MSE News: Sky takes over O2 and Be broadband: What does this mean for customers?

Hurley

Got offered unlimited broadband for £5p/m and free sky hub. Didn't have to take line rental.

EDIT: Rang them up and they said it's free for 12 months, no line rental or anything bundled. Result!

General_query

General_query wrote: »

Hi, leaving things until the last minute as usual but....

I am a BE Broadband customer for broadband @ £17.99pm

I am a BT customer for landline and voice calls @ £24.50 pm (direct debit amount anyway).

Like a previous poster, BT sent me a letter (which I only just opened too late last night) saying they are now charging me £3.50pm from 1st November for evening and weekend calls - which were previously free. Their line rental is also going up to £15.99pm from January, what a rip off

I despise BT and hate paying so much for line rental when I hardly make any calls. In fact they have suspended this months and next months payments of £24.50 as I am paying too much and am in too much credit with them!

Now, I have a letter from SKY offering me Unlimited Broadband at £15pm, with NO LINE RENTAL, but that includes a charge of £5 for not having SKY TALK and also a charge of £5 for not having SKY TV.

I think they have already set the wheels in motion as the letter says they (SKY) will be taking the £15pm from 1st December instead of it going to BE Broadband, but I haven't signed anything

I don't know what to do, and who to go with. I don't want SKY TV as I just can't afford it. I don't want any TV package from BT either.

Do I sell my soul to the Devil and phone up SKY and ask for a deal on unlimited broadband *AND* line rental, or stay with the devil I know (BT) and see what they offer me please?

Will BE (aka O2>SKY) charge me if I leave them to take broadband with BT? Will BE want their modem back?

Sorry for sounding so clueless and being in a panic - I *AM*

Please advice/help me

Thank you.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

December, January and now February 17th have come and gone = no £15 monthly direct debits taken out by SKY as they stated. Instead, BE Broadband are still taking the D/Debit out, but not for the £17 I was paying, and not for the lower £15 which SKY are meant to be taking, but £16.45 a month?

Huh? !!!!!!?

Not happy with SKY or BE Broadband the way they are handling this fiasco

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

jem16

General_query wrote: »

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

December, January and now February 17th have come and gone = no £15 monthly direct debits taken out by SKY as they stated. Instead, BE Broadband are still taking the D/Debit out, but not for the £17 I was paying, and not for the lower £15 which SKY are meant to be taking, but £16.45 a month?

Huh? !!!!!!?

Not happy with SKY or BE Broadband the way they are handling this fiasco

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Did you phone the O2 number as was suggested? I assume not.

Perhaps you should now.

Cloudydaze

Hi

I just phoned Sky as I just got my first bill post O2 (BB+LL).

I was paying £18.90 which she reduced to £16.40 (essentially removing the £2.50 for not having Sky TV).

I pushed her on the £75 credit but she claimed to have never of it. It doesn't feel like I got a great compared to everyone else..

Which number should I be calling?

Thx

jem16

Cloudydaze wrote: »

Hi

I just phoned Sky as I just got my first bill post O2 (BB+LL).

I was paying £18.90 which she reduced to £16.40 (essentially removing the £2.50 for not having Sky TV).

I pushed her on the £75 credit but she claimed to have never of it. It doesn't feel like I got a great compared to everyone else..

Which number should I be calling?

Thx

You should have phoned the normal O2 number before you were migrated. That way you could have negotiated a deal which is what everybody here did.

Now that you have migrated (and assuming you are on a 30 days notice) you will have to phone Sky and say you want your MAC to leave. You might possibly get an offer then.

cwalter777

I am absolutely outraged! I was very happy with BE for broadband but when Sky sent me a letter stating my broadband would be £7.50 per month for 12 months, I decided to give them a go. However, I have just had my bill and am being charged supplements for services I am not subscribed to! £5 per month for not having Sky Talk, £2.50 per month for not having Sky TV. It is outrageous, how are they allowed to do this? I can't afford Sky TV that is why I don't have it, so why do I have to pay to not have it? How is this legal? They didn't mention it on the £7.50 per month letter. I will be leaving Sky before even being with them for a month, they don't care, they have not come back with a decent response nor have they confirmed I will not be charged to leave. It said in the letter there was no charge to leave but then they lied about the monthly charge. Outrageous!

jem16

cwalter777 wrote: »

I am absolutely outraged! I was very happy with BE for broadband but when Sky sent me a letter stating my broadband would be £7.50 per month for 12 months, I decided to give them a go. However, I have just had my bill and am being charged supplements for services I am not subscribed to! £5 per month for not having Sky Talk, £2.50 per month for not having Sky TV. It is outrageous, how are they allowed to do this?

If they said £7.50pm then that is what you are being charged. Perhaps if you look at your bill you will see that you are being given free BB for a year and then paying the supplements of £7.50. This makes your bill £7.50.

What is outrageous about Sky doing this? Every provider gives a discount for having more services with them. With O2 you started with a cost and then had a discount of £5pm for having a mobile with them. Sky just show it the other way around. They talk about a lower cost and then add supplements. the end result is the same.

What does your bill actually show?

I can't afford Sky TV that is why I don't have it, so why do I have to pay to not have it? How is this legal? They didn't mention it on the £7.50 per month letter.

Of course it's legal. Think of it this way;

O2 BB Standard legacy package = £14.50pm. Discount for having O2 mobile = £5pm. End price is £9.50pm.

Sky BB Unlimited = £7.50pm. Supplement for not having Sky TV = £2.50pm. Supplement for not having Sky Talk = £5pm. Total price = £15pm.

So O2 without a mobile = £14.50pm. Sky BB without Sky Talk or Sky TV = £15pm.

O2 with a mobile = £9.50. Sky BB with both = £7.50.

I will be leaving Sky before even being with them for a month, they don't care, they have not come back with a decent response nor have they confirmed I will not be charged to leave. It said in the letter there was no charge to leave but then they lied about the monthly charge. Outrageous!

I think if you look at the bill properly, you will find they are charging you £7.50pm just as they said.

Your first bill will probably be for more as it may also include part of the previous month.

Post the details of your bill and we can check.

allan2006

For the first year you only have to pay £7.50 per month still.

effectively what they are doing is;

broadband charge £0
non talk customer £2.50
Non tv customer £5.00

=£7.50 per month.

then after your 12 months you will start paying £7.50 for broadband plus the 2 charges = £15pm

The first month will be more also as it could consist of nearly 2 months bill but the next month will be back to normal charge.

hope that helps.

cwalter777

allan2006 wrote: »

For the first year you only have to pay £7.50 per month still.

effectively what they are doing is;

broadband charge £0
non talk customer £2.50
Non tv customer £5.00

=£7.50 per month.

then after your 12 months you will start paying £7.50 for broadband plus the 2 charges = £15pm

The first month will be more also as it could consist of nearly 2 months bill but the next month will be back to normal charge.

hope that helps.

Thank you, very helpful. I think it would help if Sky worded their bills differently, they read like you are being charged for services not taken when they could sell it as 'it will be cheaper if you add these services'

cwalter777

Thank you Jem 16. Your explanation makes much more sense than the Sky bill!