Sky increasing Direct Debit without my consent

dodomoney

I recently received an email from Sky advising that they are going to increase my monthly fee AGAIN from £13 to £15.  This comes approximately 6 months after they increased it from £11 to £13.  I hardly use sky, I wasn't even bowled over by the £11 price, but I signed up.  Its the bog-standard TV package, no internet or anything, so I really dont need it.  They are taking the p*** with these price increases.  I called them up and told them I've not authorised this increase and if they can't honour the £13 agreement then cancel my contract.  Their obnoxious overseas call centre clearly have instruction to be as difficult as possible and after wasting a further twenty minutes arguing with a manager they stated they wont be undoing the price-hike nor will they cancel my contract.  From my perspective I have given them a months notice to cancel, so what would happen if I cancel the direct debit?  I anticipate they'll rely on their verbal contract where they read out reams of spiel over the phone on the date of purchase.  I have already quoted the Unfair Contract Terms Act - they don't have carte-blanche to repeatedly increase prices without my consent.  However as I was speaking with a moron in a call centre he just stuck with whatever nonsense his supervisors have instructed him to say.

I've had it with companies, most noticeably over the past 6 months during covid, being absolutely tone-deaf and downright rude about customer complaints.  It seems a lot of companies that would usually be quite good at complaints, now seem to be taking the American model and just digging their heels in.

JCS1

Companies don't need your consent to increase a direct debit, they just need to notify you of the value before they take the money.
What is the notice you need to give as per the contract?

dodomoney

JCS1 said:

Companies don't need your consent to increase a direct debit, they just need to notify you of the value before they take the money.
What is the notice you need to give as per the contract?

Hi I didn't receive a contract.  I'm still within my first 18 months - so Sky are maintaining that I have to accept every price increase they apply within that first 18 months.  Utterly risible company.

JCS1

Did you sign up online?  There would have been T&C's that you agreed to somewhere.

dodomoney

JCS1 said:

Did you sign up online?  There would have been T&C's that you agreed to somewhere.

Hi no, signed up over the phone.

peteuk

dodomoney said:

JCS1 said:

Did you sign up online?  There would have been T&C's that you agreed to somewhere.

Hi no, signed up over the phone.

May have emailed you the T&C's so check your junk/spam.  Normally I would say contact sky and reduce the package but if your on the lowest package theres nothing to drop down to.   Contact them anyway and see what they can do. 

Galloglass

Google is your friend

https://www.sky.com/shop/terms-conditions/new/

See "In your minimum term, Sky TV prices may increase once every 12 months by up to 10%. These limits do not apply to other Sky services"

Like all disputes it is better to do it in writing. You can also complain to your bank about the misuse of the DD mandate. A complaint will tie them up in work to respond to it, so rather than come here, have a word with your bank and explain your complaint - quoting the Sky terms.

Their complaints system. Always use it as again, they do the work.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-customer-complaints-code-of-practice/

dodomoney

Though I appreciate some of the advice I think there seems to be a few assumptions made that has shaped your responses.  Mainly, the assumption is being taken that I haven't made a complaint with sky.  To clarify - I have made formal complaint to Sky a few weeks ago.  I've exhausted the complaints procedure and even got a deadlock letter.  The moron I dealt with in their overseas call centre effectively acted as judge, jury and executioner.  He listened to my complaint, told me he wont be doing anything about it, then told me my complaint has been exhausted and emailed a deadlock letter to me, all in the same phone call.  It seems Sky have scaled back their investment in customer service as I'm sure they used to have a good reputation at escalating complaints.  In the past I've had, at the very least, an English representative look into it properly rather than having a lowly paid call centre operative operate carte blanche.

Also in response to the suggestion of the T&Cs, I think you've missed the point somewhat there.  I've practiced contract law, the Unfair Contract Terms Act would nullify any terms allowing Sky to simply increase their prices on a whim - so there's no obligation on me to pore through their spiel and accept any such terms that allows them to do this.  They could have written "we can increase prices as often as we like" in massive lettering on every page of the contract, signed in blood; it still wouldn't make it an unequivocal contract.  

