Peed off with SKY

[Easy 10]

Tell them you're leaving, they'll do anything to make you stay. This applies to all companies and phone/mobile companies too.

Not quite, in the case of mobile phone companies.

My 2 year Orange contract came up for renewal last month (and I've been with Orange for about 5 years). I was quite happy to stay with them, but wanted to upgrade my phone. Best they could do was £50 for the new handset, and a monthly plan that was £2 dearer than I could get with O2, who were offering the handset I wanted for nuffin (and the same limitless calls/texts/2G a month). I told them this, they said they couldn't match it.

See ya then.

 

[Gordon Bennett]

Cancellation is the way to go!

Whenever I've phoned up threatening to cancel my Sky subscription they miraculously come up with a good deal that isn't available elsewhere. This seems to be because asking to cancel gets you put through to their Scottish Call Centre and speaking to people whose main role is to retain customers rather than trot out scripted responses. It's often useful if a competitor (BT, Talk Talk) happens to be offering a good deal at the time which you can quote to them and which they can check on-line whilst you are talking to them. I've always been prepared to go through with the cancellation so never accept the first 'deal' they offer me.

 

[southstandandy]

Told them I was leaving and they gave me a new terabyte box (whatever that is - larger capacity I think) and 18 months at half price if I stayed. Said I would for 2 years at half price - and bang I now pay £30 a month for everything and have the latest box.

 

[Rod Marsh]

It'll only get freeview unless you pay for a virgin/sky subscription

Just go on eBay. Search for skybox F5s. You can get a box for £85 that comes loaded with a years subscription to sports, movies, music, entertainment etc. 85 quid for a year not much more than some people pay for a month. I have friends using these boxes.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I've had a few boxes go skoolally on me over the years, and they've ALWAYS done the "£65 callout charge" line whenever I phone them. But as soon as I mention the C word (err, cancel), I'm always put on hold while they "speak to their supervisor", or I'm transferred to a retentions department. Shortly after its always "we can see you're a good customer, so on this occasion..." blah blah. Ridiculous charade you always have to go through.

I'm not bluffing though. If that box goes up the chute and they insist on charging me to have someone come out and put it right, I'm outta there.

Incidentally - does ANYONE actually pay out on that insurance for the Sky Box they're always trying to flog ? £8 a month innit ? You've got to be a prize prawn to take that out.

But why should you have to do that ? It's the main reason I did actually leave Sky - couldn't be bothered with the ridiculous pantomime of "It will cost you, OK I'll cancel, OK it's free". No such shite with Virgin.

 

[Easy 10]

But why should you have to do that ? It's the main reason I did actually leave Sky - couldn't be bothered with the ridiculous pantomime of "It will cost you, OK I'll cancel, OK it's free". No such shite with Virgin.

Oh I quite agree. But I am an essentially lazy creature who can't be bothered to switch, so as long as they're not trying to dip their fingers in my pocket if their box fails, then I'll stay. I like the product, especially Sky Go. Can't beat watching the sporting action on my lappy in the garden.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

But you get the internet for free for 2 years.

Yes but everyone wanting to watch champs league will want BT sport next season which you get free with BT broadband. So if you get this sky broadband 'offer' surely you'll be tied into a sky contract and then have to either pay to cancel to get BT or have to pay for BT sport as extra if you want to watch champs league.

I'm sticking with BT broadband and free BT sport. I have sky TV currently with sky sports package...

 

[maltaseagull]

Isn't it the norm with just about all big companies now? Entice the new customer with deals not available to the long term customer and piss the long term customer off? Customer Relations is a fecking joke these days. Having customers who have to threaten to leave to get what they should get as loyal customers is a pretty crap way of promoting your company.

I remember a training course where we were shown some incredible stats that show how much companies spend attracting new customers and how little keeping existing ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Uw4-dPFGc2k (Not the course)

 

[Rambo]

After 15 years with Sky on the full package I have reduced right down to the basic package now, they are money grabbing bstads who will just keep putting it up year after year. I looked at all my bills and over 10 years the biggest increases are for TV, not gas, not electric, not water, TV!

