tags: Scams
Junk Mail from Satellite Direct UK
November 29th, 2006, by Rich.
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It’s been a long time since I’ve seen complete mindless determination in the face of utterly overwhelming odds, but Satellite Direct have shown a lack of comprehension that is quite staggering in their recent marketing campaign. Today, they have raised the bar of ineptitude.
The Odds against Satellite Direct
The odds stacked up against Satellite Direct are not just high, they’re positively gargantuanly mind-bogglingly insurmountable; but this plucky little company won’t give up.
Satellite Direct want to sell us a warranty for our Sky satellite television receiver and they don’t give a stuff that we don’t own one.
It matters not a jot to them that we’ve never had one - why let a trifling little detail like that get in the way of a good marketing opportunity?
Disregarding Things
If you’re disregarding important things like checking that your victims potential customers have a need for your warranty then a few other forgetful moments won’t go amiss either, like forgetting to check if your victims potential customers are registered with the TPS.
We for example are registered with the TPS, so it’s unlawful, for Satellite Direct to call us and even try to sell us anything, but that’s not stopped them calling us twice (1,2) already, and comments are starting to arrive from others who have also been tele-spammed.
Satellite Direct Junk Mail
So if your tele-marking operations were facing repeated TPS complaints, what do you do?
Well I was most impressed today to hear from John Campbell whose 96 year old mum-in-law received a letter from Satellite Direct informing her that she too had an expired warranty on a Sky satellite receiver which has (like ours) never, ever, existed.
So that’s what Satellite Direct do, they switch to junk mail. We’re also registered with the Mailing Preference Service, so it’s also unlawful for Satellite Direct to directly send us junk mail.
It will therefore come as no surprise that we too have received a letter from Satellite Direct UK which opens:
The initial manufacturer’s warranty on your digital satellite (Sky TV) system has now expired and this leaves you open to expensive call out charges and repair costs should anything go wrong!
Profiting from Dishonesty?
If Satellite Direct can repeatedly badger us with this specious nonsense about the expiry of a warranty on a device which has never existed, then we must question how many real Sky customers are buying unnecessary warranties on machines that are still covered perfectly well by the original warranty?
Add todays letter to the call I received earlier this year telling me I’d won a flight to Turkey thanks to Data Partnership Solutions and One4Travel - which work in partnership with Satellite Direct UK and that makes four occasions when they’ve ignored the TPS and MPS and contacted us, then attempted to mislead us.
Countrywide that could scale up to a lot of unsolicited and unlawful telephone calls and junk mails, and a lot of unhappy customers.
Update: Satellite Direct UK’s business practices have subsequently been successfully challenged in the High Court by BSkyB.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
why not send dave an email expressing your disappointment?
info@satellitedirectuk.com
August 7th, 2008 at 9:33 am
What you could do is: tell them that you are interested but that your bank details have changed and you need to go and find them - ask them to “hang on a minute” while you go and get them.
Then leave the phone off the hook until they give up. Sure it puts your landline out of use for a short while, but it costs them time and money.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:25 am
On a more serious note, beware of a company calling themselves “Not Just Aerials”, who call from the number 0871 6641448. This is just “Satellite Direct” by another name, operating their latest scam.
And this one really is a scam, way beyond selling extended warranty on a Sky box.
You get a recorded announcement warning of the impending digital switchover and how you will need a “digital aerial” in order to continue receiving television broadcasts. They then invite you to answer “yes” or “no” after the tone if you would like a follow-up call. Of course, they should not have called in the first place, as I’m on the TPS, but that’s never stopped them in the past.
Have a look at their website FAQ (http://notjustaerials.co.uk/faq) to see just how dishonest they are. The answers to each FAQ do not actually answer the question. For example, the question: “Why do I need to have a digital aerial?” is answered by a very long and poorly written sentence that includes the gem: “you have to upgrade because analogue equipment will be shut down nationwide”. This is deliberately designed to mislead. Although analogue television broadcasting equipment is due to be shut down, the whole point of Freeview is that you can receive digital broadcasts through your existing aerial. The real answer is that you do not need to upgrade.
Let me just make this perfectly clear - YOU DO NOT NEED A DIGITAL AERIAL OR DIGITAL CABLES TO RECEIVE DIGITAL TELEVISION.
There’s not even any such thing as a “digital aerial”. They may call themselves “Not Just Aerials”, but all they’re selling is a large analogue TV aerial, with an ordinary co-axial analogue cable.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Hi Rich,
I live in Bognor Regis and for about 16 years worked for a busy electronics
company. After the last big recession they joined with one of their sister
companies and moved to Devon. Some time ago I noticed that one of the buildingss
had been taken by a company called Satellite Direct UK. I thought I recognised
the name from a Watchdog programme. A few days ago I spoke to a couple of the
youngsters on a “fag break” and found it is their call centre, I then googled
them and found your site. For anyone that wants to contact them their main
address is given as Imperium Hous, Ford Lane, Arundel, W.Sussex,BN18 0DF.
Phone. 08716 641400 (not a premium rate but dearer than their regional
code 01903) e_mail info@satellitedirectuk.com
The call centre is Satellite Direct U.K., Durban Road, Bognor Regis, PO22 9QT.
You can try phoning on 01243 867893 or 01243 824258. Good hunting.
Another piece of advice that applies to ANY company that you don’t know or
trust.DON’T give your card details OR set up Direct Debit. Tell them you will
set up a standing order. If they want your business they will accept this.
That way YOU remain in control of your bank account and nobody else gets their
sticky fingers into it to take money without your authority . Best rgds.
John.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I just received a marketing call from 08716641482 calling themseves Play TV trying to sell me subscripion with no line rental. I told the caller that she was breaking the TPS regulations (since my phone no is registered) and she became heated and slammed the phone dowm
August 26th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I have just had a call from Play TV on 08716641482. I said that I was registered with the TPS. The response was “Maybe you were, but you have to re-register each year.” I said that this was untrue. For once he did not argue and the call was ended. The fact is - you DO NOT have to re-register with the TPS. Play TV, as the company now seems to be called, are pedalling more lies now.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I have received two phone calls from a James Valentine of 165-167 Dyke Road, Hove trying to sell me warranty cover for my sky TV systems. He seems to be trading as Sat Link Services Ltd. He descibes what is covered verbally but when I ask for it in writing all he sends is an application form inviting me to complete a direct debit which does not tell me who I am paying other than their originators identification number which is 648325. He asks for a payment by cheque to be payable to Satlink Services Ltd and says details of the cover is on http://www.satellitedirectuk.com. He says that on receipt of payment he will confirm cover by phone. I am very suspicious as nothing is ever in writing other than the payment form. The payment form has no phone number or address on it. Is it insurance in which case who is the insurance company? Are they approved of by Sky? They offer cover for up to three years. What guaranteee is there that they will still be in existance in three years time. Are their engineers approved of by Sky or will Sky disown any work they do.