SKY without landline - confirmation

beer enigma

Just through from Electroplus in Dublin:

SKY install Dear Andrew

Thank you for your enquiry,
Yes you can get Sky with no landline at present.
The Charges are as follows..
If you go for the Top tier Package which you pay €61 Per Month you pay in total €135 in total. Or if you go for any Lower Tier Package you pay €225 in total. If you have any more Enquiry's please give me a call @ 01 8161166.

Many Thanks
John Pigott.

Aquos76

There was a guy here in Waterford over the weekend had a sales pitch set up in Tesco's. He was there offering free Sky digital Installations offer reduced from the €10 offer. But he also had a poster up advertising Sky Digital without a telephone connection. I enquired to him what was involved with this option and He informed me that all it was was a €85 installation. This guy claimed to be after setting up a new company which specialised in Sky Digital sales and installations. He also told me that he has taken on RD commucations to handle all his install. RD are a company who up to now were contractors to NTL here in Waterford.

If anyone want his name pm me and I'll pass it on. I never got a phone number from him but I would'nt say it would be difficult to lay my hands on one for him.

€85 seems a very good offer

eoinm1

I called Sky directly myself yesterday.

I said i was looking for Sky for BBC, E4, Discovery, Sky1 ect.
He went throught all the channels got mixed up between Sterling and Euro (He was nice but must have lost he euro price sheet and then found it again).

Any way he asked form my number I gave him my mobile and told him it was my mobile.
He asked if I have a land line, I said no as I have no need for one.
He then told me that I would not be able to get sky installed form sky.
He suggested I call as local installer and get a quote from him, he warned me that it could cost in excess of 300 euro.

I have no intention of getting sky as I already have Free to Air sat. i was just checking if I could get it with out a land line.

Eóin

Originally posted by eoinm1

Any way he asked form my number I gave him my mobile and told him it was my mobile.
He asked if I have a land line, I said no as I have no need for one.
He then told me that I would not be able to get sky installed form sky.
He suggested I call as local installer and get a quote from him, he warned me that it could cost in excess of 300 euro.
Eóin

I'm presuming that this offer is very unofficial then as most people who first inquire about Sky will ber given the same line.

Tony

It seems from information I'm getting from other dealers is that they are charging the "sky clawback" on top of the install price. Up to now sky charge the retailer a set fee if the box does not respond to a call back. Word on the grapevine is that the sky guy for Ireland (i'll post his name later if he returns my call) has told some retailers that its ok to do this. Sales are apparently very low so I guess this is an "unofficial" response to this situation so I dont think it will be available from sky direct unless they change policy. In the uk in the past it was always an option to pay extra and do without phone connection, despite requests from the trade sky refused to do that here.

Hopefully lower sales will make them see the light.

Tony

Irulan

Was in my local Sky dealer today and he told me that for a fee of €99.00, Sky will install in a house with no landline. He also said coming soon if not next week, cant remember exactly, Sky install will be absolutely free.The catch is you will have to subscriibe to Sky World for a longer period of time than you have to at present.

byte

Originally posted by Tony
It seems from information I'm getting from other dealers is that they are charging the "sky clawback" on top of the install price. Up to now sky charge the retailer a set fee if the box does not respond to a call back. Word on the grapevine is that the sky guy for Ireland (i'll post his name later if he returns my call) has told some retailers that its ok to do this. Sales are apparently very low so I guess this is an "unofficial" response to this situation so I dont think it will be available from sky direct unless they change policy. In the uk in the past it was always an option to pay extra and do without phone connection, despite requests from the trade sky refused to do that here.

Hopefully lower sales will make them see the light.

Tony

Ah, that makes sense. I heard from a wholesaler that he heard that SKY were dropping the obligation for a phoneline due to the target market not having landlines. Note that he said it was rumoured, and as such, take it with a pinch of salt for now. Sales, where I work, have been the lowest I've ever seen them. Adding the Clawback charge to install fee is not a bad idea actually.

Tony

Originally posted by byte
A Adding the Clawback charge to install fee is not a bad idea actually.

