Tags: Scams
Suspicious BSkyB Warranty Telesales
October 20th, 2006, by Rich.
Warning: apache_lookup_uri() [function.apache-lookup-uri]: Unable to include '/pics/2006/sky/sly' - error finding URI in /home/www/boakes.org/htdocs/mods/plugins/boakes-depicticon.php on line 65
We just got a telemarketing call. Regular readers will know we’re registered with the TPS, so such calls are unlawful. The call went like this…
Sam: “Hello, can I speak to Ms Reeves please?”
Me: “Sure, what’s it in connection with?”
Sam: “We notice that your Sky warranty is about to run out and … blah blah blah.”
Me:”Right, so who would be providing the cover?”
Sam: “Oh, Sky Engineers … blah blah blah.”
Me: “Right, so who, which company would be providing the cover?”
Sam: “Satellite Direct. Sky don’t do warranties so they subcontract them to companies such as ours.”
Me: “Right. We don’t have a Sky box.”
Sam: “Oh; must be a system error, we’ve been getting a lot of them today, we get all our names and numbers from Sky.”
I took the guy’s name and the company’s number (08702 402 483) for good measure.
Satellite Direct say they got our number from BSkyB. We do not have, and never have had a contract with BSkyB!
And they called using Emma’s maiden name?
Satellite Direct are Telespammers.
I’ve mentioned their call to the TPS.
Update: Satellite Direct UK’s business practices have subsequently been successfully challenged in the High Court by BSkyB
July 11th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Having changed from one of these companies to another, I can confidently say it is not really a scam.
Having been covered by a plan that was put to me as being from Sky TV themseves, as it turned out it was Domestic and General. I was called by another company suggesting that I reduce my premium by switching to them, they were honest with me and did not give me the impression they were from Sky TV.
This caused me to do some research into what this was about, all these companies provide cover for the Sky equipment as they use local engineers, as for Christyn (Above) saying Satellite Assured use Sky approved engineers, that is sheer coincidence as they just sub-contract out local TV men. In my experience having called them up with an enquiry, i found them the most unhelpful of all the companies I tried.
It seems to be certain companies suit the needs of high level Sky viewers, and other companies suit those people who just want it there for peice of mind.
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:39 am
I have finally tracked this company after ringing constantly for 3 days but no answer to my request for a refund reported to trading standards(lot of good that will do)
http://www.satassured.co.uk/
September 3rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
i too get a letter from this ake company last week so in a panic i contacted them and gave them all my details without hesitating.They told payment would be due by today’s date which is 3/09/07 and every month from then on for a toatl of £5.So i checked to see if the money had been taken out my account but it wasn’t,luckily.So when i came home i tried to contact them using thier web address which was not on thier letter,when i fianly traked them down i got thier web page so i emailed them,but when i tried to use the things on thier page such as info,about us home page i couldn’t as there was nothing else to acsess.I called my bank and cancelled it straight away and while i was on the phone my bank told me a company had activated my account and the company was called SAT NAV.So i started searching the net and found all these awfull things out about them.When i contacted Sky they gave me a very reliable source whom they deal with all the time.God only knows my family have been through enough this year with the death of my kids dad and my partner.
September 20th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Well they seem to have upped their ability to extract money. I had a new direct debit of 6.00 taken from my account in Sep.
The company was satellitedirect. They said i had taken cover 2yrs ago and due to a system error they had forgotten to collect the payments! I have never had cover I have always had a sky plan direct with sky..
October 11th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
I’ve just had one of these calls from “Satelite Services” on a 01243 number. The ysaid they were calling about a warranty on a Sky box. I’ve never had Sky.
Where on earth do these people get their info?
October 29th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Hi responce for Rose. Good luck in trying to get a refund. I have the same issue except they took off two payments for my credit card not just one, cheeky bastards. The person I am dealing with is Laura tel 0151 5475250 e mail:laura.sheilds@satwarranties.co.uk
As I said good luck I have had to go the legal route and have reported them for fraud. The whole this started because sky broadcasting gave over my credit card details, so check that out with sky
October 31st, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I have received many letters (on 4 occasions 8 letters in 1 day) and many phone calls from Digital Satellite Warranty Cover Ltd. I have called lots of times to tell them to take me off their database to which they always say they have done, but still the calls and letters come. I have now registered a complaint of harassment with the police and have added to the log everytime they call or send me a letter. The police have called them on my behalf three times now to tell them to stop and the last time was done by a police seargent who issued them with an official warning under the harassment act and any further calls or letters will result in court procedings being taken against the company and directors. The point I’m making is that if we all register a proper complaint with the police and keep adding to the log reistered with the police they will get fed up and help you by calling DSWC Ltd and giving DSWC Ltd an official warning under the harassment act and with enough warnings the CPS will prosecute.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:01 am
Received a call from Satellite Direct informing me that the policy I had with them was about to run out. Told them I did not have information to hand but asked them whether they were absolutely sure it was with them that I had my Sky warranty. They confirmed this (I mean like FOUR TIMES I asked - to be sure!) Renewed contract, checked paperwork afterwards, only to discover that contrary to what they confirmed, I did not have a warranty with them, but with someone else - and the contract was not even up for renewal until another 3 months’ time. Rang them straight back, outraged; explained why was outraged and demanded they cancel contract entirely. They assured me they would and assured me they were not legally obliged to send a written confirmation of cancellation. they then rang two days later to ask why i had cancelled - i explained quite clearly, again. Today #55 has been deducted from my account - incidentally 3 weeks earlier than they said they would, even before i cancelled - DODGY DODGY company.
November 29th, 2007 at 1:50 am
I wouldn’t take out any sort of cover with satellite direct as tbh its a con i used to work for them we received no training and were told to sell by any means nessary and activly encouraged by members of staff to impersonate SKY. Anyone who has cover with them I would recommend cancelling and make sure you tell them before the 12 months is up or they will renew it without warning.
If your going to take out protection I would use the sky repair plan as its under written by domestic and general and is the only plan approved by sky.But even this is waste of money as its cheaper just to buy a new box when the old one fails.
In general my advice is if called by one of these companies just say “I never want to be contacted by your company or any of its subsidiaries again i want to be taken off your data base and this call is recorded so if my demands are not met i will ask for this recording and see you in court” failing this ask for the supervisor and yell at him.
All the information used for this is gathered form out of date sources that’s why they use the wrong names etc. Information relating as to whether you have SKY or not came form the survey department of the same company which was previously called DPS (data partnership solutions). This part of the company has now closed down to my knowledge due to a law suit from SKY they now operate a sales department which sell Play TV.
So in short my advice is never buy off telly sales people, warranty is always a con the only things you should insure are your house and car.If you do want the product telly sales are offering ask for information out in the post and don’t impulse buy on the spot.
Just a side note the guy who owns the company is called David Reynolds if you ever want to track him down.
January 16th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Hi,
I too got a call from Satalite Direct and they gave me the blurb about their fantastic offer and that my warranty had expired. I asked where they got my number from and they said Sky gave it to them? I said that I would not agree to any warranty over the phone so asked for their web address which they gladly gave me :
http://www.satellitedirectuk.com/
I then looked at the site and it all looked ok. So being suspicious I thought I would check it out with Sky and they said that they always recommend Domestic and General
http://www.domgen.com/ but there were other 3rd parties out there. I’m going to give Sky another call re them potentially giving my details out which I asked them not to do when I took out the sky package……
Really glad I stumbled across this web site today as satellite direct will not be getting a penny out of my £6 though I must add that its showing as £5 on their site.
Its really good that there are these sites and forums where we can all warn about bogus or unreliable companies !
Cheers
J