I am a Sky customer having been with Sky for many years and am a “VIP Diamond member” whatever that means. I have everything with Sky – landline, TV package, Broadband and mobile and pay over £110 per month.
I have had Sky superfast broadband for quite a few years. Fibre was brought into the block of flats in which I live by BT Openreach about 6 months ago but I decided not to take up the offer as I’m over 74 and don’t need powerful download/upload speeds – I’m not a gamer, nor do I download films. Also, although I don’t have a Lifeline alarm at the moment, after a big heart attack a few months ago I had been thinking maybe I should get one and my family would like me to, but I had heard that I couldn’t have one installed if I had Fibre.
On Thursday, 4 September my broadband was not working although it had been fine the previous day. I checked with my neighbour in the flat beneath me who was also with Sky, and hers wasn’t working either. So I contacted Sky. The first of many calls that day. All were answered by a man (once by a woman) with a very strong Indian or Pakistani accent which made it very difficult for me to understand him.
When I told them that my broadband was down, I was told each time that it was because I had old copper wiring. I answered that that was their problem not mine but they told me it could not be fixed unless I signed a contract for Fibre. He said that I would have received a letter advising me of this and that my broadband would be cut at the end of August if I didn’t sign up. I received no letter from Sky – and neither did my neighbor.
In desperation I hung up at least 4 or 5 times. Please check the recordings of calls that Sky make for that day.
Eventually I was told that if I signed up for Fibre, which I did and made an appointment for 23 September when an engineer will come and connect me, they could reconnect my broadband. I could not believe this but he promised me that if I signed up for Fibre then my broadband would be working “within 24 hours”. That was at about 1pm.
As I live on my own, I do all my shopping etc via the internet and was lost without it. But thinking about what the Sky people had told me I thought that can’t be possible, so I called Sky again and this time I was answered by, I think, a Nigerian. I told him what I had been told and he said that it was impossible to reconnect me just because I signed up for Fibre and he even said he would make out a Complaints Form for me. Whether he did or not, I have no idea.
He said that OpenReach were pressing Sky to force their broadband customers to switch to Fibre. My neighbour had the exact same problem as I had and she has had to sign up for Fibre too.
And then at about 10.30pm my neighbour texted me saying that her broadband had been reconnected. After checking, mine had too! And it’s been fine ever since – I’m writing this on Monday, 7 September. I did think of cancelling the engineer’s appointment but daren’t in case I’m cut off again.
How can Sky [removed]their ‘elderly’ customers like this.
Obviously I first sent this email to the Sky Help(?)line email but I wonder how, or even if, they will respond. Maybe I should seek advice?
PS Fascinating to see that on the Communication Ombudsman website it states:
Sky broadband isn’t signed up to our scheme so we can’t review your dispute
Moderator Actions: Retitled post to better reflect issue and to remove inappropriate comments
