Refund on Free service - Sky

Marker_2

I have been a Sky TV customer for a long time and in January opted to bring all my services to sky and added the phone and broadband package. The phone I have to pay £14.40 line rental and the broadband was free.

I had to wait a month for the phone to be installed, but following installation I had cross lines with a neighbour and wasn't able to connect to the internet. After 3 - 4 weeks of many phonecalls to sky to rectify this it was eventually rectified. It was a frustrating time because it was always I having to contact Sky, they never returned calls.

So I made a complaint and they offered to deduct the 3 weeks of line rental I didnt have (which worked out at £10) and said they would not offer anything for not having broadband because the service was free.

Although the broadband was Free I bought it as a package and expected the service I signed up to.

The last complaint I made was via telephone call, and was informed I'd receive a follow up telephone call which I never did, this was 2 months ago. I have now made an official complaint, not only about the lack of service but for the terrible customer service I have had from the start regarding these issues.

I have yet to hear a response but am wondering where I stand. I am not expecting hundreds of pounds in compensation, merely for the lack of service I received and the time it has taken to resolve this.

visidigi

You're entitled to the service charges back for the period where you were unable to use the service due to the fault.

If the Broadband is free then you're entitled to free back

Marker_2

visidigi wrote: »

You're entitled to the service charges back for the period where you were unable to use the service due to the fault.

If the Broadband is free then you're entitled to free back

Not really the point when you have signed up for a service, free or not, and you don't get it.

With your logic Sky could technically not provide me the service at all during my contract and I would have no compensation recourse because it is free?

dreamypuma

Marker wrote: »

Not really the point when you have signed up for a service, free or not, and you don't get it.

With your logic Sky could technically not provide me the service at all during my contract and I would have no compensation recourse because it is free?

What would you like us to tell you that you are entitled to?

If you tell us, we can then tell you what you want to hear, then we're all happy. I in particular will tell you what you want to hear.

Marker_2

dreamypuma wrote: »

What would you like us to tell you that you are entitled to?

If you tell us, we can then tell you what you want to hear, then we're all happy. I in particular will tell you what you want to hear.

You clearly think it is ok for a company to offer a service, contract you up to that service and not deliver???

I would like to know what my consumer rights are/were for that period of time. The 'it was free get over it' angle does not work for me. If I wanted a free service I couldn't get I would have gone else where.

Now if you are not going to assist please back away from my thread.
Cheers

dreamypuma

Marker wrote: »

You clearly think it is ok for a company to offer a service, contract you up to that service and not deliver???

I would like to know what my consumer rights are/were for that period of time. The 'it was free get over it' angle does not work for me. If I wanted a free service I couldn't get I would have gone else where.

Now if you are not going to assist please back away from my thread.
Cheers

As you feel you are entitled to compensation, please quantify your losses.

Buzby

Not at all - it was your decision to deal with that company, many of us would choose not o (for a variety of reasons). Your complaint is regarding a service they buy in from a supplier more able to provide it (BT Openreach), the services they provide are for consumer use and as such do not attract payments for delay, not provision or any other failure of themselves or their agents.

A reading of their T&C's will clarify your entitlement in cases where things don't work out, this is limited to a full rebate for services not supplied. They have the ability to extend this by way of a goodwill gesture, but you asked and were told what your entitlements are and that is an end to the matter.

You do bear the the ultimate sanction by voting with your wallet (once any minimum term commitment is complete) and seek service from a firm that values your custom and prepared to compensate you for its failings.

As for what your 'rights' are - these have been explained already. For a free service, you get exactly what you pay for. Nothing will change that and if you are seeking payment because of an ill-advised choice of supplier, wouldn't we all love to benefit from this?

The bottom line is you have exhausted the proceedure, and know how they value you. The next decision is yours.

Marker_2

dreamypuma wrote: »

As you feel you are entitled to compensation, please quantify your losses.

I couldn't go on facebook for a month, surely that is worth thousands?

In all seriousness ... I moved into a new home, so instead of changing addresses online, I had to ring 0845/0844 etc numbers on my mobile. Few pounds there. I missed a month of my online Uni (before you suggest library I had a few weeks old baby, so just not practical). The annoyance of my landline flashing when my neighbour was on the phone - and she talked alot, mainly to her daughter, I know this because I was there, three way calling almost - the general annoyance of having a landline that didn't work properly and the inability to use the internet.

This started in January, and we are now in June where I am still awaiting a phonecall ... 6 months free or half price sky everything bills. Is that asking too much? Is that not reasonable in the consumer rights world? I don't know, what are your thoughts?

dreamypuma

Marker wrote: »

I couldn't go on facebook for a month, surely that is worth thousands?

In all seriousness ... I moved into a new home, so instead of changing addresses online, I had to ring 0845/0844 etc numbers on my mobile. Few pounds there. I missed a month of my online Uni (before you suggest library I had a few weeks old baby, so just not practical). The annoyance of my landline flashing when my neighbour was on the phone - and she talked alot, mainly to her daughter, I know this because I was there, three way calling almost - the general annoyance of having a landline that didn't work properly and the inability to use the internet.

This started in January, and we are now in June where I am still awaiting a phonecall ... 6 months free or half price sky everything bills. Is that asking too much? Is that not reasonable in the consumer rights world? I don't know, what are your thoughts?

Just to be clear, exactly how long were you without a usable phone line? 3-4 weeks? Sky have given you back the line rental for this period, thus setting you back to day one.

How long you have been waiting for a response to your complaint is irrelevant to compensation as this is not a tangible loss, just crap customer service.

For the crap customer service you are seeking goodwill, this is not a consumer right, just you appealing to there better nature.

Not responding to your request should be an indication of there position on goodwill.

Marker_2

dreamypuma wrote: »

Just to be clear, exactly how long were you without a usable phone line?

How long you have been waiting for a response to your complaint is irrelevant to compensation as this is not a tangible loss, just crap customer service.

Waited a month for installation. Then 3 1/2 weeks could have been 4 of no service. Would have been alot more had I not rang every 3 days to re-explain the situation and start again :cool:

Its not just the lack of service it is the lack of customer service over the issue and up to the present day. I received £10 compo, which I only discovered today on my april/may bill. No one has discussed this with me either. They've just added the refund and washed their hands of it.

Also, just so you can understand my added annoyance, but has no relevance to my complaint. I was still paying £60pm BT at the time as was stuck in a contract, but kindof soaked up that cost. Yet for 2 months (1 of which contracted in) I had no landline or broadband.

lucy03

dreamypuma wrote: »

As you feel you are entitled to compensation, please quantify your losses.

I personally think this is good advice. A few years back my BT broadband wasn't activated so I used a dial-up number so I could get some, albeit slow, connection. I showed BT the cost of those calls (which they could clearly see) and they refunded me for those calls.

If you've had to access the Internet via phone and incurred extra charges, I'd send them to Sky and ask them to consider refunding them, if they're reasonable. If you haven't incurred provable extra costs, it's hard for them to pay any compensation if the service was free.