Cold Caller: Sat Assist (Conservo Digital Ltd.)
Pretext: Reducing my direct debit for Sky Protect
Number: 0845 241 0885
Call informationToday’s fascinating cold call was from a cunning company called Sat Assist.
The caller came from 08452410885 and was to inform me that they were able to reduce my Sky satellite maintenance contract from £9.50 a month and to give me a new number to call for future maintenance and support calls about my Sky box. The number given was 0845 241 0885.
I was given every impression that the caller was my existing provider, and that this was a simple price reduction. It transpired that I would need to complete a new direct debit authority and cancel the old one. When I explained that my existing supplier had a direct debit mandate and could alter my amount without intervention from me, I was pushed to the caller’s supervisor, “Callum”
Callum from Sat Assist’s position was that they were able to reduce my direct debit payments to a lower amount. The reason for needing to cancel the existing direct debit and set up a direct debit to a debit card was apparently “to stop customers getting overdrawn in future, as there will be no bank charge if the payment is declined”. Callum then informed me that “It’s a subtly different way of making the payment, due to high customer demand”
The special line of the call for us was: “You’re not opposed to a cheaper plan are you?”
After a few more minutes of evasive and defensive arguments, Sat Assist finally admitted that they were not my existing supplier, and that this was in fact, a cold call.
When asked where Sat Assist got my data, the blunt and unhelpful reply was simply “Market research”. When pushed, he claimed that someone in the house must have filled in a survey. he couldn’t tell me who, or how he’d got so much information about me. “I’m just the Call Centre manager”
The team at Sat Assist are clearly very experienced at deflecting questions and not making it clear that their unsolicited calls are touting for business. If you receive a call from Sat Assist, take care!
Sat Assist Summary
This call was a truly shocking of a cold caller masquerading as an existing supplier, and the complaints on whocallsme seems to bear out that their tactics are fooling people. In our case, they ignored the fact that we are on the Telephone Preference exclusion list.
If you’ve received a call from Sat Assist, and are as shocked as we were, feel free to complain online to the Information Commissioner here: ICO Nuisance Calls Form
Any experiences of this firm? Please let us know
I’ve been conned out of a year’s subscription for satellite repairs and I thought these people were my existing supplier. There are no words to describe them, they have put me into Debit on my account and I will get charged for this by my bank now and I just can’t afford for this to happen being a pensioner with a limited budget. Pople like this make me sick, absolutely sick.
My phone call from this company sounds exactly the same as the story above. I was telephoned by ‘Callum’ who did the whole spiel of ‘good news, we can reduce your monthly cover on your Sky Box from £9 [something] to £5.75 per month.’ By chance I had my laptop to hand so, once I had been given the new phone number I needed to ring for assistance, I casually entered it into google search. Once they asked for me to confirm bank details, I read him the warnings that had appeared on my computer. Callum (who for the previous ‘victim’ had been the supportive manager) then went to get his line manager to obviously try and confirm the legitimacy of the proposal. It was then that the exchange got a little heated. The new man, who decalred the success of this company didn’t take too kindly to the suggestion that maybe he needed a new promotional drive if the first 3 hits on google were entirely negative. He then suggested that he wasn’t the one sat at home taking phonecalls! I was then incredibly indignant as he didn’t give me the chance to tell him that I am a secondary school teacher who has just returned home after a full teaching day, to deal with arrangements for my father’s funeral! I am so angry!! Who else can I contact????
I had the same thing happen to me, this caller was called ‘Marcus’. Absolutely disgusting. They said they were reducing the cost of my existing service, and were calling from Sky. We have Sky, so this was plausible. It was only afterwards i realised the mistake. I am currently in the process of getting a refund. I have reported them to the fraud and dispute team at the bank.nn1nn1
I have had a few calls from this Bournemouth based company over the last few days. They make it easy for you to assume that they are Sky TV and are desperately trying to flog insurance for Sky equipment. The intention is to obtain your bank details to set up a direct debit which they then control. They do not know whether you have Sky or not, or whether your equipment is currently covered by Sky’s warranty. The call centre seems to be staffed with charmless ‘aggro-chavs’ who show their true colours when confronted. My phone number is registered with the TPS, so it is illegal to cold call me. I also work in the TV industry and am fully aware of these satellite warranty scams. A few years ago David Reynolds, the director of an identical company called Satellite Direct, was sent to prison.
Ironically there is another company operating from the same address called ‘Stop These Calls’ which charges people to register on the TPS. This is a free service normally.
I have reported them to the TPS, Action Fraud, the ICO, Bournemouth police and HMRC.
I have called the FCA and confirmed that neither Sat Assist nor Conservo Digital are registered on The Financial Services Register. It is therefore illegal to sell insurance.
I suggest if you are called by this company, when they ask to speak to someone, say that you will go and get them and then leave the phone unattended for as long as possible before hanging up.
I noticed that I had been called from an 0845 number (08452410885) whilst out and as usual no message was left so I did what I alway do Google it and the first many entries were about calls from this number but a bit further down the name “Sat Assist” surfaced. I did a bit more digging and found the website, name of director, company number etc. Then I Googled the company number and another website cropped up – “stopthesecalls.co.uk”. I find this really interesting because on that site they went on about TPS – Telephone Preference Service – and how they can protect from these calls if you pay a monthly fee… I sent them the below text – might be usefull as a template to use by anyone being called – tie these people up in redtape!!! email to info@satassist.co.uk:
Dear Satassist
You are coldcalling me today at 14;39 from 0845 241 0885 and I have not asked you for your services. I do not know where you have my number from but I have NOT asked to be put on any mailing list or be offered services by unknown 3rd parties. My telephone number is a TPS listed number so whoever supplied you the list is braking the law or indeed if you are cold calling you are breaking the law.
I notice that you trade as Satassist under company Conservo Digital Limited, UK company number 08129602 at the address Third Floor, 24 Westover Road, Bournemouth
Dorset, BH1 2BZ and that your director is Mirza Ahmad.
I also note that your company is supplying a service called “stop-these-calls” – now I would not have to stop them in the first place if you did not make the calls. You even go so far as to explain how TPS works so really you should take note of this yourself…
I have no interest in your services and request politely that you remove me from your files.
Should this not happen I will inform OFCOM who can issue fines up of to £ 5000 for ignoring TPS listed numbers.
Pls confirm this will happen.
Regards
End quote – so far they have not replied but now knows – they might..
I have had exactly the same thing happen to me as all the guys above. I had a heated arguement with Thomas Falvey who assures me that after listerning to my conversation with Dale that I was mistaken (not that I was mislead at all). I have cancelled my card, cancelled the contract and apparently today been refunded the £17.25 for the first quarter and want to make sure that everybody hear’s about this Satassist who conpletely mislead you. Honestly don’t need my time wasted with these people who have to make a living out of deceiving everyone. I can only hope that one day what goes around comes around!!!!
They get there data from a company called Communication Avenue which is based in Newark Nottinghamshire. This company was kicked out of the Direct Marketing Association for selling TPS numbers for cold calling look them up on Google
they buy there data from a company called communication avenue just look them up on google