Sky - short sighted customer service

ninjablossom

Wow is all I can say.

I took out a 12 month contract with them in June. Circumstances have changed and am going overseas. I live in a rented flat - out of tenancy on flat, so thats fine, but the Sky contract is in.

So I called them, explaining that I KNOW I have to pay... but I need the service cancelled to the flat. New tenant will have to get a new line, or take over the line - its a fuss and its easier to cancel.

Response was - you can only move the service to a new address, or as per the terms and conditions you can't cancel. I know call center work must be so mind numbing, but the robotic responses wound me up and as I said, I have no doubt I am not the first person to have a change in circumstances, life doesn't always work out in 12 month periods and surely they have dealt with lines into rented accommodation before. You'd think I was asking them to sacrifice their first born. Terrible service. (loss of a future customer as well)

How do I get them to terminate the line? is it worth doing? or just let the new tenant deal with getting a new line in...

Can I downgrade my package with in contract maybe as well?

AJXX

You signed a contract for 12 months agreeing to all of this and presumably agreeing to have facilities and abilities to make use of the service for the entire 12 months.

Just because you don't get your own way does not automatically mean it's bad customer service.

pen1

ninjablossom,

I'd read the individual terms & conditions for each product/service you have thoroughly, because there are provisions for cancelling within the minimum term, which appear to apply to your situation, in my opinion; because Sky cannot supply to your new address if it isn't within the territory they serve!

Talk

6.2 If you change your Address, this Contract will continue unless you exercise a right to end it under this Contract or we are unable to transfer your Sky Talk Services to your new address. ......

8.2 You can only end this Contract during your Minimum Term(s) if:
..... (d) you change your Address and we are unable to transfer your Sky Talk Services to your new address; ...

http://www.sky.com/shop/terms-conditions/talk/

Broadband

5. Changing your Address and telephone number
(b) If you change Address:
i. this Contract will continue unless you exercise a right to end it under this Contract;
ii. if any Product which you are subscribing to is not available at your new Address you may either end this Contract or select another Product that is available there in which case this Contract will continue.

http://www.sky.com/shop/terms-conditions/broadband/
http://www.sky.com/shop/terms-conditions/new/
http://help.sky.com/articles/sky-customer-complaints-code-of-practice

flashg67

OP seems prepared to pay the remaining contract, so I don't understand why sky seem reluctant to do this.

Can't you send them a recorded letter of cancellation, and let them invoice you?

pen1

As I understand, Sky Talk doesn't have "call barring" and other customers couldn't get Sky to place restrictions on the telephone when moving home; thus, they were vulnerable to unauthorised use of their telephone line in premises that they no longer resided in or had access to.

Sky respond to non-payment by restricting/cancelling the service, so ironically, some customers realised that cancelling their direct debit would lead to their telephone eventually being protected from unauthorised use.

Customers often close their UK bank account when moving overseas, and thus future attempts to collect direct debit payments then fail; and when Sky try to seek payment, the customer isn’t in the country!

The customer has been “saved” by retention staff at the point that he/she contacted Sky, but Sky have surely made it harder than necessary to collect any money due to them from the customer, and ultimately lose the customer in any event!

VisionMan

Pen1 post #3 is correct. If they cannot supply services to your new address thats not your fault and you can cancel your contract without penalty.