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Satellite warranty

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X-Ray production team X-Ray production team | 19:30 UK time, Monday, 19 October 2009

Some people have been signed up by satellite warranty companies they've never even heard of, and are paying for a service they never wanted.

Most of us have now gone digital, meaning there are hundreds of programmes being beamed into our homes. And it seems there are just as many companies offering to cover our digital equipment if it breaks down as there are channels.

But some of you are telling us that you've been signed up with satellite warranty companies you've never even heard of, and are paying for a service you never actually wanted.

Shirley Morgan is a busy grandmother. But when she gets the chance to relax, she likes nothing more than to put her feet up and watch TV.

She explained: "I'm not particularly fond of going out in the evening so, you know, it's company for me. I like it. Well I enjoy it all the time. It is important isn't it? It's nice to be able to sit down and watch the television."

But what Shirley doesn't like is nasty surprises - like equipment breaking down and landing her with a big bill. So she decided to pay a monthly amount to cover her Sky TV equipment in case it went wrong.

"The worry to me is that it's going to cost a lot of money if it breaks down and it could be one week that you are not in a position to be spending a lot of money or you've got something else turned up," she said.

"I just pay because I want to be secure and know that they would come and do it."

At first, Shirley was insured by a company called Satellite Direct UK. Every time there was a problem, the company would send an engineer, and Shirley was happy with the service.

"You sent for them and they come sometimes within a day, sometimes three or four days. It varied but I knew they were coming at some time and it would be repaired and it wouldn't cost you anything," she said.

Last month we featured a warning from Consumer Direct, who'd received a number of complaints about Satellite Warranty companies. They were worried companies were giving the impression they were calling from Sky, when in fact they weren't, and that consumers were not getting the service they expected.

After Shirley saw the programme, she began to worry. So she checked her bank statements. And when she delved into the detail, she realised that her original warranty company , Satellite Direct UK, hadn't been quite as good to her as she'd thought. Because back in February, they'd taken Β£65 out of her account, instead of the Β£6.50 she'd expected.

But Shirley was not alone. She was only one of many Satellite Direct customers left out of pocket. The company was struggling, and when it went bust in July hundreds of people is covered that the company had helped themselves to cash from their bank accounts.

West Sussex Trading Standards, where the company had been based, had received numerous complaints. People were reporting that they'd taken too much money from their accounts, misled them with false promises, and made them think that their warranty was about to expire when it wasn't.

When Satellite Direct UK went into liquidation Shirley was left without a warranty. She ended up signing up with a new company called Sky Premier Services to cover her equipment.

Consumer Direct says it's concerned about the way some satellite warranty companies behave. Jamie Roberts, a Consumer Direct advisor, explained that there is a common pattern.

"The pattern remains this sort of people being called, mainly cold called and told by the trader that their policy is about to expire, you know we're looking to renew it," he said.

"Often the situation will then come around that the customer actually has a current policy which is no where near expiring and they're talking to a completely separate company and they end up setting up a separate contract and paying two different suppliers for the same thing," he added.

Shirley is happy with Sky Premier Services, however she recently got a letter from a company she'd never even heard of called Satellite Aftercare UK Ltd. It claimed that a Mr D Morgan has signed up for a warranty. And even more worryingly, the letter listed Shirley's bank details.

But Shirley explained she wouldn't have taken out another warranty and why certain details about this letter raised her suspicions:

"It's actually addressed to Mr D Morgan which isn't even my husbands name," she said.

"But all the other details are right and saying that they will be taking Β£4 a month from me from November this year. Now I am sure that I wouldn't have taken out another one at that stage," she said.

Remember if you get a phone call from a company offering you a warranty, ask them to put the offer in writing. Any reputable company will be happy to send it in the post.

Also your TV provider will know your debit card details, so they won't ask for them, and if you are in doubt, ask them to confirm your account number so you can prove they are who they say they are.

And you can also register with the telephone preference service, or TPS, at . This is a central list where you can register your wish not to receive cold calls or marketing calls.

It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS. It's free to register, and once a number has been registered the TPS it will become effective in 28 days, after which time any company that calls you is breaking the law.

The liquidators for Satellite Direct UK, the company that took that Β£65 out of Shirley's account says that as their investigation into the company is ongoing they won't comment on her case.

And as for Satellite Aftercare limited, that last company which contacted her - we've asked them how they'd got hold of Shirley's bank details. They've told us they're investigating, but so far they haven't come back with any answers.

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