unable to cancel sky contract

talia110

Can someone please help or give me any ideas. My ex partner had set up sky tv and broadband in his name. When he left me nov 2019 there were some payment arrears on the account when he stopped direct debit., When i contacted sky they wouldnt discuss the account as not the account holder with me until i paid the arrears and set up a new direct debit with me. I had no choice as i did not want to lose the internet as self employed and work from home. I have spent all day talking to sky and they have been totally unreasonable and unhelpful.
      Sky had no problem with me paying the arrears and setting up the direct debit to continue but i cannot make any changes to my package as im not the original person who set it up. The sky account is in my name and bank details all mine but they keep insisting they need the call password from my ex partner to make any changes and we do not have or want any contact with him anymore. Im tied into paying £116 per month that i cannot afford and with an account i cannot change. In my account details it says contract started  August 2018 so is it best just to cancel my direct debit
Sky have done nothing to help me sort this and they can see that i have been paying the bill since last year. Basically i have an account with sky that i have no control over.  Disgusting behaviour from sky.

OrbitHeadache

If you had no connection to the original contract taken out by your ex why did you offer to pay the outstanding bill? You should have played ignorant and just opened a new account in your name with Sky or another provider 

bradders1983

Deleted - just read the OP properly.

iniltous

That’s incredible, they ‘insist’ you settle arrears on an account you are not responsible for ( with hindsight you should have just advised them that the person who had the account was no longer at that address, ) change the account to show it was renewed /re-contracted ( but in who’s name yours or your ex’s ?) and insist a password you didn’t set up is used to access the account .
You  probably should get in touch with Sky’s executive level complaints, as the first level customer service agents probably won’t do anything ...it’s up to you if you want to continue with Sky or leave for someone else , but you should involve them ASAP, possibly mention this is the sort of thing newspapers and the TV lap up, and you are considering contacting ‘Watchdog’ or some similar consumer champion if they don’t resolve this to your satisfaction.
Dont be abusive, but assertive, simply set out why they mislead you , and want you want them to do to resolve the situation

talia110

Hi, in response to some of the above comments was that i didnt want to be disconnected at the time and that the only way sky would discuss it would be if i paid the arrears and set up direct debit to enable me to carry on with the account. Even though the my sky id account is in my name online and you can add any extras to your package but you cannot remove anything ie: sky sports, because i was not the original person who set it up which was my partner. Sky never told me at that point of paying that you may have taken over the payments of the account but you dont totally control them.  

ZaSa1418

talia110 said:

Hi, in response to some of the above comments was that i didnt want to be disconnected at the time and that the only way sky would discuss it would be if i paid the arrears and set up direct debit to enable me to carry on with the account. Even though the my sky id account is in my name online and you can add any extras to your package but you cannot remove anything ie: sky sports, because i was not the original person who set it up which was my partner. Sky never told me at that point of paying that you may have taken over the payments of the account but you dont totally control them.  

I think they are being ridiculous, definitely complain higher. Post on their social media too as that can help. 
I have never heard of this, my husband easily cut back on our sky package and he isn't the account holder. 
If the contract is now in your name then they have no reason not to speak to you and listen if you want to cancel. 

Chino

ZaSa1418 said:

If the contract is now in your name then they have no reason not to speak to you and listen if you want to cancel. 

That's the OP's problem; the account is not in their name. The OP voluntarily agreed to pay the arrears owed by the account holder.