Sky Pay-TV gets bogged down - or: This would not have happened with FileMaker...

A long-time friend calls me and gives me a voucher for 12 months of Sky World and all HD channels for free until the end of the year. Even though I only get a few hours of TV a week myself - four new children's channels, after all, and thanks to the HD channels I can even watch the first half of the Bundesliga. The connection fee and delivery costs were also included, and the required digital receiver and smartcard were delivered free of charge. Hey, I liked being able to get a taste of the Sky world in this way and completely free of charge, so I was very pleased and gratefully redeemed the voucher.

When I redeemed the voucher over the phone, I was asked whether I had a satellite or cable connection, which I answered with the latter. After a "We look forward to welcoming you as a Sky customer" I was also looking forward to the new possibilities. Two days later, I received a package with the (Sky/Humax) cable receiver and the corresponding smartcard, which speaks for well-organized logistics on Sky's part. After connecting the receiver to the display and inserting the smartcard into the slot provided, I called the Sky activation hotline. They made a very friendly and professional impression and set me fun tasks during the activation process such as "Pull the smartcard out of the receiver", "Change the channel, can you see the error message?" and "Now insert the smartcard back into the device". After I answered his question about which cable operator I was with a little later with "Kabel Deutschland" he finally realized why the activation was not working. I had been sent the wrong smartcard by mistake. The new one would be sent immediately, "Exchange fee then costs 9.95 euros. Please excuse the incorrect delivery. I wish you a pleasant day!".

Apart from the fact that I think it's borderline why I should pay a replacement fee of 9.95 euros if Sky sends me the wrong smartcard, I ask myself why this can happen at all. As far as I know, the areas for cable network operators are divided up nationwide, so that there is usually only one cable network operator at any one location. So here I only have Kabel Deutschland to choose from, whereas in Stuttgart I would probably be a KabelBW customer and would not have the option of switching to another cable network operator. Therefore, it should not be a major problem, especially in view of Sky/Premiere's many years of experience, to assign areas to specific cable network operators in the database and thus automatically send the correct smartcard.

When I see what great and innovative ideas can be admired in the FileMaker environment, this gap would probably not exist in a FileMaker-based system... 🙂

Update: In the meantime, the correct smartcard has arrived, which was activated without any problems this time with the help of the still professional hotline. I have not yet received an invoice for the replacement - I am curious to see if it will stay that way...

Update 2 - The Sky odyssey continues

After the Sky card arrived, Sky actually tried to debit 9.99 euros from my account for the processing fee for replacing the smart card that Sky had sent incorrectly. I objected to the collection, as I had never given Sky direct debit authorization. I informed Sky of this, as well as the fact that Sky itself had sent me the wrong smartcard and that I found it somewhat strange why the customer should pay fees for Sky's mistakes. As I have not given Sky any direct debit authorization in the past, I also informed Sky that I do not accept the claim for return debit and processing fees.

A few weeks later, a lady contacted me by phone and told me that the flat-rate shipping fee would have been charged in any case, even if the correct smartcard had been sent from the outset. Although this is simply a lie, because my voucher says "no shipping costs", I wanted to get the matter off the table and told the lady to send me a receipt for the shipping fee.

I am still waiting in vain for a new invoice for 9.99 euros. Instead, I have now received two more letters from Sky, which are almost unbeatable in terms of impertinence. The first letter starts with the following subject:

Stop seeing black and start enjoying Sky again.

In this letter, I am informed that Sky has not yet received payment for the outstanding amount and offers me a 12-month contract for two premium packages at a price of 24.90 euros. This offer would be available for one week.

Let's move on to the second letter, which arrived in the letterbox a day later:

3rd reminder

We hereby inform you for the last time that you are in arrears with your payments and request you to pay the outstanding amount of EUR 30.91 [...] (EUR 9.99 flat-rate shipping fee, EUR 3.01 return debit note fee, EUR 10 processing fee, EUR 8 reminder fee)

Sky does not seem to adhere to the agreements made over the phone, nor does it seem to take note of written registered letters from customers in which I have clearly pointed out that I do not accept the return debit note and processing fee, as I have never issued a direct debit authorization. I was also not sent a new receipt for 9.99 euros as agreed. Instead, the reminder loop simply continues to run merrily and produce further reminder fees. Bravo Sky, very professional way of dealing with customers!