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HELP!!! SKY is taking my money even though I dont have a subscription

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  • JoRudge
    JoRudge Posts: 20 Forumite
    I have found myself in a position where I have had to email the CEO.
    Here is the email I sent explaining what has happened to me- let me know if any of you have been in a similar situation as I will probably take it to Ofcom if he doesn't sort the situation out (unless any of you have better advice).....

    Good Morning Jeremy,

    I am severely dissapointed with the service I have received from Sky.
    If you read the correspondence below you will see why.

    It seems that the staff are not willing enough to investigate my situation fully and it is really stressing me out, so much so that I would be happy to take this to Ofcom and get the account with Sky cancelled fully. I do not want to have to go through this any more.

    I first took out Sky when I was living on my own in December 2010. I moved to my parents in May 2011 and moved my Sky services over. It took around 7 phone calls and 6 months for my broadband to get set up because of your 'system problems'.
    I was told each time that there is an error on the system which isn't allowing the direct debit to get set up and until this is resolved it is impossible to get the broadband up and running.
    I thought that this was poor service in itself, so I rightfully called and complained. I was told by the agent I spoke to that I would get the broadband half price for the first month (or something like that) as a gesture of goodwill.
    In February 2011, I decided that I wanted to cancel the Sky TV and keep the boradband and phone service running because I wasn't utilising the Sky TV enough and needed to reduce my monthly bill for financial reasons. I was told that I would have to pay early termination charges because when I was given the month half price I was enrolled into a new 12 month contract! I was not advised this was going to the the case at any point.
    Again I complained, and was advised that this information was sent to me by email which failed. Why was I not told this on the phone when I was supposedly given the month half price as a 'gesture of goodwill'? And why should I be enrolled into a new contract just for being compensated for the poor service you have given me? It's all wrong.
    You will see in the 2nd email down in the correspondence below that because the email failed and I was not informed I would be enrolled into a new 12 month contract, as a 'gesture of goodwill', my Sky TV was to be cancelled as of the 21st March. My broadband and phone were to be kept running so you hadn't completely lost me as a customer at that point.
    I have not been able to pay my bills for my broadband and phone because the early termination charges are still showing on my account. I refuse to pay these because I was advised that these wouldn't be charged since I wasn't ever informed I'd be enrolled into a new 12 month contract.
    I called in yesterday because my broadband and phone have now been cut off. I wanted to pay the outstanding amount for these and get them back up and running. However I am again being told by your staff that I owe for early termination charges.
    I can prove in the email correpsondence below that this should have been resolved.
    Clearly the last person to respond to me hadn't bothered to read the earlier correspondence.

    Please resolve this as a matter of urgency. Unless I receive satisfactory service, I will forward all correspondence to Ofcom and have all of my Sky services cancelled.

    Regards,
    Joanne Rudge
  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Xmas Saver!
    From a pragmatic point of view the simplest way to resolve this is to get your friend to refund you and to stop the continuing payment at the bank -as a back up ask the bank to issue you a new debit card too.

    Once done complain in writing to Sky at the address in Livingston above and if you don't get any satisfaction take it to Oftel.

    (Not sure why you are trying to get refunded twice though)
    I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole

    MSE Florida wedding .....no problem
  • headpin
    headpin Posts: 780 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    SeamusMac wrote: »
    The latest update is that my bank (Santander) say there's nothing they can do because they can't break a contract "I" entered into. I tried to argue "I" didn't enter any contract, but they say that just the fact I used my card is "a contract with SKY". I quoted the section from the FSA website to them but they say that doesn't apply to them.

    I contacted the FSA and they told me to contact the Financial Payments Authority, so I've sent my complaint to them.

    My friend has reimbursed me with the money that SKY took from my account and also the bank charge. But on a point of principle I'm going to pursue trying to get my money back from SKY and stop them taking any further payments.

    :(
    Your problem, as well as Sky acting fraudulently, is banking with Santander. Unfortunately they have a reputation for not knowing how the law works nor the Banking Code of Practice, which since 2009 has required a bank to cease payments when instructed by their account holder. This was supposed to ceae all these issues about continuous payment authority whether by DD or otherwise.

    In the first instant you have done the correct thing by progressing a complaint against your bank.

    Additionally Sky have continued to "steal" your money after you have told them that the account is not yours. Do not take any notice of the rubbish spouted by others. Once you told Sky they should have ceases to take any more funds from you and also refunded what they had unlawfully taken. Their contract is with your friend not you and you have NO responsibility for it. They know that and by acting as they have, they have demonstrated how ignorant their staff are. The staff are culpable and should really be dips lined for acting as bully boy thugs.

    Go after all of these muppets. Good luck.
  • Kurtis_Blue
    Kurtis_Blue Posts: 2,217 Forumite
    headpin wrote: »
    Your problem, as well as Sky acting fraudulently, is banking with Santander.

    Absolutely.
  • smackaine
    smackaine Posts: 47 Forumite
    headpin wrote: »
    They know that and by acting as they have, they have demonstrated how ignorant their staff are. The staff are culpable and should really be dips lined for acting as bully boy thugs.

    I would say it's anything but. On my level, caught accessing a customer's account without express consent of account holder or without obtaining relevant DPA stuff = instant disciplinary.
  • diamonds
    diamonds Posts: 6,048 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    edited 4 May 2012 at 6:02AM
    Unauthorised card debits for a Sky account that you have no legal responsability to pay...call bank and ask for dispute on transactions & get your card replaced with a new one so no more payments can be taken.

    If Santander call answering monkey refuses, go to complaints if they refuse ask for complaints level 2 - quote the 2009 Banking Code of Conduct to each person - have it front of you.

    Last Aug £55 Sep £50 Oct £50 charges because Santander failed to process Visa Debit payments in the normal period or reduce my available balance for 9 days and I snowballed over them months over my overdraft from thier error - I got the £155 back yesterday ! They wanted me to accept £100 and I said no way £155 is what you took via YOUR error, the guy agreed but was rude & not even 1p compensation which given the branch done Direct Debit indemnities for wrong amounts & FORGOT to cancel D/D afterwards they gave me £25 compo last month....I'm going to ask for a copy of the call recording & got to Financial Service Ombudman as that £155 was alot of money on £67.50 a week at that period.

    I joined Santander 12 months ago & had 6 serious complaints against their failures. I'm paying my overdraft off & leaving !
    SO... now England its the Scots turn to say dont leave the UK, stay in Europe with us in the UK, dont let the tories fool you like they did us with empty lies... You will be leaving the UK aswell as Europe ;)
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