Cancelling Sky via their link doesn't count!!

Jazzyj_2

Hi
Early last week I went on to the sky website to obtain their number to cancel sky.
I clicked on the contact us link, was asked to click a heading (sky TV) and was given another set of options which included cancel Sky TV. I duly clicked this and was amazed that there was three options.
1. Speak to an online advisor (not available)
2. Call an 0844 number
3. Tell us you want to cancel by email ( result)

Well I filled in the form they provided, gave my telephone number and reason for cancelling. Received a standard email acknowledgement saying they would contact me with a personal reply as soon as possible.
Two days later I filled in the same form and sent again.
Two days after that I finally received a response stating that they had tried to contact me and that I would have to call them otherwise my request may not go ahead.
I was fuming as I had not received any calls and emailed back to state this along with the fact that I had followed their guidelines and did not wish to call this number as it costs me. I again provided my number in very large writing.

Today I received another email.....we tried to call you on three separate occasions. You need to call us and until then your service remains active.

Well I called..................spent god knows how long on the phone. I asked how they had called me ?? He stated that they called an old number (funny it actually went off the day they called), I also asked him about the number to which he said they will only call you on the number on your account and not the number you provide??
That I can't cancel unless I call them and give them 31 days notice and he has never seen the web page so is unaware of the procedure they offer online. He put me through to cancellations and I was greeted by what can only be described as arrogant attitude. He would only talk my colleague told me.........I asked him to look at my account rather than quote. He then just kept saying 31 days notice. I asked him why there was an option to cancel online.........surprise surprise another employee who was not aware!! I asked him to explain why it takes so long to attempt to respond (four days) and he replied "when they get around to calling you back" What lovely customer service they offer.
He said you cannot cancel by email.............Really but this is a link provided on your WEBSITE
I asked him when the notice would be classed from i.e. thinking from the date I used their online procedure and he said no!
I asked him to get a manager to contact me tomorrow and he said well I am not in tomorrow........ok so are you telling me that you cannot email a manager to contact me tomorrow.
He kept saying he wasn't in, I hold him that that was irrelevant as I didn't wish to speak to him and then he just started saying I only wanted a manager to cancel my sky???
I got a manager today....................and got cut off. I was very polite to him so not cut off for rudeness. No call back so guess I still have to call back with 31 days notice.
Oh and for the last few days, online advisor not available.
System being upgraded, best to call back after 17th June.

This is ridiculous, why offer a service that is about as useful as a chocolate teapot? employ people who have not seen the website (their words) ......Money making scoundrels.

Any advice gratefully received as intend on taking this further. Fed up being ripped off by these companies.

pen1

Sky's cancellation procedures have been a regular source of complaint over a sustained period of time.

Sky do not have an absolute right of telephone contact- it is one of 4 options available to the customer in the terms & conditions.

Email via Sky.com is a legitimate cancellation method (one of the 4 options), per Sky's terms & conditions.

Ironically, one of the options offered in their online article "Remove a package or cancel your subscription"- "Live chat"- isn't one of the 4 and Sky apparently won't process cancellation requests received via that method.

There's detailed information about the background to this, complaints links etc., in the following MSE threads:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4614137
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4461561

There's also a thread on the Sky forum (and many others!), where this was raised in November 2012:
http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/Remove-a-package-or-cancel-your-subscription/td-p/763558

I sympathise with your experience, as I know from personal experience several times what occurred, and you will see from the links above actively tried to get Sky to resolve the issues.

Perseverance should get the cancellation correctly processed in due course (you may have to use complaints procedures) and upsetting customers by providing such poor experiences is self-defeating to Sky in my opinion.

Sky Customer Complaints Code of Practice:
http://help.sky.com/my-account/complaints/sky-customer-complaints-code-of-practice

YOUR RIGHTS TO CANCEL
.....
1. Call us on 08442 414 414; or
2. Write to us at: Sky Subscribers Services Limited, PO Box 43, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 7DD.
3. Fax us on: 01506 484343
4. Send us an email by visiting the "Contact Us" section at sky.com
• 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

Please let us know the outcome.

visidigi

It works, but they will try to ring you to get you to stay, they did this when i cancelled SKy Go Extra. I requested via email. they said they had tried to reach me (i was in the plane going on holiday) I emailed them back and said I'm away, I don't want to discuss it, just to cancel as per the Sky T&C's.

Got a reply two hours later confirming cancellation. No biggie.

[Deleted User]

visidigi wrote: »

It works, but they will try to ring you to get you to stay, they did this when i cancelled SKy Go Extra.

But was that your whole Sky subscription, or just the Sky Go part of it?
There are plenty of instances reported of Sky totally failing to action online cancellations, certainly enough to make me beware of using that avenue in the future...

Okydoky25

Beware. When I cancelled Sky last year to to a house move we phoned and cancelled. No problem. Realised we were still being charged a month or so later. Called them again to be told our account was not closed as we had given them TO MUCH notice!?!

