Sky Subscriber Services

[pugsley]

I'm not expecting my money back that easy, but you never know, if they get enough of them they might start paying out

[buzby]

UPDATE: My continual barraging of SSS Ltd resulted in my receiving an email today, which only partially addressed my demands;

Customer Account Number - XXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for contacting us regarding your account.

Firstly, please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused regarding this matter.

May I confirm that a request has been made to the debt agency by my colleague to withdraw all action against you. I can not arrange for a letter to be sent from Lowell Group, as they are not a part of Sky and we deal only with them to arrange collection of debt. When we receive confirmation from them regarding the debt removal on your account, you will be contacted to be made aware.

I can also advise that if a customer is in debt with Sky, this will not effect their credit rating in any way what so ever.

I trust that this information has been helpful. If you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address.

Your sincerely

Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Customer Relations Department

I made a request for a compensatory payment of £50 to cover my expenses in contacting their DCAs etc (15 letters to date), however what made me sit up and take notice was that I was told if a customer is in debt to Sky, it will NOT affect their credit record. Now, call me a cynic - but can anyone prove what Sky says is true? Also, as they have a policy of selling on their debts (in this case, to Lowell Financial) do they take the debt and treat it as their own (eg, it's a debt to Lowell, NOT Sky?).

It looks as though I'm going to have to pay Sky their £10 for a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request), and the 3 CRA's for the current picture. Clearly if they're lying, I've an even better case against them, but this admission is stopping me forcing the issue of charging £4pm for an 'Invoice' that is never sent.

[pugsley]

I still haven't had any reply to my letter

[buzby]

Originally Posted by pugsley

I still haven't had any reply to my letter

Neither did I - I had to email them a chaser. Try contacting; SkyDigital@bskyb.com

[lucyec]

I can also advise that if a customer is in debt with Sky, this will not effect their credit rating in any way what so ever.

So are they effectively saying they don't submit customer details to CRAs at all? Orrrr, do they mean that it is the DCA that is responsible for processing information with CRAs therefore not Sky's fault/responbsibility that customers credit ratings are affected?

I trust that this information has been helpful.

Hehe! Would I be right in assuming, not particularly?!!

(Incidently, I've not heard anything from anyone since sending an S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) on 13/9)

[buzby]

Absolutely - and actually on re-reading their missive, the content seems highly suspicious. You might recall Lowell are not used as a Debt Collection Agency, but debts are sold off to them - as Sky's earlier communications were always saying 'contact Lowell'. They can't have it both ways. I'm tempted just to raise the court action as I don't feel their responses are either accurate or in good faith.

In particular; I can not (sic) arrange for a letter to be sent from Lowell Group, as they are not a part of Sky and we deal only with them to arrange collection of debt.

[pugsley]

emailed them the same letter and put please acknowledge

[barracad]

Originally Posted by okonski

I can also advise that if a customer is in debt with Sky, this will not effect their credit rating in any way what so ever.

Hmmm....

Order Sky > Order Now > Online Offers

HOW INFORMATION WE HOLD ABOUT YOU CAN BE USED
By ordering a free dish and box or subscribing to Sky digital you are agreeing that any member of the British Sky Broadcasting group may use and share the information you provide to it and information about your account with other companies in the group including for market research and the marketing of Sky's products and services. This may include sending you marketing by email or SMS about our similar products and services (unless you advise us of your preference not to receive such marketing). We may also share such information with credit reference agencies and other companies including for use in making credit decisions, for fraud prevention and to pursue debtors. If you benefited from an interactive discount contract from Marketing Contributions Ltd, a member of the British Sky Broadcasting group, (e.g. to get a free dish and box), Marketing Contributions Ltd can also use and share your name, address, date of birth, telephone number and mother's maiden name, and information about your Digital Satellite System, with those companies that offer Interactive Services; and those companies may use your personal details for marketing and market research purposes relating to both these Interactive Services and associated products. Information held by the Sky group about you and your Sky subscription account may also be shared with other companies outside the group, including for sales, marketing and market research purposes, unless you advise us of your preference not to share such information with third party companies. If you haven't already told us that you don't want to receive marketing by email or SMS, or that you dont want us to share information about you with other companies outside the group, then please call Sky Customer Services on 08702 40 40 40.

[buzby]

Thanks Barracad, That was just the ammunition I needed. As you probably worked out from the email I quoted (from) Sky, the staff in the correspondence section just make it up as they go along.

