Sky to hike TV and broadband prices from April - MSE News

dondo

I got on live chat via here https://www.sky.com/cancel​ clicked broadband and then too expensive (after signing in)​

Ended up with a deal that is £6 a month less than currently paying for phone & broadband so happy about that

hybernia

Like many others, I've just received a letter from Sky coyly entitled: "Your Sky Subscription is changing".

No. It isn't. The price Sky currently charges is changing, not the content of the service.

Obviously, I'm so stupid that I'm not supposed to realise that. But then, truth to tell, it looks like I have been a bit stupid for not realising I should run my life on the basis of ensuring I watch Sky billing as much as I watch Sky satellite TV. Never mind family, career, household and everything else in life: Sky is. . . important.

The only letters -- never, ever, an email -- from Sky in the past 12 months have been unwanted junk mail about extra 'packages' and broadband. Except one, dated July 18 last year. It reads:

Hello: Some of your offers might be ending soon but don't worry, we've given you another 12 months of great offers. It's our way of saying thank you for being with us. Item: TV Monthly saving: £8.23 Start date: August 24 2019 End date: August 24 2019.

Make of that what you will. It's deliberately vague. It avoids identification of whatever arrangement, contractual or non-contractual, we might have with the company. And it certainly ducks out of any reference to prices: just this vague "monthly saving: £8.23."

I've just checked out Sky's billing for the past 12 months. We have been Sky customers for 22 years. The 'package' we have is Sky Entertainment + HD. We pay by Direct Debit. The DD record is:

February, 2018: Sky DD £23.25
April 2018: Sky DD £24.75
August 2018: Sky DD £25.77
October 2018: Sky DD £28.27

Now a further £2 a month is required "because your Sky subscription is changing". From April then, the monthly DD will be £30.27. Result:

As at February 2018, the annual subscription was £279. As at April 2019, the annual subscription will be £363.24. In a little over one year, Sky has increased its price by more than 30%. And this on the most basic package.

Though many Sky customers may not be aware, Sky is now controlled by an American corporation saddled with a huge debt as a result of winning last summer's battle for control of the company.

At that time, Murdoch's Fox corporation bid the equivalent of £15.67p a share to take control. Comcast, the American cable corporation, bid £17.28p a share.

Murdoch actually knows a lot about Sky, its past performance, its probable future performance. Comcast, however, thinks it knows better. Its winning bid cost it $39 billion. To pay for that, its borrowings have jumped by $40 billion.

If all that seems far removed from the "your Sky subscription is changing" and its tiny weeny £2-a-month increase -- which will absolutely NOT stay at just that over the next 12 months -- think again.

Comcast has plunged into a market where satellite TV, once dominant, is now under massive threat from online services. Its multi-$billion splurge is not an investment in an expanding satellite TV market but a contracting satellite TV market. On which basis: it has to get its money back somehow -- and the sooner, the better.

For us, as "basic package" Sky customers, the 30% increase in our subscription in a little over one year is indefensible. Now that the new owner of Sky is saddled with a vast debt entirely of its own making, percentage increases on Sky subscriptions will continue on. And on. And on. A few £ here. A few £ there. Doesn't matter what the contract terms are: Sky will attempt to hike prices whenever it needs to. And in future months, hike it / Comcast will most certainly need to do.

So. . . we're cancelling. We barely watch Sky anyway these days: three of the best TV series -- "The Americans", "Goliath" and "Halt and Catch Fire" -- aren't on Sky anyway, but Amazon Prime; the £7.99p a month we pay Amazon covers so much, much more than Sky's offering that we'll stick (Fire Stick) with that and our Humax HD PVRs for Freeview / Freesat HD recording. We do not intend to spend our time, several times a year, haggling with Sky. It's not worth the effort.

I appreciate, for others who want TV sport or movies or whatever else is to their liking, the math that applies in our case will not apply in theirs. But what will apply is the reality that Comcast's $39 billion punt -- a sum Murdoch himself didn't consider remotely sensible -- needs to be clawed back.