They said they tried to call (we had moved out!) They then wanted 31 days notice from that day. I told them where to go in the end.

3 months later they called my husbands mobile at 10pm to advise we owed £1.95!!!

pen1

visidigi wrote: »

It works, but they will try to ring you to get you to stay ....

An important question is what happens if the customer doesn't respond?

With the exception of occasional situations where something requires verification, if a customer follows Sky's terms & conditions and gives a cancellation notice, they are entitled to expect it to be processed, regardless of any desire on the part of Sky to talk to the customer.

The Information Commissioner's Office, who I raised Sky's processes with, because "data protection" was being cited as the reason for demanding telephone contact said that:

Any organisation will need to set their own policies and procedures, and ensure that these are made clear to their customers in their terms and conditions.

The approach taken by Sky's cancellation team is commonly not to tell the customer in the response what information (if any) is missing and inhibiting Sky from processing the notice at the first time of asking.

The customer is unable to provide the missing information by their chosen method, as they aren't told what the problem is.

Instead they seek to compel the customer to agree to telephone contact by indicating that the cancellation won't otherwise be processed.

Jazzyj_2

Thank you for all your advice.
I really never expected to find a link to cancel so was over the moon when given the option.
If live chat isn't an option then why offer that in their cancellation options. I chose the email option as it was what I thought proof!
If using their own provided cancellation link isn't really an option(I say really as it seems they find excuses) then why provide it or alternatively have a terms box by it which states any reason the cancellation won'y go through?
Surely that contradicting their own rules?
It seems to me that they just want to be paid to be arrogant. Perhaps thats in the training guide!!
How can these Companies continue to get away with such disgusting behaviour?
I am getting fed up doing the right thing but almost always doing wrong!
With regard to asking me to stay, that didn't happen, too busy being rude. If they were the only TV provider on earth and offered me the full package for £1 a month now they could stick it where the sun doesn't shine, I would rather go without than line their pockets.

Unfortunately I haven't had time since Sunday to pursue this further but I will be working out the cost for 31 days backdated to the day I used THEIR link and will pay them accordingly. The D/D will be cancelled and I will send them the difference.
I will also be writing to them so will let you know the outcome.

[Deleted User]

Jazzyj wrote: »

I will be working out the cost for 31 days backdated to the day I used THEIR link and will pay them accordingly. The D/D will be cancelled and I will send them the difference.

If you do this without their express agreement you'll find that they pass your details to debt collectors for what they regard as the outstanding amount.

pen1

Jazzyj wrote: »

If live chat isn't an option then why offer that in their cancellation options.

The question was asked of Sky (on their forum) over 6 months ago. It was subsequently brought to the attention of a Sky Manager, who indicated that if the 3 methods of cancelling stated in the help article were not available, then this needed to be addressed.

The 3 options are still offered from the help article today, but to my knowledge Sky still will not process cancellations made by "Live chat" and you have personal experience of what happened when you chose the email option.

If using their own provided cancellation link isn't really an option(I say really as it seems they find excuses) then why provide it or alternatively have a terms box by it which states any reason the cancellation won'y go through?

I agree. Firstly, if "Live chat" cannot process a cancellation (and I mean process it, not chat about it!) then it should be removed as an option.

In my opinion, Sky should be more respectful of their customers' time than to send them unwittingly down a route that cannot/will not complete the task that they've selected a "help article" to help them achieve.

Email via Sky.com on the other hand, is a legitimate option per the terms & conditions, so Sky must comply, and if there are common reasons- for example, "missing" information that lead to them not being processed at the first time of asking (leading to demands for telephone contact) then Sky should make clear in the help article what this information is.

pen1

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

If you do this without their express agreement you'll find that they pass your details to debt collectors for what they regard as the outstanding amount.

I agree that this could happen.

If the overcharge is relatively small, it's often better to take a pragmatic approach, in my view, which would be:
-leave the direct debit in place (assuming that the cancellation is now processed, albeit on the incorrect date, and the overcharge thus limited).
-raise a complaint about the cancellation date.
-tell Sky that you reserve the right to refer the matter to their ombudsman.

As I understand, the ombudsman service charges case fees to the company being complained about, which is designed to encourage businesses to resolve the complaints in-house. The procedures are explained at:

Sky Customer Complaints Code of Practice:
http://help.sky.com/my-account/make-a-complaint/sky-customer-complaints-code-of-practice?search_omni=search-article-sslc

Jazzyj_2

Thank you again.
Its just so annoying and time consuming and downright ignorant on Sky's part.
Guess they play on people giving up in the end.
I still don't know if having gone through all the security checks and being passed to the cancellations dept after a lengthy time wasting conversation with the first chap if they have bothered to action my request as when speaking to the manager (3rd person) the line went dead!!
Good to know that they have to pay for the ombudsman service though
That softens the blow knowing that overcharging me as a result of being awkward will cost them too and with a bit of luck more!!