Sky not responding to my letters

[mollers]

Lots of problems with Sky prior to my house move on 1st September, won't bore you with these, but am now looking to cancel within my 12 month contract (in contract until May) due to the following (edited!) timeline:

 

Timeline of problems:

 

• 1st September 17:00: rang to report change of address (many attempts of holding for 50 mins and being cut off before i got through). Was told that phone line was the first service that should be updated; was advised that phone line at old address had been barred and phone line transfer to new address to go live on September 15th. I advised I would ring back to arrange TV installation at new address and was told that was fine and that the new address linked to the TV service would be updated.
  
• 7th September: rang to arrange TV installation only to be told it couldn’t be arranged because the phone line had not been ‘ceased’ at my old address and would not therefore go live on 15th September at my new address. I would have to speak again to the Home Move team. Could not get through on phone so sent letter of complaint by recorded delivery.
  
• 11th September: standard letter received from Sky dated 7th September congratulating my on my house move and contradicting the call of 7th September by advising that my phone line would go live on 15th September.
  
• 15th September: no response as yet to letter. Tried phone line which indeed had gone live. Rang therefore for explanation of cock up (none forthcoming) and to arrange TV installation and broadband. Broadband could not be arranged because my status was 'cancel failure'. This was apparently nothing to worry about and someone would call me within 72 hours to arrange broadband. No phone call received as of today (25th).
  
• TV installation arranged for 17th September at new address.
  
• 17th September. Engineer did not arrive as promised between 0800 and 1300.
  
  • 13.05: rang to ascertain whereabouts of engineer. Held on phone for 50 minutes and then got cut off.
    
  • 17:30: rang to ask about about my right to cancel as still in 12 month contract and spoke to Sheila in Cancellations who advised me to write in. Transferred to Debbie in Customer Services to find out why engineer did not turn up. Told the address on the system was still my old one (what?!) so the engineer had probably gone there (why did the engineer not ring the contact number I had been asked to provide?).
    
  • 18:32: call received from Sky Installations (from number 08000512592) to ask why I had not been in when the engineer called to do my installation!!!
    

  [*]New letter of complaint sent by special delivery on 18th September asking for response within 5 working days as per charter on website (bearing in mind my previous letter of 7th September has still not been acknowledged).

No response still. Apparently I cannot escalate my case with Ombudsman until 8 weeks have lapsed! I cannot wait 8 weeks for this to be resolved. What else can I do to get my complaint acknowledged? I just want to end my contract because of all the hassle and errors (there have been many unsatisfactory phone calls throughout the last 25 days which is why I started writing letters instead; email attempts have proved fruitless because they say my letter will be being dealt with but it depends how busy they are; if they are busy the 5 day rule will not apply). Why can I not speak to them by phone and just sort this out? And my direct debit is still being taken. Any advice appreciated as I am at the end of my tether with it all.

Edited September 25, 2009 by mollers

[IdaInFife]

have you checked tracking with royal mail t see if it has been recevied?

 

ida x

[MK_One]

Sounds so similar to mine, only with mine the muppet at the other end did not do telephone first. I did get a response from customer relations on Tuesday, they said they where going to speak to the department and would ring me back that afternoon, that was four days ago.

 

It is so frustrating, everyone I have spoken to in sky admits it was Sky's fault and they all say that I need to speak to customer relations, these same people who never actually do anything.

[mollers]

Hi Ida - Yes the letters were delivered within the special delivery timeframe. I have received and responded to your PM and will try what you suggest. Thanks for your help. Wendy

[IdaInFife]

no probs let us know

 

ida x

[MK_One]

Well after emailing Jeremy Darroch (CEO), I received a response the same day. They have agreed to refund the telephone connection charge of £105, and are giving us 12 months free line rental.

[IdaInFife]

glad you got it sorted

 

 

ida x

[mollers]

Well done MKOne. I have also emailed Jeremy Darroch (yesterday) so am waiting to see if I get a reply.

[mollers]

Am getting somewhere slowly.....after emailing Jeremy Darroch, the next day (today) I received a message on my ansaphone from customer relations telling me my account had already been cancelled (hooray!). However my phone line is still connected and customer services can't tell me when the cancellation is with effect from (rolls eyes). Apparently my viewing card has been disabled but I didn't have TV installed anyway so that doesn' really help, lol!

So am trying to get Customer Relations to ring me back again (via Jeremy Darroch again!) to let me know the score. This, to me, is some sort of progress even if it doesn't sound like it! Would also like to know why my letters weren't responded to but hey-ho, you can't have everything!

