Problems with Sky Broadband order

[Jus2Gud]

Hello everyone, this is my first post so sorry if I've put it in the wrong section my problem to me looked like it fitted in this category. My problem is as follows:

On the 17th of June I order Sky TV+Broadband the only reason I wanted the TV is because of the broadband. I am informed by Sky that I will need a MAC in order for my order to go through so I ring up AOL who then supply me with this, I then give it to Sky and they inform me everything is fine you should receive your router within the next couple of days. I receive quite a few letters in the next couple of days about my TV all with a misspelt billing name, I ring up to correct this and enquire as to how long my router will take at which point they inform me my order was actually cancelled, I ask why and they say BT rejected the MAC and I am asked either to get AOL to provide me another MAC or to get them to clear the line. I ask AOL firstly for another MAC they inform me that it is a problem with Sky's systems not accepting AOL MACs for some reason and he will clear the line instead, I ring up Sky and the advisor confirms that there is a problem between Sky and AOL with the MACs, so when the 1st didn't work I don't understand why I was asked to obtain another. Soon as the line is cleared (on the 27th) as AOL promised, I ring up Sky to tell them I want to complete the order, it goes through fine and I'm just waiting for my router through the post. I haven't heard anything by Wednesday so I ring up Sky and ask what the problem is, they then inform me that my order was again cancelled but this time because Skys systems had tried to place two orders through at the same time (my original one when the MAC was rejected and now this new one after the line was cleared) my order was cancelled on the 28th and nobody informed me at all I had to ring them. When I did find out I was pretty angry that it was twice now that they hadn't told me anything with respect to my broadband order and they apologised several times and said the problem should be sorted soon, my problem had been passed to 'Order Management' the highest level of support or something and the line should be sorted within 10 working days but 'often its quicker than that' but they can't give me an ETA because only the broadband department can do that, 5 days later I ring up Sky to ask whether they had an ETA yet, the first advisor tells me that it is awaiting dispatch, then I get transferred through to another who informs me that actually my broadband order wasn't cancelled at all and until this is done a new order cannot be placed and the time this will take is not known. Can somebody please advise me as to what steps I can take, my Sky+ box was installed on the 30th of June, I was previously a Sky customer but had actually cancelled a year and a half to two years prior to this so I signed a new 12 month contract for the TV, I barely watch the TV and the only reason I took it out was to take advantage of the broadband offer, at the moment however I am without the internet at home and I have to resort to using my mobile phone to type up this thread, apologies for it being misplaced if that is the case it is my first post and this looked like the appropriate category. What can I do? At the moment all I do is ring up Sky who then apologise make a couple of promises I ring back days later and they tell me there is some new problem.
Am I within my rights to cancel the TV because at the moment I just want my internet back it is needed for work purposes and they can take their Sky+ box back for all I care its too noisy anyway. Or is there a way I can actually speak to somebody who knows what they are talking about and won't tell me what I want to hear even if it isn't true because so far that is all I have had. I have written a complaint letter and sent it to Sky and I have also tried speaking to a manager but to no avail the manager seemed unable to do anything and unwilling to comment on previous incidents and wanted simple to focus on the fact that its been passed on to Order Management and that has taken 5 days so far so hopefully it should be resolved soon. Sorry for the long post, thanks for your time in reading.

[2Grumpy]

I can understand your frustration.

Having read other threads - some about orange broadband - the broadband is probably separate & you won't be able to use the non-supply of that to cancel your tv contract.

I suspect that the best you can do is complain as loud as you can as high up as you can. Definately tell them that you only took tv to get bb and are they going to cancel the lot, but be prepared for them to say no & then to argue for compensation for time, trouble & cost of internet access via other methods due to their mismanagement / negligence / incompetence.

If you can't get through to managers now, start making a diary of calls & send that as part of a complaint.

[IdaInFife]

If you have already wrote a letter to the Mackintosh Road address then it can take a few weeks for a response.

Re cancelling, you have 30 days from the date of installation but due to your BB problems they would still cancel it after this.

Since the date of your post if you still aren;t getting any satisfactory response then tell them you want to cancel who can put you through to a dept that ay be able to 'help' a bit better.


Idax

[Jus2Gud]

Thanks a lot for your responses! They finally sorted it out after this long and I now have broadband, maybe I'll make a complaint because as of yet I haven't even received an apology but at the moment all is good. Appreciate the help.

[tifo]

i've had a problem as well ...

they told me i was connected on 26th July. Modem was showing green light for broadband but i can't connect to internet.

Called their *****e* tech support, always in Philippines, and could not sort problem out for 2 weeks, going through the same tests again and again as the plonkers would put no notes on from my call and they would not escalate it until tests were done.

In the end, got pee'd off and called Customer Services in UK, they escalated it to next level tech support.

