SKY customers are always left frustrated if there's ever a drop in service and the internet goes down – and it happens more often than they'd like.
But you could be compensated when it does – we explain when and how you could claim, as well as what your rights are.
Sky Broadband went down last night (September 19), leaving thousands of customers without access to the internet.
More than 70,000 people reported the outage on Downdetector.
One furious customer slammed on the site: "Absolute terrible quality service for the money being asked, constantly having problems since I took out a contract.
"Seems Sky has taken down their service status page down what a surprise.
"Think I'll be cancelling my direct debit if they don't sort it out quick."
The outage, which started around 10pm BST, comes as over 2,000 BT customers also face problems with their internet.
Downdetector also reports over 5,800 customers have reported issues with Now TV.
The Sun has reached out to Sky, BT and Now for comment.
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And it's not the first time it's happened.
The last time the Sky service went down was on July 13 with over 500 complaints recorded.
Before that, issues with Sky Mobile cropped up on June 30, affecting more than 1,000 customers.
If you're one of Sky's 6.2million broadband customers, here are some simple checks you can make, and information on whether you are entitled to compensation the next time there's a drop in service.
Sky broadband down: How do I check the status of my internet?
Sky has a dedicated page where you can check whether you're suffering from a broadband outage, and if an issue is widespread in your area.
You can also use it to check the service for Sky TV, Sky TV apps and Sky mobile services.
You can enter your landline number to check the service on the website.
You can also run a test on your home wifi to see if there's anything you can do to get it up and running again.
How can I contact Sky and am I entitled to compensation?
If you're suffering issues with your internet, call or mobile services then you may be entitled to compensation.
Internet firms usually pay out £8 for each day that broadband and phone service is not repaired after two full days of no service.
If you're a mobile customer and you suffer from a lack of service then depending on the circumstance, you may be entitled to a refund or account credit.
If you're without service for a sustained period of time then you may have the right to leave without incurring a fee.
Sky is signed up to the Automatic Compensation Scheme alongside other broadband providers.
This makes it easier for customers to get money back when there's an outage.
If you want to make a complaint to the Sky customer service team, they can be reached on 0333 7591 018. Help is also available online here.
If your service goes down then it's worth asking for compensation, even if it doesn’t fall into one of these categories.
When else has Sky Broadband been down?
- Sky Broadband issues were widely reported over August 20 and 22, with many experiencing lunchtime issues with their internet.
- Thousands of Sky customers reported losing their broadband connections on August 4, according to Downdetector.
- July 28 also saw connection issues for hundreds of people working from home.
- Service problems were also found on January 7, with hundreds of customers reporting issues with their broadband. According to outage tracker Downdetector, almost 800 people were struggling to get online.
- Before that, Sky users said they were experiencing problems on July 21, 2020, in the Yorkshire and Humber area.
- Sky broadband also went down in June that year too, leaving around 10,000 customers in South East London without internet.
How do I reset my Sky Broadband router?
You may want to try rebooting your Sky broadband router to see if that fixes your internet issue.
To do this, turn your router off from the main plug, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.
There's no guarantee this will fix any broadband problems.
Can I get a free Wifi booster from Sky?
If you're having trouble getting connected to your Sky broadband in all rooms in your house, it may be worth enquiring about a booster.
You may be entitled to a free booster, but only if you meet the following criteria:
- You've already added Sky Broadband Boost to your internet package. This costs an extra £5 a month.
- You're not getting at least 3Mbps WiFi in every room.
- An engineer can't fix your problem.
See the Sky Broadband Boost terms and conditions for more information.
We also explain how to save £200 a year on your broadband without having to haggle.
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And we've got the best UK broadband deals for this month too.
You also might want to know how to avoid the Sky price hike as bills are set to rise by £43 next month.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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