cancelling sky tv contract early?

jellytot79

hi,
i have been with sky for about 9-10 years, in june this year i took up an offer of an HD box &package on a 12 month contract. now my cirumstances have changed i want to cancel and get BT vision instead.
i phoned sky to check when i'd be out of contract (i forgot when i started it ) she said May. i asked what would happen if i ended it early, she said there would be a 'claw back fee'. i asked her to find out how much this would be, she went and had a look then came back saying there would be no fee as i am in contract until may and have no options i cannot cancel...is this true??
what would happen if i cancelled the direct debit and stopped using the box or paying for it and started with BT vision? what can they do about it? not the route i was hoping to go for but there not being very helpful!!

Margey

I sugest contacting them again and speaking to someone wh is in charge and knows what they are talking about. I thought there would be a charge, and you can leave. It is a contract just like a mobile phone or insurance policy. It does seem a bit strange that you cannot leave and you have to stay with them until may!

jellytot79

depending on what the fee was i might have chosen to stay anyway...im thinking i might go to CAB and see what they say?
also as i had been a customer for so long and the contract was with the HD box and HD pack which is £10.25 a month, i would have thought the contract was only for that and not the general whole sky package? i might be wrong on this...i looked at sky tv terms and conditions but it says the are different for HD so im going to see if i can find that booklet...although i think it got dumped in the house move grr!

macman

Your can cancel any time you like, but if you do you'll have to buy out the contract. The ETC will be the full remaining payments due on it, i.e. 8 months x the full monthly sub (not just the HD part).
You signed a new 12m contract and that is what they will hold you to. Cancelling the DD will simply result in termination of your service, the debt being sold on, visits from a DCA, and your credit record being trashed.

penrhyn

What on earth would make you want to pay for BT Vision?
Its just Freeview, with some VOD content delivered over the net.

Fifer

penrhyn wrote: »

What on earth would make you want to pay for BT Vision?
Its just Freeview, with some VOD content delivered over the net.

Possibly because it's currently the only option for a full catch-up TV service via set top box if you aren't in a Virgin cabled area. I'd pay for such a service if it didn't involve changing ISP to BT.

pineapple

After a couple of years on the basic Sky package I cancelled and went to Sky Freesat. The Sky subscription service even offered me money off to try to keep me! I honestly can't remember being charged for the remainder of a contract. Maybe my timing was just right. Or maybe it was because I was still with Sky albeit free.
So far as catch up TV is concerned, you can get free net access to a whole load of programmes. I use these if satellite reception is ever dodgy
http://wwitv.com/television/217.htm
TVCatchup - Never Miss A Show Again (live TV not strictly catch up)
Or a channels own repeats - ie iplayer.

macman

pineapple wrote: »

After a couple of years on the basic Sky package I cancelled and went to Sky Freesat. The Sky subscription service even offered me money off to try to keep me! I honestly can't remember being charged for the remainder of a contract. Maybe my timing was just right. Or maybe it was because I was still with Sky albeit free.
So far as catch up TV is concerned, you can get free net access to a whole load of programmes. I use these if satellite reception is ever dodgy
http://wwitv.com/television/217.htm
TVCatchup - Never Miss A Show Again (live TV not strictly catch up)
Or a channels own repeats - ie iplayer.

That's because you were out of the 12m minimum contract. After that just the normal 30 days notice is required.

Fifer

pineapple wrote: »

So far as catch up TV is concerned, you can get free net access to a whole load of programmes. I use these if satellite reception is ever dodgy
http://wwitv.com/television/217.htm
TVCatchup - Never Miss A Show Again (live TV not strictly catch up)
Or a channels own repeats - ie iplayer.

But using a PC isn't particularly user friendly compared with a set top box plugged into your main TV. I have an HTPC hooked up to the TV but DW never uses it. She would use an STB service however.

samba

Fifer wrote: »

But using a PC isn't particularly user friendly compared with a set top box plugged into your main TV. I have an HTPC hooked up to the TV but DW never uses it. She would use an STB service however.

My wife uses Windows 7 Media Centre without any problems to watch and record TV as well as listening to music.

Fifer

samba wrote: »

My wife uses Windows 7 Media Centre without any problems to watch and record TV as well as listening to music.

That's nice. Mine doesn't.