Sky TV and broadband complaints
16-March-2010
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Sky TV and broadband complaints

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Here at The Weekly Gripe we receive a lot of email from people who have had problems with Sky, either the equipment, the service or sometimes the customer complaints department.  Occasionally visitors mistakenly believe this website is a means to get in contact with Sky or help resolve issues.  Whilst we can't put you in touch with Sky or actually help solve these issues, The Weekly Gripe is always there to help you vent your frustration.  These are just a few of the Sky gripes submitted recently.

My gripe is with Sky! I have been trying since the end of November to get a response from their customer services department.  No luck so far.  They have taken an extra £30 on my direct debit because I changed the date of the direct debit.  At no point was I advised by the phone operator that this would happen.  When I called them to complain the supervisor I spoke to told me that I needed to e-mail the details in so that they verify.  I have been doing this constantly since 27th November and not once have I had a response.  I have been to many forums and located many different e-mail addresses gof which I have e-mailed and none of which have ever responded.

Does anyone know any e-mail address or snail mail address that I can get a response from?  Has anyone had an similar issues?  Any advice or response would greatly be appreciated....
Most annoyed with Sky, AKA Gemma

Sky TV set-top boxes - They tell us all to be more green by turning your set-top box on to standby and that it could save enough power to run a city the size of Birmingham.  As a so called self confessed 'carbon neutral' company, did it ever occur to them to put an OFF button on this set-top box?  We could run the rest of the country for free if they had done this.  Personally, turn set-top box off at the socket every time I'm not using it, as a device on standby can still use up to 50% of the electricity it would when powered on.
Harry Martin

Oh dear, silly me.  I thought I could just phone the Sky number on the leaflet and get some information regarding the "Introduce a friend to Sky" thing.  I did get through, only to be told to phone another number which I did.  After navigating another maze of options, I was eventually put on hold with the most irritating music playing until I gave up and went to the website instead.  I came across The Weekly Gripe only to find others with complaints about Sky.

I have finally convinced my elderly mother that she would love SKY, as she is a big tennis fan and would get to watch all the live matches.  Having promised to get it organised for her, I now feel committed to pursue this horrible journey through their crap, inefficient and time-wasting 'service' just when I have a million other things I should be doing.  Couldn't they try to be more efficient and make the process easier?
Maggie

Credit crunch, downturn, Recession... call it what you like.  Most of us are having to tighten our belts and being disabled for the last 11 years this certainly applies to me.  So I thought I would contact Sky to ask a question via their website.  The automated thingamajig was useless so I typed in my question which was, "Will they send me a Freesat card?  If so, can I put into my Sky box and receive Freesat channels so that I can reduce my subscription cost because I can no longer afford £47 per month.  Alternatively would they simply change the cost to that advertised on television for new subscribers a week on."

Have I had a phone call from Sky?  No, of course not.  Have I had a courteous email response?  Nope, haven't heard a thing from Sky!  Can anyone tell me, if I simply stop paying, will I still get BBC, ITV, 4&5?  I'm out of contract having had the equipment for 10 years, can they just switch me off - is that what they do?  I don't trust them to tell me the truth!
NOGS

I'm disabled, and getting online to do my banking, contact friends and buy groceries etc. are essential parts of my life.  I changed from Virgin to Sky and now wish I had never heard of them.  It takes on average 19 minutes to get into my bank account and getting my e-mail is equally bad.  Contacting Sky, I am told that I must be using the system when there is a particularly heavy usage, or that I am accessing a particularly popular site.  RUBBISH.  How is my e-mail a popular site, and why is my bank so busy at 11.30 P.M. that I can fall asleep waiting for a statement?  Are all the other poor souls who can't get through any other time trying to stay awake in case there's a slot?  This is a slow, useless service, and the only reason I am stuck with wasting my money on it is that I cant afford to pay the rest of the subscription for the year should I leave.
Beredeza

I Have cancelled my Sky account Feb 2007.  Direct debit kept being taken out of my account.  After 3 phone calls I finally got my money back.  Since then I have had 2 bills saying that I owe £250+ After speaking to customer care on a couple of occasions, they said that there was a problem with the computer and that it had been sorted meaning that my balance was now zero.  Since then I have been contacted by Wescot recovery services stating that I owe £250.94.  I rang Sky again and was told that they were sorry and that they will let Wescot know.  I rang Wescot today to check if they had received a call from Sky in which they replied that they had not.  I have to ring Sky again today or I am sure that I will have bailiffs at my door soon when I owe them nothing.  THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE WORSE SERVICE THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED.
Gary Binns

