Fed up with Sky

[Series1boy]

Really fed up of sky now. I've had no telephone line for 2 weeks and they keep blaming openreach, which is not my problem. I am the customer and paying sky for the service...

so, I've ventured over to virgin media and I can get their TiVo box, plus another recordable box for the bedroom, another box but just hd for my daughters bedroom. This includes a staggering 152 meg broadband, sky movies and 45 hd channels and also includes phone line and all for the cost of £72.50 per month for the first 12 months and then goes up to £99 after this. I could get it cheaper if I didn't have movies and used their Netflix app but not sure how up to date their content is for movies compared to sky?

also, includes all hardware support and works in bad weather!

anybody else have any thoughts on this?

 

[The_Lhc]

Really fed up of sky now. I've had no telephone line for 2 weeks and they keep blaming openreach, which is not my problem. I am the customer and paying sky for the service...

I'm not one for defending Sky but if it's an external line issue then it is up to Openreach to fix it and there's nothing Sky can do about it. I had exactly the same issue last year, I have my phone and internet with Zen, whose customer service is the best I've ever experienced and I had to wait two weeks for BT to fix an external line problem as well, not least because they had to get a permit to put temporary traffic lights up (on an A-road) in order to dig the line up from under the road.

 

[bigboss]

I had the same issue when I was with AOL in 2006. They kept blaming BT, and BT blamed AOL. I've been with BT ever since. They can't blame anyone else!

 

[Series1boy]

I'm seriously thinking of leaving Sky but not sure how good the Virgin media TiVo platform is like with TV.. I've had their broadband and phone service in the past and if was very very good.

my line with sky is now fixed but with all he stress of calling them on my mobile at great cost has really put me off them, although I did get my mobile phone costs refunded so they did try in the end but not without the usual 'I want speak to your manager' line.

any body used the the TiVo platform, what's the hd pic qaulity compared to sky, I've heard it's the same?

 

[daveh75]

I've been with BT ever since. They can't blame anyone else!

Not true and completely ignores BT Groups structure and their regulatory obligations.

BT Retail (the company you buy services from) resell the services from BT Wholesale (just like any other WLR/WBC based CP) who in turn rely on the services of BT OR to maintain the last mile and exist and are heavily regulated into providing equal service to all providers.

Unfortunately as BT OR are a virtual monopoly that means equally shite service to all.

 

[jjbomber]

I'm seriously thinking of leaving Sky but not sure how good the Virgin media TiVo platform is like with TV.. I've had their broadband and phone service in the past and if was very very good.

any body used the the TiVo platform, what's the hd pic qaulity compared to sky, I've heard it's the same?

Sky is much better and they will give you half price when you try to cancel your Sky TV, Actually they offer 20% when you phone to cancel, which you ignore and cancel anyway. About 3 days later they will offer you half price.

Broadband is the other way around. Virgin is much faster and cheaper, at least where I live.

Remember, you don't have to get them both from the same provider.

 

[grdunn123]

I was with Sky for nearly 10 years up until last August - I moved to VM and went fpr their full package with 152mb BB which really works well. The Tivo service isn't as slick as Sky tv but you get the same channels with the exception of Sky Atlantic (it's coming to VM soon though).

I have the 1Gb Tivo box and a 500Gb box in the bedroom and the picture/sound quality is as good if not better than Sky.

The fast BB is excellent more for the available bandwidth than the speed (although it is very fast, I get 120Gb on a speed test using my Sony phone wirelessly). We have smart tvs, tablets, phones, Xbox and so on always connected and it makes a big difference.

 

[Series1boy]

Just been on the phone to sky for nearly 30 mins and Ive managed to negotiate all my services from £99 currently paying down to £72 per month and get a 3rd free (including installation) HD box for my daughters room. I think this is a great result.

The virgin media was very tempting and with the new series of The following starting last night on Atlantic, my wife would throttle me if we moved and lost this channel now

 

[jjbomber]

Just been on the phone to sky for nearly 30 mins and Ive managed to negotiate all my services from £99 currently paying down to £72 per month and get a 3rd free (including installation) HD box for my daughters room. I think this is a great result.

Very well done. I am amazed how few people renegotiate with their utility firms. Loyalty is a one way street these days, so get every last penny off that you can. Staying loyal and paying full price is madness.

 

[ukdavej]

, I have my phone and internet with Zen, whose customer service is the best I've ever experienced.

tis true, if you're on a BT line and want excellent broadband, this company are top drawer. Rochdale based, not the cheapest but rock solid and excellent support people.

 

[chris_bates1974]

I'm also fed up with Sky... We moved house just over a year ago, and can't get Virgin any longer. We were with them for ever. I'd go back to them in an instant. To be fair to Sky, I have to say that in my experience their customer service has been fabulous, but it's the add-on costs that really annoy me...

Second room? Costs with Sky, free with Virgin

HD? Costs with Sky and free with Virgin.

And, you can only record two channels, three with Virgin.

AND it costs more!!!

I refuse to pay a tenner a month for HD, but I honestly think that the broadcast quality of the "normal" channels is kept low to make me more likely to take HD. The picture quality on Sky Sports 5 last night was shocking.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Virgin/Sky cost depends on package.. Virgin for best broadband. Sky for TV (As a general rule IMO).

Openreach I found resoundly poor when Sky & BT made best effforts to resolve. (Both CEO's involved and 9months 'battle') But eventually OR found the right place to dig up the pavement and sort it for me. Compensation was appropriate from BT and Sky.

With so many customers there will always be the good and the bad experience I guess.

 

[Fireblade2008]

I have been tempted to cancel my sky and wondered what is the best option if you contact them to cancel are you better off saying you want to cancel the whole lot and move to another provider?

I want to stay with sky but reduce the cost, what is the best option.

 

[bigboss]

are you better off saying you want to cancel the whole lot and move to another provider?

Yes. Be prepared to get it cancelled as well. We were offered 12 months half price after cancellation.

 

[Series1boy]

It's risky but worked for me. Just make sure there is alternative should they call your bluff. I'm in a cable area and put me in a position to have plan B. I would have moved though if they hadn't had offered me a deal because the virgin quote was far less than my sky package.