Digital TV Cost Cutting Article - Discuss What You've Been Offered

FannyHill

I had an aerial installed new a few years back. After about six months we had some heavy winds and the aerial started hanging down a bit so it was more horizontal rather than vertical.
Got the guy back to put it back straight and was about £60 for his callout. I said to him you only put up the aerial six months ago and it came off the chimney.
He said he was sorry but the aerial isn't covered for heavy winds and the callout charge is payable.

Funny thing the old aerial was up for 20 years and never moved an inch.


The wind can move a sat dish especially if it's high up and getting battered by the wind day after day.Sky may feel that as they have to pay their Sky engineer or contract engineer to come out then the subscriber should pay.

BexTech

FannyHill wrote: »

The wind can move a sat dish especially if it's high up and getting battered by the wind day after day.Sky may feel that as they have to pay their Sky engineer or contract engineer to come out then the subscriber should pay.

Sky may feel that, but I've not personally known anyone not get the fix done for nothing.

FannyHill

My dishes are at ground level. :T

chubbina

Did anyone here sign up for sky earlier this year when they were offering half-price set-up costs?

I signed up online in March this year to take advantage of this offer and was supposed to receive a £15 credit to my Sky account within 28 days. 6 months have now passed! I rang to ask what was going on and was kept on hold for 45 minutes by which point I lost the will to live and hung up.

This was the offer:
'A one off standad set up cost of £30 applies for any combination of Sky products when you join Sky Tv as a new customer online, and we'll credit £15 to your Sky digital account if you join online on or before 30th June 2008 and take Sky Movies Mix, Sky Sports Mix or both at the time of joining. Credit will be made to your account within 28 days of confirmation of your order online.'

I am a new customer and have Sky Sports so what's going on?

aj71_3

I have been using Sky multiroom (One room Sky+ and other room standard Sky box) for £17+ £10= £27 and sky broadband mid £5 giving altogether £32 a month.

My Sky+ contract was due to expire in June 2008 and multiroom in Nov 08.

I was wondering if I could get a Sky+ box to replace my standard digibox.

So, I phoned them today and told them that I wanted to cancel the contract.....

Initially he told me that he could give my full package for £3 a month for three months.Then I asked him if I could get a free Sky+ box for my second room.

'Let me check...we could give you sky plus box and installation altogether for £90' ; 'Let me correct myself ..I read it wrong...if you do not want to take a + box, I could make monthly payment £27 for three months'!!!

I was astonished!!!

I told them I would come back later.

My question is
1) If I canel my sky contract, would I still be able to use my Sky + box (standard box is already not working) and view free channels?

2) I like their broadband.If I cancel the sky contract (TV) but want to use broadband for £5 a month, is it possible?

3) If I cancel the contract and want to join sky again via Introduce a friend offer say after 1/2 weeks time,Can I do it?I think if I join them via Introduce a friend offer, I could get £50.00 MS voucher via QUIDCO and (Online Sky multirom http://mysky.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/shop/products?rds=true STANDARD DIGIBOX FREE AND SKY PLUS BOX £75 WITH FREE INSTALLATION)?
4)Have they got any rules like old customers can not join sky as new customers for a certain period of time?

I know it is complex but I would be grtaeful if you could help me.

Thanks in advance.

AJ71

BexTech

1) If you cancel Sky, your Sky+ box will work for the Free channels - EU requirement prevents broadcasters / box manufacturers blocking out the Free To Air channels. The recording function won't work without a subscription or £10/month fee.

2) No, you can't just have broadband, you must be a Sky TV customer - this is their way to get you to stay.

3) No, you aren't meant to have another discounted offer - you may however get away with it, if it was signed up for in another name (another family member with a different surname and using different bank details).

4) Yes, you are only allowed on discounted install.

aj71_3

That's good news that I can use SKY+ box to view free to air channels.
But would my multiroom sky work ie I can see the free to air channels on standard digi box (2nd room, upstairs)?

jammin_2

aj71 wrote: »

That's good news that I can use SKY+ box to view free to air channels.
But would my multiroom sky work ie I can see the free to air channels on standard digi box (2nd room, upstairs)?

Oh yes.

simon7-0

simon7-0 wrote: »

I got home last night to find that when I turned my standard Sky box on I got a message saying “no satellite signal is being received. I tried to unplug the box, etc but with no luck. When I called Sky they went through that process again getting me to unplug the box, take the card out, etc – but again with no luck.

The checks they did over the phone appeared to show that the box was working ok (and when I later swapped it for a spare box that I have it made absolutely no difference). The weather was clear and dry last night too. So I think there may be a problem with either the dish or the cabling going to it (both seem in good condition).

Anyway, the woman told me that since my system is out of warranty they could send an engineer out for £65. I said I wasn’t paying that, and she then said I could possibly upgrade to Sky+ to solve the problem, though she couldn’t give me a price. I said I would wait to see if the problem sorted itself (it hasn't).

So my questions are, should I phone up threatening to cancel, and do you think I might be able to get a cut price Sky+ box and installation if I do? I’ve been a Sky customer for about 5 years and am currently on entertainment mix (£22 month). Grateful for any tips.

Following the tips on here from the Sky insider, I've just managed to negotiate a new Sky+ box fully installed for £60 - that's £5 less than they wanted to charge me to come out and look at my old system! They initially offered me it for £135 installed, but I held firm and got what I think is a very good deal.

BexTech

aj71 wrote: »

That's good news that I can use SKY+ box to view free to air channels.
But would my multiroom sky work ie I can see the free to air channels on standard digi box (2nd room, upstairs)?

Yes, they are Free To Air channels and can't be blocked out. Also with the viewing card (and no subscription) you'll get the Channel 5 channels - these are Free To View and Channel 4 (on the Sky EPG) and Sky Three.