Sky Angel Customer Service Hits New Low
- Thread starter BabaLouie
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They owe lifetime subscribers an IPTV subscription at least as long as the existing satellite is functioning. And IMHO a lifetime one.
For the others, what DBS subscriber (lifetime or otherwise) will pay increased rates for sky angel, (and possibly high broadband fees if they don't already have it) and switch from DBS to IPTV (even if they have the bandwidth) and buy new receivers (for a service that may not last and a company that doesn't seem to care much about its subscribers) when they can get a FTA or Glorystar system for $200 and no monthly fees, broadband or otherwise, and get a lot of other channels besides many of the same ones presently on sky angel? The FTA system isn't dependent on the life of one company with dubious prospects , but on many channels and more than one sat, and the FTA is a fraction of the cost of what Sky Angel's new service will cost. Sky Angel's business plan doesn't make much economic sense to me as a subscriber.
I think they should have stayed with Dish as long as they could, and when the present satellite went, leased transponders on the new one. When they didn't launch the sat in 2002, they should have gone into negotiations with Dish immediately, and solicited funds to lease new transponders or worst case, figured out something like the FTA or glory star system. Most people posting seem willing to buy the dish and receiver for the FTA system (they'd have to buy an IPTV receiver for SA anyway) and so the difference between SA's receiver and the FTA receiver and dish is $80-$100. You'd recover the upfront FTA price (80-100$) in one month of paying broadband and subscription fees for SA -- or less than a year of subscription fees alone. For a customer, the economics of the FTA system vs SA's IPTV is a no brainer.
For the others, what DBS subscriber (lifetime or otherwise) will pay increased rates for sky angel, (and possibly high broadband fees if they don't already have it) and switch from DBS to IPTV (even if they have the bandwidth) and buy new receivers (for a service that may not last and a company that doesn't seem to care much about its subscribers) when they can get a FTA or Glorystar system for $200 and no monthly fees, broadband or otherwise, and get a lot of other channels besides many of the same ones presently on sky angel? The FTA system isn't dependent on the life of one company with dubious prospects , but on many channels and more than one sat, and the FTA is a fraction of the cost of what Sky Angel's new service will cost. Sky Angel's business plan doesn't make much economic sense to me as a subscriber.
I think they should have stayed with Dish as long as they could, and when the present satellite went, leased transponders on the new one. When they didn't launch the sat in 2002, they should have gone into negotiations with Dish immediately, and solicited funds to lease new transponders or worst case, figured out something like the FTA or glory star system. Most people posting seem willing to buy the dish and receiver for the FTA system (they'd have to buy an IPTV receiver for SA anyway) and so the difference between SA's receiver and the FTA receiver and dish is $80-$100. You'd recover the upfront FTA price (80-100$) in one month of paying broadband and subscription fees for SA -- or less than a year of subscription fees alone. For a customer, the economics of the FTA system vs SA's IPTV is a no brainer.
I am one who is leaving Skyangel now that I have my Glorystar dish. Unfortunately, the guy I had install the Skyangel dish does not seem tobe in business anymore (which is too bad because he was rather inexpensive) so I will be attempting to put the dish up with my step father. Will also be installing an amplified HDTV compatible antenna as well so totally free TV for me.
I may be taking you up on that free online advice Iceberg!
Wish me luck! LOL
I may be taking you up on that free online advice Iceberg!
Wish me luck! LOL
I am one who is leaving Skyangel now that I have my Glorystar dish. Unfortunately, the guy I had install the Skyangel dish does not seem tobe in business anymore (which is too bad because he was rather inexpensive) so I will be attempting to put the dish up with my step father. Will also be installing an amplified HDTV compatible antenna as well so totally free TV for me.
I may be taking you up on that free online advice Iceberg!
Wish me luck! LOL
its not that bad for the install. Read the manual that comes with it or in the GS forum there is a detailed instruction manual...but we'll be here to help
I know that is what SA is claiming now but my lifetime contract was for the life of SA DBS service in North America. I wrote to them when Echostar III started having problems and they clarified my subscription was for the life of their DBS service in North America and not the lifetime of Echostar III.
Perhaps a good clue why he is no longer in business.
Touche Shane!
Guess I left myself wide open for that one!
