Sky Subscriber Services

[buzby]

Well, when Alzheimer's kicks in, we'll all be past caring.... ;-)

[Bookworm]

I'd say something witty, but I forget what we were talking about.

[cariad mo brwydrwr]

Back on the subject of Sky... can I just say thanks to Saxon for that phone number - I just used it!

 

Just received another call from Wescot. That £120 is a 'crawl back fee', not a late payment fee as the original woman told me. Apparently it's to pay for the initial free installation as I have cancelled my contract. I thought you only had to pay this if the contrat was cancelled before it ran out, ie within the 12 month period? Anyway, informed the man at Wescot I have written to Sky and the account is in dispute and I don't feel I need to take any action on it until the dispute is resolved. This is right isn't it? He basically said I should call Sky to see what they were doing about it, in the meantime my account with Wescot is in default but on hold for 7 days. Can they put it in default if it's in dispute?

 

So I duly phoned Sky to see what was happening. The man in Timbucktoo or wherever he was said they had no record of my letter as yet and to call back on Monday *sigh*. But also helpfully informed my that my contract is not technically cancelled and won't be until I pay the whole outstanding balance...therefore surely they can't charge me this 'crawl back fee' (nice name!).

 

Aaarrrggh!! I'm so confused now. :? If anyone else understands all this, help is very gratefully received!

[buzby]

Wescot is in default but on hold for 7 days. Can they put it in default if it's in dispute?!

 

Wescot can do what they like with it, they'll call it a 'default' and probably flag it on your credit record as such until the matter is resolved one way or another.

 

It can take up to 10 days before a letter is received by Sky and scanned into their system. The person you spoke to isn't in Timbuktu, your call was handled either in Livingston (near Edinburgh), Dunfermline (Fife) and an overspill to an agency call centre in Glasgow.

 

We need to establish what this 'crawl back' fee is - if your minimum term was 12 months and you've paid for this then you're correct, there will be no contractural obligation, other than 1 month's notice of termination.

[Biggsy]

Ironicaly, I phoned sky three times yesterday before reading this post, with the intention of signing up (to dump NTL). I spent 20 minutes on the phone each time, and still didnt get through. They lost a potential customer.

 

Is it just an incredible coincidence that both NTL and sky have the same fees for non direct debit payments? resembles price fixing.

[kia]

hiya you guys im busy suing my building society and your thread intrigued me and have been reading through some of your threads.Sky have been charging me for three years for the dubious privilage of paying my sky in cash instead of direct debit as my hubby gets paid 4 weekly and they woulldnt change the date of the debit so it bounced a number of times so i cancelled it to the effect of them now charging me £4 per month to do it.I had no idea they werent allowed to do it so now im going after them too.How do i do it guys do i do a sar request like the societys or what any help gratefully recieved as hate been ripped off by anyone thanksxxKia

[buzby]

Is it just an incredible coincidence that both NTL and sky have the same fees for non direct debit payments? resembles price fixing.

 

Not a coincidence - Sky have charged this fee for at least 5 years, NTL only upped it to £4 in June this year.... Sky is due an increase... if they dare!

[pugsley]

I sent them this, trying to get out of sending a SAR

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,

[buzby]

That will at least bring the matter to their attention, however I very much doubt they will act voluntarily as having had my correspondence passed to a 'Senior' correspondence group leader, my refusal to accept their paltry removal of the £4 fees going back 5 years as I'm wanting interest and compensation for the damage to my credit record, which has been met with silence, and after a 2 week gap, I'm not taking this carp from them. They've got until the start of the third week, and it's off to court to raise a SCA!

[kia]

thanks pugsley will try letter see what they do am really annoyed there allowed to get away with this well not anymore will let you know how get on wont be alot of money but better in my pocket than theres xxKia

[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]

I still haven't had any reply to my letter

 

Neither did I - I had to email them a chaser. Try contacting; [email protected]

[cariad mo brwydrwr]

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]

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]

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 SAR/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!