Mother-in-law being overcharged

[Forestwalker]

I've just come to the MoLs for Christmas and decided to check her Sky package. She has the old SkyHD box as she is "not technical enough for SkyQ" according to her family. 

She is being charged £43 just for Sky Signature plus £41 for broadband (and a talk plan). This to me seems rediculous as I pay about half this for double the Internet speed and get Netflix.

Can you "upgrade" to a new package but keep the SkyHD box? I know you will miss out on some of the features of Q etc. Paying £41 for BB and a phone package seems like someone is pulling the wool over a pensioners eyes to me. 

Also, is there a way to lodge a complaint against Sky as this seems a similar scam to the mobile companies have just been found guilty of and not offering their best packages to existing customers. 

[PandJ2020]

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@Forestwalker wrote:

Also, is there a way to lodge a complaint against Sky as this seems a similar scam to the mobile companies have just been found guilty of and not offering their best packages to existing customers. 

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Scam?  If the customer is 'happy' being out of contract paying list price then it's not a scam.

It's up to the customer to decide whether what they're paying is value and either negotiate a new deal (but requires a minimum term where you can't cancel) or cancel.

Yes, you don't need to upgrade to Q.

[MarkGoldsmith]

Normally the better deals are available to those that switch to Q or Sky Glass/Stream, as I myself recently found when renegotiating my contract from Sky + HD about a month ago. 

[Forestwalker]

The customer is an old woman who assumed that was the price of Sky and wasn't aware that all prices have come down or that she was out of contract. Did you used to receive a notification that your Sky contract was about to end (I know you do now)? 

[Forestwalker]

Great so long as you are not one of the technophobe generation. 

Opinion "in the family" is that she will not get on with the new control and menu system. 

[MarkGoldsmith]

You currently DONT get told when TV is expiring but do for phone and broadband, although this is due to change soon with Sky losing their appeal with OFCOM over the TV subscription services.

the older generation is always affected by this but companies will also update their technology and eventually pull support of their old products and services. It may be worth considering if Sky TV is even the right thing anymore for her perhaps a free view recorder may be more appropriate.

[Mark39]

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@Forestwalker wrote:

Also, is there a way to lodge a complaint against Sky as this seems a similar scam to the mobile companies have just been found guilty of and not offering their best packages to existing customers. 

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No point in complaining before your MoL contacts Sky and asks about a cheaper deal, which, as you'll know, is the thing to do if you're 'out of contract'.

[MarkGoldsmith]

That thing you are getting to for the mobile phone companies is that they were overcharging customers the cost of paying back their mobile phone not the monthly prices, as once the cost of the phone were paid off they "forgot" to automatically adjust the monthly costs to pay for that.

there is nothing currently that states these companies need to offer new customers and current customers the same deals and prices, a la insurance companies. This would be a bad thing as like insurance it will just cause everyone's price to rise when it's better for the philosophy to change and you people to actually switch provider at the end of each contract.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Forestwalker wrote:

Also, is there a way to lodge a complaint against Sky as this seems a similar scam to the mobile companies have just been found guilty of and not offering their best packages to existing customers. 

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There's absolutely no requirement in law or industry regulation for that to happen for either broadband or subscription television, and the class action lawsuit in the cellular market, which as @MarkGoldsmith indicates relates to a different issue anyway, has only just been lodged.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/07/uk-ee-vodafone-three-o2-face-3bn-class-action-lawsu... 

[oj01]

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@Forestwalker wrote:

The customer is an old woman who assumed that was the price of Sky and wasn't aware that all prices have come down or that she was out of contract. Did you used to receive a notification that your Sky contract was about to end (I know you do now)? 

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Prices haven't 'come down'. List price for Signature is £34 and I suspect she also has HD at £9 making the £43

This is the price that anyone out of contract will pay, with the benefit of being able to cancel at a months notice. 

I personally renegotiated my Sky+HD subscription this week and took a new 18 month contract at £48 per month for Signature, HD and Sport.