Spoke with SA this afternoon to find out if my sub was scheduled to be switched off as I did not send in the card also. Since I had communicated with them within last five years I was good to go. He said the card has two purposes. First, regarding the 4 pay channels, second-he actually said they had 60k activations they did not know where they were. Some people were dead, some receivers were given away and whoever had the receiver was not the lifelong sub authorized to receive the programming. They want to find their customers and purge the non subs. The letters were to the last known address so either call or mail the card back. They may cut off your programming but at least you will call back so they will know you are there.
If they would participate. Some would, but I know I would not, for example.
It could also be very difficult even if they all would.
Brad
don't understand
Not sure I understand what you were trying to say. Are you saying that SA won't shut you off because you made contact? I made numerous contacts and yet they still SAY they are going to shut me off although they have not done so YET. I really don't see the purpose anyway when they are making the switch to IPTV. I would have been MUCH more likely to consider the switch if they had never mailed me that stupid letter!!!!!!
wether someone moved or not if they PAID for LIFETIME they are still entitled to it so don't see the logic in all of this either
Not sure I understand what you were trying to say. Are you saying that SA won't shut you off because you made contact? I made numerous contacts and yet they still SAY they are going to shut me off although they have not done so YET. I really don't see the purpose anyway when they are making the switch to IPTV. I would have been MUCH more likely to consider the switch if they had never mailed me that stupid letter!!!!!!
wether someone moved or not if they PAID for LIFETIME they are still entitled to it so don't see the logic in all of this either
I had communicated with them numerous times in the past five years--didn't stop them from switching my subscription off.
But they knew I was there--as I said, I have communicated with them numerous times in the past five years; several times in the past year! They may defend such tactics now, but from reading threads on this forum, I know that the impression most everyone had from the letter was that lifetimers who didn't return the letter were only at risk to lose the "secular 4" channels. See http://www.satelliteguys.us/skyangel-forum/93214-what-happens-if-you-dont-return-current-sheet.html
Like I said, 2 purposes--whether you want the 4 seculars and to find the people they wanted to find. They can accomplish that together or separately with one letter.
Lawsuit: what would be the reward? Drive them out of business completely? A chance to own $300 worth of an uplink facility? A phone bank? A lifetime refund? How about a sliver of ownership of a DBS frequency license on a satellite that's 10 years old-that would be an equitable settlement.
Lawsuit: GET REAL!
The reward would be that the company that hides dishonest dealings behind the veil of Christianity, would be held accountable. Of course, a true Christian would be held accountable by his religious leader, but since there is no religious leader that SA is accountable to (hence, SA is not a Christian), the law is the only recourse for accountability and protection of honest Christians.
This organization brings shame on Christians by continuting to lie and swindle true Christians, and then laughs behind closed doors as they propose to continue swindling more Christians uner the protection of the Christian faith. The company is showing the way for other tools of the adversary to find their way into Christians' lives, and is giving true Christians a bad name due to their dishonest dealings.
There are MANY more outlets for Christian television/radio. This one needs to be shown that Christians will hold them accountable. If SA isn't going to "be" the Christian company that it pretended to be when it took people's money, then it needs to be made a symbol to all other companies who would wish to follow their unethical footsteps in swindling Christians. SA needs to be taught a lesson for their own good, and the good of all Christians - even if that means SA disappears from the face of this earth.
A side-note: I'm not a SkyAngel subscriber, but I'd consider donating funds to legitimate cause designed to bring action against the company. I'd also consider dontating funds to SkyAngel, if they were to change their ways and begin acting as true Christians should.
Lawsuit get real?
"what would be the reward? Drive them out of business completely? A chance to own $300 worth of an uplink facility? A phone bank? A lifetime refund? How about a sliver of ownership of a DBS frequency license on a satellite that's 10 years old-that would be an equitable settlement."
How about some SERIOUS options such as transferring LIFETIME members to IPTV? FREE/REDUCED price on equipment? continuing DBS as well as IPTV? After all some can't access High speed. Or yes even a refund. It would be good business sense to offer one over the long term. After all those members would now have a positive view of sky angel rather than the current sour taste! How about a CREDIT of the lifetime fee towards IPTV? there are options to be explored IF Sky angel valued its subscribers (they don't appear to)
As for putting them out of business, why do you assume that is a bad thing? If they are going to be Christian in name only then they are bearing false witness
"what would be the reward? Drive them out of business completely? A chance to own $300 worth of an uplink facility? A phone bank? A lifetime refund? How about a sliver of ownership of a DBS frequency license on a satellite that's 10 years old-that would be an equitable settlement."
