Should I Pay or Ignore Sky Debt Collectors?

Receiving a letter from Sky debt collectors can be worrying. You might be unsure about what to do next. If this is you, don’t fret. Each month, over 12,000 people come to this site for advice on similar problems.

In this article, we’ll explain:

• If you need to pay Sky debt collectors.
• How to manage the size of your repayments.
• What happens if you ignore the debt collectors.
• How to understand if the Sky debt is really yours.
• And what you can do if the debt recovery agency proves the debt is yours.

We know that dealing with debt collectors can be stressful, which is why we’re here to help. Our team has real experience with these issues, as they’ve been in your shoes and understand how to handle these situations. Let’s explore what you can do when dealing with Sky debt collectors.

Is the Sky debt yours?

You should carefully check all the details on a debt letter you receive from a Sky debt recovery company. Mistakes happen, all too often and maybe they’re pursuing the wrong person!

Even if the debt is yours, you have the right to ask a debt recovery company to ‘prove’ it is! So, you should send them a ‘prove the debt’ letter and wait for their reply.

If nothing else, it gains you a little time to sort things out.

They should respond in a timely manner and provide you with hard proof the debt is yours.

Do NOT just accept their word for it!

Make sure the debt recovery company sends you a copy of the Sky agreement which must be authenticated by Sky!

What happens if the debt recovery company can’t prove the debt?

You won’t have to pay if the debt recovery company can’t provide solid proof you owe Sky anything.

Without sufficient proof, a court could find it hard to issue you with an ‘order to pay’. In short, the debt recovery agency can’t make you settle things if they can’t prove you owe the money!

What if the debt recovery agency proves the debt is yours?

You’d have no choice but to settle what you owe Sky if the collection agency proves the debt is yours.

However, you may want to seek advice from a debt charity first. Especially if, like many people, you’re finding it hard to keep on top of bills and other debts!

So, don’t agree or sign anything until you’ve spoken to an adviser. Their help and support could help you negotiate a fair way to settle what’s owed.

Plus, debt recovery companies must allow you the time to seek advice about debt. It means you get to see what debt solutions are available and which one is the right fit for you.

How old is the Sky debt?

You should always check how old a Sky debt is before doing anything else. Maybe you moved abroad and forgot to inform the provider. The payment reminders went to your old address and you have a new telephone number!

Older debts can be too old to enforce because courts won’t take them on. However, for a debt to meet the Limitations Act requirement, it must be at least six years old.

When is a Sky debt statute barred?

As mentioned, for a Sky debt to be statute barred it must be at least six years old. However, it must also meet other criteria which I’ve listed below:

• You or a representative never admitted owing money to Sky in six years
• You or a representative didn’t try to settle the outstanding in six years
• There’s no court order and CCJ against the Sky debt

If you can establish that the debt is statute-barred, you can’t be made to settle it. A court won’t hear cases where debts meet the Limitations Act requirements.

As such, you should write to the debt recovery company telling them to stop contacting you and explain why!

Debt collection agencies can’t harass you over a debt that’s too old to enforce and if they do, they’d be breaking UK law. You could report them to the Financial Ombudsman Service for harassing behaviour!

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Should you ignore Sky payment reminders?

No. It’s best to get in touch with Sky and let them know you’re experiencing difficulty paying.

That said, getting hold of a Sky adviser can be challenging and it can take time, patience and effort! The solution? Write to Sky and voice your concerns about falling behind with your payments.

What happens when you ignore a Sky debt collection company?

Things escalate when you ignore a Sky debt collection agency and you may find that you face more fees and legal action.

When Sky passes the account to a debt recovery company, you have to deal with them, not Sky. Plus, the letters are often threatening which can be upsetting.

They start off with ‘demands’ and threats of court action. Now, it could be an idle threat to get you to settle what’s outstanding. Or you may not be just a ‘threat’ to scare you!

Before you’re taken to court over an unpaid Sky bill, the debt recovery agency must send you a Letter Before Action (LBA). It’s a notice of intended action against you.

You shouldn’t ignore an LBA because if the case does go to court and you don’t attend, an order to pay is issued. A court order makes you liable for the outstanding debt and enforcement officers (bailiffs) may get involved!