Well in theory yes but if a certain amount of installations do not callback then sky can withold the full price of the box. I'd think I'd wait to see this officially from sky if I were a retailer thinking of doing this. I suspect the sky person in question is trying to boost sales and still hold the "official" line. He has not returned my calls so I suspect he wishes to lie low on this issue.

Tony

minority

Its kind of unfair to charge the installer if sky misses a callback.
I unplugged mine from the phone as soon as the installer left, why should he have to pay. He did his job correctly.

mickeyboymel

I would imagine Tony means the initial installation callback when the box is first installed at the end location.

Installers could not be held responsible for a customers actions, at that stage it would be a contract issue with the customer surely?

Tony

well believe it or not Sky hold the retailer responsible for both the first callback at installation and the second some seven days later.

Totally unreasonable but thats sky for you.

Tony

Mike 1972

So If I was to move back to the Republic tomorrow and bring own digibox and install it MYSELF without a phoneline would I be able to get a sub for $ky (leaving aside the fact that given that I have an FTV cand doing so would be an act of insanity)

mickeyboymel

Originally posted by Mike 1972
So If I was to move back to the Republic tomorrow and bring own digibox and install it MYSELF without a phoneline would I be able to get a sub for $ky (leaving aside the fact that given that I have an FTV cand doing so would be an act of insanity)

Of course, the "Secondhand Sub",without a phoneline, has always been in place for those who own their own digibox or wished to buy the box outright from the start.

Lex Luthor

whats the need for the landline? I thought u only needed that for ordering pay per view? I have sky in for 3-4 yrs now and have never used a line or have on connected..?????

Tony

On a slighly different tack sky are now offering free installation, sales must be really suffering

From retailer bulletin " We're offering FREE installation deals on Sky and Sky+. The offer
period starts from May 21st and runs until June 21st 2004. The
installation promotion is only open to new customers signing up to one
of our Sky World packages under the free dish and box offer."

Tony

byte

Wow, sales must be hitting an all time low.

What Sky really need now are UTV and Ch4. Though this is most likely out of their hands at the moment. Removing the obligation for foneline would probably help too.

Irulan

The obligation for install without a phone line is already gone. For a fee of €99.00 Sky will install in a house wih no landline. Read my post in this thread dated 17-05-2004.

mickeyboymel

Originally posted by Irulan
The obligation for install without a phone line is already gone. For a fee of €99.00 Sky will install in a house wih no landline. Read my post in this thread dated 17-05-2004.

Yes but not offically yet as the other posters have pointed out.

Irulan

If an official Sky retailer is installing Sky in a house with no telephone line, and he told me that he is doing this now,for a fee of €99.00. Then as far as the customer is concerned the transaction is legal. Hence the obligation to have a telephone line no longer exists. However I have not spoken to him since Monday, and maybe things have changed since then.:)

sceptre

I'm going to ask the obvious question then:

Is the clause still in the signed contract?

Tony

Originally posted by Irulan
The obligation for install without a phone line is already gone. For a fee of €99.00 Sky will install in a house wih no landline. Read my post in this thread dated 17-05-2004.

Are u sure, there has been nothing in the retailer bulletins about this?

Tony

Irulan

I will ask again on Monday. Please keep in mind that I am not in the trade, and I have to take his word as gospel.He is an official Sky retailer.He also told me that previous to this he was refusing 2/3 potential customers a week because they had no telephone line.There is always the possibility that he was TOLD he could do this by his Sky agent, either way,he he told me he is doing it.Which is good news for customers who do not have a landline.

Tony

Originally posted by Irulan
I will ask again on Monday. Please keep in mind that I am not in the trade, and I have to take his word as gospel.He is an official Sky retailer.He also told me that previous to this he was refusing 2/3 potential customers a week because they had no telephone line.There is always the possibility that he was TOLD he could do this by his Sky agent, either way,he he told me he is doing it.Which is good news for customers who do not have a landline.

