A furious mother has told how she missed the Strictly Come Dancing final after a £110 'wall mounting' service for her new Sky Glass TV left her with a heavy box stranded in the middle of her living room.
The 'Wall Mount' Service That Didn't Include a Bracket
Beverley Smith, 63, from near Pershore in Worcestershire, upgraded her Sky package in December to include a Sky Glass television. As part of the order, she paid an additional £110 for a 'wall mounting' service, believing this meant engineers would bring a bracket, fix it to her wall, and secure the hefty 55-inch set.
However, when two workers from delivery firm AIT Home Delivery arrived at her home on 20 December, they informed her she was supposed to have purchased and installed a wall bracket herself beforehand. The £110 fee only covered them lifting the TV onto a pre-fitted bracket.
A Heavy Box and a Missed Television Highlight
Beverley, a magazine editor, explained she had already removed her old TV and bracket in preparation. The delivery men called their office, confirmed they had no brackets in their van, and then left the large, unopened box containing the TV on her floor.
"I felt like I'd been assaulted," Beverley said. "Two people have put a heavy object I can't move in the middle of my living room, I've got no TV working and it's the day of the Strictly Come Dancing final. It was meant to be a brand new TV all installed for what was the highlight of the television year."
Unable to lift the TV herself, she was forced to watch the final on her laptop, describing the service as a "rip-off".
Refund Issued Amid Calls for Clearer Communication
Beverley argued that the option to add 'wall mount (Sky)' for £110 was misleading on the ordering portal, with no clear way to click for more details on what it included. She has since been refunded the £110 by AIT Home Delivery.
In a statement, an AIT Home Delivery spokesperson said: "Sky Glass clearly states on its website that the product does not include a wall bracket and that this must be purchased separately... We display a clear message on the AIT portal advising that we do not supply a bracket."
The spokesperson added that they were working with Sky to "clarify customer communications" and "prevent similar misunderstandings in the future." A Sky spokesperson confirmed AIT had resolved the issue directly with the customer and said they would take the feedback on board.
Beverley's warning to other customers is clear: "In future they should be more transparent. It has to be clearer because it can be read in different ways."
