Sky TV dodging customers again!!

Cunners316

So I tried ringing Sky this morning to cancel our subscription as we just don't watch it anymore. Got through to a message saying they are exceptionally busy (not sure about that already) and are 'prioritising' key workers or seriously ill people (i'm paraphrasing). Basically if you're not in these categories they aren't talking to you.
So I was sent to 'message' them. Same thing, unless you are a priority there is at least a 3 hour wait for an agent.
Email? sorry we can't accept an email from you.
So in 2020 I have had to post a letter to Sky TV asking them to cancel my subscription!! Surely there has to be something in place to deal with these issues faster, using the virus as an excuse not to talk to people is surely not allowed?

JJ_Egan

Yes no law against not talking to people .

Yes due to some disease very hard to contact many companies .

There have been a number of posts on here with some information re contacting Sky ( numbers )at this time of national crisis .

Cunners316

I've seen the posts on her, none of the numbers are working. I'm sorry but using the virus as an excuse for making cancelling a service almost impossible is not acceptable, they are difficult at the best of times, but are using this time to their advantage in my opinion (and not the only ones I might add).

[Deleted User]

Cunners316 said:

I've seen the posts on her, none of the numbers are working. I'm sorry but using the virus as an excuse for making cancelling a service almost impossible is not acceptable, they are difficult at the best of times, but are using this time to their advantage in my opinion (and not the only ones I might add).

First of all, two things to realise:

 The call centres are depleted of staff with many furloughed.

 The remaining staff are prioritising vulnerable customers who may have no service at all etc.

Unfortunately, during Lockdown it was always going to be difficult to cancel just as it is also difficult to sign up as a new customer. So while they may well retain you as a customer for another month or two, they are hardly taking "advantage" given that they are losing out in so many other ways. The looming recession caused by the Pandemic will likely see a lot more people in the cancellation queue in the near future and Sky will be painfully aware of this..

Have patience, you'll be able to cancel soon enough. If subscription television is the only worry in your life at this time of national emergency you are fortunate indeed. 

Befuddled-bemused

"If subscription television is the only worry in your life at this time of national emergency you are fortunate indeed."
If "YOU" cannot understand that some of us (self employed) with potentially no work for some time and the government support scheme potentially ending at the end of June would rather not be paying an extra £60 - £90 to Sky then I suggest you are the fortunate one.    I am going through the same, waited 3 hours yesterday, I was disconnected 3 times the messaging service closed while I was waiting - I was apparently meant to be contacted today but, no surprise, I've heard sweet F.A.

[Deleted User]

Befuddled-bemused said:If "YOU" cannot understand that some of us (self employed) with potentially no work for some time and the government support scheme potentially ending at the end of June would rather not be paying an extra £60 - £90 to Sky then I suggest you are the fortunate one.  

If you genuinely can no longer afford the subscription then you'll simply have to do what the OP of this thread has done already and send them a cancellation letter. Be aware that you must give them one month's notice and you should not cancel any Direct Debit until you receive and pay your final bill.

Your only alternatives to this are to continue hanging on the 'phone each day until you get through or wait until the Lockdown is lifted. 

 

My critical comments earlier were directed at the Op's seeming  surprise that Sky is no longer easily contactable as he obviously has no conception of how badly the Lockdown is affecting all the Telco companies. 

As for being "fortunate", I meant compared to those who are ill themselves and/or have lost loved ones. 

As there will be many such as yourself struggling to afford subscription television, I fully expect Sky (and others) to suffer a huge increase in cancellations as the Covid restrictions  are eased and we enter an inevitable Economic Recession the depth of which has not been seen since the 1930's

[Deleted User]

They didn’t have Sky in the 1930s 😀

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

They didn’t have Sky in the 1930s 😀

They were deprived of  a lot of things and  I think that's rather the point

wild666

Just cancel the DD, assuming you have paid the minimum contract period, they will cut you off as soon as they cannot get their payment, most payments are for the month ahead and not behind.

[Deleted User]

wild666 said:

Just cancel the DD, assuming you have paid the minimum contract period, they will cut you off as soon as they cannot get their payment

The minimum term may well have expired but, since the OP must give one month's notice of cancellation, future bills will continue to accrue unpaid  if the Direct Debit is simply stopped. 

So your advice is not sound and could lead ultimately to a trashed credit rating and even a CCJ. 

Andrea_jardin

Given that you can sign up online, it should be equally easy to cancel online.
It's not fair to profit from people's difficulties in getting through to them to cancel.