Sky Packages: Advice please.

Smickan

Not entirely sure if this is the right board to place this, sorry if it's not

We have the full sky package with all channels (aside from the pay-to-add ones) and tbh we watch less than a third of it now it's just myself and my mum.

The box is temprimental at the best of times, it's as old as the deal (10 years+) and we'd ideally like a sky plus box and to downsize our package to just say - entertaiment and the channels like discovery, FX and poss the shopping ones as she likes to watch the craft type shows.

We've considered changing to freeview downstairs (we have it upstairs) but we'd lose the channels that she wants to keep - and we'd possibly not get half the signal we get upstairs as we've tested my box downstairs and it's not great (and we have no outside ariel and have no real desire to have one fitted)

Is there anything we can do to possibly upgrade/change the box and downsize the packages to get a cheaper rate from sky? I understand there's special things you can do when saying that you may leave them etc - how helpful are sky about stuff like that? We've been with them for as long as I can remember - at least 15-18 years.

Thanks in advance.

rotti1967

I did more or less exactly what your wanting to do m8.i phoned up sky saying i wanted to cancel my subscription.

I told them im sick of my box going off and freezing all the time.They asked me if id like to have one of their sky+ boxes for only £49, i said i would be interested if they would waiver the 12 month contract as at the minute i can cancel anytime i want and after a few minutes they agreed.

Also it was connected free and ive got to say up till now the sky+ box is excellent.

Smickan

Thanks was it an easy call or did they put the pressures on?

dan2002

hi I phoned in May and asked to be put though to cancelations dept and told them I was going to virgin ,he offered me it for £99 ,told him I did not want to pay anything and after he offered me a few more prices as low as £49 ,he then asked when I wanted it fitted free,you have to stick to your guns and be prepaired to leave.I have to say sky+ is great but we are now on to our 3rd box.

BexTech

You could just cancel completely and put up with the 100+ Free To Air and few Free To View channels. Though you'd have to put up with the box and missing some of the subscription channels.

You could pick up another box of eBay. Though if you go with eBay for a Sky+ box, you'd also need a quad LNB and fit that in place of the single LNB on the dish.

Always worth a call to cancel, so you can get some decent offers.

rotti1967

Just do not let them dictate to you m8 you are the one in control.Id advise phoning them on a thursday/friday as advised on this very forum.

Make sure you are happy with the deal i didn't mind paying £49 for a sky+ box,considering you can record 2 different channels at the same time while watching something you have already recorded.

Make sure you tell them you don't want to be tied into another 12 month contract and you want it fitted free of charge,otherwise you will cancel your subscription.

If they say they cannot give you it without the 12 month contract tell them you know someone who has this very deal,and if pushed ask to speak to his manager.

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

You should get a good offer on a new Sky+ box if you stick to your guns.
As you're currently paying for the full package, they won't want to lose you.

Smickan

Thank you very much everyone, I do appreciate it

It took an hour and half on the phone in total, talked to a very ridgid woman at first, hung up - rang back straight after, reduced my package to a 4 package thingy saving us £9 a month with a reduced amount for three months of £27 (with next months being £18.something because we pay in advance and they're making up the reduction) struck a rapport with the very lovely and very funny man I was talking to - he went through and pled our case for us, put us onto an equally lovely lady called Jo who I talked to for a bit - pled our case a bit more, she disappeared for a bit, came back having talked to a manager and we have a £49 inc fitting etc sky plus box coming to be fitted on Tuesday am. Couldn't be happier!

What happens when they come? Does it include a new dish too? Are they quick...?

Thanks guys

Smickan

Oooh, and another question - do we have to get a new viewing card now we've cut down to 4 packages and have sky plus coming?

Reluctant_spender

The dish will remain the same but they stick a new LNB on the end. The card will stay the same but the installation guy will sort it all out for you.

BexTech

Yeah, same dish, they just pop a new LNB on the arm of the dish, as the current one will be a single feed, the new one will be a quad feed, the Sky+ box requires 2 feeds, so it can record one channel whilst you view another, 2 spare feeds should you wish to add another Sky box or two up to the dish or another Sky+.

Sky card remains the same.