Unable to cancel sky contract with a Sky Retailer

HBrog

Posting for my 83 year old mum - in April this year (unbeknown to me) my Mum was called by who she thought was Sky but turns out to be an 'approved retailer' (?) Her contract was due for renewal and she OK'd it over the phone and the DD carried on coming out - with new channels added. I'm not sure who it is with or the same provider. Do the renewals just get flagged to all retailers?? Gone through her finances recently and she is being charged £179 a month!!! We called Sky and they said she is locked in till 2027 and as the contract is through a Sky Retailer they had no sway in the matter but they also couldn't tell her who it is with - they have no visibility. All they could say was that they had on the account that it was renewed in a 'retail store'. To close it early would cost £1700. I need to do more digging as she must have been sent an email or letter with confirmation of the contract. But it's exorbitant and they can't afford it. They seem to have been put on the Sky Signature package which is the ultimate. I'm sure it wasn't transparent. Any advice please.....Can you get out of these agreements early?

MeteredOut

£179 is a shocking price, but if she approved the contract, she approved the contract. Sky contracts are now 24 months.

Unless you can show she was somehow vulnerable and not knowing what she signed up for, or was mislead to what she was signing up for, I suspect she'll need to stick with the contract she agreed to.

As you say, you need to find the paperwork or email she will have been sent.

john1

You may get  helped by https://www.sky.com/help/articles/supporting-vulnerable-customers-policy

Also OFCOM is the Broadcaster regulator  see here https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-2-6-weeks/167170-proposed-guide-for-treating-vulnerable-consumers-fairly/associated-documents/2022-treating-vulnerable-customers-fairly.pdf?v=391412

JSmithy45AD

HBrog said:

Posting for my 83 year old mum - in April this year (unbeknown to me) my Mum was called by who she thought was Sky but turns out to be an 'approved retailer' (?) Her contract was due for renewal and she OK'd it over the phone and the DD carried on coming out - with new channels added. I'm not sure who it is with or the same provider. Do the renewals just get flagged to all retailers?? Gone through her finances recently and she is being charged £179 a month!!! We called Sky and they said she is locked in till 2027 and as the contract is through a Sky Retailer they had no sway in the matter but they also couldn't tell her who it is with - they have no visibility. All they could say was that they had on the account that it was renewed in a 'retail store'. To close it early would cost £1700. I need to do more digging as she must have been sent an email or letter with confirmation of the contract. But it's exorbitant and they can't afford it. They seem to have been put on the Sky Signature package which is the ultimate. I'm sure it wasn't transparent. Any advice please.....Can you get out of these agreements early?

Use the vulnerable customer link above and lay it on thick, don't be shy of colouring the truth slightly.

They do have physical stores, put your postcode in and see if she may have visited a local one. That said, it's still Sky that need to sort this.

https://www.sky.com/shop/store-locator

Boohoo

MeteredOut said:

£179 is a shocking price, but if she approved the contract, she approved the contract. Sky contracts are now 24 months.

Unless you can show she was somehow vulnerable and not knowing what she signed up for, or was mislead to what she was signing up for, I suspect she'll need to stick with the contract she agreed to.

As you say, you need to find the paperwork or email she will have been sent.

I don't know this but what do you get from Sky for £179 pm?

As for the 24 months contract when did Sky start doing them?

My last contract was for 18 months Jan 2024 but in June I was told they are 24 months now.

If the OP's mother has an online account they could check there for the contract. If no online account they could try and set one up but I am not sure what is needed for that and if it's instant.

JSmithy45AD

Boohoo said:

MeteredOut said:

£179 is a shocking price, but if she approved the contract, she approved the contract. Sky contracts are now 24 months.

Unless you can show she was somehow vulnerable and not knowing what she signed up for, or was mislead to what she was signing up for, I suspect she'll need to stick with the contract she agreed to.

As you say, you need to find the paperwork or email she will have been sent.

I don't know this but what do you get from Sky for £179 pm?

As for the 24 months contract when did Sky start doing them?

My last contract was for 18 months Jan 2024 but in June I was told they are 24 months now.

If the OP's mother has an online account they could check there for the contract. If no online account they could try and set one up but I am not sure what is needed for that and if it's instant.

June of last year I think they started 24 month contracts.

Boohoo

JSmithy45AD said:

Boohoo said:

MeteredOut said:

£179 is a shocking price, but if she approved the contract, she approved the contract. Sky contracts are now 24 months.

Unless you can show she was somehow vulnerable and not knowing what she signed up for, or was mislead to what she was signing up for, I suspect she'll need to stick with the contract she agreed to.

As you say, you need to find the paperwork or email she will have been sent.

I don't know this but what do you get from Sky for £179 pm?

As for the 24 months contract when did Sky start doing them?

My last contract was for 18 months Jan 2024 but in June I was told they are 24 months now.

If the OP's mother has an online account they could check there for the contract. If no online account they could try and set one up but I am not sure what is needed for that and if it's instant.

June of last year I think they started 24 month contracts.

Thanks.

Is that forced contracts for people's who want Sky or was it depending on who you spoke/chatted to for renewal or recontract ?

Only asked as work colleague renewed last July for 18 months as January 2026 they are retiring and spending a year traveling and didn't want a 2 year deal because of that.

JSmithy45AD

Boohoo said:

JSmithy45AD said:

Boohoo said:

MeteredOut said:

£179 is a shocking price, but if she approved the contract, she approved the contract. Sky contracts are now 24 months.

Unless you can show she was somehow vulnerable and not knowing what she signed up for, or was mislead to what she was signing up for, I suspect she'll need to stick with the contract she agreed to.

As you say, you need to find the paperwork or email she will have been sent.

I don't know this but what do you get from Sky for £179 pm?

As for the 24 months contract when did Sky start doing them?

My last contract was for 18 months Jan 2024 but in June I was told they are 24 months now.

If the OP's mother has an online account they could check there for the contract. If no online account they could try and set one up but I am not sure what is needed for that and if it's instant.

June of last year I think they started 24 month contracts.

Thanks.

Is that forced contracts for people's who want Sky or was it depending on who you spoke/chatted to for renewal or recontract ?

Only asked as work colleague renewed last July for 18 months as January 2026 they are retiring and spending a year traveling and didn't want a 2 year deal because of that.

Definitely for new customers, I think they phased it in over a month or two for renewals.