November 22, 2021, 7:58 am | Read time: 5 minutes
If you cancel your Sky subscription, you must return the receiver to the pay-TV provider. However, complaints about returned hardware that allegedly never arrived at Sky keep appearing in the Sky forum. In such cases, the provider contacts former customers, requesting the return or billing them for the hardware. What’s behind the missing receivers?
Searching the Sky forum for “receiver not arrived” reveals numerous entries from former subscribers complaining that Sky claims the returned hardware never arrived. This issue has also occurred multiple times with TECHBOOK staff. It seems that returns with receivers, hard drives, smart cards, or CI+ modules used instead of a receiver for Sky reception simply disappear, or Sky does not confirm receipt.
Overview
Sky describes these as isolated cases. A spokesperson for the pay-TV provider told TECHBOOK that they cannot determine that these problems occur regularly. Nevertheless, there are plenty of complaints like “return allegedly not arrived,” “incomplete return,” or “HELP! Receiver allegedly missing upon return.”
14 Days to Return to Sky
After canceling the pay-TV subscription, the customer has 14 days to return the hardware. This includes not only the receiver, hard drive, and smart card but also power and HDMI cables and the remote control. A return label is available for download. If the former customer has provided an email address, they receive a confirmation of receipt of the hardware.
However, if instead of this message, a letter from Sky arrives demanding the return of already returned hardware, it can be problematic. The return may have been lost on its way to Sky. Of course, neither the parcel service nor Sky can rule out theft or loss caused by the logistics provider.
Always Keep the Return Slip
“There is a standard logistics verification process to ensure the correct handling of returns,” says the Sky spokesperson. In isolated cases, packages may not have been properly scanned by Sky employees. Therefore, you should always keep the return slip you receive when sending the package—until you receive confirmation of the return, either by email or through tracking.
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What to Do if the Return is Allegedly Incomplete?
But what if Sky claims the return is incomplete? This can happen especially with older receivers where the hard drive is not built-in. Or if the smart card was also placed in the package. These are multiple elements that can be returned in one package.
If the Sky employee only scans the receiver because the hard drive was not removed before shipping, the company will note the supposed absence of the hard drive. The same applies to the smart card. Unfortunately, there is no corresponding note to remove the hard drive or smart card in Sky’s return portal.
Photos or videos of packing the hardware can also be helpful, which customers can send to Sky along with a copy of the return slip or tracking number in case of a warning. Additionally, you can prepare the hardware for shipping in the presence of another person, so you can name a witness in case of a dispute.
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Files Can Only Be Sent via Special Email Address
However, Sky is not a big fan of emails. In the online customer center, you have to click through several steps to find the address anhang@sky.de. Only through this email address can photos or videos be sent to Sky. The contact form in the customer center does not allow attachments.
As some forum users report, the email address is no guarantee of receiving a response. Instead, the warning process may continue. In the worst case, you may have to pay for the allegedly unreturned hardware. To prevent this, many users turn to the Sky forum, hoping that one of the moderators will address and resolve their complaint about the lost return.
This seems to work in most cases. It’s hard to track, as further communication between the user and moderator occurs via private messages. At least the disgruntled former customers no longer appear in the forum, suggesting that the moderators can help when Sky demands already returned hardware.
Instead of relying on communication via email or the Sky forum, it is advisable to write a letter to Sky, explaining the situation with the tracking number. This approach also worked for a TECHBOOK staff member. After it was claimed that the smart card was not returned—although it was included in the package—a letter resolved the issue. It clearly stated that all devices and cards were included in the package with the respective tracking number. A few days later, an apology from Sky arrived, and the matter was settled.