Sky & MSE 50% Off Deal - Mis-Sold & Poor Customer Service

thomas890

Hello Everyone,

I signed up for Sky around 20 days ago after seeing a deal on the Money Saving Expert website. This was the 12 month deal for the TV, Phone and Broadband package at 50% off - you can find details of it referenced on the MSE Sky page (it wouldn't let me post a link as I'm a new user).

I signed up for the deal through the Sky website after receiving my code from MSE; and that night a Sky representative rang me to confirm my deal. I signed up for Sky Sports, with the Entertainment+ package included. He said that along with 50% off TV & Broadband, he could also give me 50% off line rental. The adviser told me that the total package would cost £33 a month, with a £10 installation charge.

I paid the £10, my box was installed and we received our Hub for the broadband. I was then a little surprised on August 7th to realise that Sky had taken £57.64 from my account via Direct Debit. Naturally, I logged into my Sky account online to find out why I'd been charged so much. I was shocked to find that Sky plan on taking a further £67.25 from my bank account on August 27th.

That's a total of £124.89 within the space of a month, for a service which was promised to cost £33 a month.

I couldn't understand what had gone wrong, so last Wednesday I decided to ring the Sky Customer Service team. As we don't yet have a landline; I had to use my mobile, which meant every minute is rather costly on their 08442 number. What followed was a calamity of errors:

• On the first call I waited ten minutes to speak with somebody. The adviser I eventually spoke with initially seemed helpful - he explained that somebody had messed up my billing; and set me up on the wrong deal. To fix this he would need to speak with the Sales team - and so put me on hold. I remained on hold for half an hour. Without any update from the adviser in this time I decided to hang up as I'd had more than enough.
• In the second call, I decided that I'd experienced such poor customer service I wanted to cancel my subscription immediately and exercise the 30 day cool-off period I'd been promised. I spoke to someone on this team for over 20 minutes - where I explained what had happened once again. He told me that while the TV services I'd signed up for in the package had a 30 day cool-off period - the phone and broadband services only had a 7 day cool-off period. That's despite all these services having been sold in the same package. He advised that I should speak with someone in the Complaints department - as I'd technically been mis-sold the package, I could technically still cancel my service; but only if somebody in the Complaints Department could validate my claims by re-listening to my phone call. (Apparently Sky record all phone calls). He told me that he couldn't put me through to the Complaints Department, he could only give me the number to ring. This turned out to be the same number I had rung previously.
• I then rang a third time, to find that there was in fact no Complaints Department. After waiting 10 minutes to speak with someone, the adviser I spoke to said that: "should I wish to get in touch with the Complaints Department, I would need to Fax them my complaint as they only work in the back-end". She said that the only people who could help me, were the advisers like her. I then had to explain my situation a third time. I was placed on hold again; and after a few minutes she said that one of the previous advisers I'd spoke with had already looked into my situation. She said that this person had arranged for someone to look into my situation - they were going to track the original phone call. If I had infact signed up for the MSE deal, then they would be in touch within 48-72 hours to let me know and my account would be re-balanced. If nobody had been in touch after 72 hours, I should "ring up and cancel my TV subsciption".

It has now been over four days; and I've still heard nothing from anyone at Sky. I've logged into my 'MySky' account and my future bills still quote the exact same amounts. I've posted on the forum and received no response - though other posts within the same thread have received responses since from Sky.

Add to this the fact that I never received the £25 M&S voucher which was also promised; and I am just completely and utterly dismayed with my treatment. Including the charges for the services and my phone bill; this whole debacle is due to cost me over £200 in the space of a month.

I will be calling on Monday to cancel my TV subsciption. With regards to my phone and broadband - since I was mis-sold these I don't believe I am contractually obliged to continue paying for these services. However, I won't be cancelling them until I have sought further advice. Does anybody know what my rights are with this?

I would really like to be able to write about my experience on the MSE website, so that I can prevent other people from making the same mistake. Is there anybody that I'd be able to speak with to arrange this?

Thanks,
Tom

Peter999_2

thomas890 wrote: »

I would really like to be able to write about my experience on the MSE website, so that I can prevent other people from making the same mistake. Is there anybody that I'd be able to speak with to arrange this?

Thanks,
Tom

Isn't this what you are doing now?

thomas890

Peter999 wrote: »

Isn't this what you are doing now?

I meant on the blog or another area of the site which is more visible than the forum, Peter.

Peter999_2

I see. I'm afraid I don't know how to go about that.

However, if it helps should you have to phone Sky again at any point you can use 02071267020 which is in your included mobile minutes (if you have a mobile contract)

thomas890

Peter999 wrote: »

I see. I'm afraid I don't know how to go about that.

However, if it helps should you have to phone Sky again at any point you can use 02071267020 which is in your included mobile minutes (if you have a mobile contract)

Thanks, very helpful!

LittleBoots

Saynoto0870