Cancelling Sky is driving me to despair!!

AllSpent

I'll try and keep it brief, bullet-point-style, as it's a long-winded affair, and if I have to repeat it many more times I'll end up in the funny-farm.

I tried to cancel Sky in Oct '11, as I moved and couldn't have their service (suffice to say it was not possible). I was dissuaded the first time, asked to see if the LL would put up a dish. I phoned again. After a lengthy discussion, was told to phone back to see if I qualified as an exception. No-can-do. Told to phone again and downgrade to a basic package for the remainder of the subscription. In the same conversation,was told to phone back in Feb to make sure it was cancelled. I cancelled my Direct Debit, having paid the last four months without even having access to Sky. After going through the whole discussion today with various people, am now told as I have not done so within the 31 notice period, I will be billed the extra 16 days. I was not told of this. As far as I was concerned, my previous three calls had on file I wanted to cancel, but obviously had to pay the remainder subscription.

I have had a thirty-minute rant with Sky so excuse the garbled post. Yes, in theory and legally they can bill me, but morally? After being a customer for 10+years. It's crazy that they just won't cancel my account and on top of it I have to pay an extra charge for their misinformation!!

Needless to say, I'm livid!

Advice?

McKneff

Don't think you have a leg to stand on really, you said you wanted to cancel but you didnt,

I know it's annoying and I can see your point about the morals of it all but they seem to have their customers by the 'short and curlys'

AllSpent

Yes it's as I thought too. But I'm told that I wouldn't have been cancelled in Dec as I was still in contract. Technically though, telling them exactly 31 days before your tied-in subscription ends is still within contract. My only hope is getting the tape of the conversation where the advice was not clearly laid out.

I know your right really, and my whimperings are just because I'm a little angry, but they'll peter away in the next few days, enough to write them my four-page protestation, for what it's worth. I'll never go back to them again. Arrgghhhhhh!!!

david39

Four page protestations don't have any impact - they stop reading halfway down the first page, skip to the end to check are no threats of legal action and then send you back a non-committal reply.

Just make it a well-written half page letter, concise and to the point. This not only saves you a lot of time but also ensures that it is read in its entirety and actually looks a great deal more professional.

AllSpent

Thanks David. I know this is the right thing to do. Knee-jerk reactions are not my usual modus operandi, but this left me so flipping aggrieved I had to sit-down and count to a hundred before I could even move again.

I will do as you suggest, and also mark it as a learning experience when dealing in such matters.