A bit of a vent - Digital Switchover Help Scheme

djb215

Hi everyone

I'm not one usually to vent but after reading a copy of the Digital Switchover Help forms I have to say that it comes very closely to what I would describe as "money making".

My grandmother asked me to look at the pack as it just completely confused her - she's not a technophone as she already has a 32" digital HD ready TV and has Sky, and she knows how to work all these perfectly fine. I'm also a trained Digital Advisor so I explained the process to her and she's got more of an understanding from me than the help sheet!

On the front of the letter is a letter addressed to her with a date and customer reference number explaining the leaflet and about the enclose help guide. The letter then carries onto a questionnaire asking for options about what service they would like to have installed so that they can watch TV - this is the part I want to vent about.

To opt for the 'Standard Offer' with installation and aftercare costs £40, a price which I wouldn't agree with but never mind. It does not mention anything about Freeview, just a 'Standard Offer'.
The other options are, IMO, a commercial push for Freesat, Sky and FreeviewPlus - these give far much more detail than the 'Standard Offer', so basically a cheap advert? It mentions nothing about how customers could easily just buy a box and install it themselves (I understand that for some people this may not be possible but even so they should be given the opportunity to know).

The next section really annoyed me TBH. It leads on to a section and suggests that they could replace their TVs with a Sony 22" LCD TV (£408), Sony 26" (£451), Panasonic 32" (£485) or Panasonic 37" (£839). Whilst all these costs include the item, delivery, installation and aftercare, it again seems like free advertising for expensive brands - it does not consider customers who may only want small TVs such as 16" but just plugs straight away to 22" Sonys!


Whilst I fully appreciate that this Help Sheet was created so that the less-able/elderly would understand about the switchover, but the amount of commercial pushing that is done in this "help sheet" is verging on ridiculous!

All I would recommend to those who have/care for people who may receive this sheet that they should sit through it with them and remember that there are simpler options than the ones shown on the sheet.

Vent over :rotfl:

Thanks!

hjb123

Ive been helping my Gran sort hers out and on her leaflet there was an option to get freeview for £0, or freesat for £14 then there was the Sky options. It says if the person is elegible they wont have to pay the £40 which my Gran wont have to as she has pension credit or something like that. The £40 includes the equipment, installation, showing them how to use it and 12 months aftercare aswell

before_hollywood

i could do it cheaper myself.

my uncle normally sorts that sort of stuff out for my gran but if she so desired i would help her choose the freeview box she wanted (she has never been interested in sky or vm or anything) install it for free (i have so many spare leads i would be glad for someone to take them off me), and of course the free show them how to use it and take it back down to argos or asda or wherever if it packs up.

freeview boxes are ridiculously easy to set up, and surely the goverment had to subsidise them for the old folks for public service obligations?

horror36

my nan turned 89 today, and for the last 2 years she's been using my ntl/virgin media digi box, i'm her carer she lives downstairs, i'm upstairstairs...anyway i want my cable box back upstairs without having to pay out on a 2nd box. so i rang up the digi scheme people and they said she'd qualify for it if i took away my box as she'd be left without anything...BUT in our area the scheme doesn't kick in until 2011...DOH!! so it looks like we're gonna have to pay £200 odd for a proper aerial to be installed....

hjb123

horror36 wrote: »

my nan turned 89 today, and for the last 2 years she's been using my ntl/virgin media digi box, i'm her carer she lives downstairs, i'm upstairstairs...anyway i want my cable box back upstairs without having to pay out on a 2nd box. so i rang up the digi scheme people and they said she'd qualify for it if i took away my box as she'd be left without anything...BUT in our area the scheme doesn't kick in until 2011...DOH!! so it looks like we're gonna have to pay £200 odd for a proper aerial to be installed....

are you paying a monthly subscription at the moment? Ive seen sky advertising free sky + boxes recently which is a minimum of £16.50 per month. I am actually on this offer and have 2 lots of multiroom added on for 2 rooms upstairs

horror36

hjb123 wrote: »

are you paying a monthly subscription at the moment? Ive seen sky advertising free sky + boxes recently which is a minimum of £16.50 per month. I am actually on this offer and have 2 lots of multiroom added on for 2 rooms upstairs

i'm paying for phone/tv/BB, before she lived with me, i'd move the cable box up and down stairs whenever i wanted, but its stayed downstairs for the last 2 years. for me to have a box upstairs it's gonna be another £5 a month, which i'm reluctant to pay. if i pay out about £215 maybe less if i shop around, i'll be able to get freeview setup downstairs for my nan, she really only needs chanels 1-5 anyway, but i get my virgin media box back upstairs so i can use the ondemand stuff, but also then have a tv connection on the 1st floor (spare room) and also on the top floor, for either in my bedroom or computer room, depending where i have the VM box, if that all makes sense, just a shame the digi switchover scheme won't be available in my area for 2 years coz i could have had it all for FREE...which is what we like

nomoneytoday

If she has Sky and a 32" HD telly then she has no need for the offer

djb215

Yeah we've got my Grandmother sorted. I was raising the point because some people who receive the pack may just simply buy the £800 Panasonic TV on the pack and write down card details etc. without considering the other options! Nearly happened to my Great Aunt (Grandmother's sister) as she nearly bought the £800 TV because she thought she HAD to buy it or she wouldn't be able to watch TV!!

I know most people will probably read up, it's just a warning for those who/whose relatives don't!