Sky TV - End of contracts and inability to cancel
Discussion
Usual information: Yes, I am quite aware there is a pandemic going on. I know companies are under stress. Should I be moaning about TV & Broadband costs - I don't know. I'm lucky, I'm home working, I know of plenty of others who have lost one or two incomes.
I'm not the only one in this position - their own forums are full of people in similar situations, all with their own, unanswered posts.
In a month's time my contract with Sky (TV and Broadband) will expire. At which point my monthly bill will jump from £63 to £99.99.
As you can see, no insignificant increase here - call it £37/month.
Sky have closed their online chat and are currently not taking incoming phone calls. Their forums appear to be customer-to-customer only. Social media don't appear to respond.
In this situation people would usually have the opportunity to negotiate a renewal of their contract, usually to a cost similar to what they are currently paying.
However, as of right now people are seeing their bills increasing yet have no way or renegotiating or even cancelling their contract, they are simply forced to continue paying.
They can of course cancel Direct Debit's, but that results in immediate disconnection (so even if people only want to cancel TV for example, they would lose broadband) and anecdotal stories of collections companies being involved.
Personally I can see no other option that paying the £99.99/month until such time as Sky decide to allow customers to speak with them again. I need broadband as I'm home working and simply cannot be without it at the moment. I am not happy paying this kind of money considering I don't even have any premium channels for this cost.
Once we are through the other side, I'd like to think there is recourse - in that I should be able to get refunds for the additional monies I have spent.
I am assuming there is a legal issue when it comes to contracts expiring and the company continuing to take money without giving the customer the opportunity to cancel?
I mean, think of it in the extremes - a company could double or triple someone's bill at the end of a contract and then stop accepting all forms of communication, that doesn't sound very legal.
Anyway, sorry to ask about what I'm sure many will perceive as first world problems. I'm certainly not the only person in this situation and I know, from reading their forums, there are people with heavily reduced income now expected to find an additional 50%+ to cover subscriptions to the same services they had before and cannot afford to be without internet access.
I'm not the only one in this position - their own forums are full of people in similar situations, all with their own, unanswered posts.
In a month's time my contract with Sky (TV and Broadband) will expire. At which point my monthly bill will jump from £63 to £99.99.
As you can see, no insignificant increase here - call it £37/month.
Sky have closed their online chat and are currently not taking incoming phone calls. Their forums appear to be customer-to-customer only. Social media don't appear to respond.
In this situation people would usually have the opportunity to negotiate a renewal of their contract, usually to a cost similar to what they are currently paying.
However, as of right now people are seeing their bills increasing yet have no way or renegotiating or even cancelling their contract, they are simply forced to continue paying.
They can of course cancel Direct Debit's, but that results in immediate disconnection (so even if people only want to cancel TV for example, they would lose broadband) and anecdotal stories of collections companies being involved.
Personally I can see no other option that paying the £99.99/month until such time as Sky decide to allow customers to speak with them again. I need broadband as I'm home working and simply cannot be without it at the moment. I am not happy paying this kind of money considering I don't even have any premium channels for this cost.
Once we are through the other side, I'd like to think there is recourse - in that I should be able to get refunds for the additional monies I have spent.
I am assuming there is a legal issue when it comes to contracts expiring and the company continuing to take money without giving the customer the opportunity to cancel?
I mean, think of it in the extremes - a company could double or triple someone's bill at the end of a contract and then stop accepting all forms of communication, that doesn't sound very legal.
Anyway, sorry to ask about what I'm sure many will perceive as first world problems. I'm certainly not the only person in this situation and I know, from reading their forums, there are people with heavily reduced income now expected to find an additional 50%+ to cover subscriptions to the same services they had before and cannot afford to be without internet access.
Don't know the answer, but I always hoped there'd be some regulation/law to say the channel used for creating a contract should be available for cancelling too.
So that if a company is happy to let you subscribe to a service via email/web/chat/phone/letter, then that same company should be forced to allow those same channels to cancel that service.
i.e. no sign-up via email/web/chat/phone/letter, and then only cancellable by albino-camel-delivered papyrus written in the blood of angels on a ruddy-ducky-full-wolf-moon Thursday.
So that if a company is happy to let you subscribe to a service via email/web/chat/phone/letter, then that same company should be forced to allow those same channels to cancel that service.
i.e. no sign-up via email/web/chat/phone/letter, and then only cancellable by albino-camel-delivered papyrus written in the blood of angels on a ruddy-ducky-full-wolf-moon Thursday.
I have just used Resolver on Money saving expert to get a car insurance policy automatic renewal that I didn't sign up for cancelled.
Tried several times to get through to the insurance company on the phone as this is the only way they would let you cancel but with no success.
Raised a "dispute" with Resolver and I heard back from the insurance company within 24 hours apologising and saying the policy renewal has been cancelled and will be confirmed in writing.
Resolver kept me in touch with how things were progressing,very impressed with the speed it was sorted.
Might be worth a try.
Tried several times to get through to the insurance company on the phone as this is the only way they would let you cancel but with no success.
