I've cancelled Sky but I was only half bluffing?

stevejcraven

I rang Sky to cancel as quite a few of the lads I work with had done this and had gotten something back off Sky.

The person I spoke to wasn't the friendliest to be honest and his only 2 questions was why I wanted to leave? I told him that as a long time existing customer with Sky I felt that I was treated as second class in comparison to new customers and what could Sky do for me to keep me as a customer?
Stupidly I said I'm not looking for anything off my subscription but that I wanted a Sky HD box for the €75 euro's they had it advertised at a while back (it's €149 at the moment) and free instalation.

He told me the €75 offer was for Sep/Oct only and that he couldn't do anything for me. (I realise that I'm not making him sound that bad but if you'd heard him you'd understand) I told him that as a customer of many many years and one that pays over €100 a month (I have Sky plus and 2 multi rooms) I was really disappointed that Sky were willing to throw away €1200 a year for the sake of €75 discount on a HD box.

He went ahead with the cancellation. It finishes on Christmas Eve.

Just a few questions for the wise people of the forum.

Can I change my mind within this month if I want to?

Is it likely Sky will ring me in this time asking me to change my mind and coming back to me with an offer? (I've heard this has been done but not sure if it's true)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Although I don't use Sky as much as I used to I still like having it but I don't really want to go back to them with my tail between my legs.

St Senan

It happens but they called your bluff

Wizard007

"Although I don't use Sky as much as I used to I still like having it but I don't really want to go back to them with my tail between my legs."

Looks like it's your only option. Getting a call is possible but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

Brace yourself, count to five, dial the number. You never know...Sky might be bringing out an offer for existing customers very shortly

bigpaddy2004

You can ring up and cancel the cancellation...or......sign back up as a new customer with a local agent and get the offer you want.

stevejcraven

bigpaddy2004 wrote: »

You can ring up and cancel the cancellation...or......sign back up as a new customer with a local agent and get the offer you want.

Cheers lad. I might do this if I don't here anything back from them before cancellation time.

Another part of me is saying that if they're prepared to give up on €1212 a year for a saving of €75 on a HD box then I should just let them. With my luck I'd cancel the cancellation, buy the HD box at full price only for them to bring back the €75 offer a month later

seanybiker

1212 a year is nothing to a company like that mate. Still though funny story . Bet ya wont try that again

stevejcraven

seanybiker wrote: »

1212 a year is nothing to a company like that mate. Still though funny story . Bet ya wont try that again

The more I think of it the less I'm annoyed with myself and the more I'm annoyed with them.

Whilst I agree with you that the money I pay is insignificant to someone like Rupert, Sky usually go out of their way to stop you from canceling.

It's not great business sense to let a customer leave for the sake of a €75 discount on a HD box (they were actually doing the HD box for €75 a little while back so it's not like I'm asking for anything out of the ordinary. I just didn't have a spare €75 euro to give them at the time).

You can't go anywhere these days without seeing an offer from Sky to try and entice new customers. Being an existing customer makes you feel like a leper.

Sky remind me of that Natwest ad with the fake bank were they go out of their way to do thing for new customers whilst ignoring their existing customers.

seanybiker

i totally agree with you. Once they have ya they dont really care. If they dont get back soon just ring em and tell them ya changed your mind. Im sure your not the first and definately not the last person to do this bud

stevejcraven

Cheers Seany.

rlogue

Or go up north and buy a couple of freesat pvr boxes you will get BBC HD and all the uk FTA stuff without paying a red cent to sky.

thebman

stevejcraven wrote: »

Cheers lad. I might do this if I don't here anything back from them before cancellation time.

Another part of me is saying that if they're prepared to give up on €1212 a year for a saving of €75 on a HD box then I should just let them. With my luck I'd cancel the cancellation, buy the HD box at full price only for them to bring back the €75 offer a month later

Lol don't worry they'll call. My mother cancelled and she got two calls and they are still sending out leaflets asking her to sign back up.

Fat_Fingers

Don't worry, they are overcharging Irish customers anyway and they will want you back.
I canceled Sky nearly 2 years ago. I was with them 7 years and when my box failed they wanted to sell me Sky+ i think it was 299 euro at the time. I had full Sky package. They said nothing they could do for me, told them i'll call back. I spend a day or two thinking what do i want out of this and what i'm prepared to do so when i called them back asked them to repair my box they said it will be 150 euro, no deals full stop, so i thanked them and canceled it right there.
I still get a call from Sky about once a month to come back but i got now used to Freesat so not interested. I wish i can block them from calling my mobile..

BeerNut

Fat_Fingers wrote: »

I wish i can block them from calling my mobile..

You just have to tell them to stop, and mention that you'll be bringing the matter to the Data Protection Commissioner if they don't. Details on making a complaint here (see "Marketing Phone Calls").

Dopey

I think you did the right thing OP.

They might be a massive company but I would be shocked if they were stupid enough to let you go when you are paying over 100 Euro a month. :eek:

My dad cancelled a year ago and they kept contacting him for months.

Their business is now threatened by freesat. If they have any sense they will be back. Otherwise, **** them

muffler

Something similar happened to me about 3 or 4 years ago. The sky box (4 - 5 years old) give up and I contacted them asking for a new box. The best they would do was to send an engineer out at a cost of £75 and either repair or replace the box with a reconditioned model.

