Sky Angel Customer Service Hits New Low

[ShaneLinder]

An update for y'all:


Now I have another little mess to try to clean up, thanks to the wonderful folks at SA.

Well, they did tell us to return the paper in order to avoid any possible disconnection in service...

Now if someone loses their channels that did return the information sheet, they would have a good reason to complain.

 

[sansha]

I might add, when they go to IPTV there will be bandwidth costs for each viewer. While with the satellite service the cost of transmission didn't change for each viewer, it will change with IPTV. Hence, they can't repeat their mistake of the past by offering to continue the free for life subscriptions.
Bob

That being the case, they shouldn't continue to offer or sell new lifetime subscriptions. However they should continue to service their existing subs. That is their obligation and committment.

These subscriptions weren't "free for life". The subscribers paid in advance. Sky Angel committed to be a DBS service, to launch their own satellite, to use Dish equipment and services. That they are reneging on all these existing obligations and going to IPTV is bad enough. To refuse to honor their existing subscribers lifetime subscriptions after their move to IPTV to me, if that really is going to happen, to me is reprehensible. I don't care if it costs them money to continue to support the lifetime subscriptions. That's their obligation.

To say they can't afford it is ridiculous. If they can start a new production company and pay fortune 500 salaries, then they can meet their existing subscriber obligations. It just seems to me that someone at Sky Angel finds new tv production more glamourous than their existing (and apparently poorly run) business, and is going for that, for as long as it lasts, using resources at least partially funded by the people who paid in advance for DBS services. It remains to be seen whether Sky Angel compounds this by actually refusing to honor their lifetime subscriber committments when and if they move to IPTV.

 

[BabaLouie]

Well, they did tell us to return the paper in order to avoid any possible disconnection in service...

Now if someone loses their channels that did return the information sheet, they would have a good reason to complain.

I guess I must have misunderstood the letter I received from SA. I wish I had kept it...I thought that it said only the "special 4" channels were at risk if the letter was not returned.

It's hard for me to understand why SA would not have already HAD receiver # info anyway.

 

[BabaLouie]

That being the case, they shouldn't continue to offer or sell new lifetime subscriptions. However they should continue to service their existing subs. That is their obligation and committment.

These subscriptions weren't "free for life". The subscribers paid in advance. Sky Angel committed to be a DBS service, to launch their own satellite, to use Dish equipment and services. That they are reneging on all these existing obligations and going to IPTV is bad enough. To refuse to honor their existing subscribers lifetime subscriptions after their move to IPTV to me, if that really is going to happen, to me is reprehensible. I don't care if it costs them money to continue to support the lifetime subscriptions. That's their obligation.

To say they can't afford it is ridiculous. If they can start a new production company and pay fortune 500 salaries, then they can meet their existing subscriber obligations. It just seems to me that someone at Sky Angel finds new tv production more glamourous than their existing (and apparently poorly run) business, and is going for that, for as long as it lasts, using resources at least partially funded by the people who paid in advance for DBS services. It remains to be seen whether Sky Angel compounds this by actually refusing to honor their lifetime subscriber committments when and if they move to IPTV.

Well said. Though they may have no LEGAL obligation to do this for their lifetime subscribers, they may want to consider whether it is their MORAL obligation.

 

[sansha]

Well said. Though they may have no LEGAL obligation to do this for their lifetime subscribers, they may want to consider whether it is their MORAL obligation.

I am guilty of not going down to pull my sky angel contract out of the basement files, so I don't know if there is any loophole in the contract re that their obligation is only for DBS services. However, SkyAngel sold lifetime subscriptions to their programming. That skyangel is moving from DBS to IPTV is bad enough for all their subscribers who purchased Dish receivers and equipment that will be useless to them for IPTV. My question would be why would Sky Angel even consider a move that wouldn't include their lifetime subscribers, and one that entails more cost per subscriber than they presently have? I agree, if they can't make it via DBS, I can't see them making it via IPTV. But any business move that entails dumping the people that funded their existing setup is immoral to me, particularly while the existing satellite is still working. So long as Sky Angel is in business and the existing satellite is still working, I would think they have a legal obligation to provide subscription services. If they don't, it's because they are choosing not to fulfill their committment.

 

[catkoko]

bo liftime for IPTV

Well said. Though they may have no LEGAL obligation to do this for their lifetime subscribers, they may want to consider whether it is their MORAL obligation.

