Sky - Worst customer service in the World

[PeterBorrie]

Sky meant to intall Broadband Monday 29th September after being given 6 weeks notice of my move. Man from Broadband came round and bullied us into putting the phone line in our newly renovated property in a location we specifically asked him not to. Threatened to leave without doing the job if he couldn't put it where he wanted. Went ahead and put it there then told us broadband could not be activated as no room for us on the street (whatever that means). Someone was meant to come round the next day to fix. Have spoken to Sky every day on the phone since for over an hour trying to get a resolution. They repeatedly make promises they do not keep. They wait until I ring in to then confirm someone hasn't shown up or done their job and then offer to rebook for a date a few days or weeks in the future. Still not resolved. No accountability, no calls back to try and resolve despite daily calls asking for them. Great service for a "SKY VIP" customer of over 10 years. Try to blame open reach, explained I didn't sign a contract with Open Reach, I signed a contract with Sky and Sky only. Who they choose to render services is up to them, but my issue is with them and they should resolve it for me. No internet and no TV services for over two weeks and no sign of a resolution. What should I do next?

[TimmyBGood]

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@PeterBorrie wrote:

Went ahead and put it there then told us broadband could not be activated as no room for us on the street (whatever that means). 

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If you had a copper phone line installed rather than fibre optic cable then that probably means no space in the local cabinet or no duct/pole access.

[Chrisee]

@PeterBorrie it is not good experience but yout argument that Sky chose Openreach so its their issue fails on one important point as unless your home is passed by only other  network Sky can use who are City Fibre Openreach have a monopoly. Openreach do call the shots on how broadband is connected not Sky or for that matter EE who are part of the same group as Openreach.

These issues do arise and you should be due compensation as agreed by Ofcom explained here . Customer Auto-Compensation | Sky Help | Sky.com

As to what you can do in practice there is nothing. Escalation within Sky may mean a person with the title of Executive Assustant tells you that Sky are doing all they can but waiting on Openreach. Openreach wont talk directly to you until they need you to take action. You are essentially stuck if it is any comfort my own installation took 4 weeks longer than it should but the compensation covered the cost of the service for 6 months.

[JimM1]

@PeterBorrie If you wish to take a picture off what you have internal, attach that and post it up will give all a better idea what you have!

[PeterBorrie]

Anyone going to address the question. Bilateral agreement with Sky, not interested if they use Broadband or Skylink, as long as it works. If you choose a supplier that can't fulfil your obligations then choose a new provider or negotiate better terms with your provider to ensure issues are resolved in a rasonabke timeframe. 6 weeks notice to move, 2 weeks of issues. Will happily take pictures of the bodged telephone line but think people are missing the point. Over 10 years of being a customer, plenty of notice to move house and have new services installed, over 25 hours wasted on the phone across 14 days and no resolution, accountability or clear path of action. A disgrace. 

[JimM1]

@PeterBorrie Yes, i vote EE as the main contender for that, sure other companies also may fall under the spell of individual complaints when things do not go well!

[TimmyBGood]

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@PeterBorrie wrote:

Bilateral agreement with Sky, not interested if they use Broadband or Skylink, as long as it works. If you choose a supplier that can't fulfil your obligations then choose a new provider or negotiate better terms with your provider to ensure issues are resolved in a rasonabke timeframe. 

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You appear to have missed the significance of a monopoly national network provider: no Openreach ISP can provide service if Openreach cannot get a circuit to an address, and in the absence of competition there's no opportunity to 'negotiate better terms'.

Complaints on this topic should be addressed to the British Telecom privatisation process in the 1980s