Difficulty with cancelled sky account

Lizziefitzzie

Hi all,

I'm new to boards so I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place. I will tell you of my experience of cancelling my sky account, it is not a good one and is still ongoing so any advice on how to deal with them would be appreciated.

I rang them on 4 or 5 November 2016 to cancel my account (tv only). I was moving house by end of November. I understood you have to give 31 days notice to cancel and was told by the guy in sky that the account would deactivate on 5 December.

In early January I noticed on my bank statement that sky had billed me and taken €37 on December 20. So I rang them to query this and the guy discovered that the account hadn't been deactivated like I was told it would be and said he had to refer it to his team lead who would look into the matter of a refund.

By mid January I hadn't received a refund or heard anything from them about it. So I rang them again, to discover the account still hadn't been deactivated. Again I was told the case would have to be referred to the team lead and I would get a call back about it (still waiting). Not having any confidence in their competence to do the job properly, I cancelled the direct debit in the bank.

I thought no more of it, life was busy and to be honest I had a feeling sky would have some loophole excuse to not refund me. Then in February, my post was forwarded to me by a new tenant in the house I moved out of. It included a lovely letter from sky stating that I had missed a payment in January and I owed them €37 plus €10 late payment fee. So I rang them again and was told that that shouldn't have happened, the case would have to be referred to the team lead and I would get a call back (still waiting). So I forgot about the matter again.

Until... last week I received a phone call first, then a text message and a letter from a debt collection agency working on behalf of sky. So again I rang sky. The girl I spoke to was very apologetic and had to refer the case to the team lead and I would get a call back. Frustrated by waiting I rang them back later that day. Another guy basically told me same thing (still waiting on call back)

Today I received yet another call from debt collectors. I explained the whole thing to them again. He said he will be contacting me again next week unless he's told otherwise. Now it takes a lot to make me mad but I saw red today when I rang sky yet again. The guy I spoke to didn't help by telling me that nothing could be done. He told me that the account was active until march (not my fault!) and it had been decided I wasn't due a refund (nobody told me that), and because the account was given to a debt collector there's nothing sky can do about it, it is out of their hands!! He couldn't get a team lead to speak to me but would refer it to him for review and I was to expect a call back! I'm so mad now even writing this.

My partner rang them when he got home from work and told them he'd cancel his account too if it's not sorted out. Still waiting on a call back.

It's not fair that they can treat people this way. It's really upset me and to have a debt collector pursuing me! (for €47! Ffs). I think sky are bullies.

Has anybody else experienced this or similar? How did it fare out?

the_syco

Post the above here; http://www.boards.ie/ttforum/1598

The debt collection people have no power in Ireland. Tell them to eff off, and that you're dealing with Sky directly.

Lizziefitzzie

I have told the debt collectors twice that Iv no business with them. In the letter they sent they said that if I didn't pay it could end up with legal action being taken. Guy in sky told me yesterday that they can't deal with it because it's now been handed over to the debt collectors. I'm just flabbergasted that this is how they think they can treat people. Anyway i guess I'll just ignore any contact from the debt collectors for now

muffler

As stated above you need to post your complaint / query over in he Sky talk to forum. The reps are online there between 1 and 5 in the afternoons.

If its any help you can request copies of all data they hold on you including notes that are on your account which would reflect the details of various phone calls you made and also you can get audio copies (on CD's) of all phone conversations in the last 6 months. If you rang them in November you need to get moving quick on this. Sky dont normally charge for the copies.

Lizziefitzzie

Thanks muffler I'll certainly do that! Didn't know you could get copies of the phone conversations... god knows there's plenty of them

Johnboy1951

IMO you need to put things in writing instead of depending on phone calls, copies of which can easily be 'misplaced'.

Lizziefitzzie

Apparently they don't allow you to cancel an account in writing. Anyway I think the issue is sorted so far. Just got a call from a manager at sky, he said I absolutely do do not owe €47 euro and not to worry about the debt collectors that it has been sorted now. He couldn't believe it had gone on so long and that no manager had spoken to me before now. So I'm to expect a refund of €83 in my bank account in next few days if not I'm to ring and speak to him directly. He has advised me to put in a formal complaint and Iv requested a transcript of all the phone conversations. It seems that my partners threat to cancel his account did the job as he mentioned that... or maybe we still live in a world where it takes a big mans voice to get anywhere. Anyway I'm just glad I won't be having debt collectors on my back now 🀣