Sky Mobile Restricted

[Megdog10]

I was late paying my mobile bill - Sky restricted the service. My monthly bill is normally £59.80. Yesterday I paid £68, including I assume some kind of late fee. But Sky is claiming I must pay another £59.80 to have the restiction lifted. No further bill is due until October 28th. I cant use my phone and I can't get any sense out of Sky at all. Somone help me please.

[Daniel0210]

@Megdog10 
Sky won’t reinstate services until you’ve paid what is owed in full and set up a new continuous payment method. If your payment is two or more weeks overdue you will have to pay the next bill as well. It’s worth noting that it you’re in arrears for 56+ days Sky can fully terminate your subscription.

Once your full payment has cleared and is in Sky’s account your services should be reinstated, but this may not be instant. Also, any payment you make over a weekend or on a Bank Holiday won’t be processed until the following week.

You should be able to pay the bill and set up your direct debit via the MySky app or online using this link
https://www.sky.com/manage/bill/

[caesarome]

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@Megdog10 wrote:

I was late paying my mobile bill - Sky restricted the service. My monthly bill is normally £59.80. Yesterday I paid £68, including I assume some kind of late fee. But Sky is claiming I must pay another £59.80 to have the restiction lifted. No further bill is due until October 28th.

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If you were 2 weeks late paying this bill then Sky will also ask you to pay the next bill so you will need to do that and set up (or setup again) a monthly payment method on your account.

[Megdog10]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I have cleared the arrears plus set up a new payment. I wasnt even aware that the payment had previously failed - and it was due to my bank sending me a new debit card and blocking the old one. 

If I pay next month's, which to me makes no sense (and I have already paid a £9 penalty fee) as it is not owed for another two weeks, what guarantee is there that SKy wont still deduct another £59.80 (ie the regular billing amount) on the next formal billing date.  I think I will just cancel all my Sky Services (mobile, TV, broadband, films etc).  I am more than happy to fight this through the courts if Sky wants to. I have been a customer over 6 years, and being late once will one mobile bill, not even my broadband and TV, just my mobile is a terrible way to treat customers. 

Thank you again for your reply. 

[caesarome]

You should still be able to call Sky on 150 to confirm that they do require this extra payment for next months bill and uf they do then they should not bill you again for it.

[Megdog10]

Thank you. I have called them many times. All they said ad nauseam is that I owe them £59.80, which I disputed  as I had cleared the arrears. No one mentioned this very odd policy of paying next month's bill as well. Shocking customer service.  I am going to cancel all my Sky services. 

Thank you again, I very much appreciate the help and explanation.

[Daniel0210]

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@Megdog10 wrote:

No one mentioned this very odd policy of paying next month's bill as well.

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@Megdog10 

That would apply if your original default was for longer than 2 weeks.

[Megdog10]

So a very odd policy of charging a late fee, plus demanding the next month's payment. That is illegal as late and other penalty charges have to be commemsorate with the actual cost exposure to the company. Again, thank you so much. Sky is now going to lose £160 a month from me over the most terrible means of treating customers.

[Daniel0210]

@Megdog10 

I'm sure Skys team of lawyers considered this before it was implemented way back when. 

[Megdog10]

Companies aren't always complaint with prevailing and relevant legislation. I have just spoken to a specialist consumer rights lawyer who has confirmed Sky's position breaches FCA regulation on late payment. Plus breaches the Consumer Rights Act 2015 as it is unilaterally inequitable / unfair. She is going to write to Sky and escalate as required. In the meantime, I am cancelling all my Sky Services. 

[PandJ2020]

Being in breach of the contract (albeit not intentionally) doesn't put you in the strongest position.

Just to note that the failed payment will likely be noted on your credit file.  And that if you are subject to any minimum term then you'll have to pay early termination charges too.

[Megdog10]

No there is no impact on my credit file - late payments must be over one billing cycle delinquent to support negative credit information being reported to a credit bureau. 

[Megdog10]

The advice form the lawyer I spoke to is that unilaterally unfair contracts are not enforceable under the Consumer Rights Act and The Unfair Contract Terms Act. So I am taking legal advice on this. It's not a financial issue to me but a legal rights one, and how abominally Sky treats customers. 

[Kelsingra]

Hey @Megdog10 

Welcome to the Community! I am sorry to hear that you have issues with the bills and services. I can escalate you to the Community Messaging Team who can take a look at you account with you, if you would like?

More information about how it works can be found here:

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Did-you-know/Escalating-a-post-to-a-Sky-expert/ba-p/3711147

You can also raise a complaint following any of the options here: https://www.sky.com/help/articles/how-to-make-a-complaint 

Please let me know if you would like to talk to one of our CMT members!