Cancelling sky !

smallzoo

I am having real problems cancelling my sky tv contract which I have had for many years.

When I try to email them on their site it takes hours to get a email sent..it always comes back with

"500: Server Error
We're sorry, we cannot process your request at the moment, please try again later."

Despite this over the last two weeks I manage to email them through their website three times and each time receiving an acknowledgement.

However I received an email today saying they understood I wanted to cancel the contract but these lines really bothered me

".....We have attempted to contact you regarding your request.
We will attempt to contact you again over the next few days, however if we are unable to contact you it may mean that we are unable to process your cancellation....."

They have NOT tried to contact me at all and have tried in vain to cancel it via email and phone..

Can they really keep my contract going just because they say they cant contact me !!

Thanks

gjs6385

Hi,

Instead of e-mailing them, why not head over to:

http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php

Find a local rate/free number and phone them up to cancel and refer to their e-mail....

HTH.

Toxteth_OGrady

smallzoo wrote: »

Can they really keep my contract going just because they say they cant contact me !!

They'll try.

Interesting similar, recent thread here.

The posts by pen1 may be helpful.

pen1

Other MSE threads in which this is discussed include:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4461561
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4614137

Also http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Billing-Payments/Remove-a-package-or-cancel-your-subscription/td-p/763558/page/6 on the Sky forum.

This is a "hot topic" on the Sky forum. There are many posts from customers complaining that they are experiencing difficulties getting cancellations processed.

Sky's terms & conditions (tv) state:

.....
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/

In limited circumstances it can be necessary for Sky to seek further contact before processing a cancellation- for example, "If the information necessary to satisfactorily identify and verify the sender of an email as the named account holder is not provided in any correspondence" (Sky's written explanation to me in April 2013).

Sky also indicated that this could be done by "online conversation".

However, some staff apparently believe that cancellations can only be completed by telephone, and have advised and/or acted accordingly, even after Sky explained the policy to me in a written response.

Whilst Sky like to receive telephone contact to discuss peoples' reasons for cancelling and to undertake customer retention activity, they do not have a right to it for that purpose.

Aside from the pre-existing dissatisfaction with how cancellations are processed, Sky have indicated that responses to emails are currently taking up to 10 days in some instances. Customers are also reporting long delays when calling Sky.

To complain about difficulties cancelling, see the Sky Customer Complaints Code of Practice
To provide online feedback to Ofcom (the regulator) regarding phones, internet or pay tv issues,see the "Tell Ofcom" monitoring form at:https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/formal-phone-company

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/telecoms/customer-services/

Moneymaker

In brief, cancelling is quite painless if done by Recorded Delivery letter. Be sure to include ALL relevant information, be very specific about wanting to cancel, and ask them NOT to contact you as your decision is final.

pen1

Sky told me that “the policies Sky has in place are needed to protect the interests of its customers”.

In practice, I think that an additional step is widely in use- demanding telephone contact- that is not detailed in the terms & conditions or any other widely- published guidance, and requires customers to repeat themselves by telephone if they didn’t choose to cancel by telephone in the first instance.

The nature of complaints are numerous, as are the numbers.

The erroneous assertion that cancellations must be made by telephone, and the manner by which this is effectively enforced by indicating to the customer that the account is still active until they make telephone contact and not telling them in replies what the problem is, is at the root of many of them, in my view.

Customers are also complaining that notice periods are being commenced from date of processing rather than original point of receipt, leading to extensions in the notice period beyond what the customer is required to give.

There are also a considerable number of complaints on the Sky forum, Twitter etc. about "long delays (or replies not being received) in responding to emails, long telephone delays, calls unexpectedly terminating, cancellations being blocked/erased whilst customer has a debt, early termination rights not being observed".

In summary, a whole range of issues where customers believe that their rights to cancel have not been observed in line with the terms & conditions or their expectation of Sky.

Heinz

0800 096 3624 (free from any UK landline) or 020 7126 7020.