SKY TV

Barrel Strand

I wrote to SKY TV at the start of March requesting that they close my account at the end of the month. I received a letter (strangely enough they send out letters but have a problem with receiving them) advising that my account was over due and that they were now fining me for delayed payment. The last letter sent was of the type referred to as bully boy tactics where they said they are going to send out the bailiffs for the amount owed which is less than forty euro. I was unable to use the email address they provided and don't have the time or energy to spend an hour waiting for someone to answer my call to only then try and sell me more products.
Does anyone know is there a legal body to make a complaint against SKY as I see it is an ongoing problem for a lot of people.
Karl

Boards.ie: Niamh

Moved to Consumer Issues.

colm_mcm

First question is: Can you cancel Sky TV by post? What does the contract say?

loudymacloud

you can go through comreg, they will intervene after a certain point in time.

you could contact them for a bit of advice, i had to use them once and found them to a great help

colm_mcm

loudymacloud wrote: »

you can go through comreg, they will intervene after a certain point in time.

you could contact them for a bit of advice, i had to use them once and found them to a great help

Do Comreg deal with tv service - specific problems?

loudymacloud

I had an issue with a TV service provider and Comreg stepped in to help. Only after exhausting all customer service or complaints process of the provider

Barrel Strand

colm_mcm wrote: »

First question is: Can you cancel Sky TV by post? What does the contract say?

Hi Niamh I am not on a contract now so I wrote to your head office and advised I wanted to leave. I gave a months notice.

L1011

Barrel Strand wrote: »

Hi Niamh I am not on a contract now so I wrote to your head office and advised I wanted to leave. I gave a months notice.

Niamh does not work for Sky - nobody here works for Sky.

maik3n

L1011 wrote: »

Niamh does not work for Sky - nobody here works for Sky.

Who is Niamh and where did she come from, lol?

Coming back to the OP, is your service still technically active.
Was there any confirmation from sky that they received your letter?

I would imagine the same or a similar process for cancelling, is still in place that was mentioned here by Sky Ireland: Sarah.
http://www.boards.ie/ttfthread/2057825377

So you may still have more work to do before you can contact comreg.

Mjolnir

colm_mcm wrote: »

First question is: Can you cancel Sky TV by post? What does the contract say?

Nope, cancellations in or out of contract require 31 days notice via telephone, letters aren't accepted.

whiterebel

Its an utter battle to try and cancel Sky. They keep you on the call trying to persuade you to stay.

HBC08

It's not possible to talk to Sky on the phone since the crisis began,it doesn't even give you the option.
This is my experience and would be delighted if someone could prove me wrong.

Mjolnir

whiterebel wrote: »

Its an utter battle to try and cancel Sky. They keep you on the call trying to persuade you to stay.

That's what they are hired for to keep you on board through offers, or you just give up the questions are supposed to give them an idea of how to alter your package or up sell to add value.
It's a job and most of them take no joy in being there or doing it.
Idea behind phone only cancellations is to allow retentions to try keep you as a customer.

Mjolnir

HBC08 wrote: »

It's not possible to talk to Sky on the phone since the crisis began,it doesn't even give you the option.
This is my experience and would be delighted if someone could prove me wrong.

It's impossible connect to the wifi ha
Haven't a clue if the office is open or not, did ya try the free phone?

TheChizler

Mjolnir wrote: »

Nope, cancellations in or out of contract require 31 days notice via telephone, letters aren't accepted.

There's "write to us" section with the address in the cancellations section of the website? And in the ts and cs, though they give an English care-of address there.

Mjolnir

TheChizler wrote: »

There's "write to us" section with the address in the cancellations section of the website?

There may be I can't say I've looked, could be for a call back service but you'll always have to talk to someone

maik3n

I managed to get a hold of them last week on the phone.
One of these numbers, can't recall which one exactly
0818719852, 0818719819 and 0818762879

That was for the sales team though.
Perhaps the cancellation department might be more awkward.

MOH

whiterebel wrote: »

Its an utter battle to try and cancel Sky. They keep you on the call trying to persuade you to stay.

