TIP: Cancelling your SKY subscription

P&L · 13-07-2004 10:27am #1

I just had an the 'old' type digital satellite system installed, cos I didnt feel there was any value for money in SKY digital. Im now hooked up to Astra on 19.5 degrees (which suits me fine as most in my house are German speakers

anyway... last night I rang SKY to cancel my subscription. went through the usual rigmoroll.. automated 'press 1 for this option, press 2 for that option'... so after 3 mins (International call remember) they gave me the option to to Press 4 to cancel the subscription...

So EIGHT minutes later after listening to endless mind-numbing advertisements teling me all about how wonderful SKY is and all the wonderful products I could buy -I hung up.

I redialled, but this time I pressed 1 'to upgrade my SKY package' - got an INSTANT respone with no waiting and no listening to advertisements, and was unsubscribed in about 2 minutes after that.

so... moral of the story, to cancel your subscription choose the 'upgrade' option

Tony · 13-07-2004 10:36am

I'm not sure what number you dialled but it should have been charged as a local call not international.

P&L · 13-07-2004 10:38am

Yeah, thats my fault, all the SKy literature that comes in the door usually goes staright to the recycle bin, so I had to call the number on the back of the card.

ShaneOC · 13-07-2004 10:41am

If you press services you will see an option called Telephone numbers which lists all of the relevant Sky numbers (including the Irish ones).

P&L · 13-07-2004 10:51am

Good point, should be useful for anyone else wanting to cancel

By the way, Im not wanting to knock the SKY package itself, it didnt suit me - it suits other people quite well... I am however knocking an apparant customer service flaw, and trying passing on my experience to anyone else who might find it useful.

13-07-2004 11:14am

Originally posted by P&L
Good point, should be useful for anyone else wanting to cancel

By the way, Im not wanting to knock the SKY package itself, it didnt suit me - it suits other people quite well... I am however knocking an apparant customer service flaw, and trying passing on my experience to anyone else who might find it useful.

Oh it's not an apparent flaw imho,It's deliberate.

A lot of sky dig customers have worked this out now....
It's actually the same with most automated answering switches...
If they are going to gain money from you then , they give that option priority.

If they are going to lose money from you( ie in the case of a sky sub, a down grade or a cancelation ) then they leave you on the line for ages in the hope that you will go away and forget about it.
I'll bet many do:rolleyes:

Thats why sky get you to press a separate number for downgrading /cancelation as opposed to an upgrade or a new subscription.
They want to separate their wheat from their chaff and in the process hold onto more customers money ie the guys who hang up and try again maybe a week or a month later.

Thats a tip for all automated operators really, if you don't want to be in the queue forever, then press the option for spending more money with them...

Dub13 · 13-07-2004 11:29am

I have not called Sky for a while but the last time I rang there Dublin number I got a message to say this line is now closed please redial this number and it was an Int number.Is it the same now...?

ShaneOC · 13-07-2004 11:39am

The free phone number is gone and has been replaced by a national rate number (0818).

TIP: Cancelling your SKY subscription

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