Threatened with bailiffs by Sky

[hlxbravo]

I have an ongoing issue with Sky over a bill i do not owe. The short version is I have been with them fro about 9yrs, on the top TV package. At the end of June I decided to cancel, I phoned them up and I was told July the 30th would be my cutoff date, just after being given this date, i was cut off, they did not call me back. I paid my July bill and cancelled my direct debit. I returned from holiday on 29th July and had letter about the direct debit cancellation. I phoned again and was told the first lady I spoke to had not actually cancelled my service. She then spoke to her manager and said although it was unusual he would honour my original date, the 30th July, effectively the following day. Beginning of August I phoned again cos I recieved a bill including an admin charge, I was told ignore the bill as they would sort it out. A week later I called agian because I was still recieving Sky, I was told it would just go off in a few days. Another bill arrived, for part of August and part of September, so I phoned again, same response.....ignore it. I asked for confirmation through the post that I was to ignore it and I was told his supervisor would do it immediatley, it never arrived. Then two weeks ago I recieve another letter saying I owe them almost £40 and if it's not paid in 14 days they would send round the bailiffs! So I sent a letter stating all dates/times/names of people I spoke to upon calling and over a week later I still have had no reply. Where do I go from here? What do I do next? As I have had at least 2 if not 3 people at Sky, tell me that the 30th July was my disconnection date.
I am dreading bailiffs turning up as I do not know the legalites of what they can and can't do.

Advice please.

[NewsreadeR]

It looks like you have all the evidence so to speak.

A bailiff cannot do anything afaik if you are in dispute with Sky. They would probably hand the case back to Sky.

Remember also a bailiff can only act specifically on a court order. ie A bailiff cannot make any claim on anything unless ordered to do so by a court. And when Sky take you to court (if they do) to prove the debt, they are going to look rather foolish.

You could try emailing:

AllCustomerCareEscalation at BSkyB.com

Remember to put the @ sign in instead of at and lose the spaces. Explain the scenario and what you have done. You should be fine, and try not to worry too much at the moment, as nothing can happen with the bailiff, without a court order.

[The Realist]

Well for starters they will only send you a letter requesting payment. Have Sky sent you a statement breaking down the charges that would explain the bill?

Did you make a written note of names of the persons you talked to and times of the calls?

I would call Sky back, go to the accounts department and ask them to clarify the bill and ask them to go back through the logs and see when you first asked for the cancelletion and go from there.

Regards.

[Brian69]

Take all paper work to your local Citizens Advice Bureau as soon as possible.
I am not sure about the powers bailiffs have, but I suspect they cannot force their way in. You need some proper advice on all this.

[The Realist]

Read this: Debt Basics - Bailiff Guide - know your rights

But I would urge you to contact Sky direct and ask them to explain the bill, that would be your first port of call.

Regards

[skypaulusplus]

my mother had the balifs threatened 4 times and 0 times has it happened(she still oews them £300)

[dms05]

Put it all in writing (not an email) and send it to the Office of the Chief Executive at Sky. Send it Recorded Delivery so someone has to sign for it. You are obviously in the right and Sky are in the wrong. It happens from time to time with large companies.

Bailiffs only act on the written instruction of a Court of Law so ignore that, it's a ruse to put pressure on people.

Over the past 12 months I've had similar problems with BT and United Utilities. BT eventually sorted themselves out and even sent us a bouquet of flowers as a 'sorry' gesture. UU and I are discussing a £1,650 Water/Sewerage bill dating back as far as 2006 which they have just decided to issue (incorrectly). The main thing is to engage them in a dialogue and writing to the Chief Executives Office will guarantee the problem goes to the correct department at the correct level.

As any legal action by Sky will take time and cost them a lot of money they will only take this course of action for big sums after they have exhausted all other avenues attempting to resolve the issue.

Good luck.

[dholdi]

You should be fine mate if you follow all the good advice given above. I know it can be worrying for you but it seems you are in the right here.

[Sam Radford]

This is why I almost never phone companies. I deal with them only by Recorded Delivery letter. That way I have a record of everything.

If I do make a phone call, I set my computer to record it.

Call me paranoid but they're all out to get me!

[hlxbravo]

Thanks for all the advice folks, I have just sent an email to the AllCustomerCareEscalation address, so I shall see what comes of this. I shall try calling Sky again tomorrow afternoon and also see what they have to say.

I have included below is a copy of the full letter I sent to them with all the facts I have.

Sky Subscriber Services Ltd.
4 Mackintosh Road,
Kirkton Campus,
Livingstone.
West Lothian.
EH54 7BW.

