Sky TV customer Joanna Montgomery said the company charged a £114.50 exit fee after her father died, sending the bill to her deceased mother.
Sky responded that it had not been notified of the customer's death and stated that its official policy is to waive all cancellation charges when an account holder dies.
Montgomery shared an image of the £114.50 email bill on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Addressing the firm, she wrote: "Is charging people for dying before their contract ends really your policy?"
In her social media post, Montgomery questioned whether charging customers for dying before their contract ends was company policy, highlighting her father's 15 years of customer loyalty and noting the email had arrived at her late mother's inbox.
Sky UK is a major British telecommunications and television provider, offering satellite TV, broadband, and mobile services across the United Kingdom. Under standard customer agreements, subscribers must give 31 days' notice to cancel their services.
Withdrawal fees under standard contracts equal the cost of each remaining month on the plan, calculated using standard package rates minus any discounts.
Account options for bereaved families
Sky stated that when an account holder passes away, relatives should contact the firm to either transfer the account to another person residing at the address or cancel it immediately.
Customers seeking to cancel Sky services can do so by telephone or through an online web chat service. Relatives cancelling an account may also be requested to return Sky equipment.
Further complaints over cancellation policies
Financial news website This is Money reported receiving multiple complaints from readers who encountered problems exiting or pausing television contracts with Sky.
In May, a customer wrote to the outlet after Sky refused to release them from a contract despite moving into a new flat where their Sky TV service did not work.
That same month, another customer reported that Sky continued billing them after a fridge explosion forced them out of their home for several months to live in hotels. While other utility companies easily paused accounts, Sky maintained charges before eventually agreeing to cancel the contract.
New government regulations on subscriptions
The complaints emerge as the Government prepares new regulations intended to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions.
Under plans brought forward by three months under Andy Burnham's administration, companies will be required to make subscriptions easier to cancel and notify customers when contracts automatically renew at higher prices.