Would a Sky take you to court?

Yes. If you ignore them and refuse to settle a Sky debt, you could face court action. However, first, you’d get a Letter Before Action (LBA). It’s a letter telling you about impending court action!

Do not ignore a Letter Before Action even though it could just be a threat to scare you into paying. Instead, contact the debt recovery agency and let them know the situation.

For example, maybe you’re struggling with your finances and you’re seeking advice from one of the debt charities. If this is the case, let the Sky debt collection company know.

First, it keeps them in the picture which they like. Second, they can’t take the matter any further once you get in touch to let them know.

However, don’t wait too long before getting in touch a second time to make an offer to settle the debt. But only if they have proved it’s yours to pay!

Could you get a County Court Judgement for non-payment?

Yes. A judge could issue an Order to Pay if you refuse to settle a Sky debt. It means you’re legally liable for the debt and you’d get a County Court Judgement on your credit file.

It stays there for six years which would make it harder for you to get a bank loan, credit card or mortgage for that length of time!

What can a Sky debt collection agency do?

A debt collection agency has the right to contact you when Sky instructs them to recover the amount you owe them. Moreover, they have the right to do the following:

• Ask you to pay them instead of Sky
• Discuss the money you allegedly owe Sky with you politely and discreetly
• They can contact you by letter, email, text, phone or in person if they can’t get in touch in any other way

You can’t stop a debt collection agency from chasing you for an alleged debt. However, you can question things which include is the debt yours and whether it’s statute barred?

What can’t a debt recovery agency do?

Debt recovery companies instructed by Sky to recover outstanding debts must abide by the law. In short, they must respect your privacy and your rights when they contact you.

A Sky debt collection agency cannot do any of the following which would be unlawful:

• Force their way into your home
• Seize your possessions or clamp vehicles
• Pretend they’ve been sent by the courts and have the same powers as enforcement agents (bailiffs)
• Show you papers and other documents that seem to be issued by a judge
• Pressure you into applying for another loan to settle what’s owed to Sky
• Harass you with phone calls, texts, and letters
• Visit you when you are at work
• Talk to your boss about the money you allegedly owe Sky
• Discuss things with a family member, friends or neighbours
• Threaten you in any way

Debt collection agencies must remain polite and be willing to listen to your personal circumstances. They cannot be rude when they discuss things with you.

Would Sky write off the debt?

Maybe. For example, you could offer to set up a new direct debit with Sky which could prompt them to cancel what’s owed and start afresh.

However, you must set up a Direct Debit and not default on future instalments or you could be right back to square one.

A lot of companies want to keep hold of their existing customers because, in the long run, they’ll earn more money than they would chase you for a smaller amount of money!

Another way you may get a Sky debt written off is when they hike the price up. If this happens, you have the right to cancel your plan and not pay any fees.

In short, the price hike could see you having a Sky debt written off. You can stop Sky subscriber services without paying any fees!

Is there any other way Sky might write off a debt?

Yes. Sometimes Sky may inadvertently forget to take a payment from you. It could be due to human error or a technical issue.

It could lead to you getting demands for a missed Sky payment which happened through no fault of your own. You should write to Sky and point out that the error was theirs and not yours.

The provider should investigate the issue and determine that the fault lies with them. They may cancel the amount for that reason. As a bonus, you may even be offered a few extras for free on your account.

Can you complain about a debt collection agency?

Yes. You can complain about a debt collection agency Sky uses if you feel they’ve acted unlawfully in any way. This includes them harassing you with lots of phone calls, texts and emails!

However, first, you should lodge a complaint with the debt recovery company. But let Sky know too. You can write to the provider to let them know what happened.

If they fail to rectify things or they don’t respond to your complaint in a timely manner, you can report them to the Ombudsman (FOS).

Will the ombudsman investigate your complaint?

The ombudsman will launch an investigation into your complaint. If they find that the debt collection agency acted improperly or unlawfully, they could penalise them. They could have their licence to operate in the UK suspended.

Moreover, you could receive compensation for the stress and anxiety their company’s actions caused you!

How do you contact Sky?

I’ve listed ways to contact Sky in the table below.