Think I cancelled Sky via Boards, but they insisted on calling back to confirm the cancellation.

They then insisting on asking a load of survey questions (how many in the household, questions about what I watched) and said they couldn't go ahead with the cancellation unless I answered them. Then got annoyed when I started making up clearly fake answers.

Put me off ever joining them again.

HBC08

maik3n wrote: »

I managed to get a hold of them last week on the phone.
One one of these numbers, can't recall which one exactly
0818719852, 0818719819 and 0818762879

That was for the sales team though.
Perhaps the cancellation department might be more awkward.

Thanks just got through there.

mcbert

HBC08 wrote: »

Thanks just got through there.

I'm curious how your call goes. I need to do the same soon.

mdudy

HBC08 wrote: »

It's not possible to talk to Sky on the phone since the crisis began,it doesn't even give you the option.
This is my experience and would be delighted if someone could prove me wrong.

You’ve been able to call Sky throughout this.

HBC08

mdudy wrote: »

You’ve been able to call Sky throughout this.

It wasn't possible to get through to the cancellation dept.There was an automated message saying so,I tried it a few times a week for about 8 eight weeks during the crisis.

HBC08

mcbert wrote: »

I'm curious how your call goes. I need to do the same soon.

No probs getting through now.
As regards the call,I went out of contract in March just as corona was kicking off.Sky were charging me €55 a month for bb only.
Offered to drop €7 for me to stay.
Obviously I laughed at that and am moving to Vodafone for €27.50 a month for 12 months.

mdudy

HBC08 wrote: »

It wasn't possible to get through to the cancellation dept.There was an automated message saying so,I tried it a few times a week for about 8 eight weeks during the crisis.

Weird. I got through multiple times to their cancellation department as I wanted a better deal and got it (in the middle of the crisis).

Got fibre installed during the crisis too, you must have had a dud number.

mcbert

mdudy wrote: »

Weird. I got through multiple times to their cancellation department as I wanted a better deal and got it (in the middle of the crisis).

Got fibre installed during the crisis too, you must have had a dud number.

You used one of the above numbers?

muffler

If anyone is concerned about calling a 0818 number then dont be. Those numbers are all classed as national calls since last December and most phone providers include those as part of your package...i.e "free calls" up to 1 hour.

Sky also have a freephone number that they dont publicise much - 1800 927 476

On the point of cancelling in writing - you can write a letter or send an email giving your notice but you will still have to talk to them on the phone - one of their agents will call you to discuss after the written notice. They say its for verification purposes but in reality and as pointed out earlier its for their loyalty team to put the squeeze on and try and hold on to you with various enticements.

No point in arguing with them regarding the phone call as it is clearly stated in the T & C's you agreed to that you must talk to them by phone when cancelling.

muffler

Nearly forgot. Im not a Sky customer these days but I have a copy of the T & C's from 4 years ago and the part re cancelling is outlined below. Id be pretty sure its the same in the current contracts but people should read those T & C's carefully.

Any notice you give us to end this Contract where you have a right to do so (other than where you are exercising
your right to cancel during your cooling-off period for which see ‘Your Rights to Cancel Your Order’ section below)
must be given by phone 0818 719 829 or by using our webchat service on Sky.com. Notice given by these means
will be processed immediately. You can also write to us (Sky Ireland Limited, c/o Sky Subscribers Services
Limited, PO Box 43, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 7DD) or e-mail us via your My Sky account on http://
contactus.sky.com. Notice given by these means will not be effective until we have spoken to you and verified
your account.. We will acknowledge written requests by return letter or email and will contact you by phone to
verify you as the account holder and process your cancellation. More information on how to cancel can be found
at: http://help.sky.com/my-account/billing-and-subscription/remove-a-package-or-cancel-your-subscription.

Darc19

Very simple to cancel without the hard sell.

Say you are moving abroad. Ideally say you are in engineering / pharma / tech and taking an opportunity that came up in their dutch/ German/ Swedish office (UK is a boring option)

Have a believable story as they'll have a chat.

Won't take more than 2-3 minutes