Raw deal on HD if you are existing customer.

M

MACK 1

Guest
I thought you might like to read my dealings with Sky CS on the above subject. I can smell a large dollop of BS.
My e-mail :
I am writing to let you know of my dissatisfaction at the way your latest offer on the above subject is penalising existing loyal customers such as myself.

I have been a subscriber to Sky for almost 18 years now and I am getting fed up with all the special offers that are obviously designed to attract new business at the expense of good long standing customers who have paid the full price for years.

I just recently purchased a new HD ready TV so that I will be able to enjoy this new format of which Sky seems to be the leader at the moment in providing the bulk of programmes available.
I now find that if I want this service I will have to pay a total of £360 including installation. However if I had waited a few more months and purchased my TV from either Currys or Comet I would have got the HD set up for £210 with the latest offer a saving of £150.
How do you think this makes people feel who have supported your organisation for years?
It seems loyalty only works one way with Sky at the moment .

I am so fed up with the way Sky is treating me that as soon as a Cable provider is available in my area I will move over to their service unless Sky can remedy this situation.

Reply from SkyThank you for your email addressed to James Murdoch, I have been asked to investigate and respond on his behalf in this matter.

I note your comments regarding promotional offers for installation of Sky HD equipment and I welcome this opportunity to clarify our position.

Our principal commitment is undoubtedly to our loyal existing subscribers and to provide them with the best possible quality and range of entertainment whilst ensuring value for money in their monthly subscription charge. However as a commercial organisation, we must also invest in ongoing promotional activities to sell our services. By attracting new subscribers we will be able to invest more in programming to the benefit of all Sky HD subscribers.
The current offer available from various retail outlets entitles new customers to purchase Sky HD at £149, if they purchase a TV worth more than £169. Installation is free for new and existing customers who sign up to a Multi-room subscription; or £60 installation for single subscription.
Thank you for taking the time to contact us and I hope this response has answered your questions and concerns.

Kind regards

Customer Liaison

My Second e-mail :

I have received your reply to my e-mails and I am far from happy with the explanation given.

I still do not understand how you can possibly justify an existing customer of 18 years standing having to pay almost £150 more than a new customer for a service which will also see an increase in my subscription of £10 a month.

Surely this also helps to build your profits allowing you to. Quote ...invest more in programming to the benefit of all Sky HD subscribers.

I am also perfectly aware of the latest offers in Currys, etc.; which was the whole reason for my complaint (did you read it)?
It is of no use to me having already spent £1500 on a new TV in March of this year.

Once again I feel I am being financially penalised by Sky and would like to know what if anything you can do to sort this situation out.

I await your reply

Sky Reply :
Thank you for your email of 11 December.

I am sorry to learn that our previous response to your enquiry was not to your satisfaction.

Your comments regarding promotional offers for installation of Sky HD equipment are noted. Whilst I appreciate that you are unhappy that new Sky subscribers can currently obtain special offers when they subscribe and take out an HD subscription, these offers are only available to new subscribers who have also purchased other equipment though a retailer, and as such these customers will not have previously benefited from the subsidised or free equipment that existing customers will have obtained when they subscribed.
The current Sky HD offer that you have referred to has been promoted by retailers to promote business through their outlets. However, both new and existing customers who contact Sky directly are quoted the full list price for their Sky HD equipment and installation. To confirm, both new and existing customers who subscribe to Sky HD will incur the £10.00 per month Sky HD functionality subscription in addition to their chosen viewing package subscription.
Sky do provide equipment and viewing offers to existing customers in various formats at different times, details of current offers can be viewed on our website www.sky.com or by contacting our Sales team on 08702 424242.

I hope that I have explained our position on this matter. Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
:boring:
The party line or what ?
They still have not answered the question and never will by the sound of the above.
 
They're a bunch of shisters on the whole (Beverlie excluded of course).
If cable ever become available in my neck of the woods I'd seriously look into it. However, seeing as that's about as likely as Alex Ferguson admitting he got it wrong, then it looks like I'll have to put up with quite possibly the worst customer service the world has ever seen from one company.

It's not just Sky, in general this country is ***** (Dave P consider yourself warned as to acceptable language. JayCee. Moderator) at giving good customer service, the bigger the company the worse it gets. Take your money and then just hang you out to dry.

Just had problems with Orange and their Livebox, rang customer services, after speaking to Jaspervic and his Polish chums hardly able to understand a word I'm not best pleased.:mad: :mad:

At least companys like Richer Sounds still exist to restore my faith a bit.:)
 
Why not ask them out right if they can give you HD at the promo price - can't see how they cannot answer that one. I reckon they'll say no, but would be interested in how they say no :)
 
Yeh! I may do that in my next reply to them ....however I have not mentioned to them yet that I actually got the half price HD deal with the "Any purchase 7th-10th Dec. " offer at Comet on the 8th of December. Bought some batterys and got the half price deal.
If they had bothered to check my account details they would have seen this.
However this was no thanks to Sky but rather the fact that Comet had this offer on. The question still remains .... how do they justify charging existing customers so much.
 
The question still remains .... how do they justify charging existing customers so much.




New customers = new revenue.
Existing customers = existing revenue.

