Sky price increase letter avoiding giving me the actual new price

Hazeybran

Today I received a letter from Sky regarding "another 12 months of savings." In the letter, they provide a breakdown of my annual savings and show how much I'm saving on each part of my package both monthly and annually. However, the letter doesn't actually mention the new price. It sort of suggests that nothing has changed, but when I check my future bills on the MyAccount section of Sky, I see that the price has gone up.

I find this way of increasing prices quite underhand and sneaky. It feels like it should be illegal. Is it? If it is, where can I file a complaint?

I'm pretty frustrated with Sky's approach, so I've decided to cancel my subscription.

la531983

Every time I have had a price increase I have had an email stating as much. 

Can you post the actual letter? 

Hazeybran

Heres the letter, I've just cropped off the name and address details from the top.  The reverse of the letter is blank. 

la531983

They sometimes aren't quick to update online, maybe give it a week and if it still shows its going up, get onto live chat. 

Hazeybran

Looking through the future bill, what has changed is they have deduced the "monthly" savinging on a few of the items, so there are £4 less discounts than I previously had.  I suppose so they could claim this isn't a price rise, though the impact is to improve their income another 4% outside of the yearly price rise. 

brewerdave

Sky have been using this approach for a while now - I had a similar letter last year- the level of savings vs "standard" was ~ £15 pm less than I had been getting on the previous deal due to run out.
You don't have to accept - I used the negotiation/cancellation route and actually came out with the same price for a further 18 months, a new Q box and free install with a reduction in the admin charge from £30 to £10. 
Doesn't protect from the "annual" 3.9% + increase but even now ,I'm paying considerably less than their "great news" letter promised.

Neil_Jones

brewerdave said:

Sky have been using this approach for a while now - I had a similar letter last year- the level of savings vs "standard" was ~ £15 pm less than I had been getting on the previous deal due to run out.
You don't have to accept - I used the negotiation/cancellation route and actually came out with the same price for a further 18 months, a new Q box and free install with a reduction in the admin charge from £30 to £10. 
Doesn't protect from the "annual" 3.9% + increase but even now ,I'm paying considerably less than their "great news" letter promised.

Sky TV doesn't use "CPI+3.9%".  T&Cs say a rise can be up to 10%.

JSmithy45AD

Hazeybran said:

Today I received a letter from Sky regarding "another 12 months of savings." In the letter, they provide a breakdown of my annual savings and show how much I'm saving on each part of my package both monthly and annually. However, the letter doesn't actually mention the new price. It sort of suggests that nothing has changed, but when I check my future bills on the MyAccount section of Sky, I see that the price has gone up.

I find this way of increasing prices quite underhand and sneaky. It feels like it should be illegal. Is it? If it is, where can I file a complaint?

I'm pretty frustrated with Sky's approach, so I've decided to cancel my subscription.

That's not a letter detailing your offer though, it's purely marketing fluff and isn't intended to be anything else. Your actual prices are on your account where it directs you to go and usually through an email. So, no, it's not illegal and no one will be interested in your "complaint".

It doesn't "sort of suggest" anything either. It's not even a price increase as it stands, it's just that your previous discounts have come to an end and they're not offering quite as much off. If you don't want to pay that either downgrade or cancel, you may then get a better offer.