Sky COVID cancellation led to debt collection and a default CCJ — similar experiences?

Abel1066

Hi all,

I am in England and would appreciate practical advice or experiences from anyone who has successfully resolved a similar problem with Sky.

The key facts are:

• I tried repeatedly to cancel my Sky TV service between April and July 2020, when Sky’s customer-service arrangements were restricted because of COVID.
• Some early emails went to an unmanned or unsuccessful address. In July, however, I sent a clear cancellation request using the correct account details and received two automated Sky acknowledgements shortly afterwards. Neither confirmed that the cancellation had been processed.
• Charges continued. I stopped the direct debit because I believed I had given notice and was no longer using the service. Sky then described the services as cancelled for non-payment, and the account passed into debt collection. I received several different balance figures without a complete reconciliation.
• I disputed the debt in writing in August 2020. Sky opened a complaint, but I have not located a substantive written decision resolving it.
• Years later, I discovered that a default CCJ had been entered. I had not received the original claim form. The judgment balance was subsequently paid, although I continue to dispute the underlying liability.
• The claimant has now consented to my set-aside application. The signed application has been filed, and I am waiting for the court’s decision. I understand that a set-aside would not itself decide the underlying dispute.
• I am awaiting Sky’s subject access response and have asked Sky to reopen the complaint or issue its final response.

I am particularly interested in what produced a successful resolution for other people:

• Did a Sky subject access response contain useful internal cancellation or account notes?
• Did Sky eventually correct the balance, refund money or repair a credit-file entry?
• Did executive complaints, CISAS, the debt purchaser or another route resolve it?
• If a default or CCJ was involved, what practical steps ultimately corrected the record?

I appreciate that another person’s experience will not determine my case. I am looking for practical routes that worked and evidence worth pursuing.

Please do not post identifying account, address or claim details.

Thanks for any help.

eskbanker

You might find you get more traction posting on the board for subscription TV threads rather than the more generic consumer rights one?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/phones-tv

Woodstok2000

It might be helpful to provide a bit more detail too. Specific dates when actions were taken, and your contract status with Sky.

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120766#Comment_82120766

As well as did you move etc, which could explain never receiving any paperwork

Boohoo

Hi all,

I am in England and would appreciate practical advice or experiences from anyone who has successfully resolved a similar problem with Sky.

The key facts are:

• I tried repeatedly to cancel my Sky TV service between April and July 2020, when Sky’s customer-service arrangements were restricted because of COVID.
• Some early emails went to an unmanned or unsuccessful address. In July, however, I sent a clear cancellation request using the correct account details and received two automated Sky acknowledgements shortly afterwards. Neither confirmed that the cancellation had been processed.
• Charges continued. I stopped the direct debit because I believed I had given notice and was no longer using the service. Sky then described the services as cancelled for non-payment, and the account passed into debt collection. I received several different balance figures without a complete reconciliation.
• I disputed the debt in writing in August 2020. Sky opened a complaint, but I have not located a substantive written decision resolving it.
• Years later, I discovered that a default CCJ had been entered. I had not received the original claim form. The judgment balance was subsequently paid, although I continue to dispute the underlying liability.
• The claimant has now consented to my set-aside application. The signed application has been filed, and I am waiting for the court’s decision. I understand that a set-aside would not itself decide the underlying dispute.
• I am awaiting Sky’s subject access response and have asked Sky to reopen the complaint or issue its final response.

I am particularly interested in what produced a successful resolution for other people:

• Did a Sky subject access response contain useful internal cancellation or account notes?
• Did Sky eventually correct the balance, refund money or repair a credit-file entry?
• Did executive complaints, CISAS, the debt purchaser or another route resolve it?
• If a default or CCJ was involved, what practical steps ultimately corrected the record?

I appreciate that another person’s experience will not determine my case. I am looking for practical routes that worked and evidence worth pursuing.

Please do not post identifying account, address or claim details.

Thanks for any help.

Are you sure the dates are correct as if you were paying DD in April and then debt collection letters arrived August that is very quick to get them involved.

As I understand it you can cancel Sky by post but they have to contact you after they get the letter to confirm this as anybody could send a cancellation letter to Sky if they have your details.

As you now know canceling the DD isn't a good idea and MSE users often advise against doing this.

As said earlier have you moved address since this happened in 2020 as court papers go to last address they have for you.

Abel1066

Thanks everyone — I am reading the replies and appreciate the points raised.

A few clarifications, without going into evidence that is currently relevant to the court proceedings:

• I did move after 2020. The address and service issue forms part of the pending consented set-aside application, so I should not post the addresses or detailed evidence publicly.
• The short debt-collection timeline is correct. Sky's own records now confirm that it logged my two clear cancellation emails on 6 July 2020. Sky then described the services as cancelled for non-payment on 8 July and recorded a debt-collection placement on 30 July. That speed is one reason I am seeking the complete account ledger and decision records.
• I understand that stopping the Direct Debit did not itself cancel the contract and created a risk. I am not relying on stopping payment as the cancellation; the disputed issue is the cancellation communications and how Sky dealt with them.
• Since my original post, Sky's subject access disclosure has confirmed receipt and the substance of the July cancellation messages and identified possible account credits. However, it omitted the full ledger, applicable contract terms and other important records, so I have challenged the response as incomplete.

The court application, Sky complaint and CISAS eligibility issue are all active. I therefore need to avoid publishing some details while those processes continue, but I will update the thread when it is appropriate to do so.

Thank you also for the suggestion about the Phones & TV board. For the moment I will keep the discussion in one place rather than duplicate it.

Boohoo

I still think that In years past Sky would only cancel subs from a letter or email after they had confirmed this with the account holder.

Did Sky so this with you?

As for the address leaving did you inform them and get confirmation of address change as that would mean Sky are in the wrong for getting a CCJ but if you never told them of this then I think the CCJ should stand.

Get yourself over to LegalBeagles website as they are very good at this think

When is the hearing about the set aside?

Abel1066

Thanks Boohoo — no secret Sky cancellation handshake ever reached me 😄 I received two generic automated acknowledgements, but neither confirmed that the cancellation had been processed.

On the address point, the claim form later supplied was addressed to where I was living when it was issued, so it isn’t an old-address-update issue. I simply didn’t receive the claim documents.

The claimant has consented to the set-aside and the application is with the court. There’s no hearing date yet, and it may be dealt with without a hearing if the judge considers that appropriate.

I’ll have a look at LegalBeagles too — cheers.

Woodstok2000

Sky require 31 days notice to cancel, or you pay off your contract in full. If you sent them a cancellation notice, but cancelled the direct debit and didnt pay the balance due, it would seem their actions are reasonable although the timescales do appear very fast.

Abel1066

Thanks. I appreciate the point about the normal cancellation rules, but the central issue is that I could not access a workable cancellation route.

When I called Sky during lockdown, an automated message said I could not cancel by telephone and directed me to the website. The website did not provide an option to cancel either.

That left me emailing the only Sky addresses I could find, knowing that some might not be monitored. I kept trying, and Sky’s own records now confirm that it eventually received my clear cancellation messages on 6 July 2020—but the cancellation still wasn’t processed or confirmed.

That is really the point of the thread: what was a customer realistically supposed to do when the telephone route directed them online, the website offered no cancellation option and written attempts went unanswered?

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82122568#Comment_82122568

So can you show that you paid for yhe minimum contractually required term, starting when you first notified them of the cancellation? Again, dates and contract status would be helpful here.