UK Digital Satellite - Another Sky box insurance scam?

ses6jwg

My elderly grandparents are constantly getting nuisance phone calls from various scam-type organisations as well as letters.

I have signed them up to the Telephone preference service but about 2 months ago they were particularly bad, and my grandad said they had about 4 phone calls in one afternoon. In the end to "make them go away" he provided a company called "UK Digital Satellite" with his card details (stupid I know) and they took £18 from his bank account, and he shortly receieved a letter confirming his "warranty" and saying they would take £18 every 3 months via continual card authorisation (rather than direct debit - typical of scam companies).

As soon as I found out, I called Lloyds TSB who are his bank, who I have to say were very very helpful. They could not reclaim the £18 already gone under the Visa guarantee because my grandad had paid willingly and he had recieved a letter confirming the "warranty".

However we did cancel his debit card and I told him to keep an eye on his statements for any further debits, and NOT to EVER give his card or bank details to a cold caller.

Anyway today he recieved a letter from these people and the gist of it is as follows:

"We are writing to inform you that.... £18 is overdue for payment....We have already tried to contact you via telephone to take payment.....No further reminders will be issued but be advised a £15 charge will be levied to reinstate your policy should it lapse."

It then goes on say in quite a threatening manner....

"If you wish to cancel this agreement.... all outstanding payments must be cleared and payment must be recieved in full for the remainder of the term....Any payments not made but that are owed within the minimum term of the policy will be charged with interest at 3% per annum above the Bank of England base rate"


I have taken the letter away and plan to write to these people on my grandfathers behalf, to say he does not wish to have any further dealings with them and if they continue to harass him for payment they will be reported to Trading Standards and the OFT.

I sent them a letter outlining that the policy should be cancelled about 2 months ago within the 7 day "cooling off" period outlined in their own terms and conditions.

Can anyone provide any advice?

Are they just trying it on?

ses6jwg

bumpstered all the way

ses6jwg

any help appreciated

JimBrowning

Hi,

I sympathise with your grandparents because this is the second call I've had from ukdigitalsatellite.com trying to sell me a warranty for my sky equipment. I'm already on the TPS scheme, so anyone trying to sell me anything is pretty much guaranteed to be some sort of scam.

They claim to know that my Sky equipment is "out of warranty" even though they have no relationship with Sky. They quoted my surname, address and Post Code. Conveniently for me, my post code is incorrect in the Phone Book, so I know when people are just using the Phone Book rather than having an existing relationship. Even Sky have my correct Post Code!

My HD STB is less than a year old, so again, they just seem to be trying it on that I'm a Sky customer and that my equipment wouldn't be covered in the event of a fault.

I pushed them on how they obtained my details and they initally claimed that it was a list that Sky had sent them. When I informed them that they were quoting the Phone Book and not Sky's customer list, they couldn't explain this and offered an apology. When I told them that I was not a customer of theirs yet they were ringing a TPS registered number, they couldn't explain this and offered an apology. When I pushed them on how they could possibly be trying to sell me a warranty on equipment which was already covered in a warranty, they hung up.

Needless to say, Trading Standards and TPS will be informed.

Please don't fall for any of their lies about warranty and if you feel you really need one, use Sky's own website and never agree to anything from a cold caller!

Knarf44

These companies are a plague in Society and seem to specialise in taking money from pensioners. My old Dad ended up with 6 different policies for his Sky box costing him more than £120 a month in payments. He thought he was always dealing with Sky when they phoned - Once they realised I was on to them most cancelled the policies without too much fuss but some insisted on sending threatening letters to pay up the policy. I ignored those and decided to let them start Court action if they dared. Needless to say I heard nothing more from them. The problem is that Trading Standards close them down and they just reappear in a different place and start their business again.

norm5

I have had several calls from digital satallite uk asking if i want to insure my sky box. i get a call approx every 2-3weeks. there is no way that i would ever take out insurance to cover on my sky box, i would and have told sky to repair it or i would leave sky. sky have always repaired or replaced the box so why would i take out a policy with digital satellite uk?.. I have just noticed on my bank statement that £6 a month has been taken from my account. this has been an unauthorised monthly card payment. i am not elderly/vulnerable or confused so be aware and keep an eyr on your bank statements as my debit card was compromised to set up these monthly payments. digital satellite say that i am in a contract for 12 months. i have told my bank that this was a fraudulant authorisation set up and they have cancelled future payments. This must have been set up by a sales employee who has my card details from some other company. are they under pressure to get sales??

KERKI13

I stupidly fell for this as well thinking they were from Sky. Registered with TPS and CAB have been informed. There doesn't seem to be any way you can stop these fraudsters. Latest is they won't cancel contract. It's only a few pounds a month but it's the principal of the thing. How can payments be taken from your card without recourse to cancel??

ses6jwg

With my grandad we called lloyds tsb and told them it wasnt authorised, they couldnt refund the £18 as we had been sent some kind of contract. However they cancelled his card and said any future payments could be refunded.

sweetpea26

hi

Just noticed that I have had a payment taken out by the following company


DIGITAL SATELLITE
08448797728 NR1 4DY

This is what is on my credit card statement. I rang the above number and a woman stated that I had taken out a 12 month contract on the 9th August. I didn't as I already have a 3 year cover with another company.

She said that I could not cancel because the only way this could have been set up is by me providing my details to them. I told her NO way had I done this and that I had received absolutely no details of cover in the post.

She then continued to say that I should have received it otherwise the documentation would have been returned to them and that she has had no returned mail.

I realised that when she gave my address as number 3 instead of number 30 that something must be very wrong.

I asked that she send out this existing policy in the post, so I could take it to my solicitor. She then said a very immediate yes and hung up.

I have rang my credit card company and they are sending out a form to claim the money back and stop payments.

Has this happened to anyone else? I pay bills, shop etc etc online and am extremely careful with my details. To be honest this has annoyed me greatly.
I would appreciate any help.
thank you

I am also on the TPS system which blocks UK based marketing calls.

sweetpea26

Just bumping this up ... hope someone can help

Thank you

benniboy87

I have had a policy with this company for 2 years now and I have called them out 3 times and they have always got out to me pretty quick. I was with protect previously but digital satellite where cheaper so I switched to them..