Sky unwilling to help elderly customer

[MJ+Martin]

I have a long running issue that, after months, still has no resolution and would be grateful for advice.

My mother is elderly, housebound and has brain tumours which sometimes make recollection difficult. She lives a long way away from me but I help as much as I can.

For the past three months, her landline won't ring out. She can receive calls but can't make them. She pays Sky about £50pm for phone and internet only.

My mother doesn't have a mobile as she can't operate one due to her disabilities. The landline is really her lifeline. But the problem is, she can't call Sky for help, and when I have tried to call, they refuse to talk to me or help without a "password" a which my mother has no clue of anyway. I've gone round and round with Sky on this, even sought help over Twitter, but Sky just won't help.

Carers have checked the phone, the cables and haven't been able to fix it. We really need an engineer but can't get Sky to even discuss that.

So, what do I do? I'm visiting for Christmas and I'm an inch away from just trying to switch her provider and hope they can fix the landline. But it would be disruptive.

[Daniel0210]

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@MJ+Martin wrote:

For the past three months, her landline won't ring out. She can receive calls but can't make them. She pays Sky about £50pm for phone and internet only.

I don't know which Talk package she's on but £50pm sounds a bit steep.

My mother doesn't have a mobile as she can't operate one due to her disabilities. The landline is really her lifeline. But the problem is, she can't call Sky for help, and when I have tried to call, they refuse to talk to me or help without a "password" a which my mother has no clue of anyway. I've gone round and round with Sky on this, even sought help over Twitter, but Sky just won't help.

That's correct. That is Sky's policy. They will always ask for the telephone password. When you are there you perhaps need to contact Sky and set one up. Then you will be able to deal with Sky on your Mums behalf and do everything except cancel or reduce a subscription. Due to your Mums issues and disabilities it may be worth registering her with the Sky Accessibility Team who may be able to help now or in the future. Once registered there are also different methods of communication with this team
https://www.skyaccessibility.sky/ 

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[Mark39]

The issue here is that Sky call centre advisers simply cannot access your mother's account without first verifying her identity. 

Given your mother's frailty, I would suggest you explain her circumstances to the Accessibility team who may be better placed to help.

Edited to add: post delayed by a call at the door!

[MJ+Martin]

Much as I understand that, I also tried the 'Accessibility Team' and they told me the same thing. They couldn't help.

Every phone call also had almost an hour long wait, only to end in being told, can't help. But the truth is, they could help. If they could just RING HER (the phone receives call still), then it could be sorted out. But nope, flat refusal on every number I tried or was given to try.

[Daniel0210]

@MJ+Martin 

I'm afraid even if Sky rang your Mum they wouldn't get much further as she wouldn't be able to pass the security check. That's also why we wouldn't be able to escalate the issue to Sky from here. 

[MJ+Martin]

@Daniel0210 I appreciate the resposnes, but this is the system that Sky has set up. If they spoke to her directly, they could go through whatever security questions they wanted to prove identity (if ringing on the landline number provided by Sky isn't enough proof somehow). 

What I'm saying is, it's a poorly designed system, because it can place vulnerable people in this circle where Sky continue to charge for services they aren't providing, with the individual really unable to do anything about it. 

The only way to change a system is to report where it breaks down. Sky have happily left an 80-year old with no close family without a phone, and all I get is "well, that's the system, nothing can change it". I'm sorry but that's nonsense, someone somewhere has the power to escalate this and help - and they repeatedly have chosen not to. 

I don't consider myself a complainer, but come on. It's not good enough.