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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Can't order NOW TV Broadband because Sky have blocked the phone line

I've just moved into a rented apartment. The last tenant had Sky broadband & talk and have left an unpaid bill. Because of this, Sky have blocked the phone line and said that they won't release it unless I pay that debt and take out a package with them. 

NOW TV customer service have said that they don't want to process my order while this situation exists. So, I'm caught in a bind - either pay Sky and take out their broadband/talk (which sounds like blackmail to me), or try and get another phone line installed, which I'll have to clear with the landlord and potentially the property management company, not to mention the probable hassle and potential cost.

Alternatively, why can't NOW TV take over the line, especially as Sky is the parent company?

Has anyone encountered a problem like this, and how did you resolve it?!

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Anonymous User
Not applicable

 Early this morning I just went for it - ordered online without a hitch, activation date and new phone number provided. Fingers crossed.. Thanks for your comments, everyone. 

View solution in original post

8 REPLIES 8
Tony-D
NOW Team Member
NOW Team Member


@Anonymous User wrote:

I've just moved into a rented apartment. The last tenant had Sky broadband & talk and have left an unpaid bill. Because of this, Sky have blocked the phone line and said that they won't release it unless I pay that debt and take out a package with them. 

NOW TV customer service have said that they don't want to process my order while this situation exists. So, I'm caught in a bind - either pay Sky and take out their broadband/talk (which sounds like blackmail to me), or try and get another phone line installed, which I'll have to clear with the landlord and potentially the property management company, not to mention the probable hassle and potential cost.

Alternatively, why can't NOW TV take over the line, especially as Sky is the parent company?

Has anyone encountered a problem like this, and how did you resolve it?!


Hi @Anonymous User That doesn't sound right by Sky. You should never have to pay someone elses Sky Debt.  I would suggest getting your landlord to phone up Sky and ask them to release the line. If anything it would be him that has to chase this up as it is his property technically.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

No - it doesn't sound right at all. The unpaid debt issue I can sort of understand, but making release of the line contingent on me taking out a Sky package surely can't be legal, and OFCOM agreed when I rang them earlier for advice. OFCOM recommended installing a new phone line, but that's hassle, probable extra cost and would need agreement from the landlord and perhaps the property management company too.

It's extremely frustrating. The tenant also left an unpaid electricity bill, but emailing my lease agreement to the provider had me up and running with a clean account in minutes. Sky don't want to know.  

I don't actually know what responsibility the landlord might have in this situation - will check that out.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

The really aggravating thing about it is why NOW TV can't just take over the line for me as a new broadband customer and get Sky to release it, especially as Sky are the parent company.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Update - I've been in touch with Sky Service Support through FB Messenger, and been advised that there's no reason why a new provider can't take over the line. In fact, they said that I can't pay off the outstanding debt anyway as I can't verify the previous tenant's information.

So, can anyone provide reassurances that NOW TV should therefore be able to process an order if I make one?   

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User @Tony-D

Hi Mc G

Just read your post, especially the latest one, and a couple of things from the "bad ol' days" popped out at me.

1) When monopoly utility companies tried to make neighbours pay for next door's unpaid bill, it was illegal then as it is now. However, a few years back a friend of mine moved into a rented home and, because the previous tenant left unpaid bills, he had a tremendous struggle getting his credit score back up to where it should be.

You see, although you cannot be forced to pay someone else's unpaid bill but you can inherit their diminished credit score because you now have/share their address.

2) Because you now have a bad credit score there is no way you can force a company, in fact any company, to grant you any form of credit, even though the bad credit score is attached to the address and not directly to you.

One main point I think you may have overlooked, you honestly cannot expect a company, i.e. Now TV,  to side with you against the mandate of it's parent company, in this case Sky.  That would be like asking a son to take your side against his father's, something that is highly unlikely to happen.

OK, that said, may I suggest the following:

1) Get your credit worthiness checked and, if necessary, repaired by finding out what damage has been done and how to get it sorted, I would suggest you contact Money Saving Expert.com at the following URL:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

2) As for your ISP situation, their are other companies out there that will do business with you once you no longer have the previous tenant's bad credit score over your head.

Finally, Sky cannot permanently block your line because, I believe, they do not technically own it, the ownership would belong to Openreach/BT.  And as the line is not making Sky any money, plus they would still be paying a leasing fee to BT for it, it would seem stupid to hold onto this loss making line just to spite you.

My rambling may not have helped but I hope you get some ideas from it.

 

UK Bob

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Thanks, Bob - let's hope that there isn't an adverse effect on my credit score from taking this place on.

Interesting point about the relationship between Sky and NOW TV, although it assumes that the mandate of the parent company is valid - ie. to suggest that I both pay a debt that isn't mine AND tie myself to a Sky product I don't want just to get service provision. Neither of those things can be correct, and an alternative take on that relationship might be that either should be happy for me to give the other my money.

Your last point is particularly interesting, as someone else has suggested that Sky (or any other provider) can place a block on a line for maybe 50 or 60 days after suspending an account, before releasing it. Even if that's true, I've no way of knowing when it occurred and how long I'd have to wait.

 

 

Tony-D
NOW Team Member
NOW Team Member

@ukbobboy wrote:

@Anonymous User @Tony-D

Hi Mc G

Just read your post, especially the latest one, and a couple of things from the "bad ol' days" popped out at me.

1) When monopoly utility companies tried to make neighbours pay for next door's unpaid bill, it was illegal then as it is now. However, a few years back a friend of mine moved into a rented home and, because the previous tenant left unpaid bills, he had a tremendous struggle getting his credit score back up to where it should be.

You see, although you cannot be forced to pay someone else's unpaid bill but you can inherit their diminished credit score because you now have/share their address.

2) Because you now have a bad credit score there is no way you can force a company, in fact any company, to grant you any form of credit, even though the bad credit score is attached to the address and not directly to you.

One main point I think you may have overlooked, you honestly cannot expect a company, i.e. Now TV,  to side with you against the mandate of it's parent company, in this case Sky.  That would be like asking a son to take your side against his father's, something that is highly unlikely to happen.

OK, that said, may I suggest the following:

1) Get your credit worthiness checked and, if necessary, repaired by finding out what damage has been done and how to get it sorted, I would suggest you contact Money Saving Expert.com at the following URL:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

2) As for your ISP situation, their are other companies out there that will do business with you once you no longer have the previous tenant's bad credit score over your head.

Finally, Sky cannot permanently block your line because, I believe, they do not technically own it, the ownership would belong to Openreach/BT.  And as the line is not making Sky any money, plus they would still be paying a leasing fee to BT for it, it would seem stupid to hold onto this loss making line just to spite you.

My rambling may not have helped but I hope you get some ideas from it.

 

UK Bob


As @ukbobboy has said @Anonymous User There is not one single reason why we can't take over the line (although UKBobboy has a better way with words than i can see)

 

Give our sales team and call and we should be able to put an order through for you no problems.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

 Early this morning I just went for it - ordered online without a hitch, activation date and new phone number provided. Fingers crossed.. Thanks for your comments, everyone.