Raised a "dispute" with Resolver and I heard back from the insurance company within 24 hours apologising and saying the policy renewal has been cancelled and will be confirmed in writing.
Resolver kept me in touch with how things were progressing,very impressed with the speed it was sorted.
Might be worth a try.
Happy Jim said:
Cancel online - retentions team will call you!
This - and stop any Direct Debit. They will soon call you.Other trick (but this is not as easy as it was before as so many did) is to call 'oh sorry, my error' the new customer line (often free to boot) and they transfer you or deal with it there and then.
Perhaps the best is to write a good old fashioned letter to Head Office and explain what you see as the solution. I did this when Virgin Media kept sending me different contracts each month (their chat agents or phone were hopeless) and a decent manager there called, refunded me the excess charges and set up a new account.
With a letter you also have evidence of what you did and they, too.
I cancelled Sky TV a week ago, by e mail. Haven’t heard anything yet.
According to their site the date of your e mail is the start of the 30 day notice, whenever they get around to the matter, so if it takes longer than that, a credit should be issued.
I’ve never found Sky good to deal with so have no expectations at all in the current circumstances.
According to their site the date of your e mail is the start of the 30 day notice, whenever they get around to the matter, so if it takes longer than that, a credit should be issued.
I’ve never found Sky good to deal with so have no expectations at all in the current circumstances.
valiant said:
Virgin are the same.
Can’t get through on phones to change a package (suspend Skysports), can’t alter it online, not responding to Twitter so stuck really.
It’s a pity they can’t update their online options as I’m sure most people are trying to contact them with the same issues.
There is an option in the FAQ of the Coronas update on your account page.(although they don' t shout ot too much about this) did mine online last weekend but not heard anything back yetCan’t get through on phones to change a package (suspend Skysports), can’t alter it online, not responding to Twitter so stuck really.
It’s a pity they can’t update their online options as I’m sure most people are trying to contact them with the same issues.
Cancel the d/d and write an actual letter explaining why if they won't respond. They're about to lose a hell of a lot of customers and will come back to you. Even after a short while, you could get the 'new customer' price. I use Virgin for broadband and new customers get it much cheaper than I do, and I have a discount.
If you really can't do without it, you'll have to pay...
If you really can't do without it, you'll have to pay...
I cancelled my broadband yesterday with Sky. You can do it via the “My Account” tab online. Go into FAQs and it’s in there somewhere. I cancelled the broadband by switching to a different provider, but it is definitely an option to do it yourself. I’d assume the same on Tv packages, but I’m still under contract so no option showing.
The inking about it, you might not have the option, as you’re still under contract for the next few weeks.
The inking about it, you might not have the option, as you’re still under contract for the next few weeks.
The issue all contact centres are suffering from is the ability to man the centre whilst also maintaining social distancing rules, and that's assuming that the work is essential so the staff can travel to the contact centre.
The social distancing rules mean that where a contact centre remains open the capacity within it is significantly reduced and therefore the ability to answer calls is also reduced. To make matters worse they will be receiving more calls as well at the moment.
I doubt that they have the ability for contact centre staff to work from home and deal with calls from home, although some may be able to deal with emails from home.
I would therefore email them and await a response.
The social distancing rules mean that where a contact centre remains open the capacity within it is significantly reduced and therefore the ability to answer calls is also reduced. To make matters worse they will be receiving more calls as well at the moment.
I doubt that they have the ability for contact centre staff to work from home and deal with calls from home, although some may be able to deal with emails from home.
I would therefore email them and await a response.
valiant said:
Virgin are the same.
Can’t get through on phones to change a package (suspend Skysports), can’t alter it online, not responding to Twitter so stuck really.
It’s a pity they can’t update their online options as I’m sure most people are trying to contact them with the same issues.
Give this a goCan’t get through on phones to change a package (suspend Skysports), can’t alter it online, not responding to Twitter so stuck really.
It’s a pity they can’t update their online options as I’m sure most people are trying to contact them with the same issues.
https://www.virginmedia.com/help/thinking-of-leavi...
Cheers
Kris
Chrisgr31 said:
The issue all contact centres are suffering from is the ability to man the centre whilst also maintaining social distancing rules, and that's assuming that the work is essential so the staff can travel to the contact centre.
The social distancing rules mean that where a contact centre remains open the capacity within it is significantly reduced and therefore the ability to answer calls is also reduced. To make matters worse they will be receiving more calls as well at the moment.
I doubt that they have the ability for contact centre staff to work from home and deal with calls from home, although some may be able to deal with emails from home.
I would therefore email them and await a response.
Have the social distancing recomendations reached as far as the sub continent yet ?The social distancing rules mean that where a contact centre remains open the capacity within it is significantly reduced and therefore the ability to answer calls is also reduced. To make matters worse they will be receiving more calls as well at the moment.
I doubt that they have the ability for contact centre staff to work from home and deal with calls from home, although some may be able to deal with emails from home.
I would therefore email them and await a response.
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