Is it possible to get a refund from Sky for constant loss of connection?

borgmanjayce

Since the middle of May when I was offered a line test to improve my connection, I've had a constant problem with my broadband line in that it would constantly disconnect itself and reconnect itself, although for the most part, I had to manually reconnect myself.

Right now, I'm seriously angry as the problem still hasn't been fixed and I've called them twice to try and get the problem fixed.

I'm due to go back to university in September and I can't afford to have a connection at home constantly disconnecting itself and I don't want to have to use my mobile phone all the time to check my email and websites.

Until now, I've never had any problems with my internet connection and my speeds were reasonable for a 2MB connection (I mainly went with Sky for the unlimited downloads), but frankly this is seriously p*ss*ng me off.

I can't download magazines through Zinio Reader as every time I try to do so, the connection would switch itself off every 3-5 minutes which meant that I would have to start all over again, and as for iTunes downloads, what would take a matter of hours to download updated Apps and new podcasts, it took a matter of days instead. And don't even get me started on my torrent downloads as well as trying to download files so I can learn how to program Android apps.

Anyway, I'm going to call Sky Customer Services tomorrow and try to speak to a Manager to ask for a refund for a couple of months Broadband service as I wonder why I should have to pay for a full and satisfactory service that I'm not getting properly.

I need advice on how I should get a refund and what's the correct way of asking the Manager for one.

In the meantime, the lady from Customer Services that I spoke to today and who tried her hardest to help me has said that she got in touch with a specialist department who may be able to help me and they'll be in connect with me in the next week or so to check my internet connection and the main telephone socket that the router is plugged in
(I had to move the router from the main bedroom to the spare bedroom which is where the main telephone socket is).

At the end of the day, I hope I can get this problem sorted out as I don't want to have to switch to a crappy BT telephone line just so I can go with another provider and get a inferior service instead of the decent service that I usually get with Sky Broadband.

macman

What have you done to isolate the fault yourself? It could be your internal extension wiring, your router set up, your ADSL filters, your wireless connection, or your landline.
Only the latter is Sky's responsibility.
Try testing from the BT test socket behind the NTE5 master socket for starters, then change your filters and (if using wireless) change the wireless channel.
If you connect using ethernet and the problem goes away, then it's just a wireless issue.

Mark_In_Hampshire

If it were a business tariff (it isn't, just for the sake of example) then the SLA (Service Level Agreement) stipulates what happens in the event of faults and downtime e.g. how much they pay out.

Residential (non business) does not normally have an SLA. The first thing is to have a read through Sky's Ts and Cs (you can get those from the Sky website) to see if they do specify an amount per day or similar.

Of course there's a difference between a period of downtime of one hour once and constant repeated issues. So even if there's nothing specified you're well within your rights to ask but you're not legally or technically entitled to anything specific.

Sorry that's probably not what you wanted to hear; I'd suggest writing to them with the comedy of errors you've had and give them the date by which you expect it put right. If they don't sort it and you eventually have to migrate away that letter puts you in good standing when you tell them where to put their "early termination charges".

123sonny123

Been with sky for a few months.

Our *wireless* kept getting cut off when many users (dad with his smartphone, mrs with her laptop and mom on the desktop that is hard-wired to the router) tried to connect.

Top d/l speed I could consistently get on the desktop was 300kbps.

The wirless disconnections were very annoying indeed. I understand your frustration!

The router would 'freeze' - be stuck on the power light, wirless light and the @ (internet on) light - all 3 would be lit up, but there would be no internet. Is this what happens to you?

In the last 2-3 weeks, we have had NO wireless disconnections.
I went to check my top d/l speed and it has reduced to 200 kbps.
Again, 200kbps is fine for us as we don't really download.

I assume the contant disconnections (and therefore router resets)caused someone at the other end to reduce my speed/signal?

Our router is connected to an extension telephone line and not the Master Socket. I will connect the router to the master socket soon, and will see if the speed increases or not. I'll prob have to give sky a call and tell them to increase the speed...

borgmanjayce

Here's an update on the situation with Sky:

I was supposed to receive a phone call by yesterday from their special team that deals with problems involving broadband connections that can't be fixed by their Customer Service team.

In any case, I didn't get the call as promised and hopefully I'll get the call from Killian, the Supervisor that I spoke to on Monday as I'm going to tell her that the way that Sky has treated me is abominable.

She said that compensation-wise, they could only offer me a month's credit (I think it's for Broadband only), but I'm definitely going to ask politely for two or three months worth of credit, after all, I'm still !!!!ed that downloads which should take a few hours at most are taking a lot longer to do, and iTunes downloads are the worst problem as I constantly have to restart the downloads all the time because the constant disconnections forces all the downloads to be stopped.

macman, I actually tried using the Master Socket on Sunday and did the test with the faceplate unplugged and the router cable plugged into the test socket as it was suggested by the CSA that tried her best to help me out.

123sonny123, most of the time when I get disconnected, I get the icon on top of the signal bars that show when a WiFi device can't get a signal and yet I've had no problems in the past getting a signal with the router located in the master bedroom as the walls in the flat are thin but not too thin.

As I said in the opening post, I don't want to have to switch ISP's, especially as I save money having my broadband, telephone line and satellite TV service with Sky and for the most part, their service has been reasonably OK.

In the meantime, I'm seriously considering speaking to Trading Standards about the situation with my constant disconnections.

macman

As I suggested before, have you tried simply changing the wireless channel? The Sky router may be set to the same default channel as an adoining network.
It's a 2 minute job to do this.
If you connect with ethernet and don't get the drop-outs, it can only be a wireless issue. Have you tried this?

borgmanjayce

macman wrote: »

As I suggested before, have you tried simply changing the wireless channel? The Sky router may be set to the same default channel as an adoining network.
It's a 2 minute job to do this.
If you connect with ethernet and don't get the drop-outs, it can only be a wireless issue. Have you tried this?

How do I change the wireless channel? As I said, it's odd that this problem only started happening since Sky did the line test in May?

macman

Log into the router interface and go to the wireless settings section.
If it doesn't help, at least you've eliminated that area as a problem. Try 2 or 3 different channels.

brettcta

borgmanjayce wrote: »

How do I change the wireless channel? As I said, it's odd that this problem only started happening since Sky did the line test in May?

ethernet cable in
open internet explorer
192.168.0.1 into the address bar
username - admin
password - sky
click Setup at the top, which should take you to the broadband setup page
the channel should be set to auto
change it to 11
click apply at the bottom, then logout at the top right
unplug ethernet

easy peasy

but just try the connection first with the ethernet cable in before you change the channel

bod1467

Assuming you're using a PC and not a Mac ... there is a utility called InSSIDer that is good for scanning and finding local wifi networks. It tells you lots of info, including the channel number and signal strength. You can then select a wifi channel of your own that has no other wifi networks on it, or at least one that has other networks with low signal strength.