I have been with Sky broadband for under two months and I can say a Sinclair ZX spectrum was more reliable.  After at least two weeks trying to log on for the first time, I subsequently find it does not like to log on very often on weekends.  As the equipment works when I actually manage to get online, I can only assume the problem is down to a particularly bad Internet service provider who have over subscribed and their system cannot cope.  A byproduct of the failings of this company has shown an almost non-existent complaints system!
Mickey C


Other Related Gripes

Moving Sky to my new home was a nightmare
Introduce a friend to Sky TV offer
Sky existing customers treated poorly
Sky Freesat wasn't exactly free
TV on-screen logos are annoying
TV complaints, if you don't like it turn it off
An hour wasted on the phone to Sky
Playstation taken by Sky Installers
Sky insurance nightmare for Mum
Great all round service from BT and Sky
Wasting money on Sky and Sky Plus
Why would you want to cancel Sky?
Trouble getting Sky Broadband
Sky problems driving me mad
Sky Movies a waste of money
Sky Movies PIN number annoying
Sky - No Satellite Signal Received
Sky plus recording problems
Problems with Sky HD
Broadband problems with Sky Plus
Sky customer service a joke





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I have had problems with sky as well. (was with virgin media well that's a hole pile of dog poop!) on day two of having sky installed reception was terrible, I telephoned customer service, reply 'signal quality can be interrupted during periods of extreme weather', my reply 'yes that can be expected but its the middle of June and the sun's a shining?' clerks response 'if you have had your set top box for a while it may need replacing', me ' are you even in my effing acc I have been a customer for two days!!!!' her, ' oh...yeah I can see now...ill get an engineer to look at it for you.....in three weeks time', me 'don't think so love supervisor pls' result engineer same day, problem fixed....or so I thought. Three days later no signal grate back on the phone another another engineer booked, not but two came, 'found the problem love your dish is fubard...we'll add the call out charge and repair to your acc'. OH will you I thought back on the dog n bone...call answered dpa confirmed acc no taken by a snotty nosed jumped up brat 'now whats your problem....', me ' don't speak to me like that..I'm not dealing with you can you transfer me to your manager pls', him 'yes but ill need to take the details of complaint', me 'no you wont I work in call center love put me through'. spoke to manager told her I want reimbursing the call charges, the call out and repair charge taken off my bill as been a customer for for under two weeks and discount for services not able to use, or they can come pick the dish n box up.
out come no charges, refund for phone calls (have to send copy of itemised phone bill) refund for days with no signal, and a three month discount of future bills!!!! yeah meeeee
*nicola  25-Feb-2010 12:07

 
Sky is driving me insane. Another Final Warning letter came today and when I called yet again to see why I'm billed I get nowhere with the agent. I was updating to Sky+ and the very next day my service was gone. I called Sky and they did nothing to restore my service, I live on an island, I can understand that it might take them some time to get to me but they kept taking my money even when I had told them I had no service. They eventually gave me credit for two months. they still did not fix the problem, I have no sky and they charged me for another two months before I cancelled the account with the bank. So they are now sending me threatening letters and my credit rating is going to be wrecked unless I pay 52.15 that I do not own. I get nowhere with customer care, they read off some accounting terminology that I don't understand and just repeat this jargon when ever I explain my position to them. Passed from pillar to post, no co-ordination between the different departments, usless customer care service.
*cualain  25-Feb-2010 10:59

 
I also have a complaint against SKY who have taken money out of my account after I have cancelled my services....customer services are driving me amd and there is no service for customers at all....how can they tkae money out of my bank account for services I have cancelled, for an address I dont live at and for services I cant get at my new address? it is disgusting.
*richelle furious ex sky customer  11-Feb-2010 17:31

 
I have read all the above, Sky are so unempathetic, unhelpful, inefficient, patronising organisation I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. One person gives some information, another contridicts it!!
I am moving to Virgin in February, as I intend to make sure Sky looses my custom - clearly they have so many customers, that they can afford to lose them - even in a recession.
I shall never, ever, recommend them to anyone.
*John  05-Feb-2010 21:02

 
I have r/ecently been widowed and now on a very low income which means I can't afford to carry on with sky. I rang customer services and they told me to put it in writing which I did so. I cancelle my direct debit account as the payments were causing me to go overdrawn. Sky disconnected me but then still demaded payments even though I paid up to date and therefore owe them nothing. What can I do if I cant pay them I am no longer receving any programmes
*FEE FEE  05-Feb-2010 00:18

