MSE News: Sky to raise phone prices by 18%

ukcitizen

In June I signed up for what I thought was a year's fixed payment contract.
I had calculated that for the first 6 months my line rental and broadband would be £12.25 - the broadband being free. Thereafter, the broadband charges would kick-in increasing my monthly payment to £22.25/ month excluding additional call costs.
Sky have now sent a letter telling me that as from this month, so only 5 months into my agreement they are raising the line rental charge by £2.25 thus making my monthly payment now £14.50 and then after that £24.50 / month.
Sky says there's nothing they can do about it and they're very sorry. Yeh right!

barjam_2

you could maybe try and cancel according to this

http://http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2216136/Sky-hikes-line-rental-18--charges-SECOND-time-year.html#ixzz291EvkOUI

ryan92

jhp wrote: »

Only your sky talk package can be cancelled if your line rental is being increased to £14.50 monthly.

"Important changes to Sky Line Rental

For existing customers who joined Sky Line Rental before 1 September 2012, the price of your Sky Line Rental will increase to £14.50 a month.

If you are a Sky Talk Line Rental customer affected by the change above, you have the option to cancel your Sky Talk subscription without charge. Further details on how to do this are set out in your Sky Talk terms and conditions "

If after we move you to our Sky Network, decide to switch your line rental and calls service to another provider or to cancel your Sky Talk Services, your Sky Broadband service will automatically be cancelled at the same time.

So it looks like the broadband WILL be cancelled at the same time! That's an interesting post above mines ; I wonder how they'll reply to that if somebody questions that on the phone

JamesN

that link is dead, i too am annoyed about this!

diamonds

Primus £7.49 for 12 months & a £30 credit to the account, so 8 months to pay...where I'm taking family members who only use the landline for broadband

http://www.planet-talk.co.uk/Account/account-monthlyplan.aspx

Ypaymore

diamonds wrote: »

Primus £7.49 for 12 months & a £30 credit to the account, so 8 months to pay...where I'm taking family members who only use the landline for broadband

http://www.planet-talk.co.uk/Account/account-monthlyplan.aspx

So your happy to tie them in with a company with a bad track record on customer service for 18 months then on a auto renewing contract.

mortimer89

I would just like to check - at the moment i am paying phone line and unlimited broadband to sky in a contract until april. I have just rung up saying i have received the letter and i am not happy would be looking to cancel under the terms and conditions and she told me that its not true and i would still have an early termination charge. Any advice??

fatboyfat1

unless there is a clause in the contract that allows them to increase prices you can say that the price increase is a major change to the terms and conditions of the contract and hence you do not agree to it - it means you keep the same payment until the end of your fixed term, when they then can apply it. Alternatively they can release you from the contract - thats why SKY are saying people can cancel without penalty.

FleetFanatic

Sky can say what they like but the contracts are all linked :

1) You cannot take Sky BB Unlimited, Sky BB Lite or Fibre Unlimited without a Sky phone line. This indicates that these are linked contracts in England & Wales (Scotland is likely the same, dunno about NI);

2) Sky BB Unlimited has reduced pricing if you also take TV. The price reduction indicates that these are also linked contracts in England & Wales.

3) Sky BB Lite requires you take Sky TV, so its perfectly clear that the contracts are linked.

As Ofcom have already said Sky customers can cancel the line rental due to the price increase. That in turn triggers the cancellation of Sky BB Unlimited/Sky BB Lite/Fibre Unlimited.

At this point it is entirely up to the consumer whether to cancel TV as well - with the exception of Fibre Unlimited the contracts are clearly linked as a price reduction on BB (Unlimited & Lite) is applied when you take TV.

Sky can spin it whatever way they like, they will lose the case if you take it to the small claims track and I'm 100% sure they have been told that by their legal advisors.

For those who are interested or doubt google 'OFT small print' and get things like:
"If the small print of terms and conditions alters the contract from what a consumer would understand it to mean from other claims made by a company, that is likely to be harmful and could be unlawful, the OFT said in a paper on unfair contracts"

Finally, the tv is clearly sold as a bundle by sky:

http://www.sky.com/shop/bundles?filter=sky-entertainment,sky-entertainment-extra,price&DCMP=KNC-

Ramjet1000

Worth complaining to customer services
Then follow up via email , and cc jeremy.darroch@bskyb.com

I then got a call , after explaining how disgusting I thought it was they offered £25 credit and half price broadband for a year.