Blogs My First Experience With Sky

http://www.bit-tech.net/blog/2009/09/22/my-first-experience-with-sky/

 

Ouch.

I think this kind of thing is inherent in all the big companies really - customer service is the first thing to go down the toilet as a company grows, I'm sure there's a list as long as my arm of companies that do this kind of crap.

 

I've only ever had to use their customer service once to get a dead box replaced, and it was no issue. Sounds like you've been very unlucky. But the customer service could definately have been handled a lot better. The problem is, they can do this to people, but not lose too many customers, as they have a virtual monopoly.

 

I take it that Sky still have the installation teams that won't go above the first floor, will not go into lofts, infact, will refuse to install any thing other than a first floor dish and drilling through the living room wall? When we had the block of flats in my development fitted with dishes everything had to be done by external contractors as Sky refused to work in the loft spaces due to health and safety issues?.

 

Hmm was thinking about changing to sky from TalkTalk as they seem to be screwing me, price wise on everything now. Used to be cheap to start with and the promise of free broadband never surfaced.

The idea of TV, telephone and broadband all on the one bill and cheaper was appealing.

Gonna have to think about this now

 

I don't see the point of this policy. Sky fit Satelite dishes. 99% of homes would require them to fit a dish as high up as possible (i.e. 1st floor or higher) .

 

About 2 years ago I had really, really bad service from Sky regarding the broadband service. I have had the TV with them for many years and never had any problems and the TV service has always been excellent, which was the main reason I went broadband with them. At the time the LLU service was unavailable, so I had the £5 a month Connect package.

I cannot describe in detail (because there was so many issues over a period of months) all the problems I had with them. However it started when I gave them my MAC code from my previous ISP. They agreed on a day for it to be transferred, letters were received confirming the day. The day came, and my internet was switched off. However as they insist on you using their own router, it had not arrived. I was told it was only ordered that day, instead of beforehand, so that was 3 days without internet waiting for it to arrive, instead of about 2 hours loss of internet as told by sales. Reason? They don't bother to send out your router until the day you switch to them. Idiots. That was just the start of a few months of many and varied troubles. it culminated in an email to rupert murdoch, and his people not only arranged for decent compensation, but also my MAC code and release from the 12 month contract.

Fast forward to today. My exchange is now LLU ready, and I have ordered the Sky broadband again at £20 a month for unlimited up to 20mb download speed. I am expecting about 14mb. So far, so good. The router arrived several days ago, with letter and information. Activation is for today, so should be ready when I get home from work. We shall see. Setting aside the 10 day "line training" period, I will let you know how it goes for me, and if it goes badly Mr Murdoch will be getting another email from me.

I have ZERO confidence in their broadband customer service, which going on past experience was worse than useless, sent me on a global tour of Asia each time, sometimes ending up back in Scotland, and it was a case of broken callback promise, one after another and (literally) weeks of no internet access randomly, with an "urgent" callback to me sometimes happening 3 days later.

I just hope it all works this time around, and I don't end up having to phone their technical "support".

Will update soon!

 

WOW!

That is freaking harsh - especially as Sky have been nothing but fantastic! Not to rub it in. Whenever a problem has arisen with the package I bought my parents, Sky have been prompt and professional - repairing the issue immediately. Obviously I can't blame Sky for BT being retarded and crippling my connection speed & I don't mean to rub it in your face that I've received fantastic quality of service.

Still, you've done what most people don't and shout the hell up when such awful issues arise.

I can still relate to receiving such a pathetic service - T-Mobile. I've never felt so much pent up aggression against a company, but they take the biscuit.

Ranting aside - let's look at the positive - you've got an net connection, that means you should check out my community, and finally play some games.

\m/

 

sounds like a little overnight company overstretched or bad management.. here we can file a claim with the ftc and they look into it- if it happens on a wide scale they actually have the ability to shut them down

 

My experiences of T-Mobile have been less than stellar in the last year, too.

My parents switched from Virgin Media to Sky as they could get Sky+HD, phone and internet for less than the cost of the Virgin TV (without phone or internet...) with the package deal Sky was running. So far the only complaint has been that despite BT installing a brand new phone line (that they tested out and "assure" us should be able to work at at least 8Mbps) for the internet, the Sky broadband is barely hitting 2.5Mbps.

Oh, and the Sky+HD box has a tendency to crash every few days, although it's not yet got so bad as Virgin, which we usually had to reboot at least twice a day.

 

You should report this story to the office of telecommunication ombudsman - theyll act as a mediator for you in settling financial disputes with companies. Personally i feel sky has treated you outrageously, and the level of customer services, for the inflated prices we are expected to pay by large companies these days is nothing short of ludicrous!

You should report these glorified robbers and teach them a lesson!

 

I had really terrible problems with Virgin Media and their numbskulls in customer service to the point where i gave up a 20+mb broadband connection over fibre-optic to go for Sky and <2mb over copper wire. Totallly the right decision in my mind as after i told sky why i left VM they gave me free top package broadband for 6 months, a free sky+ box, free sky sports for 4 months and waived the installation fee. That's well over £400 for slagging off their competitor and a bit of negotiation!

 

The ombudsman won't even look at your case until 6 months have passed. (just FYI unless things have changed from my last run in with Sky - I checked and was willing to do it at the time).

I would email the main man murdoch. I know he doesn't read them, but someone with clout does, because as described above my issues were sorted out with compensation, (credited to my TV bill) a MAC code and dismissal of the contract within 48 hours of sending it.

 

They are quite cheeky sky when I signed up for the TV/ADSL package a year ago I specifically asked the person on the phone 5 times if I could use my own router and he said it wouldnt be a problem. Low and behold when I came to set it up it was.

Luckily there is a website that explains how to extract your adsl user/pass so you can use your own router. I really didnt like the idea of sky being able to manage my router!

 

This is why I don't have a land line, steal my TV and only have cable broadband.

 

i find it daft that the sky official website is advertising the service described above for 18.50 a month on this page haha...

and draiguk is quite right, itd be drawn out to go through an ombudsman, but its an option if all else did fail, but its definately worth aiming higher in the organisation with a well worded email first, sound advice.

I personally was having a nightmare of a time with BT broadband, and was using sky tv in conjunction ( which i had relatively no issues with), but after all the hassle i switched service providers to virgin , for the whole deal, and its been perfect since installation 4 months ago.

it seems to me that sometimes its a roll of the dice with service providers
(considering other stories here describe sky as brilliant and virgin as naff =P)

 

As long as all the companies have equally awful service, which they do, you can't get anything better. Do you think they'll treat you better now they realise its on t'internet?

 

You've sent them this link via upper management, right? They know you work for one of the biggest technology publishers in the country, right?

Actually, sod the subtlety. Let's you and me just go down and egg their HQ, yeah?

Also, this is why I don't use Sky and why my family and friends cancelled their subscriptions.

 

I have had nothing but terrible experiences again and again with Sky. We gave up two years ago now when I think about it...

 

Damn that is harsh! I hear nightmare stories about Sky a lot.

I can't recommend "Be There" enough on the other hand.