I told the girl I would cancel if I didnt get a new box for free so she just stuck down the one month cancellation notice. Called my bluff basically.

Signed up as new customer in the other half's name a week or so later and got my brand new box and a new dish.

Mossy Monk

brim4brim wrote: »

Lol don't worry they'll call. My mother cancelled and she got two calls and they are still sending out leaflets asking her to sign back up.

This doesn't always happen. The same way that they don't always offer you Sky at a cheaper price when you cancel.

Onikage

You could try going cold turkey (gotta get the christmas pun in!) and wait for an even better offer.

stevejcraven

Thanks for the advice lads.

I think I'll just leave it and if they come back to me with an offer I'll see were I take it from there.

If they don't I'll look at some other alternative.

steveon

Sky HD box is €149 since last week for both new and exsisting customers and are extremely low in stocks by most suppliers...

MisterAnarchy

seanybiker wrote: »

1212 a year is nothing to a company like that mate.

1212 euro a year to watch tv is a hell of alot of money.
Time was when Sky was actually quite good value for money and the channel line up was decent.
Now most of the better channels are FTA and Sky's epg is cluttered up with garbage.
Sky tv is grossly overpriced.

bigpaddy2004

steveon wrote: »

Sky HD box is €149 since last week for both new and exsisting customers and are extremely low in stocks by most suppliers...

Electroplus are advising not to sell them until the new year.

LFCFan

Is there any way to get Sky Sports and Setanta if you're using Freesat? I would cancel Sky in a heartbeat but I can't lose the footy.

mjsmyth

There is no way to get Sky Sports or Setanta Sports on freesat.

corcaigh07

OP call their bluff back, they will want you back desparately evenually.

kennyt

I cancelled SKY in September, I recieved an offer in the post yesterday pleading me to come back. They are giving a Free Sky+ box if i sign up before Christmas. Still need to pay 50 euro for installation.

channelsurfer

just got that offer yesterday too. they must have bulk mailed a lot of ex subscribers. I am still debating whether to take it up or not considering all I watch is rte and the uk channels.
It dosent seem fair on those though that are existing subscribers who no matter what cant get the box for less than 149 unless they threaten to cancel when they can offer it to me for free.

steps_3314

Sky can be tough to deal with.
I have being after the Sky + box for awhile but decided to wait.

Then last week i met one of their reps in a shopping center and asked him about multi room with two new sky + boxes to replace my current older model box (its only 2 years old)

Anyway he basically told me to cancel my current subscription and sign up. The deal was i will get two new Sky + boxes inc installation for 99 euros. And multi room at half price for 12 months i.e 7.50

He also said after the first 12 months is up that i only need to call them and say i dont want multi room anymore and they will allow me keep it for 7.50...not sure about that one but was otherwise happy.

He also cancelled my subscription for me and is now sending me out the two new sky cards. Apparently everyone is doing that. If i was two purchase the two boxes and pay installation as an existing company it would have cost nearly 300 euros

Cancel/sign up again is the way to go.

Hope it works out for you Op. Ive being tempted so many times to cancel the b**tards but i love tv. Sick really

Saint_Mel

Following on from 2 weeks now of interrupted service (no signal) and a new replacement digibox ... which I was later informed was refurbished, not brand new, and over €50 spent in calls to Tech Support ... I cancelled my Sky subscription yesterday after almost 2 years service with them.

The "sweetner" he offered to stop me cancelling was giving me a Sky+ box for €49 instead of €99 ... and an expected install date of Jan/Feb! Not much good I said if my signal keeps dropping, no point in rewinding or recording an error message ... and with that the guy on the phone turned into an utter whanker calling me an idiot for cancelling over something like this!

Good riddance to them, thats what I say.

Signed up to NTL with multiroom ... worked out cheaper than the ordinary Sky package I was on! Granted there were a few extra channels on the Sky package but I never really bothered with them anyone, the NTL one covers all the stations I actually watch!

Worst case senario and NTL are just as bad (although a few neighbours have it and reakon its A1) I can just join Sky again as a new customer and get whatever deal they have on offer!

Wizard007

"Anyway he basically told me to cancel my current subscription and sign up. The deal was i will get two new Sky + boxes inc installation for 99 euros. And multi room at half price for 12 months i.e 7.50"


Steps, can you let us know when this is taken from your credit card? As the offer in Dublin kiosks at the moment is free Sky+ with €50 install, for first box only, the second Sky+ box is suppose to be €149. What Kiosk did you order it from?

steps_3314

Wizard007 wrote: »

"Anyway he basically told me to cancel my current subscription and sign up. The deal was i will get two new Sky + boxes inc installation for 99 euros. And multi room at half price for 12 months i.e 7.50"


Steps, can you let us know when this is taken from your credit card? As the offer in Dublin kiosks at the moment is free Sky+ with €50 install, for first box only, the second Sky+ box is suppose to be €149. What Kiosk did you order it from?

It was in Wilton, Cork City

I hope it's only 99 euros in total.

Will post the results though.

Wizard007

Yeah do

HD boxes are widely available again