Problems with Sky+

Jadek

Yesterday we got Sky installed in our flat for the first time (which couldn't have come too soon as our freeview wasn't receiving about half the channels it's supposed to no matter what we tried). We got a lovely Sky+ box and a while after the engineer left we noticed that whilst watching TV the box was making particulary loud background static noise. After a quick internet search we found some suggestions of moving it behind the TV etc. and managed to stop the noise last night.

However today my partner texted me when he got home from work to tell me that the box has now started freezing up, going on standby and then taking ages to switch back on. He's just emailed me some research he did on the problem and it seems that a number of people have had the same problems with the make of the box we have - an Amstrad. Some people have said they've been given a string of replacement boxes by Sky that were all the same model and had the same problem. It sounds like ideally we would want a Thomson box as these don't suffer the same fault. So as we are still well within our warranty period I know I won't have to pay for a new box and my partner I'm sure could be very firm with Sky in telling them we only want a WORKING box (which, you would think, would be a given!).

However, my problem is that Sky charge £65 for an engineer call out which seems not only extorionate to me but ridiculous considering my installation and box only cost me £30 in total and the engineer, so it seems, would only replace the box, thus doing less work than what it took to install Sky in the first place! Considering that our box has started doing this within 24 hours of our installation I don't feel I should have to pay the £65 as they've effectively supplied us with faulty goods, so I'm wondering if there's any law or anything like that that would mean that they couldn't charge me this amount? The engineer gave me his card and a 30 day warranty for his work but I'm unsure whether this would be covered under that as this is faulty goods not a problem with his work. More than anything I really can't afford the £65 and really feel there is no justification to me paying it so I would be very grateful for any help and advice anyone could give me, thanks.

MFWannabe

Hi Jadek
This is not a problem. You just ring Sky and say you've only just had the box fitted and it's 1. Noisy and 2. Freezing.
You have 12 months warranty on the box and you've only just had it fitted so there won't be any call out charge. The only time during this 12 months there would be a call out charge would be if the problem you have was caused by something you've done wrong. Please don't worry; ring them straight away and they will get this sorted for you asap

hope this helps