SKY broadband & Charged for NOT having SKY TV

CurioCat

Not sure if this is the right forum for this, but recently joined SKY phone and broadband package, took over 6 weeks to complete due to problems from B.T. and as compensation I was offered 9 months free line rental. Few days ago I received an email stating that Line Rental+Broadband+"Supplement for NOT having SKY TV" = £22.25. I contacted them, I don't speak to any company on telephone as I like written proof of my dealings. Reply stated it was an error and my account was credited with the amount to cover 9 months Line rental. But still no word on the "Supplement for NOT having SKY TV" I have never heard of being charged for NOT having something, does this mean that EVERYONE who does not have SKY TV gets charged also?

Unrelated, I was refused my M&S vouchers as I had let an advisor complete my Broadband and Phone package on-line on my behalf, therefore I did not apply myself (told by a member of SKY staff, stupidly in a telephone conversation).

I'm just curious if this is normal, as I have not been able to find anything on their website to state I will be charged for NOT having this package or the fact that an on-line advisor can scrap your M&S vouchers.

Thanks for any advice/information on any help in this matter

ktothema

Sky's customer service in this side of things seems shocking at the moment. So shocking I'm almost considering going to virgin for my tv too...

From the price you've quoted Im guessing you're on the unlimited broadband. The price for this is £7.50 if your have tv but £10 if not. That is pretty well laid out on their site (one thing I will give sky credit for, they do tend to be a bit more transparent with their prices than others).

The vouchers thing seems pretty standard too, they always seem to want you to sign up online only. Any telephone contact and it becomes a phone sign up. People have mentioned it here with several providers.

visidigi

Its common for media companies to offer bundle discounts, you're basically paying a higher rate because you didn't take all products.

Same as you get charged a higher price for a smaller bottle of Coke proportionally to the large bottles - buy in bulk, get discount. Happens everywhere.

Buzby

The billing does this automatically - you simply need them to override the bundle carge and it looks as though they have this in hand. Your problem is with he vouchers, these are an incentive to purchase online ONLY. It supposedly costs them more to process the order via a call centre and this is the reason the incentives are different. As you've queried it, and they responded in the negative, it looks as though that offer cannot be applied.

duchy

I've always thought the wording on the bill is a bit clumsy but yes the other posters are correct. If you have the full package you pay less than if you only have Talk and Broadband. When you signed up you would have been quoted a price -and it sounds like that is the price they've now adjusted your bill to.
I can see why a sales advisor wouldn't have told you it was proportionately more if you had previously stated you didn't want/need TV as there wouldn't have been much point.

The vouchers -the whole transaction must be online to qualify. I had a similar situation when there was a query on my Sky upgrade which qualified for vouchers. (I didn't have a staff account at the time) An advisor told me he could make a change for me to my order (basically cancel it down and start again)-but I said No that will void my vouchers-He agreed it would and left it alone and processed it differently. I wasn't sure if the voucher thing hadn't occurred to him and he was just doing it an easier way or not. It does say very clearly on sky.com on the voucher section that it must be all on-line to qualify. You could try sending an email through the complaints button in My Sky which will go straight to customer relations and ask for the voucher situation to be reconsidered -no guarantees but worth a go IMO.

CurioCat

Thanks to everyone for your replies, I have been in touch with the SKY advisor that has been dealing with everything, she apologises for no one telling me the different rates i.e. Talk & Broadband with and without TV package but that is the way it is.

As for the vouchers problem, I had gone on-line and the window popped up to ask if an "On-line customer advisor" can help appeared and having a few questions I agreed, the advisor then claimed it would be faster if I let them handle it, at no time was I told this would affect the voucher offer and he also only quoted Broadband with TV package @ £7.50 although I had made it very clear I was not taking the TV package, the member of staff dealing with my queries is looking into getting me the vouchers, guess the vouchers would have been handy as I just moved into a new house but at £10 per month for 9 months I cant really complain.

I will continue on with this package and continue to look around for other offers after my contract comes to an end.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

p.s. I have to say that the member of staff helping me has been fantastic