1st September 2008.

Account number : 6200********.

I am writing in utter disgust at the way my cancellation of Sky TV has been handled and as of yet is still unresolved.


June 30th 2008 (15.16 hours)

I initially contacted Sky, by telephone, on the date above, requesting that my service be cancelled, I do not recall who I spoke to. After being told that I am a valued customer having been with Sky for a number of years, I was offered some sort of package upgrade, which I refused, as I simply wanted it cancelled. The lady I spoke to eventually told me that my service would cease as of the 30th July 2008. Immediately after being given this date, the telephone line went dead, with a constant beep, as if I had been cut off. I waited for a return call, which was not forthcoming. I had no intention of calling back as I had already been cut off once prior to this, while going through the automation process. As I now had a date I thought that it would be dealt with, so I put in process a direct debit cancellation, to come into effect after my July payment had been made.

July 29th 2008 (19.14 hours)

I returned from my holiday on the date above to find I had a letter from Sky, dated the 16th July 2008, stating that I had cancelled my direct debit etc etc. I also received a bill dated 27th July 2008 stating that I owed a payment of £49.59, which was basically for the coming August, plus the first nine days of September and also an admin fee. So I immediately telephoned Sky, and spoke to a lady named Anne. She told me that my original call was logged on the system and also logged was the fact that the call had ended abruptly. She then told me that there are strict procedures to be followed in the event that a call is ended in this way and that she would be reporting the lady I spoke to in my first call, as she had not followed these procedures, which included calling me back. Then Anne told me that the lady I spoke to in my first call, had not even put my disconnection into process! Anne then went to speak to her supervisor/manager and when she came back offered me another free upgrade, which I once again refused, she said that her manager had authorised, although unusual, my original cut off date to be put into place, 30th July 2008, effectively the following day, due to the aforementioned misunderstanding. She then went on to amend my bill where she said that it would balance out upon my termination of service.

July 31st 2008 (15.04 hours)

I noticed my Sky was still active as of this date, so I telephoned once again and spoke to a gentleman called Ewan. He told me that Anne, who I spoke to in call two above, had not actually put a date into the system for my disconnection! I then explained about the letter I had received and I was told to ignore it, as I had “technically” been disconnected. He told me he had zeroed my bill and said my service would terminate in a day or two. I checked my online billing during this call and I pointed out to Ewan that it was still showing a balance, he said it would probably zero itself out upon termination of service, which it has not done.


I called again a few days later, as I was still receiving Sky, the date I cannot remember, but it was around the 19th August I would imagine, the time of this call was 15.08 hours. My call was answered by what sounded like a Jamaican woman who simply said “hello” I then asked if I was speaking to a representative of Sky, and she said I was and I think she said her name was Caroline, I pointed out that it was not a professional way to answer an incoming call by not announcing the company name, as I was unsure who I was speaking to, I was then cut off ! I called back again and by now it was approximately 15.15 hours and spoke to a gentleman who’s name I did not initially hear, I then asked him to repeat his name , where he refused. I went through the whole saga once more with this person, and at one point he said something along the lines of “what do you want me to do” I pointed out that I had, on at least two if not three occasions been told that I would be cut off on the 30th July and I told him that I would not be paying any more bills that were sent to me. Then he suddenly seemed to change his mind, he told me to ignore the current bill for £38.92 I had now received, and told me my Sky would simply go off in a day or two, I asked for confirmation of this and he would speak to his manager and get her to send me confirmation through the post that it was all terminated etc. My Sky went off the very same night, then suddenly turned back on again on Saturday 23rd August, and then turned off again on Sunday 24th August. I am still waiting for this confirmation letter to arrive, almost two weeks later.


27th August 2008

I have now, once again received a bill and a letter informing me that I still owe £38.92. I have tried telephoning three times now only to be told the lines are busy and I should try again later, I am fed up of “trying again later” I am also fed up of Sky sending me letters and bills for money I simply do not owe. I cannot see how I owe this money as I requested and received a date for termination. The payment for the final month was paid, in full, Sky left my service running and try to bill me for it! and how you can even try and bill me for the whole of August and part of September anyway, when my service was finally terminated on the 24th August is totally beyond me.

I can assure you that all details I have stated above are as accurate as I can remember or have logged down and as all calls that you receive are recorded for “training purposes” I would expect someone to check them through and get back to me ASAP. My address you will have and my telephone number is 07********** should you wish to speak to me in person.




-------------------------------------------

Neil L*****.

{A “valued customer” apparently.}