Sky Scam Letter?

Craven

I purchased a new sky HD box from e-bay just over a month ago. I have now received a letter from the intelligence and investigation bskyb saying that the box has been reported missing from a distribution centre. What is strange about the letter is the envelope is hand written as is the reply envelope and the address can't be found on google. The paper it is typed on has no company name just the sky logo persons name and mobile number. They are not asking for the box back just want to know who I got it from and how much I paid for it. i hve nothing to hide just seams a bit odd. The e-bay seller he gets them from an authorised dealer. Any ideas what I should do

spike7451

If it was a brand new box then chances are the box may be stolen.All the boxes are stored on a central database in stores then a job lot of these are issued to the installer's or contractors depot by hand scanning each box bar code out of the main stores.On arrival at the installers depot,they are again scanned & put onto their stores database.
When they are issued to the installer,they are then scanned & issued to the installers stock record held on his PDA & when he uses a box,that again is selected from a list of stock on his PDA & 'issued' to a customers address.
Now when the card is paired to the box,the SMS system,Chordiant, brings up a list of boxes at that address.If your box is still showing as in stores,then it'll red flag that up on the system.
The fraud dept they have (as do VM) is usually a few bods in an office,chances are the box has flagged up when you've installed it & the letter has either come from the stores in either Sky's main stores or,more likely,one of the stores used by the installers,hence the hand written letter.
Best bet to do is to call Sky & ask them to clarify this.

Craven

Thanks. I will give them a call tomorrow. I have all the information they need. I guess I will have to contact e-bay and report this as well

pineapple

This sounds dodgy to me. One would expect typed envelopes - possibly prepaid. Also a proper letter on headed paper with more than just a mobile number for heavens sake. Please keep us posted. But maybe the poster above is correct. If it IS a scam, who sent it and how did they get your address?

spike7451

pineapple wrote: »

This sounds dodgy to me. One would expect typed envelopes - possibly prepaid. Also a proper letter on headed paper with more than just a mobile number for heavens sake. Please keep us posted. But maybe the poster above is correct. If it IS a scam, who sent it and how did they get your address?

I used to run the stores at out NTL/VM depot for a while after I had an operation,we were located about 10 miles from the VM main office & didn't have access to pre paid envelopes ect,the mobile number may be for the person who's investigating the theft as they may not want it known that they are investigating a theft when someones rings thru the switchboard.
As for the address,well the fraud dept we had over here operated out of a secure area at the depot I worked at & not the main offices,could be the same for Sky.

scheming_gypsy

stick the postcode in Google maps and see where it takes you.

prowla

How do Sky know you have the box (presumably you paired it with your card using the official route rather than a bloke with a mobile)?
I would call Sky and ask to be put through to the person, or otherwise not respond.

Craven

A quick update and thanks for your replies. I have googled the post code and it is incorrect but looking further into it by address looks like it could be in a complex surronded by other sky buildings all called sky 1,2,3 etc. I can't find out who is in this particular address building. I did register the card through the proper route, and no questions asked everything working fine. I phoned sky yesterday and after getting the run around finally spoke to somebody that told me Sky would never send hand written envelopes and all paper would be correctly headed not just with the logo and a mobile number and have asked me to send them copies to investigate. He also said that no correspondence has been sent to my address and that nothing was flagged to say box was dodgy.,

Kurtis_Blue

I would agree with Spike, if boxes are going to go walkies from their own warehouse this is going to be investigated under the radar so as not to spook those carrying it out so would be unlikely to be flagged on the system.

Gordon_Hose

What exactly are they scamming you out of though? The name of the person who sold it and how much you paid for it? Not much of a "scam"... lol

If they were telling you to return the box under threat of prosecution in a letter in its current format, then I'd be wary of a scam.

macman

Unless the scam is that the original seller asks for return of the 'stolen' box under the guise of Sky 'investigations'...and then repeats the process via eBay.