Sky replaced my contract instead of cancelling it

[Ant8er1]

I just spent almost 90 minutes cancelling my TV contract (long wait, multiple dropped lines etc). 

I'd hoped for a new contract at a similar price to my old one, but it didn't come close. So I said I'd cancel. 

I was asked if I wanted to keep the box, which seemed strange, but said yes (why not?).  He said I could still use the apps on it, so it seemed like a good idea. 

I had expected the TV service to continue until the end of my contract, in October (ie 31 days notice).  But I received immediate emails saying it was cancelled today.  And that I now had a new 12 month contract at £5 a month for something called TV Essentials.  I was totally unaware of having agreed to  a new contract or that it would apparently replace the one I thought I'd cancelled today, giving 31 days notice. 

I'm now probably going to have to spend another 90 minutes sorting this out.  Unless anyone has any other ideas of how to immediately get my proper TV back without going through the lengthy wait/dropped call/wait/dropped call. 

Now of course I don' tknow what other damage has occurred due to him changing my contract not cancelling it. I haven't checked if all our recordings are still on the box. It's just so scary and frustrating to talk to people who don't seem to know what they're doing. 

[PandJ2020]

You cannot keep the box without a subscription - but if this wasn't made clear then you need to call back..

[TimmyBGood]

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@Ant8er1 wrote:

 And that I now had a new 12 month contract at £5 a month for something called TV Essentials.

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https://www.sky.com/help/articles/tv-essentials 

[TimmyBGood]

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@Ant8er1 wrote:

I was asked if I wanted to keep the box, which seemed strange, but said yes (why not?).  He said I could still use the apps on it, so it seemed like a good idea. 

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Pretty clearly misselling if the fact that requires a (budget) subscription product on a minimum term wasn't explained.

[Ant8er1]

Thanks. Have spoken to two people so far, who've arranged a callback within the next few hours from the original agent.  I'm not happy - I clearly said I wanted to end my contract so quite how I've ended up with a different one is beyond me.  And to action the cancellation of all my services, including Netflix, on the day I called - with no notice - is beyond me!!!  I'm assuming they get some kind of commission for selling a new contract, which makes them ignore customers who say they want to leave? 

I'm glad calls are recorded. I can escalate it if it isn't sorted out. But what a waste of a day. The initial 90 minutes was bad enough but I can see this taking up so much more time sorting it out. 

I cancelled Virgin because they promised to do things but didn't, but at least they put the promise in writing. Sky have agreed to something on the phone but put something totally different in writing to me. And I don't have a recording of it. 

Is it possible to ask for the recording from Sky?  I remember once, a very dodgy car rental agency insisted they'd reviewed video of me agreeing to additional costs, and it was only when I turned up at the office and asked to see the video that they admitted I was right and they were wrong. I'd love to get the recording from Sky so I can prepare for a full-blown complaint if this isn't resolved with no resulting damage.

[Ant8er1]

An interesting observation was that Sky's automated phone system initially directed me to a different team, when I called back. It was answered within a minute or so, not even requiring hold music. They passed me on to a different team, which again only took minutes. It's just the cancellation team (that I need tto speak to again) that has incredibly long waits. On my first call, the hold music was already halfway through it's 2nd loop before I spoke to someone. 

Are Sky deliberately making it difficult for customers to cancel?  Or are the long waits because so many customers are cancelling ? If it's the former, then they're as bad as Virgin who're being investigated by Ofcom. And it's also interesting that Sky now have the same process of dropping your call at least once (I know it's on their side, because I use a VOIP and it was available throughout the process) and calling you back a bit later. I know it's going to happen, they know it's going to happen - they'll even laugh about it with you when you mention it - but I haven't worked out yet why they do it.  Is it part of Sky & Virgin's psychological warfare with their customers, or do the agents gain some sort of advantage by turning one call into several calls?

And ... I am SO **bleep** off by the fact everyone you talk to gives you different quotes for the same thing. I guess they're all trying it on, to see if you'll fall for what they're suggesting.  But when you're quoted something much higher than the offer you were given by someone else half an hour before, it's irritating. If I thought any other company was better/different, I'd use them. But they seem to all be getting as bad as each other. 

[Ant8er1]

Drat, can't find a way to edit my spelling/typing mistakes  Is there an edit button somewhere?

[nigea99]

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@Ant8er1 wrote:

Drat, can't find a way to edit my spelling/typing mistakes  Is there an edit button somewhere?

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Unfortunately you can only edit posts after  you have reached 'Level 3' on the system which means most people probably cannot do so

BTW Sorry that you appear to have had such an experience

[TimmyBGood]

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@Ant8er1 wrote:

Is it possible to ask for the recording from Sky?  I remember once, a very dodgy car rental agency insisted they'd reviewed video of me agreeing to additional costs, and it was only when I turned up at the office and asked to see the video that they admitted I was right and they were wrong. I'd love to get the recording from Sky so I can prepare for a full-blown complaint if this isn't resolved with no resulting damage.

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That should (in theory) be available through a Subject Access Request under Data Protection legislation, but an SAR might well take a while or two.

There's a relevant email address way down at the bottom of this page:

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/privacy-hub-privacy 

[Ant8er1]

Thanks. 

That won't get my service back today. But it will help with any complaint I raise. 

To add insult to injury, the promised callback within 2 hours hasn't happened.  And the chat box that I opened at 14.27 replied at 16.49, just while I nipped to the bathroom, and the agent immediately disappeared so I'm back in the queue for that. 

I can't tell you how much I hate these companies.  Many friends have given up completely with Sky, Virgin and the like and haven't missed it. It's just too much hard work. 

[Ant8er1]

So I phoned again. The AI system put me through to the wrong department, but we only established that after I'd explained  everything and he'd tried to help. He explained the only people who could put this right was the cancellation/retention department. There would be a 32 minute wait and he'd put me in the queue.  Someone spoke to me after less than 5 minutes. I again epxlained it all and he tried to help me. He then said I'd been put through to the wrong department, he wasn't cancellations, and he'd put me in the correct queue, which was then 40 minutes long.  I'm now nearly 55 minutes into this call. Everyone can see what the original guy has done (the one who was supposed to call me back within 2 hours, over 4 hours ago) but they can't change it. 

My original call started before midday.  And I only made that call because the person I spoke to 3 weeks ago, to cancel my contract, suggested I call back this week as there might be better retention offers. I seem to remember that call taking for ever, and being hung up on twice. 

I wonder who invented this nightmare Sky universe ?  They must be cackling away somewhere at the little people, us idiots, who pay through tthe nose for something it tprobably costs pennies to provide ... and there's no escape!!!!

Oh, I tried asking the AI for "complaints about customer service" a while back, earlier today when I still had a soul, and after a long converstation where I thought I was talking to the right people, because they asked the right questions and seemed interested in my predicament, it turned out they were the  technical complaints/support department but were too polite to tell me at the beginning of the conversation.