Are Sky TV in breach of contract?

IrishHomer

Last February I entered a 12 months contract with Sky TV as I wished to view the UK soccer on Sky Sports.

Last week I contacted Sky and told them on the phone I wanted the contract to end because they are not able to provide the service I signed up for.

They only agreed to cut my Sports but still keep me in a contract.

Sky only let you order sports after you first pay for regular TV first.

I'm now paying for the regular TV that I never has an interest in but had to in order to qualify to pay for Sports.

Any tips or thoughts would be appreciated

Salary Negotiator

The contract is for Sky Sports (or Sky TV) which they are supplying, there will be no mention in the contract about which sports are shown on their channels.

Salary Negotiator

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

The contract is for Sky Sports (or Sky TV) which they are supplying, there will be no mention in the contract about which sports are shown on their channels.

Sky are actually allowing you to cancel sports package due to soccer season being disrupted, I think the ops grievance is that he should be allowed to cancel all of sky because of it. But sports is just an add on to basic package, I’m not sure why he expects to be able to cancel whole service.

IrishHomer

Dav010 wrote: »

Sky are actually allowing you to cancel sports package due to soccer season being disrupted, I think the ops grievance is that he should be allowed to cancel all of sky because of it. But sports is just an add on to basic package, I’m not sure why he expects to be able to cancel whole service.

I feel I should be entitled to cancel the whole thing because I never wanted the basic sky tv but I'm forced into it in order to get the sports!

I'm now having to pay Sky €200 for nothing of any use to me

Salary Negotiator

Dav010 wrote: »

Sky are actually allowing you to cancel sports package due to soccer season being disrupted, I think the ops grievance is that he should be allowed to cancel all of sky because of it. But sports is just an add on to basic package, I’m not sure why he expects to be able to cancel whole service.

Yeah, I realised that after I posted and edited to include the (Sky TV) part.

I think my general point still stands, the contract was to supply a general service (TV) and not specific sports events.

bennyineire

IrishHomer wrote: »

I feel I should be entitled to cancel the whole thing because I never wanted the basic sky tv but I'm forced into it in order to get the sports!

I'm now having to pay Sky €200 for nothing of any use to me

As stated earlier, you signed a 12 month contract for a TV subscription from SKY, the Sports package is just one element of it. You need to keep the minimum package for 12 months.

It's stated clearly in the contract, you will not win this one I'm afraid. They have covered all angles over the years when it comes to contracts

IrishHomer

IrishHomer wrote: »

I feel I should be entitled to cancel the whole thing because I never wanted the basic sky tv but I'm forced into it in order to get the sports!

I'm now having to pay Sky €200 for nothing of any use to me

But sky sports is just an add on to the basic package, I can see your point of view regarding sky sports, so can they considering they are allowing you to cancel that during the contract, but I’m struggling to see how it’s there fault if you don’t watch the basic stations.

IrishHomer

Fair enogh lesson learned.

This is the last Sky TV/Sports contract I'll ever have.

Roll on Feb 2021

coylemj

IrishHomer wrote: »

This is the last Sky TV/Sports contract I'll ever have.

If you had Virgin Media (formerly UPC) TV with Sky Sports as an extra, would you similarly be trying to cancel the whole service?

IrishHomer

coylemj wrote: »

If you had Virgin Media (formerly UPC) TV with Sky Sports as an extra, would you similarly be trying to cancel the whole service?

I know nothing about Virgin/UPC I live in rural Ireland

IrishHomer

IrishHomer wrote: »

I feel I should be entitled to cancel the whole thing because I never wanted the basic sky tv but I'm forced into it in order to get the sports!

I'm now having to pay Sky €200 for nothing of any use to me

Yeah, but you did take the basic package. You weren't forced at gunpoint and there's no issues with the service being provided because the football is not a guarantee.

In regards to not ordering again, all providers will be the same. In fact, try eir and let me know how that works out for ya! They chased me for 2 years after I cancelled a service that never worked properly and continued to charge me for after I cancelled. Eventually they agreed the outstanding bill was wrong

Triangle

IrishHomer wrote: »

Fair enogh lesson learned.

This is the last Sky TV/Sports contract I'll ever have.

Roll on Feb 2021

If you have internet, you might be best using nowtv for the sports. Might be helpful when your contract expires.

runawaybishop

Just cancel the direct debit and lodge a complaint with sky. Sky are a shower of ****, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

bennyineire

runawaybishop wrote: »

Just cancel the direct debit and lodge a complaint with sky. Sky are a shower of ****, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Whats the complaint though ? The contract is pretty clear when you read it

runawaybishop

bennyineire wrote: »

Whats the complaint though ? The contract is pretty clear when you read it

I'd start off with 'I only wanted the sport, you shower of ****, I don't want Dave.'

And go from there.

runawaybishop

runawaybishop wrote: »

I'd start off with 'I only wanted the sport, you shower of ****, I don't want Dave.'

And go from there.

I’m pretty sure they will respond that you can’t have sports only, without the basic package. It kinda goes from there.

L1011

runawaybishop wrote: »

I'd start off with 'I only wanted the sport, you shower of ****, I don't want Dave.'

