Broadband switching. Feels like a cartel.

Ruzzillaclock

Recently switched from Virgin Media to Sky. Has taken 5 months during which time VM charged me their standard rate. I tried to change b4 my contract ended, but was unable to contact VM at first, then Sky dragged their heels over installation. Thinking of complaining to Ombudsman.
Anyone else had similar frustrations?

iniltous

VM and Sky don’t use the same network, if Sky gave you a confirmed date for installation, that subsequently failed , then as a member of the Ofcom Compensation Scheme you should get compensation, possibly as a bill credit , but you need to check you were given a contractual binding date from Sky , TBH , if Sky were let down by Openreach, Sky compensate you and OR compensate them , so it’s no skin off Sky’s nose.

TBH , unless you were porting a phone number from VM into your Sky service there is no ‘connection’ between the two services, the dates are not connected, if you wanted to cease VM before the minimum term ended , you can , if you wanted to cancel exactly as the minimum term ended , you  can , obviously if you wanted an open ended date with VM , maintaining their  service until Sky was in , that’s your call , but obviously out of contract prices tend to be more than within a minimum term, so VM putting your price up more than if you renewed with them , is understandable.

Sky should compensate you for the delay in providing service, but won’t compensate you for the difference in paying VM an out of contract price and the price you were paying while inside a minimum term , that you would have to absorb yourself.
So for example, if Sky pay you £5 a day for being late ( you would need to check the exact amount) and it’s 180 days ( I’ve used this to make the maths simple ) that’s a very generous £900 , if for those 180 days you were paying VM £45 a month instead of the £30 a month if you were inside a VM contract, you won’t get an extra £90, ( £15x6 ) but TBH , the compo you do get massively outweighs the extra expenses you had , you were not completely without broadband.

As stated though , if you were waiting that long ( 5 months  or more ) Sky may state they cancelled your order , so you may not get all you think you are entitled to , but you should check what they are prepared to offer