If I cancel Sky TV sub, will I still get the basic channels ?

AbeTheHonest

Hi all,

I have been a Sky customer for at least 6 years. However, I have noticed that due to work / family commitments, we do not watch most of the channels on there anymore...The few shows we watch are now all on BBC / ITV / Channel 4 + some teletubbies on CBeebies for my toddler ...

So I am thinking of saving some dough by cancelling Sky TV sub.

Question: Will I still be able to keep my Sat dish + Sky+ box and use these to receive most of the Freeview channels (not necessarily all Freeview channels, but the major ones).

I cannot receive Freeview directly via aerial because of very weak terrestrial signal at our place.

Thanks for any help / advice .

preecey

AbeTheHonest wrote: »

Hi all,

I have been a Sky customer for at least 6 years. However, I have noticed that due to work / family commitments, we do not watch most of the channels on there anymore...The few shows we watch are now all on BBC / ITV / Channel 4 + some teletubbies on CBeebies for my toddler ...

So I am thinking of saving some dough by cancelling Sky TV sub.

Question: Will I still be able to keep my Sat dish + Sky+ box and use these to receive most of the Freeview channels (not necessarily all Freeview channels, but the major ones).

I cannot receive Freeview directly via aerial because of very weak terrestrial signal at our place.

Thanks for any help / advice .

Hi, yes you will be able to receive all of the free-to-view / free-to-air channels if you cancel your Sky subscription. However, channels such as Dave, Sky3, 4Music, TMF and a few others such as Sky Sports News are only available for free on freeview (which you said you can't get). For some reason they're not free on Sky's 'free-to-view' group of channels.

Channels you will still receive when you cancel your subscription are still decent for everyday viewing; you'll get the BBC channels, all of the ITVs, five, fiver, five US, E4, Channel 4, Film4, More4 etc. And of course CBeebies, CBBC and loads more free kids channels ('Pop' kids channels are always free).

When you subscribe to Sky the box, dish and everything else is yours to keep forever. They're legally yours and you can even sell them if freeview reception becomes better in your area in the future.

Be warned though, when you call Sky to 'cancel' your subscription they will try their utmost to get you to stay - that's what happened to me actually. I was in a similar situation to you a few months ago and I just wanted to get rid. I phoned Sky to cancel and they offered me 20% off my subscription for 9 months, knocking it down to £16.40 a month. I was a bit of a sucker and accepted that deal, but it is of course totally up to you. These 'retention deals' are designed to keep you as a customer and can differ depending on what kind of customer you are (e.g. length of time you've been with them, amount you are paying each month). I have only been with them for 2 years and was on their 6 mix pack for £21.50 a month and they offered me that 20% offer.

Oh and one other thing - if you have Sky+ you won't be able to watch any recorded programmes after you cancel your subscription, even if it was recorded from a 'free' channel (BBC One etc). You won't be able to record anything either. This is because the original price you paid for the Sky+ box is partly subsidised into the price of the subscription you have been paying. You can still cancel your Sky subscription and retain the Sky+ recording facilities, but Sky will nag you for a tenner a month for the 'privilege'.

Hope this ridiculously long post helps

Nathan, 19, Swansea

AbeTheHonest

Hi Nathan,

Thanks very much for your thorough response...very helpful indeed :T

I was not aware that my Sky+ recording / live-pause functionality will stop working if I cancel my Sky sub....it means I probably will not cancel my sub...

Cheers.

devizes18193

AbeTheHonest wrote: »

Hi Nathan,

Thanks very much for your thorough response...very helpful indeed :T

I was not aware that my Sky+ recording / live-pause functionality will stop working if I cancel my Sky sub....it means I probably will not cancel my sub...

Cheers.

That's how they catch you