You may want to read my earlier post with a response from Nancy Christopher. she clearly stated that Lifetime will NOT be transferred to IPTV Now of course she/they COULD change their mind:up but I doubt it!

Try contacting SA yourself and see if you get a response.

if you want a copy of her message just PM me your email and will send it to you.

 

[sansha]

You may want to read my earlier post with a response from Nancy Christopher. she clearly stated that Lifetime will NOT be transferred to IPTV Now of course she/they COULD change their mind:up but I doubt it!

Try contacting SA yourself and see if you get a response.

if you want a copy of her message just PM me your email and will send it to you.

I saw the post, but I haven't heard directly. I have asked Sky Angel twice, once in a request for more information on their IPTV, and once in an email to sky angel. It's been three weeks and I have gotten no response.

As to whether they can not honor their lifetime memberships at IPTV, it seems like that is their first response, based on other's reports. As I've said, I haven't heard directly. It seems like very few of their subscribers know they may lose their services at present - it certainly wasn't in Sky Angel's email newsletter. I wonder if it is legal. Taking money raised for one purpose (DBS services) and using it on something else (IPTV or a new production company) doesn't sound legal to me.

 

[jegrant]

I can say this - I sent the paper back, indicating I did *not* want the "Special Secular 4 Channel Package" and so far, my service has not been affected at all. I'm still receiving the Special 4, in fact. The only packages I have are SA* and E* Free PI Pack, and from what I can tell, everything is fine.

Even if the 4 are turned off, that is fine. I get all of them except Hallmark Movie Channel from my cable provider, and I also am subscribing to EuroNews for $1.99/month, so I still have satellite news even if cable would go out for some reason.

Many of the PI channels have news as well, and in fact, Safe TV carries a lot of news programs and is part of the "Faith-Based" Sky Angel package.

 

[catkoko]

most customers still in the dark

You have to realize that probably 50% of SA customers don't have internet! Many subscribers have satellite TV because they live in rural areas! Those that do probably do not check the SA website on a regular basis. I am guessing that there may be as many as 75% of skyangel customers who have no idea about the switch to IPTV

Something else interesting is that on another board they posted that Nancy Christopher is a registered user and logs on to 'lurk" but hasn't posted in several years. Just wondering if someone from SA is lurking here as well, and if so why not just respond to all of us in a public forum and answer questions and squash rumors once and for all.................

 

[sansha]

I can say this - I sent the paper back, indicating I did *not* want the "Special Secular 4 Channel Package" and so far, my service has not been affected at all. I'm still receiving the Special 4, in fact. The only packages I have are SA* and E* Free PI Pack, and from what I can tell, everything is fine.

Even if the 4 are turned off, that is fine. I get all of them except Hallmark Movie Channel from my cable provider, and I also am subscribing to EuroNews for $1.99/month, so I still have satellite news even if cable would go out for some reason.

Many of the PI channels have news as well, and in fact, Safe TV carries a lot of news programs and is part of the "Faith-Based" Sky Angel package.

I sent the paper back, saying that I had dish, wanted sky angel (lifetime member) but didn't want the special 4 as I got them in the top 250. I gave them my receiver numbers. They cut all my service off. This was back a few months ago. i had to give them my receiver info all over again, and it took hours and several three way calls over several days with Dish on the line as well as Sky angel to get it straightened out. I had continuous dish service since before my sky angel sub, so I don't see any reason why I should have had any sky angel programming removed from my dish network account.

I got sky angel mostly for the educational and family programming rather than the secular. When I got it, they had the home school channels and some university channel and I thought it might be interesting. That being said, I find it amazing that a so called Christian organization treats (or cheats) its lifetime subscribers so abysmally (if the move to cutting them off with IPTV is true). It certainly isn't an advertisement for Sky Angel or any other Christian organization to hang its customers out to dry, take their money and run. They can't honestly expect anyone to give them future funds, or subscribe to IPTV, or think their new production company is anything but a travesty, built on the welched promises of those who they apparently plan to bilk. With that cloud hanging over their head, how can they succeed? Who would do business with them? Who would want to be associated with them with the reputation they apparently are going to earn? Of course this is all speculation, as I haven't gotten any official notice from Sky Angel that they are cutting off the lifetime subs. They are silent on that point, except for third hand reported comments. Perhaps they are testing the waters. I can't imagine but that they'll boil in them, if it comes to that. People will be mad enough losing DBS, and they have every right to be mad, but furious that Sky Angel won't even have the decency to carry over their subs.

