Cancelling Sky -only by phone??

andydgg

just got to love the customer service,because I cancelled my direct debit and they may make additional charges that will be paper billed, they are going to charge an extra £4 for the paper bill. And they want me to stay? lol I won't give them a direct debit as I have no doubt that I'll be disputing their final bill.

pen1

I recommend a read of the thread "Remove a package or cancel your subscription" in the Sky forum.
http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/Remove-a-package-or-cancel-your-subscription/td-p/763558/page/3

Questions are being asked about the validity of failing to process downgrades and cancellations without telephone contact, when they have been submitted by email through "My Sky" (and other methods that are in Sky's terms & conditions).

Staff are telling customers that telephone contact is required for "data protection", but aside from sending Sky a message requesting a downgrade or cancellation, once somebody has accessed this password-protected area, they can view bills, amend bank details, buy a new box and upgrade their package- all without the need of a telephone call for "data protection" checks!

It's an unsustainable excuse, in my opinion, for the real purpose- customer retention activity.

The Sky forum is littered with complaints from customers complaining of all manner of downgrade and cancellation scenarios where their rights have not been respected.
http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/bd-p/sky_accountbilling_billing

Why do they do it? Surely Sky- a business that sells a wide range of products and services these days- don't think it's good business sense to get people so agitated when they try to drop a channel option or cancel a service, that they're going to think carefully about buying from them in the future?

pen1

A soldier serving in Afghanistan who states that he has emailed Sky to cancel and not received a reply has been told:

If can take around 7-10 days for you to receive a response from the relevant team, mainly down to the traffic of emails they receive. However they still won't be able to action your request without talking to you, the account holder.

...and asked if he could "... contact [Sky] when you are you are on rest and recuperation or leave ...."
http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/Cancelling-from-Afghanistan/td-p/957006

andydgg

I emailed the MD of customer services Stephen van Rooyen
Managing Director, Sales & Marketing

stephenvanrooyen@skycustomersupport.com and told him I'd dispute any charges, he's passed it onto one of his team lol...main thing is to cancel dd and dispute the charge. My email went on the 21st Feb giving them 30 days notice, they are switching me off on the 30th March.

Dumbledore55

I told them I was leaving my partner and moving somewhere where they already had sky. Apart from asking me if my partner wanted to take over the package to which I replied 'no', they asked no other questions. I was off the phone in 10 minutes and my 31 days notice accepted no problem.

pen1

I don't think that anybody would dispute that there are occasions when the cancellation or downgrade process works correctly, but staff have been circumventing the processing of legally-binding notices received by letter, email via Sky.com (a password-protected service) and fax, by "ditching" these notices if the customer didn't/wouldn't subsequently engage in telephone contact.

This led this week, to a soldier serving in Afghanistan, who had emailed his cancellation notice, being told that Sky "won't be able to action your request without talking to you".

He had no obligation in law to do so, and couldn't do so because telephone communications from Afghanistan are strictly controlled for the security of all those risking their lives for their country; but, Sky put this soldier in a position where he would have to continue to pay for services he wanted to cancel, and only relented after they were put under pressure by the soldier and other customers on their forum.

http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/Cancelling-from-Afghanistan/td-p/957006
http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/Remove-a-package-or-cancel-your-subscription/td-p/763558/page/3

Moneymaker

If you really want to cancel, it's very simple. You WRITE (as in letter - Recorded Delivery) to them asking them to move your dish to (address outside the UK) as you will be emigrating on the (date 4 weeks hence) but that you wish to continue with the service. Mention that your phone has already been disconnected so, unfortunately, they can't phone you.

pen1

I took written advice from the Information Commissioner's Office (responsible for the Data Protection Act) and continued to raise the issue on Sky's forum of how Sky treat legally-binding downgrade and cancellation notices when they are made by methods other than telephone.

After initially promising to get the matter "cleared up", they basically ignored the thread for 3 months, and only responded after I repeatedly pressed them for an answer.

Their response yesterday, was to infer that I was spamming their forum and warn me that "action could be taken from within the Forum".

http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/Remove-a-package-or-cancel-your-subscription/td-p/763558/page/4

Needless to say, I am more determined than ever to pursue this matter until staff stop delaying or avoiding the processing of legally-binding downgrade/cancellation notices, and stop citing "data protection" inappropriately, as the reason for demanding telephone contact, when the purpose is clearly customer retention activity.

andydgg

it's the 19th March now and I emailed them on the 21st, 15 further emails and the last one was Stephen's file email saying a member of his team will look into it. They've asked me for £6 something and to pay it by card online. I've said I'm disputing the charge, they've ignored my email, so I'll wait for the ink on paper bill.

pen1

I 've been requesting and receiving various advice (see my earlier post about the Information Commissioner's Office) about Sky's position on cancellations and downgrades.

I think that the best advice at present is to note and follow the terms & conditions very carefully if you choose to give notice other than by telephone.

Crucially:
"• You must give your name, address, post code and customer number when you are cancelling any product or service you have ordered from Sky".
http://www.sky.com/shop/terms-conditions/tv/

Therefore, even if you are logging in to your account at sky.com, to send the downgrade/cancellation notice, I recommend that you add your name, address, post code and customer number in to your message, to eliminate any subsequent explanation that information is/was required to verify your identity and/or that the downgrade or cancellation must be completed by telephone.