Ditch it, you won't miss it.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Just go on eBay. Search for skybox F5s. You can get a box for £85 that comes loaded with a years subscription to sports, movies, music, entertainment etc. 85 quid for a year not much more than some people pay for a month. I have friends using these boxes.

Its not a subscription as such. Its that the box connects to the net and then the box tries to decode the channels by finding the right codes online. Firstly it IS illegal, secondly, they are fairly usless and scramble often, thirdly it is ONLY SD not HD as SKY are wise to these boxes and will shortly block all Pay channels using their new encryption. Its people selling these boxes on ebay and forums that has alerted sky and enabled them to put a stop to it. Ask your friends if they still get HD? Proof sky is shutting these boxes down.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yes but everyone wanting to watch champs league will want BT sport next season which you get free with BT broadband. So if you get this sky broadband 'offer' surely you'll be tied into a sky contract and then have to either pay to cancel to get BT or have to pay for BT sport as extra if you want to watch champs league.

I'm sticking with BT broadband and free BT sport. I have sky TV currently with sky sports package...

I may have misread. But I thought bt are showing the Cl for free?

 

[Shoreham Gull]

Tell them you are leaving and you'll get it for nowt.

Yes listen to this guy,, say u wanna leave.. Because of cost and can get hd box somewhere else!!

There give u new box and knock down your sky monthly bill!

I do it every year ( they make u sign up for another year again )...

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

But why should you have to do that ? It's the main reason I did actually leave Sky - couldn't be bothered with the ridiculous pantomime of "It will cost you, OK I'll cancel, OK it's free". No such shite with Virgin.

I always find virgin quite expensive, and that's with a staff discount

 

[VAL1850]

sports package just gone up by £2.50 per month as well, despite them losing Champions League?

Had a letter yesterday saying going up £4.00 per month in September - any advance on this ??

 

[Deleted member 18477]

I may have misread. But I thought bt are showing the Cl for free?

So I think they're showing some games free. Not all the games though...

 

[Captain Sensible]

I have the basic plus entertainment pack, and sky still wont let me watch HD for channel 5 or itv 23 or4? Not only that tv shows that are on demand are not available, only catch up. I just find the service getting worse and worse. We need a new cheaper service to rival Virgin and Sky. Whats the Talk Talk or BT vision stuff like? How much a month for what i already have with sky?

 

[Cian]

Just go on eBay. Search for skybox F5s. You can get a box for £85 that comes loaded with a years subscription to sports, movies, music, entertainment etc. 85 quid for a year not much more than some people pay for a month. I have friends using these boxes.

For three months until the new version of Videoguard rolls out. Bit like how the price of the Nagra2 cracking cable boxes crashed through the floor when it was obvious they were going to become useless soon.

 

[robinsonsgrin]

bit of a captive market in dear ole LA.... back in the day cable never came to us.... just got rid of sky sports, but cant cope without SSN for Soccer Sat..they are cunning buggers.. removed that from Freeview a while ago and it isn't with the basic package either...

 

[Codner's Wallop]

Coincidentally, following 12 years with Sky, I finally left them last week for BT. Had enough of the exorbitant pricing and the fact other providers seem to be catching up. When I informed the customer service rep I was leaving, he offered me 'as a valued customer, the best deal he could provide, including a 15% discount''. This prompted me to ask, 'if I am a valued customer, then why didn't you give me this best deal in the first place?' Of course he had no answer. Feeling empowered at finally divorcing myself from this cash-sucking parasite, I sat and poured myself an obedient little glass of claret...no regrets.

 

[A mex eyecan]

I've iust canceled mine. Was paying £75 a month , and did not have movies.
My daughter, who had cancelled 3 months ago was phoned, asked her to go back and sky gave them everything, for £35!

I called and said I'd like them to do something, else I was off and the buggers could not have cared less. When I said I was going the guy at the call centre said we take 9000 calls a day from people cancelling, yes 9000! , I asked if that did not tell them something.

Anyhow I'm going, may even buy a freesat hd with all gizmos for £225, won't take long to get the investment back, and as for sky sports , well they can shove it where the sun won't shine