Hmmm...maybe an idea I can float past the BBC grandees.
Sky? Don't even mention Sky. They recently decided to change the entertainment packages, freeing up once blocked channels - of useless dross - and closing access to others. I have always asked for the cheapset tariff; the one which always has Sky-1, since this is where the newest Simpsons episodes appear first. I have always maintained that show alone is worth the subscription.
Well, that all changed recently when they sent me notice that my fees would increase because of the extra channels added to my package...without my asking for this addition.
Phoned them up, spoke with "Adam" - ALWAYS GET THEIR NAMES - who confirmed that my new monthly fee of GB£17 was the lowest available. It transpired after further questioning that, in fact, there was a lower tariff on a different mix, which still had Sky-1. I asked if it was company policy to lie to its long-standing customers, to which Adam replied in the negative. I reminded him that at first he told me mine was the lowest, then changed his mind when pressed. He claimed he had not lied, so I had to teach him basic English insofar as anything that is not the truth is an untruth, in other words, a lie.
Anyway, I insisted he place me on the cheaper package but he said that to accomplish this, a colleague would have to be put on the line. "Miriam" it was who was to change my subscription, and she also erroneously confirmed the higher rate was the lowest available. When reminded of the cheaper rate, she back-pedalled and agreed this was the lowest charge. I gave her the truth/untruth=lie lecture after she claimed not to have lied and her excuse was that she'd only been doing the job a week. Bad move.
Most companies rely upon their customers' inertia and unwillingness, laziness, to change a relationship that is all but automated with regard to charges and direct debit payment thereof.
Don't let them get away with it. Check your bills and receipts. Always check your change at the counter BEFORE walking away. Never feel embarrassed by this; let them feel embarrassed, especially when you find something wrong. Always challenge poor service. Take your money to a retailer more likely to treat you with respect and dignity.
Oh and another thing, it is safest to avoid confrontation to state clearly the denomination of large bills (UK: notes) when handing them over to avoid getting the wrong, usually too little, change. Often, when handing over a £20 note, I would recieve change that would have come from a tenner (£10). If they argue, you are probably screwed.
If all else fails, I find raising my voice and publicly denouncing the sharp practices involved to the other shoppers is often effective. Also, I will often turn indignantly toward an invisible third-party to express my disbelief that the merchant in question is behaving in such a way. I will discuss with Mr Invisible the legal and other avenues available to obtain redress. These ploys usually get me what I want.
I have three brothers and all of us should come with health and safety warnings:
Bro.1: Never mess with his food.
Bro.2: Never mess with his brothers.
Bro.3 aka "The Killer": Never mess with him.
Me: Never, ever mess with his money.
Oh yeah, I forgot Currys is also on the blacklist. They want to take your name and address before they sell anything to you under the pretext of validating the item's warranty. I stated that the sales receipt and the UK's Sale of Goods Act, 1979 and the Sale and Supply of Goods Act, 2004 were all the warranty I needed as a consumer. Sheisters!