Angry at Sky - enough to cancel!

robpw2

SweetSusan wrote: »

What rankles is reading Martin's advice on this right now:

>>Got half price for six months, then half price for another six months after that! All because I suggested we were moving to Virgin.
>>"We phoned up after doing quotes and got it down from £75 to £35 a month for 12 months. That's with Sky Sports added on!"

I tried every tactic Martin suggested. Sky never gave an inch. So I'm angered, knowing I'm paying the max they charge people, never got any break when I asked (I am super-polite in person and by phone), and yet, this. End of story for me.

Thanks.

are you still under contract ???

notanewuser

Would you actually have been able to pay the 7th February payment on time?

[Deleted User]

SweetSusan wrote: »

I've been in good credit with them for most of the time

Therein lies your problem, I'm afraid. In order to be considered a customer worth keeping you need to have been in good credit with them all the time. It would also help you to have discounts applied to your account, as would paying by direct debit.
Virgin Media and the other pay providers behave in exactly the same manner with tardy payers.

I'd go Freesat if I were you-your non-subscribed Sky box will still continue to receive all the Free To Air channels and you'll never have to pay a bill again.

[Deleted User]

robpw2 wrote: »

are you still under contract ???

Not after nine years.

robpw2 wrote: »

you could have logged in online and made a partial payment for the outstanding balance then paid todays bill of too .. no need to get upset

A partial payment of arrears would not have restored the OP's cut-off Sky service.

sjprmc01

I don't think they refused to take the payment, they would have taken the payment but refused to have switched the service back on till they recieved payment for the following month

Even if the next bill had only just been produced that day they would not have switched your viewing on without it! Policy to prove you are not going to continue the debt cycle

pen1

SweetSusan wrote: »

Hi.
At this point, after being loyal so long, I told them I was cancelling. They told me - I am not allowed to cancel until the bill is paid in full.

This practice is clearly wrong. Aside from the the likelihood, in my view, that it would be regarded as an unfair term in law (because it inhibits a person in debt, as opposed to those who are not, from managing future expenditure by downgrading/cancelling) it contravenes Sky's own terms & conditions which give you the right to cancel "at any time".

TV terms & conditions, for example, (11(a)iii) state:

If you want to end the Contract for any other reason you may do so at the end of or after the Minimum Term, by giving us at least 31 days notice at any time.

Even if a customer were subject to a minimum term, they still have a right of cancellation; however, in those circumstances would have to pay an early termination fee to compensate Sky.

http://www.sky.com/shop/terms-conditions/tv/

My understanding is that the staff are inhibited by the billing system from processing downgrades/cancellations when a block has been been placed on the account for non-payment. However, it doesn't comply with the customer's rights of cancellation.

I would advise anybody who wants to cancel in such circumstances to challenge it and consider a subsequent complaint to the ombudsman if Sky do not apply the notice period from the date you initially requested it.

http://help.sky.com/my-account/complaints/sky-customer-complaints-code-of-practice
http://help.sky.com/my-account/complaints/how-to-complain-to-sky/

Techhead_2

SweetSusan wrote: »

This episode made me finally lose any loyalty to Sky. I'm really sorry for that; I love some programmes only available there.

I decided it is not worth it.

You're right.

The thing is, and I mean this in as friendly a way as possible, you aren't a loyal customer. You are a customer who hasn't paid their bill, who makes threats to leave, argues with staff and doesn't understand the difference between billing date and due date.

In an ideal world when you couldn't pay your bill last month, you should have been on the phone to them making arrangements - not leaving it until the service is cut off. I know you are in a tough situation but do you really want to make it worse over something as unimportant as a TV subscription?

withabix

You say you are 'a good customer of Sky'.

I say you aren't.

Sky IS a pay-in-advance subscription service.

Your payment for service from 7th February is due BY 7th February.

As it is now 7th February, I presume this month's subscription is now overdue as well?

It is fully reasonable for them to expect you to clear your arrears AND the forthcoming month BY the payment due date before they turn your service back on.

Change to direct debit, then your bill will be collected by the due date every month.

macman

Sky will often insist on an extra months payment in your account once you have missed a single monthly payment. Therefore you end up paying two months in advance, not one. Since you breached the T&C's, they can do this.
Why not use DD so that you don't miss your payments?

Heinz

I wouldn't usually post in a thread such as this but my memory of a couple of Martin's questions from years ago which have flashed through my mind so many times since have forced me to post here.

Do I need it? Can I afford it?