Lots more letters, then, this year, next year, the year after that from your not-so-friendly American-owned Sky. But it's all right. Don't worry. It's only "Your Sky subscription is changing."

Ours certainly is. It's no longer to even exist.

[Deleted User]

Sky have not raised prices 30% for the TV in the last 12 months.

hybernia

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Sky have not raised prices 30% for the TV in the last 12 months.

I wrote about my experience as a customer of Sky's basic package: "In a little over a year Sky has increased its price by over 30%".

I made it perfectly clear that the calculation is based on the pending April 2019 annual subscription cost compared with the actual February 2018 (and actual March 2018, similarly) cost, a rise from £23.25 per month to £30.27 per month. The percentage increase from a total £279 annually to a total £363.24 annually is 30.195.

Perhaps you should check your own math before coming on here to dispute that of others, yes?

[Deleted User]

hybernia wrote: »

I wrote about my experience as a customer of Sky's basic package: "In a little over a year Sky has increased its price by over 30%".

I made it perfectly clear that the calculation is based on the pending April 2019 annual subscription cost compared with the actual February 2018 (and actual March 2018, similarly) cost, a rise from £23.25 per month to £30.27 per month. The percentage increase from a total £279 annually to a total £363.24 annually is 30.195.

Perhaps you should check your own math before coming on here to dispute that of others, yes?

Not really bud, you claim your price keeps rising without breaking anything down and then claim that Sky have raised prices by 30% over 12 months. You're still wrong.

Edit: BTW there is a 'Rants & Whinge' board somewhere on here which is all your original post is.

manutd99

snowycatgirl wrote: »

Your price should not increase if it is less than 60 days since you signed up. However, expect a price increase in February 2020 and be warned you won't be able to cancel as it's written in the T&C's they can increase your price once in your minimum terms (12 or 18 months)

Remember you do have 31 days to cancel anyway from when you signed up, that is Sky's cooling off period.

Does it say anyway in T&c's they can't increase within 60 days?

I signed up recently and received a letter saying I am getting a price increase.

I signed up 31st Jan. Phone line went live 14th Feb and TV installation was 16th Feb.

Am I within 31 Days? Does it start from sign up date or services start date as they only started from 14 Feb

Guess can cancel within 31 days but most probably wont receive refund on activation fee and install fee which I read I wont so lose out on £20.

As per website

"That means you have the right to cancel your order for TV services and any related equipment or content without giving any reason any time up to 31 days from the later of: (i) delivery; (ii) installation; or (iii) confirmation in writing of the relevant terms and conditions for that product"

So presume 31 days starts from TV installation date?

Ian011

Madscotinengland wrote: »

Email from Sky about 4pm stating if you are a Sky Talk customer, 0845 and 0870 numbers are no longer included from inclusive minutes.

Usage of premium rate numbers starting 084, 087 or 09 for after-sales enquiries and issues for retailers, traders and passenger transport companies has been illegal since 13 June 2014. Usage by banks, card companies and insurers for contact by existing customers has been illegal since 26 October 2015. Usage by government departments, their agencies and contractors has not been permitted since 26 December 2013. As such there should be almost no need to ever call these numbers.

Beware when searching online that there are thousands of websites promoting fake premium rate numbers purported to be the numbers for contacting a very large number of busineses and organisations. Do not call these numbers. Search official websites for the correct numbers.

zaax

Alan3939 wrote: »

I joined Sky TV and Broadband on 5 Feb after being told that the price was fixed for the whole of my 18 month contract. My advice is don’t believe the sales people in the shopping centres

If you can get a copy of that (they have to provide a copy of your telephone conversation if requested) you can hold them to the contract

[Deleted User]

zaax wrote: »

If you can get a copy of that (they have to provide a copy of your telephone conversation if requested) you can hold them to the contract

Errr.........................

My advice is don’t believe the sales people in the shopping centres

malky39

Tried live chat twice and sky dont seem to be budging on offering me unlimited standard broadband and like rental for £18.99/month signing to a new 12 month contract. I currently pay £10/month.