and process your cancellation. Find out more information on how to cancel in the My Sky section of Sky.com

http://www.sky.com/shop/terms-conditions/tv/

talktalktobt

If it is the 'retentions' discussion that worries/ frustrates you, you do not need to engage. Every question they ask, all you need to do is respond with the stock phrase "I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation".

eg.
Why are you looking to cancel?
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation
I cant help you unless you tell me why you want to cancel.
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation
Is it because of cost?
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation
Can I pass you to my supervisor?
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation

Just stick to your guns and dont engage.

digp

Sky make it up as they go along. Clearly.

digp

talktalktobt wrote: »

If it is the 'retentions' discussion that worries/ frustrates you, you do not need to engage. Every question they ask, all you need to do is respond with the stock phrase "I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation".

eg.
Why are you looking to cancel?
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation
I cant help you unless you tell me why you want to cancel.
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation
Is it because of cost?
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation
Can I pass you to my supervisor?
- I don't wish to discuss this, please process the cancellation

Just stick to your guns and dont engage.

This post should be made a sticky !!!

suenortheast

Sky door-stepped me originally and did not provide any terms and conditions. They proceeded to overcharge me for services I had never requested and when I complained they said it was in my terms and conditions. They led me to believe that there were written terms and conditions which there were not. They continued to rob me and then when I down graded in year two charged me subsidies for not being a Sky TV customer. Stating it was in the terms and conditions. But it was not in any of the online conditions. Sky state that if you are not a Sky TV customer you must pay a subsidy, but the actual written advert and terms on line do not state this, they state that a customer must be a Sky telephone customer (not TV). Eventually they told the ASA that they do not charge new or existing customers a subsidy for not being a Sky TV customer, but the following week Sky sent me an e mail stating that I must continue to pay a subsidy for not being a Sky TV customer. The Ombudsman state that this was a 'commercial decision'. So Sky can impose any terms and conditions upon consumers! can they? Then Sky said that I could not stop the broad band service because I was on a Sky Network. (I had been placed upon a Sky network entirely without my knowledge) But Sky failed to inform me that I could go for what is called 'Roll back' and terminate the broadband and keep my phone. But it took them three months to provide this information, and then they still insisted that I would have to pay a subsidy for not being a Sky TV customer. They also attempted to take over my other telephone line which Ofcom blocked, then had the cheek to say that my other provider had stopped the cancellation of services on my Sky line. Eh! how could they? Sky it seems have a license to rob consumers, and because customers are afraid that they may lose their telephone number, feel obliged to continue to pay for extra services, even it not in the contract. Sky eventually said they do not work with contracts, but all terms and conditions are on line. Apparently accepting a bill is accepting those terms and conditions. If you write in to Sky complaints using their complaints procedure the writing is on their website, so you have no record in e mail. I kept screen saves however proving I had complained, and demonstrating that I did not know what I was paying for. Eventually the ombudsman stated that my complaint to them was too late, although I saw it as a continuum of how Sky treat customers, they continued to take money out of my account without my permission for services I had never requested. The law is complicated, and Sky know this. All I can say is I would never ever use Sky again or recommend them to anybody.

bubblegun

suenortheast wrote: »

Sky door-stepped me originally and did not provide any terms and conditions. They proceeded to overcharge me for services I had never requested and when I complained they said it was in my terms and conditions. They led me to believe that there were written terms and conditions which there were not. They continued to rob me and then when I down graded in year two charged me subsidies for not being a Sky TV customer. Stating it was in the terms and conditions. But it was not in any of the online conditions. Sky state that if you are not a Sky TV customer you must pay a subsidy, but the actual written advert and terms on line do not state this, they state that a customer must be a Sky telephone customer (not TV). Eventually they told the ASA that they do not charge new or existing customers a subsidy for not being a Sky TV customer, but the following week Sky sent me an e mail stating that I must continue to pay a subsidy for not being a Sky TV customer. The Ombudsman state that this was a 'commercial decision'. So Sky can impose any terms and conditions upon consumers! can they? Then Sky said that I could not stop the broad band service because I was on a Sky Network. (I had been placed upon a Sky network entirely without my knowledge) But Sky failed to inform me that I could go for what is called 'Roll back' and terminate the broadband and keep my phone. But it took them three months to provide this information, and then they still insisted that I would have to pay a subsidy for not being a Sky TV customer. They also attempted to take over my other telephone line which Ofcom blocked, then had the cheek to say that my other provider had stopped the cancellation of services on my Sky line. Eh! how could they? Sky it seems have a license to rob consumers, and because customers are afraid that they may lose their telephone number, feel obliged to continue to pay for extra services, even it not in the contract. Sky eventually said they do not work with contracts, but all terms and conditions are on line. Apparently accepting a bill is accepting those terms and conditions. If you write in to Sky complaints using their complaints procedure the writing is on their website, so you have no record in e mail. I kept screen saves however proving I had complained, and demonstrating that I did not know what I was paying for. Eventually the ombudsman stated that my complaint to them was too late, although I saw it as a continuum of how Sky treat customers, they continued to take money out of my account without my permission for services I had never requested. The law is complicated, and Sky know this. All I can say is I would never ever use Sky again or recommend them to anybody.