I've now made an S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) to their Legal Department in Isleworth and sent the £10 - along with Section 7 requests to the 3 CRA's. If the received information indicated any blemish due to their actions, I've now all I need to hit them with bad faith and malicious trading. I'd be so annoyed, if I wasn;t enjoying the prospect of seeing what was originally a paltry £50 claim double!

Also of those T&Cs you quoted - have you noticed that to get out of the 'Marketing' loop, it's all an 'opt out' which there's no box to tick, you have to make a seperate application. Now how many are going to do that? I that thought it couldn't be presented as a fait accompli - customers HAD to be given the right to choose?

[pugsley]

got a reply to my email saying they had sent me an invoice, complete idiots! need to step this up a bit soon, but I think I have given them 28 days

[pugsley]

Originally Posted by pugsley

I sent them this, trying to get out of sending a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request)
Correspondence Department
Sky Subscriber Services Ltd
4 Macintosh Road
Kirkton Campus
LIVINGSTON EH54 7BW



Dear Sirs
Re Account no


I have noted that I am being charged £4 per month for Invoices that were never received, I have only received Statements since 10/04/2004 and this charge is clearly in error. I request an immediate credit of the fees charged in this way, along with a compensatory payment of £10 to cover my costs in raising this matter.


If this credit is not forthcoming within 28 days, I will serve a letter before action and seek recovery through the County Court.


Yours faithfully,

and I got back

..................

Thank you for your email concerning the issue of invoices on your account.

I can confirm that on checking your account that an Invoice has been posted to your address.

The preferred payment method is either credit/debit card or direct debit. If you do not have either a credit card or bank account you can call 0870 566 33 70.


I trust I have been able to assist in this matter. Should you require any further assistance, please email us at the above address.

Yours sincerely

Charlene Marshall
Customer Relations

[buzby]

I love this; 'the preferred payment method'..... WHOSE?

At leastr they're being consistent! The bottom line is no Judge will accept this nonsense, and I've experience of both letter and email to Sky that when you phrase your letter in a way that corners them into discussing the lack of Invoices.... they don't reply!

I've sent them my Letter Before Action today - they've now got 14 days!

[swingtop]

I hate to say this but im just off the phone to sky and guess what??? i was actually quite happy with the service!!! i like others had the same problem with the four pound charge but told them i was getting charged for an invoice which i never received and only had one statement in that period so as a result i asked for a refund no quesions asked they agreed with me and got the money back! suoppose it just depends on your luck and who you eventually end up speaking to

[buzby]

Or perhaps they're reading this forum and they know what's coming...? Glad you're sorted anyway!

[buzby]

Having sent my £10 to Sky, the heavy thud on the mat (which narrowly missed my sleeping Old English Sheepdog) was a half-ream of A4 paper (252 pages actually) giving me a print out of all my activity as a Sky customer.

It took a day to transfer the financial data to a spreadsheet to identify how many times I had been charged a £2 or £4 'Invoice Administration Charge' that had not been manually reveresed when I complained. A few trends were noted, that if there was a credit balance showing in any month, the software did not generate an Invoice charge, and by paying 3 days ahead of the debit for many months no Invoice charge was levied - but then as we all know Sky never send an Invoice anyway (it is a Statement!) you can challenge them comprehensively on two fronts.

My end result, was that they owe me £28 in fees as £80 had already been refunded over the years. The paper trail also showed when the accounts were passed for debt collection and to who. Best of all, I saw that my £20 supposed debt was wiped clear as the debt was sold off to Lowell Financial 2 years previously!

Whilst not explosive, I can see Sky only pay lip service to their customers, but armed with the data from the S.A.R - (Subject Access Request), I'm now going to present therm with a list of demands (below) failure to comply with any of them will result in a SC agtion.

1) All 'Invoice Administration Charge' fees not previously refunded to be repaid - due to no Invoice ever being sent.
2) Confirmation that no debt exists to Sky or any associated 3rd Party.
3) That any adverse credit information be removed from CRA files, and a confirmation of this supplied.
4) A full reimbursement of reasonable costs in respect of the Sky S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) and fees to all 3 UK CRA's to ensure data has been cleaned.

My total amount including the Invoice fees and S.A.R - (Subject Access Request)/CRA requests now stands at £70, and I'll be preparing documents for this amount this week.

I'll keep you updated if they settle before then!

[kia]

still no communication from sky whatsoever mind you didnt expect them to say yes heres all your money they where underhanded enough in the first place to take it so.Still ont know whether to send a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) or not maybe