Sky Scam.

[leefer]

I am livid.

For the past few months our Sky phone bill has been higher than usual due to calls going out not made by us.
Many of these calls are made one min after the other in the early hours and are billed as us ringing Afinity Intergrated Solutions and BT Low Call as well as others.
We have not made these calls and it seems that many people have had the same problem for many years....seems it is somehow something to do with the Sky Box ringing these numbers automatically.
Will be getting rid of the Sky phone now but it seems even BT maybe having these problems,so if you have a Sky bill check it.

The thing that gets me is they have been having these problems for years...i hav,nt checked my itemised bill for yonks,how much extra have i paid over the last three years

[Trashbat?]

Another reason for why I wont plug my phone line into my sky box

[leefer]

A different line?...or do you just use a mobile.

[Arriba]

Ring them and go mad. I expect they will do something for you

[Notts red]

Just checked mine Leefer, I also have a couple of calls to NGN  AIF numbers. Both at 05.57 charged at 74p for 40 seconds. Also have a couple of others to BT premium rates. 26 seconds cost me £1.53. These are calls we haven't made so I'm going to call sky to ask them about this. We are looking around for a new deal for our phone, broadband and tv so any recommendations would be welcome.

[Arriba]

I'm with talk talkfor phone and broadband and i rarely use the phone,plus i have sky+. My sky box doesn't call anything and is connected to the phone line.

[Luci]

Ring them and go mad. I expect they will do something for you

I wouldn't bank on it.

Sky have been the worst company I have ever had to deal with - just a damn shame Virgin don't serve my area.

Also, isn't this perhaps something the ombudsman could help with? Sky are a member of the Communications Ombudsman......

http://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html

[Trashbat?]

A different line?...or do you just use a mobile.

Its a BT line, I unplugged it from the sky box about 2 years ago. I dont use the interactive services so dont see the point in it being connected

[Batch]

Hi Leefer,

This sounds a bit odd. I do not think it is necessarily Sky box related, more Sky billing related.

Are you 100% sure that **ANY** calls have not been made at the times mentioned?

The reason for asking is it seems a quirk of the Sky billing system is to show calls to "Afinity Intergrated Solutions", but this is not the name of the company you actually rang. Any chance of posting/pm'ing a couple of numbers and I'll try and see? If not fair enough, your chatline secrets are safe

If you are 100% sure this is not the case, and that no phone calls were made at that time maybe it is a box issue, or burglar alarm issue or something else. If it is it may not go away by changing provider.

[Notts red]

I have only connected my sky+ hd box into my hard drive recently to get a load of extra films etc on Anytime+. Is this the same as connecting my box into a tv outlet?

[Batch]

Forgot to mention - check you don't have a number prefix stored in the sky box. For sky HD:

http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Sky-HD/Understanding-the-Installer-Setup-Menu/m-p/3/highlight/true#M2

[leefer]

Hi all....seem to have got some answers from Sky(they answered after 22 mins!)

Seems now that a lot of companys use this Affinity etc......and also the answering systems cost now and in some cases even the engaged tone.

Anyway they are monitoring my phone as they agree that things do not look right....also the red button on the box can be liked to these mystery numbers as well as bill paying facilitys ie water on 08 numbers...they all use these outside agencys.

And wait for it......even the Swindon Town number is billed as Affinity Intergrated Systems!....or at least was when i rang them before Xmas and was put on hold for 16 mins....and being charged £1.60,will be having a word with Paolo about that

[Notts red]

Thank for the info Leefer/ Batch. I'll be changing providers soon as never been really happy with Sky services and the way they are offering new customers good deals but sod all for us who have been on the full package for several years. Was thinking about Virgin as we have mobiles with them and would probably get a better package with monthly contracts etc. Any others you could recommend ?

[DRS]

Give em hell leefer. cheeky shits

[Batch]

Most companies are PITA when it comes to renewals v new custom.

RAC - knocked down from £189 renewal to £99
Sky - was on a 17.5% off TV package for almost 5 years (I slipped through the cracks system).
Direct Line - Have saved by ending existing policy and taking out new.
etc. etc.

You got to moan and complain to get the deals and play "leaving bluff"*. It shouldn't be like that
but it is.

*sometimes they let you leave though...