Tweet
Around 7 weeks ago I called Sky to cancel my TV subscription. This was due to the fact that I was moving house and I didn't want to continue with the service after the move on the basis of cost.
At the same time I asked my bank to stop any future Direct Debits to Sky, as I had heard that Sky tended to mess you about when you try to cancel.
I was offered a home move installation but declined as the cost of the new mortgage was more important to me than continuing with an unnecessary expense.
I received a notice (to my old address) of the cancellation of the direct debit from them around 10 days ago telling me they had tried to take payment but had been refused.
I called them and told them that I had cancelled the service and had also instructed my bank to cancel the D.D.
Today I received a letter from them advising of an overdue account payment of a months subscription and that my service had been suspended, (as if I care as I can't access it anyway) and that if payment is not made within another month they will cancel the service.
I called them this morning. Someone in India or Pakistan took the call. The problem is that you can rarely understand the name they give you so you can't record who you spoke to. Actually, you can rarely even understanding what they're saying either but that's another matter.
So, the gist of the call was that I had told them I had called them around 7 weeks ago when I knew I was to move house, to cancel the service. I was asked to hold on while he checked records in the relevant department. He came back on after 10 minutes and asked if I'd mind holding on a little longer. I told him I wouldn't. At around 20 minutes from the original call he came back on and quickly said "thank you for holding" and promptly cut me off.
I guess someone's been down this route before me who's case may well bring up some answers but after searching for the relevant keywords I failed to find anything. For the record I am not within a minimum contract period so they can't hang that one on me.
Section 11 of the Contract says:
Unless Conditions 11(a) or (b) apply, you must subscribe to the service for at least the Minimum Term. The Contract will continue after this time unless it is ended according to the Conditions below. Conditions 5,6 and 7 will continue to apply after this contract ends until you return your Viewing card to SSSL.
(a) You may end this contract at any time during the Minimum Term by giving us one calendar month's notice. If
(i) we or SSSL tell you that we are going to chjange these Conditions; or
(ii) Sky Publications withdraws the satellite television magazine (if you are entitled to receive it) and another television magazine is not provided in its place.
(iii) we withdraw any Sky Premium Channel or Bonus Channel you are receiving; or we reduce significantly the number of channles within, or the level of service of, your chosen basic pack.
You may end this contract by giving us seven days notice aty any time (including during the Minimum Term) if we, SSSL or Sky Publications break any of its Conditions. If you want to end the Contract for any other reason you may do so at the end of, or after, the Minimum Term by giving us at least one calendar month's notice at any time.
I haven't been able to return the card to them as required because I can't find a return address anywhere in their contract booklet. You'd sort of expect it to be on the actual viewing card itself really but there's no reference to where a card should be returned in the contract booklet.
Nor is there any contractual method of cancellation, ie by letter, by telephone, email or fax.
I didn't receive any equipment from them at the start of the contract as it had been bought separately, though they did install a dish.
I would just ignore this matter entirely but I suspect that they may well pass on the supposed debt to a collector or even issue a small claim in the County Court.
Any advice guys and gals.
Oh, due to the nature of the cancellation, ie by telephone I don't have any records to verify this. If you need to see the full Contract I can make up a pdf and post it here.
At the same time I asked my bank to stop any future Direct Debits to Sky, as I had heard that Sky tended to mess you about when you try to cancel.
I was offered a home move installation but declined as the cost of the new mortgage was more important to me than continuing with an unnecessary expense.
I received a notice (to my old address) of the cancellation of the direct debit from them around 10 days ago telling me they had tried to take payment but had been refused.
I called them and told them that I had cancelled the service and had also instructed my bank to cancel the D.D.
Today I received a letter from them advising of an overdue account payment of a months subscription and that my service had been suspended, (as if I care as I can't access it anyway) and that if payment is not made within another month they will cancel the service.
I called them this morning. Someone in India or Pakistan took the call. The problem is that you can rarely understand the name they give you so you can't record who you spoke to. Actually, you can rarely even understanding what they're saying either but that's another matter.
So, the gist of the call was that I had told them I had called them around 7 weeks ago when I knew I was to move house, to cancel the service. I was asked to hold on while he checked records in the relevant department. He came back on after 10 minutes and asked if I'd mind holding on a little longer. I told him I wouldn't. At around 20 minutes from the original call he came back on and quickly said "thank you for holding" and promptly cut me off.
I guess someone's been down this route before me who's case may well bring up some answers but after searching for the relevant keywords I failed to find anything. For the record I am not within a minimum contract period so they can't hang that one on me.
Section 11 of the Contract says:
Unless Conditions 11(a) or (b) apply, you must subscribe to the service for at least the Minimum Term. The Contract will continue after this time unless it is ended according to the Conditions below. Conditions 5,6 and 7 will continue to apply after this contract ends until you return your Viewing card to SSSL.
(a) You may end this contract at any time during the Minimum Term by giving us one calendar month's notice. If
(i) we or SSSL tell you that we are going to chjange these Conditions; or
(ii) Sky Publications withdraws the satellite television magazine (if you are entitled to receive it) and another television magazine is not provided in its place.
(iii) we withdraw any Sky Premium Channel or Bonus Channel you are receiving; or we reduce significantly the number of channles within, or the level of service of, your chosen basic pack.
You may end this contract by giving us seven days notice aty any time (including during the Minimum Term) if we, SSSL or Sky Publications break any of its Conditions. If you want to end the Contract for any other reason you may do so at the end of, or after, the Minimum Term by giving us at least one calendar month's notice at any time.
I haven't been able to return the card to them as required because I can't find a return address anywhere in their contract booklet. You'd sort of expect it to be on the actual viewing card itself really but there's no reference to where a card should be returned in the contract booklet.
Nor is there any contractual method of cancellation, ie by letter, by telephone, email or fax.
I didn't receive any equipment from them at the start of the contract as it had been bought separately, though they did install a dish.
I would just ignore this matter entirely but I suspect that they may well pass on the supposed debt to a collector or even issue a small claim in the County Court.
Any advice guys and gals.
Oh, due to the nature of the cancellation, ie by telephone I don't have any records to verify this. If you need to see the full Contract I can make up a pdf and post it here.
Comment