Essentially, my enquiry on here on this forum was;
a) if there's anybody else that's contested these unilateral price increases, how did you go about it, was there a particular contact etc you used to get them to look at the complaint? 
and
b) Has anybody cancelled their direct debit and had any issues?  Sky seem to be the sort of reprehensible F*s that would threaten to instruct a debt collection agency.  Though this doesn't scare me, I am mindful of what it could do to my credit score.

[Deleted User]

dodomoney said:

Though I appreciate some of the advice I think there seems to be a few assumptions made that has shaped your responses.  Mainly, the assumption is being taken that I haven't made a complaint with sky.  To clarify - I have made formal complaint to Sky a few weeks ago.  I've exhausted the complaints procedure and even got a deadlock letter.  The moron I dealt with in their overseas call centre effectively acted as judge, jury and executioner.  He listened to my complaint, told me he wont be doing anything about it, then told me my complaint has been exhausted and emailed a deadlock letter to me, all in the same phone call.  It seems Sky have scaled back their investment in customer service as I'm sure they used to have a good reputation at escalating complaints.  In the past I've had, at the very least, an English representative look into it properly rather than having a lowly paid call centre operative operate carte blanche.

Also in response to the suggestion of the T&Cs, I think you've missed the point somewhat there.  I've practiced contract law, the Unfair Contract Terms Act would nullify any terms allowing Sky to simply increase their prices on a whim - so there's no obligation on me to pore through their spiel and accept any such terms that allows them to do this.  They could have written "we can increase prices as often as we like" in massive lettering on every page of the contract, signed in blood; it still wouldn't make it an unequivocal contract.  

Essentially, my enquiry on here on this forum was;
a) if there's anybody else that's contested these unilateral price increases, how did you go about it, was there a particular contact etc you used to get them to look at the complaint? 
and
b) Has anybody cancelled their direct debit and had any issues?  Sky seem to be the sort of reprehensible F*s that would threaten to instruct a debt collection agency.  Though this doesn't scare me, I am mindful of what it could do to my credit score.

It's surprising that you've previously always had an English representative given that Sky has many contact centres based in Scotland.

MSE has posted articles on previous Sky price increases.  It seems that those facing the price increase for Broadband Essential in August could terminate their contract during a fixed contract without penalty but not those trying to cancel a tv package mid fixed contract due to the T&C.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/06/sky-to-hike-tv-and-broadband-prices-from-august/

If you cancel your direct debit and your account falls into arrears then you can end up with defaults being applied to your credit files.  Sky could even sell the debt off to a DCA to chase you.

Galloglass

What did the deadlock letter say about the next step? There will be an Ombudsman probably

Is there any reason why you don't want to take that route?

If you have practiced contract law, you'll know that the "Unfair Contract Terms Act " has been replaced in 2015 and it's presumption will be that you follow the system laid out.

dodomoney

hmm, a recovery agent chasing me I'm not too concerned about - nor would I be concerned if it went to Court.  I'd send them a counter schedule of my costs and they'd back down, they always do.  However the credit file is the worrying one.  Even if I were to eventually come out on top, the damage to the credit file isn't worth the saving I'd make.

The link you've provided is useful reading, especially the comments below, in which some helpful person has dropped in the email address of a CEO.  I'll focus my attention on them and see if they respond.

With regards to the Ombusdman - It's CISAS that would arbitrate over this.  The reason I've not gone that route already is I'm pretty sure they'd require sight of my contract (which I was never provided with) along with dates of signing up etc.  The amount of time that would take is time I really don't have at present - I hardly have the time to even check this forum.  I was basically looking for a quick way to get sky to simply honour the price they signed me up on.  Its staggering that I have to do the all the legwork for this.