Are Sky Happy to Lose Customers?

[FreddieX]

Be warned, this is mainly a grump, but I also wonder I I am alone in my experience.

After 23 as a Sly TV customer we (my wife and I) decided to call time on Sky+ HD. The decision was made easier as I was paying over £70 per month for Entertainment, Box Sets, Sky Sports F1 (I am actually paying money to listen to that idiot Croft), including £9/month for HD.

I should have done something ages ago about the ridiculous cost, only myself to blame, but Sky helped the decision when they included adverts saying how new Stream customers could pay as little as £15/month.

First off, the Sky website is awful, effectively blocking me from even considering Stream as an option. If I logged in as en existing customer I was always diverted to Q or Glass, sorry the last time I rented a TV was in the 80s with Radio Rentals!

After wading through treacle a.k.a. navigating the website, I found a contact number which puts me through to a call centre in India. I am then given a second number to call which was Cardiff retentions.

I got through with only a short wait and expected some hard sell to keep me, however, at no time did the Sky representative try to disuade me from leaving. "How about Stream?" ...... sorry cannot offer much less than you are currently paying.

As I was out of contract I will be leaving the TV side mid July. I did get a tear soaked email begging me to stay but no offer of incentive so we are off.

Maybe my experience is unique, but if this is the company's attitude to exisiting customers then I do not think the future of Sky is that bright.

Incidentally, I am happy with the broadband and I am still on a decent deal so still a Sky customer (just).

[Mark39]

I'd suggest calling simply to ask about switching to Sky Stream then see what Sky offer. The prices you see in the website are new customer prices so gy9u won't qualify for those, I'm afraid.

[FreddieX]

I did ask about Stream and, as mentioned in my original post, was told that they cannot offer much less than I was currently paying. I did not mention I would also have had to pay a fee to switch!

The whole attitude was "ho hum here goes another long term customer".

If the corporate decision is to hope no one spots the rip off prices for existing customers or are happy to lose long term customers and replace them with new subscriptions it makes sense (does it?), but why run prime time adverts telling me how much I am paying over the odds and how much better new customers are treated.

[TimmyBGood]

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@FreddieX wrote:

If I logged in as en existing customer I was always diverted to Q or Glass, sorry the last time I rented a TV was in the 80s with Radio Rentals!

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Perhaps worth noting Glass isn't a rental: there's the option to make a monthly repayment to reduce the balance of an interest free unsecured personal loan used to purchase it.  Once the loan is repaid the monthly cost is just the content subscription.

[Gavin+Noble]

@FreddieX And there's the cheaper Glass Air model available now! 

[FreddieX]

But I didn't need a new telly!

[PandJ2020]

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@FreddieX wrote:

But I didn't need a new telly!

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Many don't - that's what 'Sky Stream' is for.

[shorty7]

Exactly the same as me. Account ends 13th of July. I'm sick of companies thinking they can rip me of.

Sky gone

EE gone

Rouvy gone

Many more to come🤬

[PandJ2020]

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@shorty7 wrote:

Exactly the same as me. Account ends 13th of July.

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Unless you've given notice to Sky that you are cancelling then you account does not end on 13th July.

[shorty7]

Haha of course I have. I cancelled on the 12 June so they only get [Removed] the two months I am out of contract. They never contacted me to say I was going to be out of contract. They just increased me payments by about 80%. Trying to sneak massive increases passed your long standing customs is dishonest and completely unacceptable to me. [Removed]

Moderator notes: Removed campaigning

[Mark39]

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@shorty7 wrote:

Trying to sneak massive increases passed your long standing customs is dishonest and completely unacceptable to me. 

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There's no 'sneaking'. Sky tell you when you agree a contract how long it,will last. Ample opportunity for you to make a note of the expiry and do something about it at that time.

[shorty7]

Very true. But I don't care. Every outer rolling or auto renew subscription sends me a notification or reminder. So I still think it's wrong, dishonest and no way to treat your customers. 

[MarkGoldsmith]

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@shorty7 wrote:

Very true. But I don't care. Every outer rolling or auto renew subscription sends me a notification or reminder. So I still think it's wrong, dishonest and no way to treat your customers. 

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Personally, I've got plenty of rolling subscription services that do the same as Sky and DON'T send a reminder before the subscription will renew, and they just charge my payment method. Its incredibly common practise