Watchdog.

Sky Broadband Unlimited: £15
Discount for having Sky Talk: £5
Discount for having Sky TV: £2.50

Sky Broadband Unlimited: £7.50
Supplement for not having Sky Talk: £5
Supplement for not having Sky TV: £2.50

Both the same cost to the end user, but the second method of displaying the prices drives people nuts, because of the word "supplement".

So, a non-story about semantics, in my opinion. And it's "BE", not "B.E".

In reply to a post by pcoventry76:

I never mentioned BE. which was in fact BE*

Sorry for the confusion, I was talking about Watchdog who referred to them as "B.E".

In reply to a post by pcoventry76:

It is a big issue for people who were not told their bill would go up when they moved to Sky. They probably assumed it would stay the same.

As far as I know the "welcome discount" should have produced a net figure at or below the previous price, inclusive of supplements. So they have not broken their promise unless the new net figure is above their previous price.

In reply to a post by pcoventry76:

I never mentioned BE. which was in fact BE*

Ann Robinson did on the show. Did you watch it?

In reply to a post by pcoventry76:

It is a big issue for people who were not told their bill would go up when they moved to Sky. They probably assumed it would stay the same.

At 37:26 you can see the £1 "welcome discount" on the bill. I very much suspect that discount capped that particular user's net price at or below their old price (which of course Sky were under no obligation to do, since they are allowing everyone to leave their contracts).

I watched & listened, and yes she did mention BE/O2 , only because sky obviously think the BBC watchdog report is down to one of their customers who where assiimilated onto rupee's network , and they maybe right, if some charge or supplement results in the customer not being charged more , then why include it in their billing, there is simply no need to, unless somehow they end up at a disadvantage?

Edited by tommy45 (Thu 15-May-14 21:50:09)

In reply to a post by tommy45:

if some charge or supplement results in the customer not being charged more , then why include it in their billing, there is simply no need to, unless somehow they end up at a disadvantage?

Because those are the normal charges for Sky broadband, when not taken with Sky Talk (legacy) or Sky TV. The only thing which isn't normal about their bill is the "welcome discount", which pegs their new price at or below their old O2/BE price.

It still doesn't make sense to me, i just don't see sky's billing logic on this,

Say a customer like one of those who was lucky/unlucky enough to have been migrated on to sky's network from BE/O2 before someone pulled the plug on the telefonica uk fixed bb network leaving those still awaiting migration (loyal customers) with no service only a 3g mobile dongle wit 1 or 2 gb data use on it, pitty that watchdog didn't pick up on that before it got broadcast,
So, we have Fred ex BE customer, who is SMPF bb only with sky following migration, why are sky issuing invoices that itemise products and services that those customers at least don't subscribe for , or even want to pay for,

A better clearer solution from the customers view point would be to simply omit these non applicable items /supplements if fred isn't getting charged more because he only had a broadband service than if he has their TV and talk ,, because quite rightly if sky are charging migrated bb only customers more, then BBC watchdog have a valid point, why ?
it was sky who bought BE/O2 and them who did not want to provide a separate service, like the o2 wholesale smpf products, not the customer,

So IMO they should at the most charge the going rates,( the price that they charge tv& talk customers) not charge supplements because their more lucrative services like line rental.calls and TV are not needed or wanted, they should provide a like for like service,

So ex BE/O2 customers should either continue to be charged their old fee, (except where they had annex m or upto 12mbps) so the unlimited upto 24mbps price, or whatever sky's pre arranged advertised price was , having established this, there is no need to list the other non applicable services /supplements on the bill , that are the cause of this problem

Edited by tommy45 (Thu 15-May-14 22:42:47)

Were Be and O2 customers on guaranteed no price rise during minimum contract term contracts?