Leave Sky and go to Freesat - Any good?

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  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,621
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    yorica wrote: »

    Sky told me if I cancelled my Sky+ HD box it would revert to the Freesat service at no cost whatsoever which also has a decent spread of channels plus the 5 HD Freesat channels (yes I love HD channels but not at an extra £10 p/m). Downside: I would lose the Sky+ functionality. I'm surprised there are no websites detailing ways to circumvent this.

    Sky+ requires the box to "talk" to Sky, it's something they control from their end and as the Sky encryption appears to be quite robust (and changes often) people can't get around it.

    You could pay £10 a month to Sky to keep the Sky+ functionality ;).
    ====
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,008
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    It does not revert to Freesat, it reverts to Freesat From Sky. Similar line up, but a different platform. If you want tro retain the PVR functions, then just buy a Humax Foxsat PVR. it's a straight box swap. Nothing else required.
    When you cease to subscribe, you cease to own the licence to use the decyption software used to view the Sky+ recordings.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Simon7685
    Simon7685 Posts: 1,115
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    Ok decisions have been reached and after many hours of garbage from Sky retentions, they are gone!

    Cancelled Sky TV/HD/Multiroom/BB and Phone service moving to Plusnet.

    Sky were getting £68 a month from me, which was due to go up to £75 in June.

    In its place I have the same phone package and fibre broadband being installed by Plusnet. I paid 12 months line rental up front, to bring the cost down for that to £10.49 a month equivalent. Fibre unlimited and phone is costing me £14.98 for 6 months then £24.98 for another 12 months as it is a 18 month contract.

    In total I will save over £800 over the life of the contract, of course we will no longer have Sky TV but as we are only watching free to air channels it is not a great sacrifice.

    I am going to buy the new Humax 1010S Freesat box @ £299 to cover any recording needs and to get Freesat. It can be argued that it is an up front cost which it is but as my Sky HD box is completely unreliable I would have had to replace it anyway.

    So the way I am looking at it is;
    Sky = £75 x 18 = £1350 and includes standard broadband
    Plusnet Fibre = £10.49 x 18 + 6 x £14.98 + £24.98 x 12 + £299 - Total = £877.46 and no more contracts or subscriptions to Sky
    OR
    £1350 - £877.46 / 18 = £26.25 a month cheaper and I have unlimited fibre broadband as well.
    After the initial 18 months the saving rises to the full £75 a month that I won't be paying Sky.

    I had 2 offers from Sky to stay......
    1. Lose HD, Multiroom, drop to basic TV = £34 a month
    2. Lose HD, Multiroom, drop to basic TV = £27 a month
    Both of which meant new 12 month contracts.

    So much for loyalty to their existing customers. New customers get free installation, free box, free 6 months BB, upto £75 M&S Voucher and upto £222 cashback via TopCashback.

    Let me think about who gets the best deals on Sky??? Loyal or new customers???
  • albionrovers
    albionrovers Posts: 2,028 Forumite
    Thanks for posting this Simon, see my thread earlier today about me getting fleeced for £75/month and I've been paying Sky since 1997. Guess I know what to expect when I ring them up then. Like you say, so much for loyalty? What a shower.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 26,612
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    Simon7685 wrote: »
    New customers get free installation, free box, free 6 months BB, upto £75 M&S Voucher and upto £222 cashback via TopCashback.
    Do remember that you will have availed yourself of new customer deals when you first signed up with Sky!

    It's unwise to compare your offers as a "loyal" customer over the company's enticements to potential new customers.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 26,612
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    Like you say, so much for loyalty? What a shower.
    Do note that you have no entitlement to any discount at all, it's completely discretionary and only those who call to express dissatisfaction with the cost will be offered any reduction.

    You can't say you have had no reduction offers before!
  • Simon7685
    Simon7685 Posts: 1,115
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    No you're right I have had offers before, I don't try to deny that, in fact I am /was 10 months into a half price 12 month HD deal.

    However it also the case that Sky have profited greatly from my custom for 20 years in total. I suggest that in the greater scheme of things they have benefited far more than I have. Indeed the half price HD offer worked out as follows over 3 years of being an HD customer;
    2 years of paying full price @ £10.25 a month followed by a call to cancel it as we always forgot to actually use the HD channels above the others. That prompted a half price offer for 12 months so,
    12 months @ £5.20
    Total gained by Sky for a service others provide for free = £308.64

    I think it is fair to compare what new customers get against the lack of what existing customers are given. In the last 20 years Sky will have had the best half of £10000 out of me, if not more. In return for my loyalty and money I have had maybe a dozen offers, all of which are fundamentally designed to take more money out of customers every month.

    Every company is there to make a profit but when it comes to profiteering Sky are on a par with the energy companies. The profits are obscene and the service provided is not what it used to be. Years of loyal patronage counts for nothing anymore.
  • Simon7685
    Simon7685 Posts: 1,115
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    Actually I didn't get any new customer offers when I first joined Sky, they didn't exist in the beginning.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 26,612
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    Simon7685 wrote: »
    Actually I didn't get any new customer offers when I first joined Sky, they didn't exist in the beginning.
    I bet you got free equipment and installation.:p
  • albionrovers
    albionrovers Posts: 2,028 Forumite
    I bet you got free equipment and installation.:p

    Anyone who pays for these must be zipped up the back. The monthly subs is clearly the bread and butter.
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