Is the website deliberately engineered to frustrate?

[RichPepp]

I am a cycling fan and will need to subscribe to TNT sports shortly in order to keep watching races as Eurosport will no longer cover them (don't get me started!).  TNT is available on Sky and Virgin, so thought it worthwhile to have a look at my package, especially as I've been with Sky for 22 years and never done the "I'm going to leave" negotiation.

The website says I have to give 31 days notice unless I'm within a contract period and I can check the dates by looking at "My Package".  The link doesn't go to a page that includes contract dates.  I thought it was my mistake so went through all the other screens, but nothing visible.  So after going round and round in circles, I still don't know if there is any restriction. 

Thanks to this disingenuous approach, my "maybe I should think about moving, or maybe upgrade with Sky" has become a "I'm leaving Sky".   Well done Customer Experience design team - you've just lost a customer of 22 years standing wholly by your deceitful and underhanded approach to providing a simple piece of information.

So, my question: assuming I haven't changed package in recent memory, it should just be 31 days to cancel?

[AndrewF_UK]

Hi @RichPepp 

If you're not in a contract, and it sounds like you're not, then yes it's a 31 day term and you can phone up to cancel.

Regarding adding TNT sports though, you should be able to do this in the MySky mobile app or on the MySky menus on SkyOS if you're on Sky Stream or Glass. If you're on a Sky Q or Sky+ subscription I'm not sure, but suspect there'd be something similar.

I hope that helps!

[MightyQuinn · Accepted solution]

Hi @RichPepp   It is simple and easy to see if you are still within the minimum term. Just go to Your Products on the Sky website. If you are still within the minimum term you will see Offer ending dates. https://www.sky.com/mysky/tv

[RichPepp]

Thanks @MightyQuinn.

I think that's the source of the confusion, in that if there is a contract end date it is shown (fair enough), whereas nothing is shown if there is no contract in place. 

My experience with designing user interfaces says "don't rely on the user to assume anything from the absence of something" and this is poor (and/or sneaky) of the Sky team.  A simple "You are not currently within a minimum contract period" would have saved me all this hassle!!  

[PandJ2020]

Not all products necessarily have the same minimum term end dates.  (Always co-terminated myself but it's not hard to look at the bills and it's worth checking future bills do react to any scheduled changes)