Sky Broadband Compensation Dispute – Weekend Coverage Query

[Anonymous]

Hi,

After losing broadband for 10 days, Sky's automatic compensation payment under the Compensation Scheme appears to be incorrect. Sky is claiming that the first weekend isn't covered, but this contradicts my understanding of the Ofcom Automatic Compensation Scheme guidelines.

My understanding of the scheme: The first two working days are excluded (allowing Openreach time to fix the issue), but any day after that – including weekends – should be included in compensation.

My situation:

• Service lost: Sunday, 1 March
• Service restored: 11 March (10 days total)
• Expected compensation: 7–8 days (unclear if partial days are counted separately)

My question: Can someone confirm whether Sky are wrong to exclude the first weekend? If Sky's interpretation is correct, could you please share a reference to this in the Ofcom Broadband Compensation Scheme or other official guidance?

Thanks, Jonathan

[GD1]

@Anonymous  Auto compensation only kick in after 2 working days of the fault being reported, Weekends & Public holidays are not working days.

Link https://www.sky.com/help/articles/auto-compensation

Sky Broadband & Talk automatic compensation

We’ll give you compensation for your Sky Broadband & Talk if you have a:

• ‘Total loss of service’ for more than two full working days after you’ve let us know. That’s if your Sky Broadband and/or Sky Talk stops working completely.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/uncategorised/98684---automati...

[Anonymous]

Yes, I understand this, you maybe misread my message. 

I reported the fault on the Sunday 1st, so the next two working days are the Monday 2nd  and Tuesday 3rd . Compensation is paid from the Wednesday 4th until it's fixed on the 11th. Sky is telling me that the weekend of the  7th and 8th are excluded. This is incorrect as far as I understand. 

Jonathan

[GD1]

@Anonymous  Weekends are Non Working Days, Compensation covers working days only - Monday to Friday.

[Chrisee]

@Anonymous partial days are excluded and although it is Sky who pays the money it is Openreach who calculates the amount This is Ofcom's page on the scheme https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/automatic-compensation-need-know

The issue in your case is that the waiting days did not start until the Tuesday 3rd March as although the fault started on Sunday it was reported on Monday the 2nd which counts as a partial day. The two full working days were therfore the 3rd and 4th meaning compensation started being payable from the 5th. The service was restored on the 11th so I think the calculation is correct.

You can of course raise a complaint see How to make a Sky complaint | Sky Help | Sky.com

[Anonymous]

Yes, compensation kicks in after two working days, in which weekends are excluded before the two working days have passed. 

Are you saying no weekend days are included in any auto compensation at all? This is wrong in my understanding. 

Can you share a source that explicitly says this?

Ofcoms page on the scheme  - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/automatic-compensation-need-know

Says - £10.34 for each calendar day that the service is not repaired. There's not a single mention of weekends being excluded after the two working days have elapsed. 

Jonathan

Jonathan

[Anonymous]

Hi Chrisee,

I reported the issue to Sky on the Sunday, so the two working days are the Monday and the Tuesday. Sky aren't disputing that compensation started on the Wednesday. They're saying the following weekend is excluded. 

Jonathan

[daveNOS]

@Anonymous Weekends are only ignored when reporting the fault, after the first 2 working days wait every day counts for compensation,.if Sky have told you different they are wrong.

[Daniel0210]

@Anonymous 

A similar query came up recently and I've just found it

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Broadband/Sky-paying-less-than-9-98-automatic-compensation/m-p/5219840 

edit: Since that thread the amount per complete day has increased to £10.34.

[Chrisee]

@Anonymous If Sky say that the first day was Wednesday I agree that you should be due 7days compensation. The route is to raise a formal complaint with Sky which can go to the independent arbitor if Sky don't agree or 6 weeks passes.

[SKY1992bf]

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@Chrisee wrote:

@Anonymous If Sky say that the first day was Wednesday I agree that you should be due 7days compensation. The route is to raise a formal complaint with Sky which can go to the independent arbitor if Sky don't agree or 6 weeks passes.

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@Chrisee Should the number of weeks not read 8? Unless the limits defer within the auto compensation regulations 

[Daniel0210]

@SKY1992bf 

Changed to 6 weeks on April 8th. 

[Anonymous]

Exactly what I thought. I was patrionisingly told 'Jonathan, we do this every day' by the Sky team when she told me weekends were excluded and I insisted they weren't, so it's nice to hear someone confirm I'm correct.

[SKY1992bf]

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@Daniel0210 wrote:

@SKY1992bf 

Changed to 6 weeks on April 8th. 

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@Daniel0210 Oops obviously missed the memo, can you tag me into any reference point within the SUL please?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all your input. 

Just in the last hour, another lot of credit has been applied to my account which takes the total credit compensation I've received up to the 8 days I was expecting. It's nice to hear I was correct, and right to question it, but it's disappointing, if not unsurprising, to know that the Sky staff complaints team don't understand the basic compensation rules.

It's not very nice being patronised on a call  when the Sky team member was fundamentally wrong. 

I can't wait to leave Sky when my contract is up.

Cheers,

Jonathan