 
I have just read all the other comments and note one from Sky !! Perhaps I should have asked for Denise Allan department head who obviuosly doesn't read letters as well as not answering the phone or E-Mails. It also seems that customer services needs to take spelling and grammar lessons.
*Brenda Gardner  27-Jan-2010 13:19

 
Guess what,- I have been trying to get response from Sky Customer services since October. Two letters and several phone calls later and I still have had no response. I did get one customer services girl to sympathise and offer me free film channel until Christmas only to find I have been charged and I haven't used the film channel and this morning, yes I did get through, but was told off for my attitude, I was told I had to ring to cancel the film channel which I hadn't ordered in the first place. I was transfered and waited for 3/4 hour and then gave up.
I feel my only solution is to cancel my direct debit and return to Virgin !!!! Bet they get in contact then !!!
*Brenda Gardner  27-Jan-2010 13:16

 
Blue nose

Why oh why do you e-mail to cancel when everyone else calls to give notice, Really have some common sense, Denise allan is adepartment head she does not deal with phone calls or requests...
You wish to cancel call 08442 41 41 41 and request thr cancellations team... 31 days notice given cacnellation in place.
*sky 105  23-Dec-2009 12:04

 
Attn: The Manager Subscriber Services

Dear Denise Allan,
Your letter of 16 December astounds me!.

What does it take to have SKY act on my instructions? Obviously three emails and a letter to the Sky offices are not sufficient and so I now write yet again to you offices to convey my instructions. No doubt that ignoring my previous instructions to cancel all my SKY services would, against my will, extend subscriptions to your financial benefit.

Via your website I have instructed the Sky organisation to cancel the Sky talk, Broadband and Sky TV on 24th November, 2nd December and 7th December. All of these requests were acknowledged by your help desk at the Sky organisation and it would appear to me they are then totally ignored.

Would you please inform to me what the email ’help’ service has provided to me? When one telephones the Help line 08442414141, then as instructed option 5, the line goes dead! What a great service you offer, you do not even redirect telephones calls.

I do hope that your organisation will now have the business acumen to act on these requests and that I will not be financially disadvantaged by your lack current of cooperation in this matter. Following my letter to your office dated 14 November, I note that you made a direct debited on my account of £97+.

Please will you explain:
1). Why you took this amount from my account.
2). Why your organisation has failed to reply to my previous four instructions to cancel my account.

In case you still have any doubt, I no longer require any of the services and in consideration that via your internet website and by previous letter, I informed you of such, I trust that you will contact me without additional delay and inform to me of the actions that you have taken conclude this matter to my satisfaction.

Sincerely, a very disgruntled, GJS
*Blue nose  21-Dec-2009 18:54

 
Moved house recently! Contacted Sky to inform of move. Advised that the exchange I was going to could not handle Sky talk line and I would have to wait up to 90 days for a sky talk line. Advised by sky customer services that the best plan was to get a line from the post office. Duly booked an installation all went well - line installed. Told by Customer Services that broadband would not be installed until five days after the line was cancelled! That was 15 days ago. Subsequent telephone calls to sky have me wondering if I will ever be re-connected. Nothing was ever said about the different charges that would be made - No longer a sky broadband customer but now being made to take Sky Connect at an increase of £7.50 per month. It would not be so bad but I still do not have broadband - and despite being assured that various operators would look out for my line to liven up nothing has happened. I am deeply disappointed in sky. The answer is if you are a happy sky customer do not whatever you do, do not move house! My experience so far is to drive me away from Sky - unless somebody knows how to sort my problem out.
*CoburgComp  21-Dec-2009 12:00

 
Mark2009

This one is for you- Wheather you are a customer of 15 years or 3 months a late payment will result in the service being blocked, The new rule as you call it has always been in place, if you pay through invoice then the two months advance charges are to cover the next billing period ensuring there are funds on the account to cover the charges, This information is in the terms and conditions...
*sky104  20-Dec-2009 22:13

 
Gav Williams from Dalton

This is for you- Its is not a mis-sell as you claim, Sky have never stated all channels check the adverts and tv advertisments. Whats you subscribe too if it has a hd alternative then you can view e.g. sky one "channel 106" standard def alternative sky one "channel 170" hd,
hope this help
*sky 103  20-Dec-2009 22:10


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