topline - No sky+ boxes!

daverave7

I've recently moved house and wanted to install a package of sky services, including sky talk phone rental, broadband and sky +. After contacting sky they put me in touch with a company called topline (or top line) who organise the installation of sky +. Topline told me that as soon as I recieve my viewing card, I can phone them back and they'll get an engineer to my house on the next working day to install the system - sounds good cos I desparately need my phone line activated and broadband.

So after signing up and receiving my viewing card, I called topline who now tell me that there is a three week delay on Sky + boxes and they are awaiting a shipment from China. So I asked whether they can acivate my phoneline (as I've paid £25 for this)and broadband, and in the meantime I'll use my old sky box for viewing digital TV. They told me no, i'll have to wait. I asked why and they told me that I just have to wait!!! So I've got no phoneline/ broadband/ sky tv for at least 3 weeks. - I fear it might be much longer. Anyone else dealt with this company? Is there a shortage of sky + boxes throughout the UK or is it just this company? can I simply cancel my order and by sky+ on the high street?

Cheers for any advice!

Dave

norbet

I think there are some shortages of the standard sky + boxes, the HD boxes now seem to be in good supply (however that doesn't help you does it).
It seems that the phone and broadband services are restricted to TV viewers only at the moment (likely to change in future) so until you get your tv subscription up & running they won't progress the phone and broadband orders.
Have you tried speaking to Sky about this (as opposed to Topline who I suspect may be installation contractors)?
As for cancellation - seems to me that you've not yet started your contract so I can't see why cancellation would be a problem - but my advice is speak to sky themselves, given that the hardware delay is not your problem I can't see how they'd be anything other that willing to progress the other elements of your order.

south_paw

I doubt if the supplier is in China, that the SKY packages on the high street are supplied from somewhere different. I'd say all their supplies are from China, and ordering from the high street is more likely to take longer to get a +box to you than the one you are already waiting on.

Sky+ was a massive promotion over the past two months on terrestrial tv, and Sky for people to upgrade. So obviously like most companies, supply does not meet demand.

eah_2

I am in the same situation. I called Sky to sign up for TV before the Ashes. When I tried to order online, I was told because I had a communal dish I would have to go through Topline who do all of the installs for communal dishes in my area. When I called them and signed up, they said the viewing card would be sent out. It arrived two days later and when I called as instructed, I was told there were no boxes and they would call when they had some. This was on Tuesday. I had not heard anything by the end of the week so I called back and they said it should be beginning of the following week. Still nothing, so I called yesterday and was told it could be at least two more weeks. I called Sky to find out what was going on and the woman I spoke to said that because so many people were signing up, there is a nationwide shortage of boxes and there is nothing they can do about it. While I was on hold though, I heard an advert that Sky customers can watch the Ashes on the internet through the Sky website. I am going to call and see if there are any special accomodations that they can make for people who have signed up but are not going to be able to be installed before the start of the Ashes to be able to watch it on the internet. The girl I spoke to had no authority to even think about anything like that so I am going to call the customer service centre and try to get a manager. Will update with the results.