How about some SERIOUS options such as transferring LIFETIME members to IPTV? FREE/REDUCED price on equipment? continuing DBS as well as IPTV? After all some can't access High speed. Or yes even a refund. It would be good business sense to offer one over the long term. After all those members would now have a positive view of sky angel rather than the current sour taste! How about a CREDIT of the lifetime fee towards IPTV? there are options to be explored IF Sky angel valued its subscribers (they don't appear to)
As for putting them out of business, why do you assume that is a bad thing? If they are going to be Christian in name only then they are bearing false witness
I agree. I've been a SA livetime subscriber since 2000. I didn't get the service so much for the Christian programming as the family programming. I like the old tv shows, etc, and I liked the educational programming, when they had it. What offends me about SA is their hypocrisy, and the dishonestly of their actions. They have started up a new "production" company, and apparently mean to produce and market so called Christian shows. They brag about their new "fortune 500" staff in a press release, yet everyone says they are cash poor, and can't afford to continue their DBS service. They are selling the transponder licenses to get rid of their subscribers, even when the satellite is still functioning. (or E* wouldn't be filing to get the licenses). And they haven't notified their customers officially of the loss of service that is to come. They haven't even responded to two direct queries I put in asking about it. Now their actions may not be illegal, but it sure doesn't seem honest to me. I don't except to get anything frrom a class action suit, if one could even be filed, except maybe an IPTV subscription for the life of the satellite. But I don't think they should gut their DBS business, waltz off with the proceeds from the transponder license sale and then make so called "Christian value" programming. Who are they trying to fool? At the very least an action against them would caution people in future not to trust their present management and hopefully, not to patronize their programming.
Someone also posted here or elsewhere, that SA management lurks on SA forums. Beside the minor point of why they don't answer or address customer questions or concerns (there are other avenues for that) I suspect the reason they haven't made a general annoucement to customers is that they are seeing which way the wind is blowing, i.e., what *can* they get away with. Will their customers just quietly fade away. Will the occasional post from someone telling others it's not 'christian' to sue, or that only God should pass judgement cool things down?
I think SA owes their prepaid customers at least honesty, and service until the satellite fails, even if it has to be IPTV service. They've failed on so many fronts, they ought to make that attempt to meet their prepaid customers half way. And they shouldn't hide their dishonesty behind a veil of "oh we're all christians, so don't judge us." They ought to be holding themselves to higher standards, not asking for lower, or what's the point of their service?
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I agree with you entirely. At the very least the prepaid customers must have their DBS subscriptions transferred to IPTV for the life of the existing satellite. Some would expect more, since SA committed to launch a sat in 2002 and did not did so, but they need to make some provisions for customers who were told that their service would last 12 years minimum. Unless they're going out of business, they shouldn't gut the DBS business that customers HAVE PREPAID FOR, take the proceeds and spend it. Those prepaid subscriptions were deferred income, a liability as well as an asset, and they have some obligations to the people who contracted for that service.
But why couldn't they have been upfront about BOTH of those purposes in the letter? It was clear from the letter that they were looking to find which customers wanted the "seculars", with the loss of those 4 channels at stake. It WASN'T clear that they were looking to find lifetime subs (who were deceased, not using their service, etc.), with the loss of ALL channels at stake.
A little honesty goes a long way. They dropped the ball with this situation, but they certainly now ought to learn from their mistakes, and immediately contact every subscriber on their list, plainly telling them about the planned transition to IPTV. Just be HONEST and FORTHCOMING in your business dealings, SA!
For the record, I too would be opposed to a lawsuit. Hopefully SA will wake up to the reality of what they are doing, and realize a moral obligation to those who contracted with them.
Probably because that was not their original intent. They don't appear to have very much organization, planning, or business sense at this point. They probably didn't think about using the letter for this 2nd purpose until after it was already sent out.
is there anyone who does NOT have the "special 4"?
Have they actually turned off and left off ANYONES "special 4"? It seems byt the posts that those who were turned off had ALL the channels turned off and then ALL the channels turned back ON!
IF you lost the 4, did You send in the letter?
I almost feel the letter was to deflect attention from a bigger issue, possibly IPTV?
Have they actually turned off and left off ANYONES "special 4"? It seems byt the posts that those who were turned off had ALL the channels turned off and then ALL the channels turned back ON!
IF you lost the 4, did You send in the letter?
I almost feel the letter was to deflect attention from a bigger issue, possibly IPTV?