Sky TV Terms and Conditions are here on sky.com and here are the Broadband Terms and Conditions. Sky Offer Terms and Conditions are here.

Everything you complain about not being told are in there if you had read them.

spettro

Saturday 16th /04/2016
I reported a problem to sky we checked a few things over the phone and did some checks and was told we need an engineer and 1 would be with you on Monday so we have on and off internet until the engineer arrived on Monday, The engineers said well the line is ok but what you need is a broadband engineer I don’t know why they sent me because I am just a line engineer,
As promised sky customer services called the next day 19/04/2016 to ask how we got on when I said well its no different and I told them what the engineer said she replied we have to send a line engineer we cant just send a broadband engineer until a line engineer has been , Then she asked well is it any better I said no she then did a few checks spoke to a colleague called me back and said we need to send another engineer I said will this 1 be a broadband engineer she said no we have to send a line engineer 1st but 1 came Monday she said well he marked the job off as completed so we have to now send another line engineer they will be with you tomorrow 20/04/2016,
We again waited for the engineer who called and said he would be with us soon can we tell him about the problem when we said an engineer had been he said well if I come I will only do the same thing and then sky will charge you for the visit its what they do so you are best if I don’t come and they will then send a broadband engineer, So as promised sky Customer service called me to ask how we got on I told them what the engineer said and was told that is rubbish sky will never charge you and its just open reach trying to give sky a bad name, I said it was not my concern but not having broadband for my office was so he said a broadband engineer would be coming Friday morning so I cancelled my appointments and waited again with virtually no internet and on 3 occasions going to my brothers house to use his computer to get my important work done as I cant rely on my broadband. So 22/04/2016 came and I sit waiting for my engineer to arrive and waiting and waiting when it got to 1pm I had to go to the meeting I had cancelled and another 1 after then I get a call saying I have been held up and will be with you as soon as possible, I had arranged a neighbor to have a key when I went out ,The engineer arrived at 4pm and set to work I have to say this engineer was here till 8.45 pm and he said there was a problem with the wires at the top of the pole,in the ground and also at the exchange when he left the broadband was working fine until Sunday 24/04/2016 when at 8.30 am I went to the office to get my backlog of work started then I found I had no internet again, I called sky customer services and we went through a few things he had me running around for a filter box witch took me 1 hour to get then he said it will be the fact that the wire going in to the router was not the correct sky wire and it needs to be a sky wire although the wire had been working for 5 months perfectly, He said I will send you 1 it will be there by Friday then I will call you Friday see how it is bear in mind Friday was 6 days away, I asked around and 1 of my friends got me a correct sky wire and guess what no difference , I called sky customer service again and we started again trying this and that then I was put on hold by the lady and after 20 minutes on hold was cut off and never called back , So I called again and this time spoke to a different man who said I have her id number and will launch a complaint, Then we started again try this try that after time I realized I was just being flannelled and asked to speak to cancelations he agreed straight away I think he was glad to just pass the problem on , I was put through to Megan she asked why and said she has access to the fix it team and said they will call you before 8pm I never got a call from them but Megan did call me and said an engineer will be with me on Tuesday 26/04/2016 when he arrived he was here quite a time even brought help after lunch then said I think you will find it to be ok now the problem was at the exchange ,
Within 2 hours it went of again we also lost our telephones that day and since have some very angry people saying we are suppose to be on call but they got no answer this will seriously damage my good work I have done with these customers , Today another engineer arrived and said the problem is at the exchange you need a broadband engineer it costs sky a lot more to send a broadband engineer than a line engineer but I think you will need to have the equipment checked or changed at the exchange , I wondered if you had any ideas I was offered £17-40 compensation by Megan would you think this is fair this is still not sorted as I write this email , Just to add the new sky advert says BELIEVE IN SKY, BELIEVE IN SUPER RELIABLE

Heinz

If you paid for business broadband and appropriate service cover you'd be more likely to get the level of service you need.

Using domestic broadband for a business is not a good idea (as you have found out).