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Original poster

Can't afford sky

24 replies

Billybills · 09/04/2025 15:44

Does this seem right. I'm in contract with sky for the tv and broadband. It's costing me 90.00 a month. The tv is contracted till November 2025 and the broadband till april 2026. They said i would have to pay 60.00 in fees. As I'm still in contract with them I said I would think about it.

I then realised I'm better to pay the 60.00 fee rather than keep Paying 90.00 a month so I called back. They then said I can't leave even if I pay the fees because I can only do it if there's less than 90 days left in the contract.

They would not allow me to downgrade either.

There is information on their site that says to contact them if your struggling to pay. Which i did . But it was of no help at all .

OP posts:
Ohdearwhatnow4 · 09/04/2025 15:45

£90 seems a lot, what package do you have? I thought you could add and take away from a package?

Icandothisthing · 09/04/2025 15:50

We're actually in the same boat, and locked in for at least another 18 months. Sadly our finances taken a downturn since renewing. I feel trapped!

Original poster
Billybills · 09/04/2025 15:55

Icandothisthing · 09/04/2025 15:50

We're actually in the same boat, and locked in for at least another 18 months. Sadly our finances taken a downturn since renewing. I feel trapped!

I feel so tempted just to stop paying

OP posts:
Icandothisthing · 09/04/2025 16:02

I suspect they wouldn't just let it go, and would relentlessy pursue 🥺.

Original poster
Billybills · 09/04/2025 16:09

Icandothisthing · 09/04/2025 16:02

I suspect they wouldn't just let it go, and would relentlessy pursue 🥺.

It's pretty bad considering they say to contact them if things are difficult financially. I actually spoke to a couple of different people. But they were of no help. I think I'm just going to stop the direct debit.

And look for a cheap broadband

OP posts:
cestlavielife · 09/04/2025 16:11

You will have to pay exit fee or they will come after you

Thebloodynine · 09/04/2025 16:12

cestlavielife · 09/04/2025 16:11

You will have to pay exit fee or they will come after you

They’re not letting her.

autumn1610 · 09/04/2025 16:12

Not sky, but I left BT tv a few years ago and I just do monthly subscriptions as no contracts, and with Now you basically get sky channels and about £10 a month and swapped to broadband which is about £25 so saved some money and only tied into my broadband which isn’t as bad. I can then drop or add subscriptions when I want if I feel money is tight etc.

however more to your point I thought your could exit at any point but obviously the fee is scaled (it was with my bt contract so I ended up keeping it as was about £200 to cancel) phone again and ask to speak to a supervisor once they haven’t resolved your query

GildedRage · 09/04/2025 16:12

when you called did you request to speak to someone higher up? The first person can rarely do much, ask to speak to their manager and keep going up till you get what’s needed.

SBHon · 09/04/2025 16:14

Have you asked to speak to someone higher up? Ask to escalate your case to a manager. If you don’t get a good answer from them then ask for their manager etc etc.

I don’t if they can do anything but at least you’ll know you’re speaking to someone who potentially could help.

Ukholidaysaregreat · 09/04/2025 16:18

That is outrageous. I feel like telling Martin Lewis and see what he thinks about it. Hope you can resolve this.

Frasecam · 09/04/2025 16:18

Tell them you are moving house and cancel the whole package and just go with some other provider. You may have to pay a termination of contract fee.

Justlurking101 · 09/04/2025 16:21

Phone them and tell them you're moving abroad, they will have to cancel your service.

Original poster
Billybills · 09/04/2025 16:22

Frasecam · 09/04/2025 16:18

Tell them you are moving house and cancel the whole package and just go with some other provider. You may have to pay a termination of contract fee.

I think that may look a bit suss. After I just told them I can't afford it. Also they may ask for a new address. Plus I don't know how much the fees would be.

