Is the only option to sue SKY?

Optimist

I get the impression you are doing this on the phone. If you havent already done so you need to put your complaint in writing to

Sky Sky Subscribers Services Limited
Customer Care Department
PO Box 99
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 7PR

Head it "Formal Complaint"

If you still get no satisfaction then complain to Otelo This is a independent alternative dispute resolution service Sky are members and will abide by the decision.

I would also suggest you clarify this "Direct Debit" A direct debit is direct to your bank nothing to do with a credit card. There is a continuous credit card mandate which I would recommend never using you dont get the same guarantees and they can be a pain to stop.

Principles

Otelo is the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman, they dont regulate Pay TV, I have tried them, you can only make a complaint to Ofcom about the actions of Sky but they wont adjudicate.
There isn't an ombudsman for Pay TV.
I have called, written letters and emails. To customer services, Escalated Complaints and Accounts, I have it in writing that they have received all these but the only response comes from the Escalated team who gets it so mixed up its untrue (I have this in writing) Sky seem to think their accounts department is a protected species, you will not be allowed to contact them direct, or rather you can send letters but they dont respond except to the complaints department who then reply to me.

Principles

In addition that address you gave is the standard customer service team, most dont know this but you can actually go through head office who escalate the dispute, except in my case the person representing them isn't up to the job.

Optimist

As you seem to have tried everything then your other options is to send them a "letter before action" giving them 14 days to sort it after which you will raise a claim through the small claims court. Dont use that as a empty threat though

Or you could try [EMAIL="james.murdoch@bskyb.com"]james.murdoch@bskyb.com[/EMAIL] It wont go to him but customer relations should pick it up.

Principles

With respect it wont go anywhere, Jeremy Dorroch is CEO now....its something that I have considered but I have been told they get forwarded onto Customer service.
I take your advice on board, I rather had hoped something would have been inplace to protect the consumer before having to take them to court.
I have another option of sending the information to the Sunday Telegraph, which I intend on doing.

malchish

Principles wrote: »

Hi

I have a dispute that originally involved a Direct Debit that went wrong between my credit card and SKY in June, a synopsis is that Sky say EGG 'chargedback' a months subscription but both EGG and Mastercard could find no evidence of this.

Sky subsequently rolled over an overdue amount onto my next bill and took it again at which point I provided all the evidence to EGG who agreed I had been charged twice for 1 of the months and raised a dispute to recover the money. A month later SKY said that this 'second' chargeback was for double the amount that was actually taken which was proven by Mastercard!! They applied this again to my account which resulted in my Sky service getting de-activated and a letter demanding payment was sent out.

I have all the transactions and written confirmation from both EGG and Mastercard as proof that SKY have messed up but due to Data Protection they cant discuss this directly with SKY and the FSA can only adjudicate on the actions of EGG and Mastercard as THERE IS NO OMBUDSMAN FOR PAY-TV other than TV content (which is scandalous!!)


For months I have been explaining the situation and where SKY are wrong (they have also acted outside of the Mastercard Regulations by not disputing the 'supposed' chargeback(s) directly with Mastercard but instead just adding it as an outstanding amount on my account) eachtime they are so incompetent to understand, I finally got the contact details of the Escalated Complaints at SKY and they are equally as incompetent, SKY will not let you speak to accounts, they are arrogant in the extreme!!
:mad:

What should I do?

Send them the letter before action, together with the court forms filled in (copies). Tell them you are starting procedure in the cmall claims court for the sum disputed £... without further notice, and give them 2 weeks to satisfy you.
They will pay up.
Worked with Virgin Media after a year of useless complaints procedure. Paid up and gave some money as a top-up!!!