Junk Mail from Satellite Direct UK

November 29th, 2006, by Rich.

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Junk Mail from Satellite Direct UK

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.

Update: Someone claiming to be an employee responds.

Rich Says:
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:36 pm

There are two parts to Anon’s message.

Part One

Well i actually work for this company, so let me explain a few things to you.

Will Anon explain why Satellite Direct appears to be ignoring TPS and MPS lists and passing itself off as having a relationship with Sky and intimating an existing relationship with the people it calls?

Or will this just be an attempt to excuse these repeated transgressions?

Firstly, we are the largest INDEPENDANT warranty company in the uk, providing a fully comprehensive service to over 1 million customers, who may i add, have been very happy with our policy.

Largest in the UK? Wow. I had no idea that misselling could be so lucrative. How many of those 1 million customers were deceived? How many of them would be happy if they realised they’ve entered into a contract under false pretenses?

Now, with regards to us ringing people on TPS, how hard is it to just say you are TPS and request for your details to be removed? They will be.

If a company is going to call people in their homes then the company have to be prepared for what’s on the other end. People are not just sat on the sofa with nothing to do. They’re cooking dinner, looking after the baby, getting the kids ready for bed, they’re working at home, or they’ve on shift work all night and are trying to get some sleep during the day, or they’re an elderly lady who can be easily frightened into thinking she’s going to get a huge bill if her telly breaks, or any number of other things. The TPS exists so that these people don’t get interrupted.

Mistakes happen but after being called and mailed repeatedly by Satellite Direct I find it hard to believe that these are mistakes. If they really are mistakes, then why would (why should) we, the public, trust a company with a legal history that shows it misleading members of the public in order to gain their custom?

Just saying “I’m TPS registered” is not enough - doing that lessens the effectiveness of the TPS.

Lodging an official complaint with the TPS (which takes just 2 minutes) ensures that unprofessional marketing companies who ignore the lists will very quickly have a body of evidence showing repeated “errors”. If those error levels are outside of the national average then it becomes very obvious, very quickly, that the company is willfully ignoring the TPS lists.

Part Two

You are all obviously sad old bastards that have nothing better to do than piss and moan about something that, to be fair, really is not that big a deal.

Psychology shows us that humans often revert to instinctive responses when cornered; here, the example is of playground name calling which has been resorted to as the disputant doesn’t have a coherent argument. The introduction of the insulting language is a perfect example of a fundamental attribution error.

So why is anon the (claimed) Satellite Direct employee flustered and worried?

I am just trying to do a job,

Bingo. This is not a silly or insubstantial fear, this is someone protecting their livelihood. Anon, this is not about you.

This is about people who have asked that they not be interrupted on their private phone line when they’re living their private lives.

It’s about Satellite Direct being economical with the truth and passing itself off as having a relationship with Sky, Its about Satellite Direct apparently ignoring TPS and MPS lists. The former has been proved in court, the scale of the latter will only be apparent if people lodge a formal complaint rather than just putting the phone down and being annoyed at the interruption.

…so if we have made a mistake with your details, eg you dont have a sky system, just say it. Instead you all get so worked up about it and whinge about it on the net.

Worked up? I’ll come back to this point.

I write about things that happen to me, and surprise surprise, the short articles about Satellite Direct get lots of visits from people wondering who this company is that’s interrupted them in their home. Those that are not already TPS registered learn about the TPS, which is good.

All I’ve got left to say is get a bloody life you sad twats!

“Worked up”; I said I’d come back to it. Psychologists call this projection, where one’s unwanted feelings and emotions are projected onto another.

We have lives, it’s our lives that are interrupted by Satellite Direct’s unwanted phone calls.

Lesley Says:
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:45 pm

Well analysed, Rich.

I can only say that if this sad person who does not even admit to a name, ever came to my home, either by telephone or in person, he/she would be given short shrift and sent packing rather smartish, together with his/her baggage of attitudes.

Sadly he/she has missed the point that although you wrote the first posting on this subject, all the other people who have become involved came there because they had had their precious time interrupted and wasted by people such as ‘anon’.

Every phone call to a person who is NOT interested is a wasted opportunity to connect with somebody who DOES want the service on offer. Sounds like very poor business management to me

Brett Says:
January 25th, 2007 at 3:26 pm

Yet again this bloody company have called me!!!! I believed it was down to the letter that I had received begging for my money. When the only reply they got from me was “Stop F**king Harassing me you Tw*ts”. I WAS SO WRONG!! Yet again they were after my money!! I swore at the agent then I called back to speak to a Manager. I spoke to a Lynn Rogers who was very apologetic, I explained to her that I had, had enough and that if they persisted I would take a court order out on them for Harassment or should I go to the Police for an ASBO? But I may just contact Watchdog and see what they can do! This Mickey Mouse Company needs to be wound up!! ASAP!! I am lead to believe currently BSKYB are trying to wind the Company up. PLEASE LET THIS BE THE CASE!

billy bob Says:
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:32 pm

i used to work for sat direct and to tell you the truth the service they sell is actually better then sky can give you…
its a little company trying to take on a big one :P
it seams to be winning

Rich Says:
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:46 pm

Hey there Billy Bob, could you perhaps describe how and why you believe the services you sold on behalf of Satellite Direct are better than those offered by Sky?

