Sky customers affected by dying satellite to get credit

We’ve had a lot of requests for help from members of the public and for advice from the media over Sky’s signal problems caused by the satellite it's currently using.

Some Sky customers have been experiencing poor signal and dropouts because the satellite that beams its video back to New Zealand satellite dishes is running out of fuel. It will be 8 weeks before Sky can switch to a new satellite.

“Between now and April, we remain on the existing D2 satellite, which our provider Optus has put into ‘inclined orbit’ to conserve fuel,” a Sky spokesperson said.

“As a result the satellite moves slightly out of its optimum spot at certain times of day. This has resulted in some of our Sky Box customers experiencing intermittent issues with their Sky signal. Based on the current data, we believe that around 5% (20,000–25,000 customers) may experience these signal issues, and we are working closely with Optus to manage this situation.”

Consumer has been repeatedly hearing from those who come to us for help that technicians are not showing up at the agreed time. This is despite Sky saying it’s doubled the number of technicians it has working while the disruption is occurring.

In a video on its website, Sky says “… while our techs have been working as hard as they can to meet your needs, we’ve let you down at times”.

Our message to both members and the media this week has been clear – don't put up with not getting what you’re paying for.

Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy says, if you’re paying for a service that’s regularly not being supplied, then you are due a partial refund from Sky.

"Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, companies must provide services that are fit for purpose and supply them with reasonable care and skill. Sky appears to be regularly falling short on both counts,” Jon says.

“Rather than forcing customers to do all the hard work, we think Sky should be proactively offering discounts to all affected customers, both to compensate them for the poor service and to encourage them to stay loyal, especially when there are plenty of cheaper options to choose from."

Sky said it’s working with customers on the best solution – “sometimes it’s a visit from an authorised Sky technician to tweak the dish position or to change the in-home set-up, which is at no expense to the customer, and where there’s no physical fix, we’re offering a credit for the times that the customer is unable to access their Sky service.”

We’ll be keeping an eye on how Sky applies the credit to customers’ accounts.

What to do if you’re affected

Nick Gelling, Consumer’s technology writer, says if you have a reliable internet connection with unlimited data, you could consider using Sky’s streaming app, Sky Go, while Sky sorts out its satellite. It’s free to use if you have Sky.

“Sky Go works over the internet so isn’t affected by the ageing satellite. It has live channels as well as on-demand content. Many of the shows you can watch on satellite are also available on Sky Go, but there are exceptions,” he says.

The Sky spokesperson also suggested those with fibre broadband try its Sky Pod. The Pod is a small plug-in media player that acts a bit like the Sky Box but over the internet.

“Most intermittent signal issues resolve themselves so customers can resume watching their favourite shows. However, if this issue persists, customers should get in touch with the Sky Care team so we can work out how best to support them, including making a credit to their account if they’re experiencing ongoing viewing interruptions.”