Warning - SKY £75 Pay Once Watch Forever problems

harz99

I have started this thread as the original is now 19 pages long and if my experience is to go by others are going to start having problem like ours.

The offer was for basically Freesat at half price plus two free mixes for 6 months after which Sky would contact us as to whether or not we wanted to continue and pay for the extra mixes etc.

We bought this package via Dixons on line back in July 2007, and the intial 6 months viewing of the two extra mixes finished a few days ago.

Sky never contacted us except to send a bill for the next months viewing!

Last week we called to make sure that the extra mixes were not continued and after a very long call this was eventually done so we now have just the Freesat channels.

Since then Sky have sent what amounts to a threatening letter to the effect that unless we rejoin Sky we wil be billed almost £100 for breach of a 12 month contract, which we don't have!!!

Fortunately we kept ALL the packaging and letters that Sky have sent us about this product, and low and behold in the early stages a congratulations letter under the name of "Mark Anderson, Customer Marketing Director" spells out exactly our position, ie our minimum subscription term is only 6 months.

A suitable letter has gone off to Sky, asking for the situstion to be put right and for compensation for the time and worry that Sky have caused.

Please do not bow down to this sort of intimidation.

Butlers1982

This should be on consumer vent forum - a more suitable place

harz99

Butlers1982 wrote: »

This should be on consumer vent forum - a more suitable place

Possibly both actually, but there is still a live offer from Sky very similar to this, and people need to be aware of what's going on.

markchadwick

Hi harz99,

Seems like we're in the same boat. I bought the same package like you last July/Aug time and ours is due to expire within the next few weeks. I have received several letters from them asking for £19 (the usual £15 for two mixes + £4 admin fee) even though our 6 month free trial is still not up. I have called them and their representatives at first did not know what I was on about and said they had never even heard of the deal I had. After 20 mins on the phone I was told they had amended my account and I would not need to pay the £19 and everything should be fine.

Today, I received a letter asking me to pay £19 and with a notice at the bottom saying something like "....If we do not hear from you then we will claim back the remaining amount of the 12 month contract". Like you, I have written a stern letter explaining my position and my thoughts about them. I also added that if they continue to harass me, then they will receive an invoice from me for the time I have to spend doing the job they pay their staff to do.

They have some cheek. I have received more mail from them than what I get from every other utility company combined! I don't think you should worry as we have done nothing wrong. In fact, I hope they continue as it gives us more evidence of their aggressive campaign to harass their customers for money and we can hopefully claim something back.

By the way, you didn't give them your bank details did you? I assume you didn't (like me) as if you had I'm sure they would have had no problems in withdrawing the cash from your bank account. When I subscribed the guy on the phone was keen to get my bank details, but I had everything prepared and told him he didn't need it as I'll be staying with the FreeSat.

cornerstone13

Hi, our 6 months finishes on 12.02.08 but have just called now (using 08700 240 777).

Helpful chap called Naz said we could either cancel right now or call a few days before the 12th - as we have hardly watched the 2 free mixes, I've cancelled them now. He said we'd lose them within the next four hours. Entire call took 5 mins and there was no pressure to keep the mixes. He did say that if we don't cancel, we would automatically be billed after the free period finishes, which is not what it says in the original deal - that Sky would contact us near the end of the free period to see what we wanted to do. So the onus is on us to cancel, not Sky

After reading about problems that others have had, this all seems a bit too easy to be true. Time will tell.

markchadwick

cornerstone13 wrote: »

After reading about problems that others have had, this all seems a bit too easy to be true. Time will tell.

Prepare yourself for an onslaught of mail from Sky including a nice "notice" at the bottom effectively warning you if you don't pay.

I had the same experience as you, I called Sky twice. Once to ensure everything was on track to be cancelled and to find out the end date of our trial period. The guy assured me everything would be fine. Few weeks later, an invoice for £19 popped through the post and again, after another call, I was assured everything was cancelled and I wouldn't need to worry. Yesterday, a letter and an invoice.

I hope you are lucky and me and harz99 have just been unlucky, but I have my doubts. I'd advise you log down everything including who you spoke to, when, etc. Just adds to your case if they come back. They have no right to ask for money so there is no need to worry there, but by keeping all the details to hand, you can claim from them for wasting your time: I certainly intend to. I'll make sure they get more mail from me than what I ever got from them

katlady

can I have a link to the other 19 pages please have searched for it

harz99

katlady wrote: »

can I have a link to the other 19 pages please have searched for it

Hi, just click on my user name harz99, and use the "find more posts by" search and you will find various posts leading to the thread.

QQuaver

katlady wrote: »

can I have a link to the other 19 pages please have searched for it

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=497501

harz99

harz99 wrote: »

A suitable letter has gone off to Sky, asking for the situstion to be put right and for compensation for the time and worry that Sky have caused.

Please do not bow down to this sort of intimidation.

Today's post brought a letter from Sky headed "Your Refund Is On Its Way to Bank Account" with the facsimile signature of Mark Anderson, Customer Marketing Director.

They say they have arranged for "your refund of £19.00" to be paid straight to my bank account and are glad to have been able to sort this out etc.

Several things wrong with this:-

• We have not paid owt, so cannot get a refund!
• Sky does not have any personal bank or credit card details for us, and so could not possibly do this.
• The letter is not from the person whom we wrote to in response to their threatening letter.
• The letter offers no apology or compensation for the time and tears spent on this saga.

We will wait a few days more and then decide on a course of action against Sky.

In the meantime, please if your in the same situation, do not pay up!

bakerag

Don't phone Sky on the 0870 numbers, it costs you and they make money from it.

I had similar problems and came across these four emails addresses
james.murdoch@bskyb.com
AllCustomerCareEscalation@BSkyB.com
allcustomercareescalation@bsyb.com
customerzone@bskyb.com
execcustenq@bskyb.com

I email my complaint to these four emails and I got a very swift resolution to my problem.