I’m imagining that you may know the results of an independent survey which measures things like customer satisfaction, or average time to repair, or average cost per call-out, or… what? Naturally any (unlikely to materialise) positive survey data doesn’t negate the unlawful business practices of Satellite Direct that were successfully legally challenged by Sky; nor the telephone spam, nor the junk mail.

Or are you merely indulging in unintentionally biased speculation in order that you do not feel emotionally responsible for any of the repugnant behaviour of your former employer?

Winning? Pull the other one.

Alan Says:
February 3rd, 2007 at 5:49 pm

I have only just started work for Satellite Direct UK. Our charge for service warranty is £5.00 pm and is the same price for standard, sky+ or Sky HD boxes. If a fault is reported before 8.30am we aim to get a service engineer out the same day.

Sky’s warranty, called Sky Repair Protection Plan and run by Domestic and General costs £5.75 pm for standard boxes and £8.25pm for sky+. They aim to get an engineer out in 3 working days.

If you have no warranty then you can be liable to a callout charge which is I believe at least £65, plus the cost of replacement items.

I know which sounds the best to me!

Rich Says:
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:27 pm

“I know which sounds the best to me!” - Alan

I’m guessing it’s the Sky Repair Protection Plan.

On the face of it a saving of 75p per month (£10 per year) seems attractive, but why would anyone want a warranty from a morally bankrupt firm for a Sky box they don’t have?

I notice that the £10 per year saving reduces to £4 if the Sky contract is paid annually, so that’s 33p per month, or a smidge over 1p per day.

So the relative cost of a warranty and repair that is endorsed and authorised by Sky is 1p per day.

Now, when Sky say they’ll be on site within 3 days I’m inclined to believe them, I’m inclined to assume they’ll probably be faster than the 3 day maximum.

In contrast, when Satellite Direct say they’ll have an engineer on-site on the same day, why on earth should I trust them? The entire conversation has been initiated on the false premise that my non-existent sky satellite warranty has run out, and Satellite Direct have been found guilty of repeatedly misleading Sky’s customers in order to make a sale.

Sorry Alan, your new employer is neither a cute fluffy bunny, nor a knight in shining armor; it’s a company that’s been engaged in ropey business practices since 2002 (according to Sky’s legal representative). You can even read about Satellite Direct in the Guardian.

On Feb 12th 2007 (in 9 days time) Satellite Direct will return to court to find out what damages must be paid to BSkyB and it’s authorised partners for the “‘habitual or institutional passing off’, such that up to 80% of sales were immediately preceded by passing off [as Sky].” - Mr. Justice Briggs.

I think I’ll still choose Sky for my unnecessary warranty, mainly because they’ve not unlawfully telephoned me at home on several occasions, despite being informed every time that I’m TPS registered, and not sent me junk mail telling me my non-existent warranty on my non-existent sky box has just expired.

[Note: neither Alan not Billy Bob have provided official @SatelliteDirect email addresses so their claims of affiliation should be taken at face value. they probably do/did work for SD, because I can't imagine that anyone unrelated would want to be associated with the firm.]

Alan Says:
February 4th, 2007 at 11:42 am

I note your comments Rich. I am under no illusion about the morals of my employer. However, I have no intention of forcing anyone to buy a warranty they don’t want. As soon as someone says they are not interested, I apologise for disturbing them and remove their number from the database.

Personally, I think ALL extended warranties are a waste of money and have never bought one, but some people don’t agree and feel they are necessary. That is after all how Domestic & General make their money

Sam Kerrison Says:
February 10th, 2007 at 10:00 am

I was/maybe tempted to sign up to this company. I notice your naming of the company has changed from Satelite Direct to Sky Digital….. Are you just following sheep ??/
Who has used them, are they professional, do they do a good job. Dave asked this and so far only an ex (why ex) employee has commented. I will hold back my cheque for a while. Also, who does do a good job at reasonable rates and can be trusted. If you are going to criticise then be constructive.

Rich Says:
February 10th, 2007 at 10:37 am

Hi Sam,

I notice your naming of the company has changed from Satelite Direct [sic] to Sky Digital [emphasis added]

I’m not sure whose naming you’re referring to; can you point at something specific so I can clarify?

As for who does a good job… as I mentioned further up this page, personally, if I had a sky box, I’d choose a warranty and repair service that is endorsed and authorised by Sky, e.g. the Sky Repair Protection Plan.

Since you trust Sky to provide the hardware and run an entire television network, it’s not exactly a leap of faith to take out a warranty with them.

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