Forced to Take legal action against Sky UK After Retaliation & Debt Collection

Loulou33

Hi everyone, 
i have been experiencing a sky tv consumer matter for over a year now I am in dire need of support with this matter. I’m posting this story here incase anyone can offer any assistance which would be very much welcomed. I’m currently supported by someone who is assisting me through this case (however limited free time means that I have to wait to receive the support) due to my current mental health challenges - 

I am a new mother, currently on maternity pay and suffering postnatal depression. Over the past year, Sky UK has:

• Mis-sold me a package, leaving me on the wrong tariff and charging me excessively.

• Left my line “crossed,” meaning I was paying someone else’s phone bill.

• Failed to issue a Deadlock Letter when legally required, dragging out my complaint for months.

• Ignored my first Subject Access Request (SAR), and on my second attempt instead escalated my account to debt collection.

• Promised to call me back for payment but dialled the wrong number. Rather than correct their mistake, they escalated me to collections during adjudication.

• Repeatedly opened and closed my complaint without reason, only reopening when I chased.

• Had call handlers keep me on the line unnecessarily, running up charges while I was distressed about costs.

Despite admitting failings, Sky offered me just £100 in “final settlement.” I requested they cover the cost of the bills I paid unlawfully and appropriate redress for the violations they have caused which £100 doesn’t even come close to over £300 in bills I have been over charged with and not to mention the calls back and forth I have had to call sky to attempt to solve this matter in compensation based on the harm caused — including severe mental distress — which was refused. Alongside this Sky has ruined my credit rating and refuse to rectify this matter, therefore I have been unable to obtain any credit. As a new mother who is a single parent obtaining credit on challenging months is a life line at times. 

Even after escalation to the CEO’s office, Sky continues to deny proper redress. Instead, they chose to escalate me to debt collectors while I was still in dispute and under ADR adjudication which I had to make the referral which sky fabricated they would but never provided me with a deadlock letter which I had to chase and it was only once under adjudication they did making it irrelevant at this point.

Sky is now pushing me into no other option but to file a County Court claim against Sky UK Limited for their breaches, harassment, and failure to uphold consumer protections.

This case highlights a wider issue: how major companies handle vulnerable customers, ignore regulatory obligations, and use intimidation tactics to shut down complaints.

Sky has faced repeated regulatory action:

• Ofcom’s 2015 probe into Sky’s refusal to process cancellations.

• Ofcom’s 2020–22 ruling on Sky’s failure to send mandatory end-of-contract notices.

• 2024 warnings from UK regulators on debt collection tactics against vulnerable customers.

eskbanker

If you've already gone through all the hoops with Sky and the CISAS ADR service then it does indeed sound like time to go legal, but it probably is worth rehearsing your case in more detail.

Feel free to share a draft of your proposed letter before action, but I'd suggest a bit of prioritising of the more important aspects of the claim rather than giving everything equal prominence.  For example, if the core issue is alleged mis-selling then you'd need to expand on how it was mis-sold and what a reasonable response would have been.  You mention "over £300 in bills I have been over charged with", so have presumably identified a gap between what you wanted/needed and what you were coerced (?) into signing up for?  Did you pay the lower figure while disputing the higher one?

No harm in raising some, or even all, of the administrative failures you refer to, but perhaps also worth bearing in mind that it's far easier to claim in court for tangible financial losses, i.e. clearly identifiable debts, rather than hoping for compensation for distress, etc.

If you're going to cite previous regulatory actions, you should identify specifically how they relate to your issues, rather than just trying to throw mud, so, for example, what's the relevance of "Ofcom’s 2015 probe into Sky’s refusal to process cancellations"?

LightFlare

Mid sold how ?

Ruined your credit how ? - it’s usually advised to pay but issue an “under protest” notice and then sort any issues out