Long story, short version - you can cancel by e-mail
Following the complaints on this forum, and a BBC Radio 5 programme (which I appeared on and frankly Setanta received a kicking from callers) after reviewing the critism it received over its 60-day, post-only cancellation policy, Setanta has issued the following statement, effective immediately:
"Setanta Sports has today taken the decision to revise its customer contract policy. Setanta will now be accepting 30 days cancellation notice instead of the previous 60 days.
The requirement for official written notice has also been modified to the effect that such notice can now be submitted by either email or letter; a change from the original policy where only postal letter was accepted. As is common practice for subscription services, Setanta has retained the need for written confirmation in order to ensure that requests can be evidenced and properly processed.
This revision is part of Setanta’s ongoing programme of continuous improvement of its customer service processes.
Richard Brooke, Corporate Development Director, Setanta Sports, said: “We have listened to the views of customers and have decided to respond with immediate effect by reducing our cancellation notice from 60 to 30 days. This reflects our belief in delivering sports fans with exclusively live premium sports content at good, honest value pricing”. "
How to cancel
You can now email your cancellation request to [email protected]. The cancellation will take effect 30 days from the next billing date.
My original note about the problems is below (and some of the original discussion reflects that)
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What's this about?
Many MoneySavers have reported problems trying to cancel their Setanta Sports subscriptions, so we've contacted Setanta's press office and asked what the procedure is.
It's one of the worse cancellation systems I've seen
Frankly once I read it, I wasn't surprised there've been problems, this is perhaps the worst cancellation system I've seen from a major company.
Outrageously, while you can call up and sign up over the phone, you can ONLY cancel in writing (paper, not e-mail) giving 60 days notice from your next billing date. The 60 days only begins from when the letter's received. This is something that anyone considering signing up and trying Setanta should bear in mind.
How to cancel
So if you want to cancel, jot out a quick letter as soon as possible including your name, address, phone number and Setanta account number (if you have one) to be sure. It's also worth noting down when you wrote and sent the letter in case of further problems.
Send the letter to the following address
Setanta Sports
PO BOX 182
The Quays
Newry
Co. Down
BT35 5AT
It gets worse...
If you've been having problems and have called up to cancel, Setanta admits you may've been told the wrong address to write to. It has assured us this is now the central point for all cancellation notices.
Alternatively, cancel by Direct Debit
If you signed a direct debit, then you have a right to cancel it automatically via your bank. However if you signed up with what's called a 'recurring payment' via your credit or debit card, then sadly you have no cancellation rights, the company you signed up with (in this case Setanta) has to cancel it.
For a full explanation of this read Direct Debit D-Day
Martin
