My wife and I have been friends with a childless couple for over forty years.
Three years ago the man died leaving his 89 year old widow.
They had a 'traditional marriage' for their age where he worked - sorted the finances and she cooked and washed.
When he died my wife and I ' took her under our wing' showed the old lady how to use a bank card while shopping, sorted her utility bills etc.
She's made remarkable progress for a lady in her early nineties.
On Monday, my wife and I made one of our weekly visits for a 'nice cup of tea' when she showed me a letter from Sky T.V. telling her of a £2 increase of her subscription.
She also said that she couldn't receive one of her Sky channels.
When I looked at her T.V. it became apparent that she was not receiving any sky channels.
She showed me her latest bank statement and she has been charged £63.00 per. month for her Sky package.
Her letter from Sky gave no telephone contact, so I had to return home to use my computer to find a contact number for Sky and after telephoning 3 numbers I managed to contact someone who could help.
Apparently my friends husband had set up a package fourteen years ago and Sky have just been increasing the cost.
I've managed to negotiate a package for £24 per month a saving of £40 per month.
The old lady would never have been able to contact or negotiate with Sky and been paying £63.00 per month until she dies.
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Life is far more complicated for us ‘old ‘uns’ than it ever has been and one certainly has to have your wits about you regarding direct debits and standing orders etc .....as I have found on a couple of occasions to my cost. There’s plenty of scammers operating out there.
Thankfully, Charlton Life haven’t raised their subscription fees since I joined 11 years ago and the £10 monthly standing order I set up on joining in May 2008 to their bank based in Bermuda still seems pretty good value.
My dad has had mental illness for all of my life and for a while before i was born and he's been "preyed upon" by all sorts of people from double glazing firms (even though you could clearly see the windows he had were virtually brand new), to gardeners, to book clubs, to religious people. He's now in a home and my brother is in control of his affairs, but just thinking of him sitting there, not having a clue what's going on and some wanker accepting a signature from him for £1000s of double glazing, knowing he was obviously not of sound mind, infuriates me.
Trust nobody until proven different has worked well for me when it comes to this sort of thing.
They'll try and tell you you're rude but rather that than get ripped off.
It's wrong as it exploits certain types of customer (which the elderly generally fit into) but they're operating within the parameters set by OFCOM, so as annual price rises accrue and TV packages get more and more competitive you'll eventually wind up overpaying. That is unless, as is the case with many things unfortunately, you shop around and stay on top of what you're paying - there's no other way unfortunately.
Edit: And whatever you do, don't sign your nan up to eBilling if she doesn't check her email account!
I phoned the company concerned and then put on auntie to discuss cancelation .. she told the young woman at the other end of the line that she wanted to cancel and then the conversation from our end went .. Auntie: 'yes, yes, I see, alright then, thank you, goodbye' .. 'Has she cancelled the policy' asked I .. 'She sounded such a nice girl, I didn't have the heart to' replied Auntie, who incidentally, in most aspects of her life was needle sharp .. what can you do ?
(I resolved it 10 minutes later and was told off for being heartless towards the 'poor girl' who needed the job)
No she can't receive the Sky channels.
Sky sent a new card for us to try in her box and it did not work so I contacted them again.
They said we would need the services of an engineer which would cost £60 for the visit.
At this point I nearly exploded and explained that the old lady probably had not been receiving all the Sky channels for some months and I would advise her to cancel the subscription and we would get her a freeview box as most of the channels she watches are free.
The person I was negotiating immediately said she could drop the price of the visit to £30.
I agree as the reduction in her subscription would pay for the engineers visit and it was important for the old lady to have continuity of T.V. watching as she is virtually housebound.
The old lady (like so many old folk) would never have been able to cope with the hassle.
If I can give Sky any credit, they have given me a contact telephone number registered to the old lady which should help with any further problems.
My dad (long departed from this world) never trusted banks.
He worked for many years at Standard Telephones and Cables at North Woolwich.
He said that one day the personnel manager assembled the couple of hundred blue boiler suited workforce to the company canteen.
Mr T (lets call him that) the personnel manager introduced Mr Smith (not his real name) to the assembled gathering.
"Mr Smith works for Barclays bank, and very soon you will all have your wages paid into his bank". said the suited and booted personnel manager.
One bright spark from the assembled gathering asked, "Mr Smith, how much do you charge to change a cheque"?
"Err tuppence" blurted Mr Smith.
Another bright spark continued the interrogation.
"When is your bank open"?
"Err, 9.30 till 3.30", replied Mr Smith feeling under siege.
"Is your bank opened Saturdays Mr Smith". asked another chap.
"Err no err" stuttered Mr Smith.
Then the coup de grace.
"So what you are saying is, you are going to charge us to get our money from your bank which isn't open when we finish work at 5 and your not open Saturdays, WELL YOU CAN STUFF THAT".
And with that the hero's (my dad included) upped and left Mr Smith and Mr T to contemplate their navels.
My dad never trusted banks, something that used to amuse me until the banking crisis of 2008.
He did relent however and after much arm twisting opened an account with the Woolwich building society.
And the shareholders are mainly the pension and investment companies that elderly people depend on for their income!
She's been paying 63 quid and some of the channels didn't work? They sent out a new card and it still didn't work?
So she's paid for a service, which wasn't delivered to her.
And they have the cheek to first of all charge 60 quid and then reduce it to 30, when you complained?
I would have told those bastards to at least send someone out free or charge or if not, then reimburse her for the days, where she's been without Sky.
Otherwise threaten them with Social Media. Often works.
I told him I'm 60 don't game and can get existing wifi in every room and am fully satisfied with my current service. He still tried to convince me I needed it ......