In the end it turned out BT had plugged me into someone else's equipment and not Sky's!

Took 3.5 weeks, cost me around £40 in calls (at 10p per min 0870).

Connected 14 August.

now i have asked for my call costs back as well as for my time.

[Jus2Gud]

that is really unlucky mate but you shouldn't be ringing the damn 0870 numbers, go to: SAYNOTO0870.COM - Non-Geographical Alternative Telephone Numbers and find an alternative local rate number for Sky Customer Services and just ask to be put through to the Broadband department or if you have rung the 0870 number demand they ring you back, these numbers can be rung from a mobile using free minutes as well this is what I did, 40 pounds worth of calls is really unacceptable, good luck claiming it back.

[tifo]

it's done now, i'm connected and it seems to work fine.

they would never put me through but ask me to call again and choose the tech support option.

i did get the 0208 number for Easynet (who are Sky broadband and provide the support really) but they said i would have to call the 0870 number as customers are not meant to call them direct, even though the call comes to them anyway!

i've asked for £36 plus £55.50 for the time at £9.25 ph. That's 6 hours of call!

total £91.50.

[Jus2Gud]

there are different numbers on there the 0207/0208 are the wrong numbers to ring though, you need customer services which is this: 01506 831781 that definitely works as that is the number i used everytime to ring them, keep that for future reference

[lockwood]

I am having a similar problem.

I ordered the 'Sky Package' with the See, Speak Surf offer and really only wanted the broadband but thought i'd take the telephone and tv at the same time.

My broadband is still not working and they have not even sent me out a modem. I cancelled all my packages on the 8th September (now the 21st) after paying two activation charges and having direct debits from my account.

Sky are telling me that the TV is a seperate package from the Broadband and so i am 'outside of my 8 day cooling off period'. I thought i was buying a COMPLETE PACKAGE but you ARE NOT.

I am willing to take this as high as i can and will be going to Ofcom.

I should have never left BT Internet. Never a problem with them.

I'll keep you all posted but any previous experiences would be great.

[Jus2Gud]

Two direct debits? Why did they two direct debits in the space of one month? And they did eventually sort out my package but took the absolute **** with the broadband, they won't send you the modem until the order of your broadband is at a certain stage, are you sure your line from BT is cleared for use or did u provide Sky with a MAC when you were ordering, because when I tried using the MAC Sky's system rejected it for some reason and they said they had a problem with AOL's MAC so I had to end up getting the line cleared, all of which I had to find out myself after ringing to ask whats taking so long, I think about the cooling off period they are correct and you might be in a contract with them now if you did not cancel quick enough, if you keep ringing and asking what is going on they will sort it, I sent a letter as well to the manager but that didn't give me much back just a paragraph about how they don't normally take this long and they will look into it, not even an apology. Still I've been running Sky for a good while now and it has its problems at times but it isn't all that bad, at the moment I would suggest sticking with them ringing them and asking what the actual problem is with the broadband order. Also if you have been charged two direct debits in one billing month you can go directly to your bank and tell them you have been billed accidentally as you are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee you will receive all of this money taken in error back, if, however, you meant that they billed you for two months usage up front instead of one then that is standard procedure and you should have been told about it by Sky. Moral of the story: keep trying customer services at the alternative number supplied above.

[lockwood]

I gave them a MAC code which was rejected and then another which is now hooked up apparently but i have no modem. Just totally fed up with them.

I really am fed up with them and just want to cancel the TV - i have been reading that there is a 30 day cancellation Period. I may try that route.

I didn't realise i was dealing with three seperate companies with three seperate direct debits. I wanted a 'one stop shop'.

I would not recommend Sky to anybody and i i ever see Rupert Murdoch i'll chuck a waterbomb at him.

[Jus2Gud]

it isn't three separate companies with three separate direct debits it is one company! you shouldn't be being billed separately. and obtaining a second MAC is a waste of time IMO I think if you ring them again they will probably notice like in my case that both the orders had tried going through and so BT had cancelled them both (as you obviously cant have two orders on one line) tell BT to clear the exchange and then ask them when this will be done by, when this is done then contact Sky and tell them to hurry up and put a new order through, when Sky asked me for another MAC I rang up AOL and they said it was a problem with Sky and there would be no point in a new MAC the first one was perfectly fine so the best they can do is clear the exchange so there is no conflicts, as for the 30 day thing im not too sure about it so you might have to ask somebody else im afraid. good luck.

[lockwood]

I have so far had #30 go out to Sky Digital Internet, #15 to Sky Digital and #30 to Sky subscription.

[IdaInFife]

Any payments from sky are debited within the 1 payment all under sky subscription.

was £30 you activation fee by debit card?

and never heard of sky digital internet


Idax