Just dodged a SKY Mobile bullet

bucksboomer

Sky might be wondering why a number of people did not complete the Sky mobile £59p a month deal (£1 a month with a £5 voucher in 4 months if no complications).

As far as I am concerned this whole deal is just a data grab, first you have GiftCloud who want you to opt-in but they did not pre-tick, so all good there.

Then on next page it asked if I had a Sky Account and gave me login option, I used the credentials from when I last dumped Sky, sometime in the last year. I had an account with Sky Mobile for over a decade, until they finally got too greedy on the SIM prices.

Then they asked me personal information which they should have had, I went to Sky.com in another tab and sure enough I was logged in, but they declined to use the information they already had. They also asked for my date of birth, I did not want to give this but they would not allow me to proceed unless I did.

I then gave bank details for a DD

Then for a deal worth £1 a month they wanted to do a credit check, the exact text was:

"As part of your order, we may pass your information to credit reference agencies to run credit, fraud and identity checks on the information you've provided. The results might impact the products and services available to you. Are you happy for us to use your details for this?"

ABSOLUTELY NOT !

I have had a plethora of Sky accounts over the years, TV, Broadband, Mobile and the latter was always free of credit check. It was totally unnecessary, I was prepared and even assumed I would pay for the whole year upfront.

So at that point I abandoned the deal.

Truth is I was seriously annoyed to have to leave Sky Mobile, I had two SIMS with them but they kept giving less & less while charging more and more. Their staff are rude and tried on several occasions to trick me by saying I qualified for a FREE mobile at no cost, only to ask for money for the phone later in the conversation. This was their idea of customer retention.

When I left Sky and went to Lebara a number of technical issues that Sky blamed me and my phone for disappeared, I had forgotten about that. .

I only have the second SIM for TFA, just figured if my main phone is stolen this would slow down the thief as SMS's would go to a device they do not have as I leave it at home.

I swore I would never go back to Sky, but they used my relationship of Trust with MSE and I very nearly fell for it.

I can't see any benefit for Sky in offering this £1 a month SIM except for data collection and the beneficiary is the Credit Reference Agencies. I have seen online how TalkTalk barter data on their Broadband customers by providing the whole database in return for free credit checks. So perhaps Sky have been persuaded to do the same.

I am so relieved I did not complete the Sky Offer. £1 a month was tempting but no thanks, I am now even more resolute to never join Sky again.

Emmia

I don't see anything wrong with them wanting to run a credit check on what is ultimately a contract to provide mobile services.

What do you have to hide?

Would you prefer to pay a fee for the credit check, upfront?

flaneurs_lobster

Had the last £1/mth deal for 11.5 months (no increase). Cancelled at the w/end (by phone, no issues).

Just taken the latest one. Quid a month is fine for a backup SIM.

Woodstok2000

You're saying this is a data grab,but also that Sky already have your data?

Nothing wrong with a credit check for a mobile contract. I'd be very surprised if any providers will give you a contract without one.

chrisw

They have to ask date of birth as you have to be over 18 to enter into a contract. I always give a fake one anyway and never had an issue.

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6679516/just-dodged-a-sky-mobile-bullet

"I have had a plethora of Sky accounts over the years, TV, Broadband, Mobile and the latter was always free of credit check. It was totally unnecessary, I was prepared and even assumed I would pay for the whole year upfront."

Also I very much doubt your previous contracts for TV, mobile etc., were all credit check free...

saajan_12

It was totally unnecessary, I was prepared and even assumed I would pay for the whole year upfront.

Its not just a 1 year contract though - its a minimum 1 year after which they very much hope you will stay on a rolling basis. They are hardly going to limit you to just the first year by taking a 1 time payment.

It states its subject to a credit check in the 4-line snippet of T&Cs on their website, visible before you give any data, so hardly hidden in the small print.

As far as I am concerned this whole deal is just a data grab, 

..

Then they asked me personal information which they should have had, I went to Sky.com in another tab and sure enough I was logged in, but they declined to use the information they already had. 

You were happy to give the same data in the past but now its a data grab?

JSmithy45AD

@bucksboomer As part of your order, we may pass your information to credit reference agencies to run credit, fraud and identity checks on the information you've provided.

I like how you ignored the fraud and identity checks bit, you happy to be ripped off by genuine scammers?

bucksboomer

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82100197#Comment_82100197

I have been a customer for so many years that they knew I was an adult, I have done SAR's before with phone calls, they know me..

I too have given fake ones, but I do not like to do that when data is shared with a Credit Reference Agency.

bucksboomer

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82100331#Comment_82100331

I am glad you liked it, there was no fraud or identity checks, they send me an code on SMS, so they already had my data.

I don't know how you LEAP into me being ripped off by genuine scammers, a bit of an oxymoron that, "Genuine Scammers"?

I have never been scammed because I take precautions, but I have had my data lost or stolen by TalkTalk, Amazon, Ebay and Paypal over the years, so I am more concerned by big corporate companies than I am some scammer.

bucksboomer

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82100208#Comment_82100208

Actually they did not do credit checks when I had SkyTV because it was many years ago and they just did not do it in those days. I still have Sky Leaflets that were put through the door saying no credit check on sim only deals.

Certainly IF I APPLY FOR CREDIT then I expect a CREDIT CHECK, I was not and so I resist.

I got hold of a PDF that one of the credit reference companies sends to corporate companies explaining how their data bartering works, as corporates are regulated less and less they care less and less about their customers.

It is simply not necessary and makes no commercial sense UNLESS they are selling the data. They already had the data but I have made it very clear on many occasions that I do not consent for my data to be shared in this way. So the only way they can do it is with explicit consent on new contracts.

I might be an outlier in this community but there are plenty of people who frown on this kind of behaviour.