My elderly mother has received a Sky Q box. We wish to send it back. How do I do that please?

[XAZ]

1. At the end of June, my mother received a surprise tel call from Sky asking if she'd like to upgrade to a Sky Q. She said no and that she didn't want to change anything.

2. A week or so later she received a Sky Q box for a 2nd TV (she has only 1 TV).

3. I've spent hours today trying to sort this out. Vera has said she's cancelled the Sky Q and I need to send it back.

I cannot find any instructions to do this on sky.com.

How do I send it back please?

Your help will be much appreciated.

Many thanks.

[oldfella · Accepted solution]

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@XAZ wrote:

1. At the end of June, my mother received a surprise tel call from Sky asking if she'd like to upgrade to a Sky Q. She said no and that she didn't want to change anything.

2. A week or so later she received a Sky Q box for a 2nd TV (she has only 1 TV).

3. I've spent hours today trying to sort this out. Vera has said she's cancelled the Sky Q and I need to send it back.

I cannot find any instructions to do this on sky.com.

How do I send it back please?

Your help will be much appreciated.

Many thanks.

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Hi @XAZ 

Afraid you are not contacting Sky directly here as this is a customer forum.
If you need to contact them you need to persevere by phone.
To contact Sky
Select Need more help
at the bottom of the following link and this will lead to a phone contact.
Ignore all automated messages and wait for an agent
https://www.sky.com/help/home

[Daniel0210]

@XAZ 

Something doesn't sound right here. If she didn't agree to a Sky Q subscription then Sky wouldn't force it upon her. If she previously had Sky+ or Sky+HD, any upgrade to Sky Q doesn't involve Sky just "sending a Sky Q box out". A Sky engineer would be required to make changes to the LNB on the dish. 

[XAZ]

Thanks, that's interesting.

Sky rang her on (28th?) June and she says they asked if she'd like an upgrade. Both she and I are certain she replied with a definite "no" because in my family, 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it'.

Her Sky was working beautifully, she's had it like that since 2018, she's elderly, she doesn't like change (neither do I). 

Despite her saying "no thanks", believe it or not, Sky HAS just sent a Sky Q box!

Today,  trying to work out what was what and speaking to Sky on the phone has taken me over 3 hours. I'm exhausted. Why couldn't they just leave us alone with the package my mother knows and understands? 

Suggest: was it someone in Sales trying to improve their weekly sales targets? Who knows. 

I could complain, but sadly Sky likely won't care/won't respond and I'll still be left with the same problem: How can I send the Sky Q box back.

I've been assured by Vera that my mother is within a 30 day cooling off so she won't be charged (thank goodness), but it looks like they'll charge her anyway, for not sending it back even though we can't find out how to find a label on Sky.com to send it back.

Going round in circles.

I can't face another long tel call with Sky.

My mother and I are innocent!

[XAZ]

I've re-read your last message "A Sky engineer would be required to make changes to the LNB on the dish".

Thank you, you're making me think.

No engineer has been in touch. My mother hasn't received a letter about that and I don't think I've received an email on her behalf.

I'm not sure what to do.

[Daniel0210]

@XAZ 

Before we can advise further you need to confirm what platform she had. Was it Sky+, Sky+HD or Sky Q?

If she had Sky+ or Sky+HD and has agreed to upgrade to Sky Q an engineer brings the Sky Q box with them and installs it and changes the LNB on the arm of the satellite dish to one compatible with Sky Q. 

If she already had Sky Q what they might have sent out is a Sky Q mini box to use with a 2nd TV which, as you've said she only has one TV, is not required. 

Neither of those two options should have happened unless your Mum agreed to it. 

[XAZ]

Hello Daniel 0210

Thank you for your reply and for the clarity - just seeing it in a  few words is an enormous help.

She has 

Sky TV,

Sky HD,

Ultimate TV.

The main box she has already is a Q box.

You said, 

"If she already had Sky Q what they might have sent out is a Sky Q mini box to use with a 2nd TV which, as you've said she only has one TV, is not required". 

   - I think you've hit the nail on the head. The new box is a smaller SkyQ mini box. 

She is always adamant she doesn't want to change anything, but it seems they offered her a £5 discount. She's elderly and a £5 discount always sounds attractive to someone like my mum! But, she's absolutely sure she was told 'nothing will change', but of course it has. 

I went yesterday to set the new Sky box up. There are scant instructions in the SkyQ mini box (it doesn't even say what it's for, just plug-in instructions). I thought the new Sky box was a replacement for the one she already has. Obviously not, that's why I rang Sky and spoke to Vera (Customer Services?).

There has been no contact from an engineer.

Yesterday, when I spoke to Vera she said she cancelled the SkyQ mini box, and said I must return it. Fair enough, but it's how to send it back.

I can't find a label to print on Sky.com which matches this situation.

The last thing I want is to send it back but it goes to the wrong dept/gets lost. 

Thanks Daniel0210

[lettice]

You can use your own packaging.
Follow this link to print your own labels;
https://www.sky.com/help/articles/return-tv-broadband
Make sure you keep your proof of posting.

If at a later date, Sky come back and say they have not received your kit, please come back on here and we as Superusers can escalate to Sky to resolve for you, with your proof of posting.
Its quite a common escalation, that gets easily resolved

[Daniel0210]

@XAZ 

Thanks for clarifying. Make sure she has cancelled Sky Multiscreen as well as the actual mini box because Multiscreen is an ongoing monthly payment.

As stated by @lettice you can use any packaging as long as it’s secure and you may want to put a note inside with your Mums account number and a list of equipment that is included. 

[XAZ]

Hello Lettice and Daniel

Thank you both for your help and advice. Much appreciated. I'll get on with it all tomorrow. 

Thanks again.