OP posts:
Instinct1 · 09/04/2025 16:23

I appreciate you are finding the costs hard to manage, however before agreeing and setting up the DD, you would have received a contract to review, with terms and conditions which would have clearly included both the contract term, the period after which you were able to terminate and the early termination fees. You have then signed that contract, which presumably you read? I know it seems tough, and hopefully you can find someone at the company who can show flexibility, however they are not doing anything wrong. They are a business, not a charity, and there would be no point in having contracts if customers could simply decide not to uphold their side of the obligations. If they just stopped providing the service to you despite you paying your £90.00 as they felt your contract wasn't profitable enough for them and they didn't want to anymore, I imagine you would be very unhappy, and rightfully so.

Purplesphere11 · 09/04/2025 16:26

Email the CEO and explain your circumstances

BobnLen · 09/04/2025 16:26

It cost £90 because of what you choose to have, the £60 fee will be to make up for in contract discounts until the end of your contract

Runningoutofpatiencefucksandmoney · 09/04/2025 16:31

There is another thread running on here, which I've posted on, with my latest experience with Sky. I've tried to downgrade my package for over 2 months. I was pushed from pillar to post, and not getting anywhere. One would say yes, I can do that. Put me through to another Advisor, only for him to say, no I can't do that. It's been relentless. So I stopped my direct debit. They came after me, and that's when I finally got somewhere. I'm now downgraded to what I want, have had £100 knocked off my bill and where I've complained so much (they can see a record of all of it), they've knocked my bill even further to £23pcm for the next 4 months.

BobnLen · 09/04/2025 16:32

I would probably go on to the Accounts and Billing forum on the Sky Forums and see what others have done in your situation

Original poster
Billybills · 09/04/2025 16:35

Runningoutofpatiencefucksandmoney · 09/04/2025 16:31

There is another thread running on here, which I've posted on, with my latest experience with Sky. I've tried to downgrade my package for over 2 months. I was pushed from pillar to post, and not getting anywhere. One would say yes, I can do that. Put me through to another Advisor, only for him to say, no I can't do that. It's been relentless. So I stopped my direct debit. They came after me, and that's when I finally got somewhere. I'm now downgraded to what I want, have had £100 knocked off my bill and where I've complained so much (they can see a record of all of it), they've knocked my bill even further to £23pcm for the next 4 months.

I will look at the thread. I have copied the messages. Where we communicated on what's app. The others were via phone call so im not sure how much proof I would have. I will stop the direct debit though.

OP posts:
Runningoutofpatiencefucksandmoney · 09/04/2025 16:39

Billybills · 09/04/2025 16:35

I will look at the thread. I have copied the messages. Where we communicated on what's app. The others were via phone call so im not sure how much proof I would have. I will stop the direct debit though.

Show quote history

I did have to go through to the cancellation department - I posted the number on the other thread, because every other number is hopeless really, but once I'd explained the whole long drawn out saga, the Advisor was brilliant. They will be able to see on their screens, all the communication you've had with them

Lassango · 09/04/2025 16:40

Cancel and pay the £60 fee. If you cannot afford the product then exit the deal as soon as you can.

I have never paid for any extra TV channels above the standard TV license. I find plenty on Youtube that I can cast to the telly.

Original poster
Billybills · 09/04/2025 17:19

Lassango · 09/04/2025 16:40

Cancel and pay the £60 fee. If you cannot afford the product then exit the deal as soon as you can.

I have never paid for any extra TV channels above the standard TV license. I find plenty on Youtube that I can cast to the telly.

They are not allowing me to pay the fee . They said because there's more than 90 days on the contract I can't pay the fees.

OP posts:
Mochudubh · 10/04/2025 11:09

We've just got rid of Sky although we were at the end of the contract, even then it took about an hour on the phone, first to an Indian call centre (who couldn't understand a Scottish accent) then eventually to UK where we finally managed to cancel after them trying to push different packages on us.

We were paying over £60 per month, no movies or sport, just the package that includes Discovery etc. I subscribe to Netflix and Prime which both together cost about 1/3 of the Sky package and I can add other channels to Prime like Disney+ and just cancel when I've watched what I want

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