The point being that new customers are more valuable both in terms of direct revenue but also for company performance in terms of overall subscriber levels. The same could be applied to existing but all service providors consider existing money as a given although most do have a retention budget and SKY's was/is very high hence the cancellation offers reported in recent months such as half price package deals.

The amusing aspect is that if you could get Cable then as a new customer you would be getting a better deal than existing customers but of course few would offer to pay more based on the principle of fairness:)
 
Yeh... I know it they know it we all know it but do they have to rub our noses in it to the tune of £150 extra for the same equipment.
 
Yep and you'll also get this with mobile phone tarriffs too, though i'm now paying £5 a month as opposed to the £25 i used too:thumbsup: If only Sky was the same! Hence why we actually have cable in our home :p
 
You were a new customer once - did you get a good deal at that time?

I have some sympathy with Sky on this one, having many of the same issue sin my work. If you take the approach that existing subscribers must be eleigible for the same deal as new guys then that effectively rules out "loss leader" type price promotions. As we all would benefit for such a promotion once (when we first join) it is better overall to grin and bear it having been the beneficiary in the past than to insist that no-one gets such deals.
 
If only Sky was the same! Hence why we actually have cable in our home :p[/QUOTE]

:) Nice one There is no cable available in my area yet. But one day SKY ! one day! then you will be sorry ......!:D
 
You were a new customer once - did you get a good deal at that time?

Certainly not a £150 better deal. and anyway 18 years ago there was no deals on the go except take it or leave it. Even when I upgraded to Sky digital I payed the full whack. (Existing customer so "sod im" we have got him on the books anyway)
 
Yeh... I know it they know it we all know it but do they have to rub our noses in it to the tune of £150 extra for the same equipment.




True but we don't know exactly how much of the difference the retailer is absorbing, perhaps they no longer get a cut of a subscription for acting as an agent or perhaps it is just that SKY see this as the best most cost effective way to generate sales without the need for doing their own national advertising which probably saves them a small fortune.
 
I got exactly the same reply from Sky you got so they are obviously computer generated responses which is why it doesn't answer your question.

Stating the obvious I know, but just incase you thought it was an individual reply to your email from a dedicated person its not.
 
While I can sympathise with your position can I ask why you didn't avail youself of Comet's recent offer of a half price Sky HD box with any purchase (+ £60 install). It was open to new & existing customers, I got it installed for £149 plus a £2.99 pack of batteries.
 
Even when I upgraded to Sky digital I payed the full whack. (Existing customer so "sod im" we have got him on the books anyway)






There were no "existing customer" restrictions from upgrading from SKY analogue to SKY Digital, the only reason people got the digibox system for £200 (compared to over £400 unsubsidised) at launch in 1998 was to accept the phone requirment.
If you refused the phone connection then you paid full whack, non SKY agents may have charged differently.

If you did pay the £200 or lower subsidised price then you got the same deal everyone else did at the time, of course waiting until mid 1999 meant that the digibox was free thanks to SKY responding to the Ondigital "free" boxes:)
 
Just had a thought, could you cancel the subscription and reapply? Or do sky tie you into a contract?
 
It was open to new & existing customers, I got it installed for £149 plus a £2.99 pack of batteries.




Nice:clap:


I have no complaints over paying the £299 launch price, it was worth it and therefore have no issues with people getting better deals now.
At the end of the day my HD enjoyment will be improved as the market increases which hopefully prompts more PAY and Free broadcasts to join the fun:)
 
While I can sympathise with your position can I ask why you didn't avail youself of Comet's recent offer of a half price Sky HD box with any purchase (+ £60 install). It was open to new & existing customers, I got it installed for £149 plus a £2.99 pack of batteries.

Um, he did :)
 
Comet and Currys receive £30 payable by the customer directly to them at the time of ordering.They also currently stipulate a purchase of a TV at £169 or more. Sky then take the balance of £119 . The purchase of the equipment is incidental in the scheme of things as far as Sky is concerened (hence the large discount) ..but they have gained a new customer and subscriptions and the retailer has got £30+ sale. Everybody happy! ....except me!
 
Comet and Currys receive £30 payable by the customer directly to them at the time of ordering.They also currently stipulate a purchase of a TV at £169 or more. ...... Everybody happy! ....except me!

No the deal I'm talking about is Comet's 1/2 price HD box with any purchase, not a TV over £169. Hence mine & many other's purchase of a pack of batteries. :)

Still doesn't alter the main point about Sky giving existing customers a raw deal though.
 
If only Sky was the same! Hence why we actually have cable in our home :p

:) Nice one There is no cable available in my area yet. But one day SKY ! one day! then you will be sorry ......!:D[/QUOTE]

Mack1,

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. My missus and myself have both been customers of NTL and Sky and they're both as bad as each other till you tell them you want to leave and then they offer deals. (NTL a little worse, Sky no deals on HD )

You'd like to think that Sky would offer people who have been loyal customers for years the £149 Sky HD box deal, especially if they've subscribed to movies and sports. A little thanks for for the money you've spent and will spend with them.

Sky need to look at existing cstomers and the ones that subscribe to sports/ movies or have been with them for so many years and offer them the deal.

I know sky are business but it would make customers happier
 

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