 

[Wescopc]

It's hard for me to understand why SA would not have already HAD receiver # info anyway.

One reason may be with the three-way setup ie Dish-->SA-->Customer. When my receiver went bad and I bought a new one, I called Dish to get it activated. Hence, SA wasn't even in the loop for the activation of the replacement receiver and I didn't give them the receiver number until I got the letter.
Bob

 

[Bev]

My Sky Angel just disappeared

My Sky Angel channels just disappeared.

Of course, customer service is closed until 8am on Monday.

I wish Pepper would check in with an update today. My husband just called about 15 minutes ago and said that all of our Sky Angel channels were gone. Sky Angel was our only television service, so the only thing left showing up on the Guide are PPV channels.

I'm a lifetime member and did not return the letter...

I guess I'll call Sky Angel when I get home from work today.

Bev

 

[NYRman1975]

I foresee a class action suit coming up very shortly. Eventually, the wrong person is going to get shut off, and a lawyer will have a field day with some of the shenanigans that have gone on as of late at Skyangel.

Not that I am wishing ill on them, but from observation the writing is on the wall.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Im not at all defending Skyangel here, but there are a few things that people are not considering...

#1 The lifetime subscriptions and Skyangels contract with Echostar are for the life of the Satellite Echostar 3 at 61.5. Once the satellite is no longer functional, fails or is replaced Skyangel is effectivly out of business.

#2 Skyangel is probably loosing a ton of money with these lifetime subscriptions, I would much rather see them cut costs by shutting people down who no longer use the service than going out of business completely.

Keep in mind the satellite transmission is Free, however it still costs a few cents per channel to the program provider to provide the service to the customer reguardless if they are lifetime or not!

 

[elder]

It is obvious from the gitgo that SA intended to remain in the DBS business, otherwise the backup satellite to be launched in 2002 would never have been mentioned. The back-up presumably used the same frequencies so would no be used until E3 failed. If E3 had failed before the backup was on orbit then the escape clause came into play. SA's use of a planned exit from E3 as an escape is certainly not within the intent of the original position even though lawyers searching for loopholes might find such a loophole. To brush off lifetimers in such a manner is let's say, less than honorable. Meanwhile SA on Angel 1 (seen on Dish) is still making a pitch for new subscribers.

 

[catkoko]

missed a few key points

One is that they were SUPPOSED to launch their own satellite in 2002 but did NOT do so.

TWO, lifetime subscribers did NOT make SA offer the "lifetime subs". Sky Angel did it when they were cash poor!

WE lifers took a chance that SA would stay in business long enough to recoup our $. some did it to avaoid the cost of monthly rates going up. There are also 10 year subs out there who stand to lose several years of service with the switch to IPTV.

Sky Angel set the price, we only chose to pay it or not. It is certainly not our fault if they are losing $. They kept the monthly price at $9.99 for years then rapidly jumped to $14.99. Within a year (IPTV) subscribers can expect to jump to $20 or more based on current sky angel canada pricing!

Neither issue is the fault of the lifetime subscriber yet they are shutting down the service to people who DO view the service and paid to view it for THEIR lifetime, not just the lifetime of 61/5 as they should have launched the new satellite 5 YEARS ago.

Plus there is some life left in 61.5 as they ar selling their license.

Some say poor business management, maybe. I could call it greed

 

[Bev]

Update of my situation

Instead of waiting until I got home yesterday, I called my hubby back shortly after posting the above message to the forum and asked him to call Sky Angel. Naturally, they said we should have returned the letter they sent because that's how they would determine if we were still active customers. The account has all been reinstated but it will take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to get the programming back.

Oddly, we still have 3ABN. No other Sky Angel channels, just 3ABN. Strange.

Bev

 

[Gary Z]

Oddly, we still have 3ABN. No other Sky Angel channels, just 3ABN. Strange.

Bev

3ABN is not part of Sky Angel any more... they are a public interest Channel on Dish Network. Thats why you are getting them.

 

[Wescopc]

I tried an inactivated receiver and was able to receive 3ABN.
Bob

 

[Bev]

3ABN is not part of Sky Angel any more... they are a public interest Channel on Dish Network. Thats why you are getting them.

Thanks, Gary. I didn't know that!

Bev