Are Sky in breach of contract?

[SillyOldFool]

Ok, here is the situation.

 

I changed from Bt to SKy in January 2012 for telephone and broadband. One of those offers where the first 6 months broadband is half price or something.

 

I make a fair number of national calls so as with BT I subscribed to Skys 'free' national calls up to one hour blah blah.

 

In August i had to complain to Specsavers head office so rang their Guernsey telephone number. It is a national dialing code, not international prefix obviously. 7 minute call.

 

Today I was checking through my online bill and found a national call charged at 74p total, which was that call. I sat for 40 minutes in a chat window with someone in India who basically argued the toss with me about Guernsey being in the UK or not. National dialing code, listed on the bill as a national call, no contest I think.

 

They are now going to escalate this enquiry to the right team blah blah, who will IF they decide it is national refund me the whole 74p. Woooooooo!

 

I know i am right and they are wrong, even by the very definition that they themselves have listed the call as a national call! Foot and shot i think!

 

So, as they will not budge at the moment, are they in breach of the 12 month contract I am tied into by way of overcharging?

 

I am obviuosly not happy and will gladly say goodbye to sky. Anyone know if they are in breach? if so i am free to go, so to speak.

[Sidewinder]

You might get something as a 'gesture of goodwill', but you won't get them to agree that calls should be included as their T&Cs specifically exclude calls to the Channel Islands from their inclusive call packages.

 

 

From Sky Talk T&Cs

 

1. UK calls are to 01, 02, 03 & 0870 numbers only (excludes calls to Channel Islands, indirect and dial-up Internet access numbers and 070 numbers). Calls from Northern Ireland to the

Republic of Ireland are charged at UK rates

[/Quote]

[locutus]

Take a read of this http://www.sky.com/shop/broadband-talk/codes-practice/

 

Unless they catagorically stated that calls to the Chanel Islands were included when you ordered the package, I don't see a complaint being upheld. They may make a gesture of goodwill to try to keep you happy though.

 

Do you commonly call the Chanel Islands, and did you check these calls were included prior to taking the product? If so mention in your complaint that you feel they missold the phone package as it clearly doesn't (as stated in their T&C quoted by Sidewinder)

 

also FYI BT charge for calls to the Chanel Islands aswell

[SillyOldFool]

Thanks for the replies. I was not aware of the Channel Islands being excluded, but I am now.

 

Problem is that I was not aware that the number given to me by Specsavers was the channel islands until I saw this bill. It is a national dialing code. Not Sky's fault in that regard, but it annoys me just on principle if nothing else.

 

As it is in Sky's T&C's then there is little I can do. I ended up with £450 worth of glassed for £35 so I am not exactly out of pocket, it was the principle of the matter. The same as Couriers charging a premium to deliver to Scottish Highlands but offering no discount for delivering 2 streets away from the pick-up. Take, take and take again.

 

Oh well. For once it looks as though this one is my error of sorts and I will have to miss out on some of life's treats now. Sorry. M&M's.

[locutus]

May be worth an Email to [email protected] and ask them how you were supposed to know it was a Chanel islands phone number, and you think it's unfair that they charged you, and you've had all this runaround when it would've been much easier for them to have put on the bill "non-inclusive Chanel Islands call" over "national call" and it would've saved you hours of running around chasing this. Ask them to compensate you for this, and they may give you something... or they may not. If not, you know what type of company you're dealing with, and at the end of your minimum term you can leave (I suggest you request to leave at the end of any minimum term. Companies generally offer a nice retentions deal... once out of the minimum term, phone and ask for your MAC... if they offer something then all well and good, if not and you don't want to move, you don't need to use your MAC).

 

keep us informed if they offer any resolution.

[SillyOldFool]

Oh, I know what kind of company this is already. India call suggest that the company is too mean to employ UK workers even on minimum wages. I will happily leave at the end of the contract just on principle because of the way they buggered me about for 40 minutes yesterday.

 

People, talk with your wallets!