And go from there.

Dave is free.

L1011

L1011 wrote: »

Dave is free.

Free Dave.

runawaybishop

Dav010 wrote: »

I’m pretty sure they will respond that you can’t have sports only, without the basic package. It kinda goes from there.

Yeah, that why I said just cancel the direct debit .

runawaybishop

runawaybishop wrote: »

Yeah, that why I said just cancel the direct debit .

That doesn’t void the contract.

runawaybishop

Dav010 wrote: »

That doesn’t void the contract.

Ruh roh!

Heres Johnny

Cancel DD if you never want another sky contract, put on the kettle, sit back and relax. No biggie.

Squiggle

The consequences of cancelling the DD will be a few letters form a debit collection agency appointed by Sky, and that will be the end of it. They won't litigate for €200, which is the only recourse Sky would have for breach of contract.

I personally would cancel the DD as it would upset me to pay €200 to watch repeats and freak shows for one year.

dotsman

To all those suggesting to break the contract and cancel the DD:

1. Have you no honour?
2. Are principles and morals only something you believe in when it suits you?

OP, while you may be tempted to cheat, there is another practical point you need to consider. From the fact that you did order sky sports this year implies that you are interested in watching sports. Breaking the contract no will mean you will never be able to get access again. That may prove very harsh just for the benefit of stealing a few quid today.

runawaybishop

dotsman wrote: »

To all those suggesting to break the contract and cancel the DD:

1. Have you no honour?
2. Are principles and morals only something you believe in when it suits you?

OP, while you may be tempted to cheat, there is another practical point you need to consider. From the fact that you did order sky sports this year implies that you are interested in watching sports. Breaking the contract no will mean you will never be able to get access again. That may prove very harsh just for the benefit of stealing a few quid today.

Honour? :rolleyes:

See previous posts Re Sky being a shower.

His wife can sign up.

runawaybishop

runawaybishop wrote: »

Honour? :rolleyes:

See previous posts Re Sky being a shower.

His wife can sign up.

At a different address?

runawaybishop

Dav010 wrote: »

At a different address?

Sky don't care, they will take anyones money.

dotsman

runawaybishop wrote: »

Honour? :rolleyes:

See previous posts Re Sky being a shower.

His wife can sign up.

Yes, honour.

Some people were raised with morals and principles. Some people were raised to be honest. Some people were raised not to steal. Sky have done nothing wrong here, yet you are encouraging the op to be dishonest and steal from them.

runawaybishop

dotsman wrote: »

Yes, honour.

Some people were raised with morals and principles. Some people were raised to be honest. Some people were raised not to steal. Sky have done nothing wrong here, yet you are encouraging the op to be dishonest and steal from them.

The op only wants sports, he is allowed to cancel that but not the other sh1te they forced him sign up to. Sky have no morals or principles and are a market leader in sharp business practices so i wouldn't think twice about cancelling a DD with them.

Some people are raised to be suckers.

dotsman

runawaybishop wrote: »

The op only wants sports, he is allowed to cancel that but not the other sh1te they forced him sign up to. Sky have no morals or principles and are a market leader in sharp business practices so i wouldn't think twice about cancelling a DD with them.

Some people are raised to be suckers.

They did not force him to sign up to anything. He chose of his own free will.

• If you sign up to a phone plan so you can call your girlfriend, and subsequently break up with the girlfriend, does that mean you can cancel the phone plan?
• If you go in to a restaurant because you love a particular dessert they do there, but at the end of your main course you find out it is "off the menu" on this particular date, does this mean you should not have to pay for the rest of the meal that you have already consumed?

runawaybishop

dotsman wrote: »

They did not force him to sign up to anything. He chose of his own free will.

• If you sign up to a phone plan so you can call your girlfriend, and subsequently break up with the girlfriend, does that mean you can cancel the phone plan?
• If you go in to a restaurant because you love a particular dessert they do there, but at the end of your main course you find out it is "off the menu" on this particular date, does this mean you should not have to pay for the rest of the meal that you have already consumed?

Don't use stupid analogies, the OP has provided the exact situation and my advice is to cancel the DD. You are free to advise him to keep paying. Its not a big deal, settle down.

dotsman

runawaybishop wrote: »

Don't use stupid analogies, the OP has provided the exact situation and my advice is to cancel the DD. You are free to advise him to keep paying. Its not a big deal, settle down.

They are not stupid analogies. He wilfully and knowingly entered a contract for Sky television. He personally did so in order to get access to the Sports channels (a separate component). Just because Sky Sports is no longer desirable (no fault of sky, and sky have been very fair allowing him to cancel the Sports package), has no bearing on the contract for Sky television. It's no different if he had gone with Virgin or NowTV as his base TV provider.

runawaybishop

runawaybishop wrote: »

Don't use stupid analogies, the OP has provided the exact situation and my advice is to cancel the DD. You are free to advise him to keep paying. Its not a big deal, settle down.

Yes, the op provided the exact situation, sports is an add on to the (uneffected) main service, Sky are allowing customers to cancel sports even though they are in contract, because the football has been suspended. The rest of the contracted package the op signed up for is being provided as per contract.