I was helping my father, who has dementia and Parkinson’s disease, reduce his £113.50 Sky TV bill. We explained to the Sky call centre agent that, as his eyesight and attention span have deteriorated, he wanted the cheapest available TV package to free up money for his care. The agent insisted on offering Sky Cinema, two new televisions, another 24-month Sky Q package and broadband, despite us repeatedly stating that we did not want any further offers.
Eventually, we were offered £18-a-month Sky Essential TV. However, we were then asked to authorise a £77 monthly direct debit because Sports and Cinema had been automatically added. The adviser told us to disregard the amount and trust him to remove the unwanted packages after activation.
We refused and asked to cancel instead. What happened next was extraordinary. We asked six times to cancel, and each time the adviser continued trying to persuade us to stay.
They finally allowed the cancellation. I’m appalled at how persistent the sales pressure was once Sky knew Dad had dementia. The fact that customers who wish to cancel, or downgrade, a contract are passed to a “customer loyalty team” suggests what lies in store.
That team regards loyalty as non-negotiable, judging by the transcript of your call to the company. When, after a blizzard of unsuitable deals, you asked to cancel, the loyalty team told you that you would have to discuss the request with the “retention team”. This team, it admitted, would strive to retain your custom.
Which, with ruthless tenacity, it did. It is extremely concerning that you were pressured to . Over and over again, the retention team adviser claimed he would remove the unwanted Sports and Cinema elements that had inflated the price once you had signed up.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
