Account Restricted - Zero Balance

[ka58]

My Sky account has been restricted. It says, 'Please make a payment to reinstate your services. My balance is Zero. I pay by direct debit and I have gone back 12 months and not one payment has been missed. I can not talk to customer services till i pay my bill which is zero

[caesarome]

@ka58 

To get you some help with this I have escalated your post to the Sky Messaging team who should be in touch with you tomorrow regarding this via a blue/red chat bubble which will appear at the bottom of this page.

This link explains how this works so you will need to respond to the chat bubble at the bottom of the page when it appears by typing it it to start the chat:
https://community.sky.com/t5/Did-you-know/Escalating-a-post-to-a-Sky-expert/ba-p/3711147

When the chat bubble does appear you will have 48 hours to respond or it will be automatically closed. To start the conversation just type in it.

This isn't a live chat so replies may not be instant.

[ka58]

I have since looked further into this and trying to contact customer services it said I owe a certain amount. This amount is my February bill, which is due on 18th February, and as always, will be paid by direct debit. So my phone line has been suspended for a bill that is not yet due. 

[caesarome]

That doesn't seem right @ka58 so hopefully the messaging team either by themselves or by getting others to help, can get to the bottom of this for you.

[ka58]

Thank you 

[Brill+Gill]

Hi @caesarome, thanks for escalating this. We’ve sent @ka58 an invite to chat.

Please be aware conversations automatically close if there is no response within 48 hours.

[ka58]

Sorry, but directing me back to customer services when I have already stated that they wont let me speak to anyone unless i pay my bill which is due on the 18th Febuary is not helpful

[Mark39]

@ka58 is this your landline phone? Do you have higher than normal call charges outstanding?

[ka58]

I do, but the only reason for this is because of personal reasons, I think its about 31 pound over the limit. I am a pensioner and dont have a mobile so rely on my landline. 

[Mark39]

@ka58 you probably know that Sky set a spending limit on your landline to help you avoid running up unexpectedly high bills.

They do that by automatically restricting your service if you exceed the limit and asking you to settle the amount you've been charged since your last bill. It's all automated and the customer service advisers both at the customer service and the Community here are powerless to interrupt it. All they can do is direct you to customer services so that you can make payment.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/managing-your-sky-talk-bills

[ka58]

Thank you for explaining. I understand it’s automated, but that’s what has made things difficult for me. I haven’t missed any payments and my Direct Debit isn’t due until the 18th, and the only reason I went over the limit was due to calls to my husband while he’s been in hospital and now in respite care. I rely on my landline and I’m classed as a vulnerable customer, so not being able to make outgoing calls has left me in a difficult position.

[MightyQuinn]

Hi @ka58   Have you registered here vulnerable-customers-policy

[ka58]

Thank you for the link. I wasn’t aware of this policy, and it wasn’t explained to me by customer service, even though I mentioned several times that my husband is in hospital. I’ll take a look at it now, as it would have been helpful to know about earlier.