petew

I recently started a thread on contacting Sky (largely unnecessarily as it turns out as there had been an earlier thread - apologies!) anyway I have contacted Sky and await the result (with some trepidation) . However I have been discussing with friends the problem which prompted me to contact them. In a nutshell Sky have started debiting my account with subscriptions for lots of other people! My bank has immediately refunded under the direct debit indemnity but I obviously want to stop it.

I'll get to the point of my thread now which is - my original Sky direct debit was set up here in Spain through a local business (not operating now) about 8years ago and has operated without problems ever since - until now! Has anyone with Sky in Spain had a similar problem? The suspicious among you can probably guess what I am thinking but I will spell it out if anyone asks.

Incidentally the Spanish system for direct debits is much superior to the U.K. system - you can get your bank to permanently stop a spanish d.d. - the U.K banks won't help you at all (apart from an immediate refund which they are obliged to do).

jdr

What you were paying Sky through a Spanish bank direrct debit ?

Chiclanagir had a similar problem but with a UK bank account, as soon as she see`s this she will put you in the picture.

EsuriJohn

I don't think this is quite correct. A UK DD can be stopped online/by phone/in brach by the account holder at any time.What Chic was talking about was a revolving direct debit set up on a credit card. NEVER EVER SET ONE OF THESE UP it can only be stopped by agreement with the other party and even if you shred the card and close the account they still deduct from a shadow account and send you the bill. This is what a lot of the spurious Sky in Spain organisations demand keep clear.

jdr

Oh right, I didn`t think you could set up a DD off a credit card.

petew

I would be very happy if I'm wrong but my understanding is that your U.K. bank will not cancel a direct debit -only the entity being paid can cancel it. A standing order can be cancelled

[QUOTE=jdr;8475929]What you were paying Sky through a Spanish bank direrct debit ?
No, from a U.K. bank account. I don't think it would be possible to pay Sky through a spanish account.

petew

After I did my last post, I googled "cancel direct debit" and it came up with a cancellation procedure on the BACS web site - It looks a bit complicated (they say you need to notify both your bank and the company being paid)and of course it would involve cancelling my existing payment which I have been paying for the last 8 years. Sky would then pull the plug on us. So I hope to avoid this.

Thanks for all the helpful posts - fingers crossed I get sensible reply from Sky.

EsuriJohn

Its not called DD it is a revloving credit! you can close a direct debit from your end I have done it many times both online on the phone and in branch. You might not notice but quite often DD's are left open even when the purpose for having them has passed I always close them asap.

petew

I have had a reply from Sky by e mail but just asking for a bit more information. Contacting them by e mail seemed to work ok but obviously takes a bit longer than contacting them by 'phone. On their online enquiry form you have to give a phone number so I gave my son's home number (it's his address Sky have) but asked them to reply by e mail as I have problems using the 'phone.

Got my finger's crossed but I had to do something they had just charged another 94 pounds to my account!

Ref. direct debits (or whatever) on credit cards I would never do that - I once had a car insurance company take money from my credit card for an unwanted automatic renewal, even though they had specifically agreed in writing not to and I had deleted the authority on their form. Let's face it credit card companies will give your money to anyone who asks for it - they don't give a you know what........

petew

Just an update on this. Contacting Sky by e mail has worked well and has the added advantage that I have a record of what has been said. This has proved very necessary because getting a sensible reply from Sky has been difficult and I still have not had a proper answer from them.

Val001

It is my understanding that you are not permitted to use Sky outside the UK legally that is although I do know people take their boxes and cards out with them but you cannot give Sky a Spanish address. A lot of people I know who live in Spain take out a Humax Freesat box which is a one off payment, runs off a dish and they can get a good selection of UK channels. Thats what we shall do when we move out. Not comfortable about the Sky thing. What happens when they issue new cards for example.

The Guy

The use of a Sky card outside the UK and ROI is aginst the terms and conditions of the sky contract. Breach of the terms means the contract is
nulified. So if Sky find out he card is used outside the Uk and ROI they can turn that card off.
Never liked the "illegal" being used as this would mean it is "prohibited by law" - and I am sure a Sky contract is not written in UK law! If it was "illegal" then the police would arrest you and start criminal charges. As it is contractual law then one of the parties hsa to prove breach of contract, so the onus is all down to sky to prove you are in breach - not the police!

At least thats my view of it.

Freesat has its limitiations
With a freesatfromsky card and a sky receiver you can get ITV C4 and Five on a small 80cm dish across most of Spain.
On freesat you need a big dish to get these channels.
Personally I avoid Freesat receiver due to this limitation - is it really worth getting a Freesat HD receiver for BBC HD and ITV HD? Probably not if you already have a SKy receiver - as a Sky receiver without a sky crd gets the same channels as a Freesat SD box!
And not all free to air chanels are on the freesat guide - you have to add many to "non freesat mode"...so you are swapping between modes - like, for example Sky News. Sometimes a generic (i non sky or non freesat) free to air receiver is better!
Thats why you give Sky a UK address from a friend or family member, and thats where they send the new cards to.

rudolph hucker

from next year nobody outside the uk will be able to get uk tv no mater how big a dish you have
(SNIP)
i have just installed a 2.4 meter jobbie here in sweden.
i would advise no one to invest in a sky box or dish..your wasting your money.

Mitzyboy

So you think SKY are purposely going to shed a few hundred thousand people paying anything around £40 each per month?

jdr

Are they going to shoot down the sats ?

rudolph hucker

no they are launching a new one early next year...fringe reception will be 100% impossible.
it's a big debate just now on satellite forums