Sky under fire for exploiting the elderly
Monday, July 21st, 2008Sky set-top box boob
Sky have been accused of exploiting vulnerable viewers, after it sent letters to customers demanding payment for installation of a set-top box which had been advertised as free.
Sky had won the contract for a BBC run help scheme, costing the tax payer £603million, which entitled elderly and disabled people to a free set-top box at a one off installation fee of £40, or free for those on benefits. Sky receives licence fee money for the scheme, which is being run in the ITV borders region, where the analogue signal will first be switched off.
However, 50-60 customers in the region have received letters from the satellite giant demanding payment for the installation. Sky said this was an administrative error which has now been dealt with.
The figure demanded was around the £250 mark – the amount Sky normally charges to install their Sky+ system. MPs are worried that Sky has an ulterior motive for accepting the contract. Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat MP for the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency claims that the oversight shows that Sky TV have been keeping customers’ names on a database for marketing purposes: “It is appalling. It’s exactly what we feared might happen, that Sky would exploit license fee payers’ money to market to vulnerable people,” he said.
Sky is offering its Sky+ service and subscription service free for two months, at which point viewers decide whether they wish to pay for continuation of the service or opt out of it.
Sky said that the erroneous letters were a mistake resulting from the introduction of new systems. “As soon as the mistake was realised steps were taken to contact the affected customers, and almost all have now been reached and reassured they do not have to pay any more than they expected,” a spokesperson said.
However the charity Help the Aged said that the oversight was “completely contrary to the spirit of the help scheme because it was set up to make digital switchover easier and less stressful for vulnerable people”.