Thanks to Idainfife for advice.X

[martin4963]

Lots of problems with Sky prior to my house move on 1st September, won't bore you with these, but am now looking to cancel within my 12 month contract (in contract until May) due to the following (edited!) timeline:

 

Timeline of problems:

 

• 1st September 17:00: rang to report change of address (many attempts of holding for 50 mins and being cut off before i got through). Was told that phone line was the first service that should be updated; was advised that phone line at old address had been barred and phone line transfer to new address to go live on September 15th. I advised I would ring back to arrange TV installation at new address and was told that was fine and that the new address linked to the TV service would be updated.
  
• 7th September: rang to arrange TV installation only to be told it couldn’t be arranged because the phone line had not been ‘ceased’ at my old address and would not therefore go live on 15th September at my new address. I would have to speak again to the Home Move team. Could not get through on phone so sent letter of complaint by recorded delivery.
  
• 11th September: standard letter received from Sky dated 7th September congratulating my on my house move and contradicting the call of 7th September by advising that my phone line would go live on 15th September.
  
• 15th September: no response as yet to letter. Tried phone line which indeed had gone live. Rang therefore for explanation of cock up (none forthcoming) and to arrange TV installation and broadband. Broadband could not be arranged because my status was 'cancel failure'. This was apparently nothing to worry about and someone would call me within 72 hours to arrange broadband. No phone call received as of today (25th).
  
• TV installation arranged for 17th September at new address.
  
• 17th September. Engineer did not arrive as promised between 0800 and 1300.
  
  • 13.05: rang to ascertain whereabouts of engineer. Held on phone for 50 minutes and then got cut off.
    
  • 17:30: rang to ask about about my right to cancel as still in 12 month contract and spoke to Sheila in Cancellations who advised me to write in. Transferred to Debbie in Customer Services to find out why engineer did not turn up. Told the address on the system was still my old one (what?!) so the engineer had probably gone there (why did the engineer not ring the contact number I had been asked to provide?).
    
  • 18:32: call received from Sky Installations (from number 08000512592) to ask why I had not been in when the engineer called to do my installation!!!
    

  [*]New letter of complaint sent by special delivery on 18th September asking for response within 5 working days as per charter on website (bearing in mind my previous letter of 7th September has still not been acknowledged).

No response still. Apparently I cannot escalate my case with Ombudsman until 8 weeks have lapsed! I cannot wait 8 weeks for this to be resolved. What else can I do to get my complaint acknowledged? I just want to end my contract because of all the hassle and errors (there have been many unsatisfactory phone calls throughout the last 25 days which is why I started writing letters instead; email attempts have proved fruitless because they say my letter will be being dealt with but it depends how busy they are; if they are busy the 5 day rule will not apply). Why can I not speak to them by phone and just sort this out? And my direct debit is still being taken. Any advice appreciated as I am at the end of my tether with it all.

Which Ombudsman are you referring to ? My reason for asking is due to the very same problems that you have experienced, i.e. ignoring letters, my latest letter sent 2 weeks ago using royal mail recorded delivery still remains unanswered, despite the fact that I escalated my complaint to the Managing Director.

[mollers]

Hi there - I was referring to CISAS and OTELO. Have you tried emailing Jeremy Darroch as I did? My complaint is now being handled (not very well I might add but someone out there is dealing with it and I have even managed to get their surname out of them!) but I have still not been given any real reason as to why my letters have been ignored. The mail strike was mentioned but I was able to prove that my letters had been signed for weeks before this started.

It seems emails to Mr Darroch are the only way to get complaints acknowledged however wrong that seems to me. You shouldn't have to take a standard complaint to this level to get a response!

[martin4963]

Hi there - I was referring to CISAS and OTELO. Have you tried emailing Jeremy Darroch as I did? My complaint is now being handled (not very well I might add but someone out there is dealing with it and I have even managed to get their surname out of them!) but I have still not been given any real reason as to why my letters have been ignored. The mail strike was mentioned but I was able to prove that my letters had been signed for weeks before this started.

It seems emails to Mr Darroch are the only way to get complaints acknowledged however wrong that seems to me. You shouldn't have to take a standard complaint to this level to get a response!

 

Many thanks for that, would be grateful if you could let me have Jeremy Darrochs e-mail address.

[mollers]

Hi - the address is jeremy.darroch@bskyb.com - good luck!

[martin4963]

Hi - the address is jeremy.darroch@bskyb.com - good luck!

 

 

Many thanks, will keep you "posted".