Sky and abusive husband...

[beesfeet]

Can anyone advise... I have just tried to call them but unfortunately couldn't understand a word the customer adviser said.

This is the last thing (apart from divorce) that I have to sort with exH....bloody sky!

So it's in my name. I left him 4 months ago. Police involved and he is not allowed to contact me.

I need to close down our joint bank account. I have been in and signed the form and he has been asked to do the same so my name in removed. But he hasn't and not doubt will not remove it so I need to ask the bank to freeze the account...but then I remembered Sky!

So sky is in my name, tariff runs out feb 2023.

We have skyQ and sky multiroom.

I'm living at my mums until I get my own house, I don't need sky here but will in my new house for whenever I get it.

Would sky let me freeze the account until I get my own house? My issue is that I will not be able to get the sky boxes from the house as I have no key and I cannot speak to my exhusband. I'd rather no one did this for me...I'd rather just let it go but I'm not sure if that's an option.

I obviously can't cancel the whole thing as I'm still in a contract. The advisor today I think told me to cancel my direct debit and wait for debt collectors to get in touch with me! I obviously do not want that and I don't want anything to affect my credit score.

I desperately need to be off the joint bank account but what would happen to sky?

Any ideas anyone? Sorry if I've made it complicated!

I think you can transfer your account to your new house.
But how will get the box back?

Could you buy new equipment, change all passwords and use at your mums?

Or upgrade to sky glass and get new equipment

The Sky Q equipment is rented so you'd need to pay for it if you cannot retrieve it.

Sky do not normally allow people to freeze contracts within the minimum term. They did offer some flexibility during lockdown, but that's finished now.

They may be able to make an exception if you explain the circumstances, unlikely but worth asking.

Yes I'm going to just have to ring them back and hope someone answers who I can actually understand what they say.

I'm pretty sure the adviser said 'cancel direct debit, bailiffs will come' as if that was absolutely fine for me to do.

I just wondered if anyone has been in this situation before. I know the equipment is rented but I'll never get it back. Solicitors are getting involved next week so I'll ask them also

Cancel the sky membership and find out a way to collect the equipment. You will be paying a lot if you continue going on and the debt collection sounds like it will add up to your complicated situation. Can someone else do the collection for you?

Can you ask about buying out the contract, so basically cancelling with immediate affect but paying a lump sum to do so? Sure it won't be cheap but will be worth it to get it done and over with.

If you cancel the contract the debt will be the cost of the boxes plus the payments for the remainder of the contract, as well as the costs of debt collection. For some people it's the only option, but it's not ideal.

I find them quite useful on live chat, rather than on the phone. Alternatively, it might be worth writing a letter explaining why you cannot retrieve the equipment/ need to pause the contract. Sometimes that extra effort gets someone to pay attention.

I think you need a police escort (or some scary mates) to the house to retrieve the equipment because they will pursue you for it.

I'm afraid the police are you best option.

Could you use the account using sky go or would your ex be able to track your device?

Cancel your bank account and pay by calling sky and transfer the remaining balance to the sky account, they should give you their number.

I had to cancel our sky account (only had it for 6 months) as the property is being renovated. They asked us to send the equipment back or there’s a £200 fine. Could you justify losing out on the £200?

I had this with my ex, she got the sky in her name but I was paying the bills. She left and the contract came to renew and I couldn't do anything as I wasn't the account holder.

Their advice ? Cancel the DD and when it's clear start a new contract.
They charge £150 per box for non return of the sky Q units ( they were returned immediately) and I've since given up waiting to be able to start a new contract in my name .

@Desperatelyinneed

Cancel the sky membership and find out a way to collect the equipment. You will be paying a lot if you continue going on and the debt collection sounds like it will add up to your complicated situation. Can someone else do the collection for you?

You can't cancel it when you're in contract, without paying the rest of the payments you're contracted for (probably £1,200+ since there's a year to run).

OP: you're really going to have to get SKY to tell you what the options are here, if you're sure you don't want the equipment retrieved from the house.

Hope you get it sorted, and congratulations on getting away from your abuser.

You need to keep calling them. Just select cancellation - the team is UK based and is authorised to help you with anything and everything.

If you've set up a new bank account transfer the direct debit to your new account and also let Sky know your new address. Also if the access has a password can you change the password so your ex can't use the account. Then see if someone will arrange to collect the boxes for you as they are useless to him. Also if he won't return them isn't it theft so you could let Sky know they have effectively been stolen.

can't help with sky but with the bank, there is a law in place for closing it without his approval - I found an article about the MP involved in this and emailed her after my daughter left an abusive relationship

"She should not have to attend with the perpetrator to close the account. The banks should have a customer care official who deals with these types of issues and they are certainly aware of the response from parliament regarding the importance of safeguarding survivors of abuse.

It may be helpful for her to contact her MP should she have any issues.
Kind regards,

Dr Lisa Cameron MP"

Sky were massively unhelpful after I left my abusive husband; they didn’t care at all. Account was in his name, I was living in the property with the DD coming out of my bank account. They told me the same thing; cancel the direct debit and open my own account and wait for the bailiffs. I tried to pay the closing balance, they wouldn’t even let me pay it as I wasn’t the account holder; told me to deal with the debt collectors. I opened a bill addressed to him and managed to pay it over the counter in the post office. I wrote a letter of complaint.

Here’s the contact page - try messaging them.
www.sky.com/help/articles/cancel-sky-tv#contact-leave

[quote Soontobe60]Here’s the contact page - try messaging them.
www.sky.com/help/articles/cancel-sky-tv#contact-leave[/quote]
Thank you - I have tried. I got all through security and then it just froze

I'll try again later, I'm prepared I'll have to pay for it so will see what the best option is

A good update!

Finally got through to someone who was so understanding. I've paid £210 to cancel the remaining 11 months on the contract.

I don't have to send any equipment back - they were absolutely fab