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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be told I have no right to complain

21 replies

FrustratedConsumer · 12/04/2019 14:13

Many posting here for traffic.

A first world problem (consumer rights issue) and I probably need to get a life, but Sky have really annoyed me today! Does anyone know about consumer rights when it comes to complaints made to companies? I have tried searching but haven't clarified as most of the info online is about buying a faulty product rather than poor service.

Long story short.. Our broadband was down for 3.5 days this week. This affected the whole street. I contacted Sky 5 or 6 times and they kept saying "it's an outage, BT are investigating, it's not our fault". Fair enough, but I had to keep phoning back to check progress instead of them reaching out to us. On the second day another person at Sky said there were "no problems" in my area and they didn't know anything about it! On the 3rd day we received a message saying it was fixed, but it wasn't and the person at Sky said that message was wrong!

In the meantime I had to buy BT Fon access which cost me £15 for 2 days, so that I could work (P/T teacher) and do my postgraduate academic study.

Today it got fixed - yay! - and via text they said they have offered me a grand total of £2.17 as compensation!! This is based on some sum they have calculated. Hmm

I said I would like to complain about this whole episode but the person at Sky said I had no grounds for complaint. They said they had "logged my dissatisfaction" but because it was an outage there was nothing I could complain about!

I said I believed I had the right to complain about their customer service and (lack of) communication. I asked to be sent their complaints procedure but the person continued to refuse this, saying as it is now resolved there is no grounds for a complaint.

I have of course found their formal complaints procedure on their website. But does it sound right this person tried to stop me from complaining?

Yawn- I know - sorry!

OP posts:
ShartGoblin · 12/04/2019 14:21

No it's bollocks. Even if you have no GROUNDS for a complaint you always have the RIGHT to complain. Their refusal to help and send you the complaints procedure will definitely add to your grounds for complaint so it may not be a bad thing

OKBobble · 12/04/2019 14:28

Complain on Twitter and they will get back to you!

Original poster
FrustratedConsumer · 12/04/2019 14:33

Thanks Shart, this was my gut instinct.

OKBobble I forgot to mention I did that too! They directed me to a private chat which was....useless!

OP posts:
WisdomSearcher · 12/04/2019 14:36

www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2017/automatic-compensation

This says £8 per day for the outage? Not sure when the new rules come in but this is what my neighbour got recently?

Chloemol · 12/04/2019 15:55

The broadband lines are the responsibility of openreach, Sky just rent them direct your anger at openreach

allyouneedis · 12/04/2019 16:21

BT own the lines so the fault is with them. Sky could have been more helpful with their updates though. What compensation did you hope to get? They have reimbursed what you would have paid for those days?

Original poster
FrustratedConsumer · 12/04/2019 16:32

No offer of reimbursement for BT Fon ally. They have only offered me £2.17 in total! Even the phone calls to them probably cost more!

Yes, my complaint is more about their communication that the actual fault as these things happen. But the amount we pay them for fibre optic and Sky Tv each month they should be more helpful on the phone and more proactive about communicating.

OP posts:
Mumminmum · 12/04/2019 16:39

I heard of people who cancelled their internet and then instead of the internet being cancelled on the agreed date, the company will cancel it immediately and when you try to get it fixed they say that they can "fix it" by setting you up with a new one year contract. Even when they admit it was them who made a mistake.

Rahul88 · 12/04/2019 16:43

This happened to me, I decided to be organised and cancel my internet a month or so before I moved out. Advisor repeated the date back to me several times, all seemed good. Came off phone, internet died instantly, and nothing they could do to reconnect me. Had to finish my dissertation (was in final year of uni) at my parents.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 12/04/2019 16:44

Of course you can complain but they don't have to refund you more than the cost of the days internet you missed.

Omzlas · 12/04/2019 19:19

Nobody forced you to purchase FON, that was your choice. The standard refund IS for the days you were without service, anything beyond that is compensation and in this case, it was beyond their control

If you use hour BB for business use, you need business BB. The amount of times I've had this argument is ridiculous! You can't pay residential prices and expect problems to be fixed as if you're losing money (self employed etc etc). I'm not suggesting that your use for work is extensive but if you rely heavily on it, you may be better switching

VictoriaReal · 12/04/2019 19:46

The comment was that it was used to support teaching (so lesson plans?) and academic work- which is unpaid but nevertheless important.

coral13 · 12/04/2019 19:50

A couple of years ago we had an issue with our provider (but it wasn't really their fault). Basically BT while installing Internet in someone else's flat, I cut ours off. This was over Easter so our provider were having a hard time getting BT to go back out and sort it. It was off for 5-6 days and our provider gave us the whole month for free.

floribunda18 · 12/04/2019 20:03

Ask them to reimburse you for the full BT Fon cost plus a month's free service as compensation. Useless fuckers.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 12/04/2019 20:06

Why would they reimburse you for the BTfon you didn't need to buy it. You could have gone to a library, internet cafe, Maccyds or a hundred other places that have free wifi

floribunda18 · 13/04/2019 05:29

I would have to drive or take public transport to do that, and you have to buy something in a cafe to use "free" wifi. Fuel cost/parking/train tickets/cafe purchases would easily come to what the OP paid for BT Fon at home.

CareBear50 · 13/04/2019 06:24

I used to work for BT in Executive Level Complaints and had to deal with issues like this from time to time. people would email or write to the CEO and my role was to basically reply on his behalf.

If I were you I would find out the email address, if you can, of their CEO and complain to them.

Be polite but firm. I can't stress enough how much more helpful advisors will be when you're polite At the end of the day, your contract is with Sky, not openreach. Sky is prob right In that you are entitled to only two pound odd of compensation.

Generally if I had received a complaint like yours I'd have given you the two pound odd you're entitled to and then £25 goodwill gesture (to basically get you to agree to close your complaint, and it would also assist with BTFON costs, which we would never pay). Hope this helps Smile

pelirocco123 · 13/04/2019 06:30

As the sensible posters have said. The outage is BTs responsibility, presumably caused by something major as it took a few days to fix , and although annoying these things happen

NewMum19344567 · 13/04/2019 06:32

I work in a call centre and every time someone makes a complaint it goes against you. I honestly hate the process but if someone wants to complain I have to try and resolve it myself which can make them so angry when they just want to complain. I can only think sky process is the same and that's why the person lied?

ForalltheSaints · 13/04/2019 06:34

Of course you can complain. Perhaps also to BT. I have the misfortune to deal with BT in a work capacity, albeit via other suppliers, and they do what they can get away with. Indeed the second biggest obstacle for many businesses after the uncertainty re Brexit is BT. Had I ten minutes to chat with my MP I would ask for action to regulate BT properly.

CareBear50 · 13/04/2019 06:50

Sorry... I should have made it clear to find email address of sky's CEO (not BT's)

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