Well thats not what you said, I quote "For a fee of €99.00 Sky will install in a house wih no landline" . A retailer doing this is not the same as sky doing it direct which was what you implied in the post. I had already said that some retailers were told unofficially they could do this but at double the usual install cost, I suspect the retailer you spoke to is adding 75 to a reduced install cost. Having said that it is still a risk as sky can refuse to pay for the box itself if callback failure rates exceed a certain monthly figure.

Tony

Irulan

My apoligies.IWAS of the opinion that getting Sky installed by an official Sky retailer WAS the same as getting Sky installed by Sky direct, except for the instalation staff involved. This is only a tehnicality. If some offical Sky retailers are installing Sky in a house with no landline,official or not, when up to last week they would NOT install, then the obligation to have a telephone line in your house no longer exists.I can only say that if you are one of the people out there looking to have Sky installed and you have no landline,then best enquire at your local official Sky dealer,and not Sky direct.

Tony

I understand but I think the point should be made that contractually the situation has not changed and there is no official change of policy at this point although hopefully this may change. My view is that the sky rep for Ireland is "winging it" on this issue , I know he has told some guys verbally its ok to do this but its interesting that he has not put anything in writing or in the retailer bulletins, I've left several messages too and he has not returned calls.
No new contracts have been issued so the obligation to have a phoneline has not been removed as you state.

Still though I do not think customers have much to worry about as the retailer will take the hit if anything goes astray.

Tony

byte

I had a phonecall from a certain supplier today (which regardless of what people think, will remain nameless). He said that there had been a meeting and Sky are supposedly overlooking lack of phonelines in homes for a period of time, due to the poor sales. Apparently Ed Sawday was at said meeting.

Can you shed any light on this Tony? Have been rung up about it?

I got Sky installed in December 2000. At the time I had two PCs and two telephones on my line. The installer said that he wouldn't connect the box to the phone line because he was concerned that it may cause problems due to the large number of items on the line already, and that it could affect the modems in the PCs.
Sky never contacted me about having no telephone line connected - but I do understand that they are stricter about this now than they were at the time. My installer was based in Co. Clare, can't remember the name though.

Tony

Not really as I've phoned Ed Sawday and he has not returned calls although it does seem to be the case that they are turning a blind eye, dont trust them though so will not be taking part. I wonder why he has not at least put this into a retailer bulletin and I suspect he is doing a solo run on this.

The retailer agreement clearly states that they are entitled to claw back the FULL cost of a box is a certain % of boxes do not call back, even the ones with phone connections they sometimes do not pay up on.

Be careful of supplier too as if my hunch is correct they are a little too close to Mr. Sawday for comfort.

Tony

Originally posted by byte
I had a phonecall from a certain supplier today (which regardless of what people think, will remain nameless). He said that there had been a meeting and Sky are supposedly overlooking lack of phonelines in homes for a period of time, due to the poor sales. Apparently Ed Sawday was at said meeting.

Can you shed any light on this Tony? Have been rung up about it?

Irulan

Spoke again to my retailer today.He said his agent told him due to complaints from retailers about customers obliged to have a telephone line before instalation,and the subsequent loss of business arising from this obligation, Sky had selected a number of retailers to try out this new scheme, where for a fee of €99.00 they could install in a house with no telephone line. He said contracts remain the same but when he rings in the contract he has to tell them about the "opt out" clause so they can keep track of the number of instalations that had no telelephone lines and where they were installed. If what he says is true?, and I have no reason to doubt him, then some Department in Sky is aware that this is happening.

Tony

Interesting news, I have to say that i think this is motivated by falling sales rather than retailer input as retailers were always opposed to telephone connection. There was a similar opt out in the UK and many took it up. Perhaps you could ask your contact if new contracts were issued for this purpose?

Tony

Originally posted by Irulan
Spoke again to my retailer today.He said his agent told him due to complaints from retailers about customers obliged to have a telephone line before instalation,and the subsequent loss of business arising from this obligation, Sky had selected a number of retailers to try out this new scheme, where for a fee of €99.00 they could install in a house with no telephone line. He said contracts remain the same but when he rings in the contract he has to tell them about the "opt out" clause so they can keep track of the number of instalations that had no telelephone lines and where they were installed. If what he says is true?, and I have no reason to doubt him, then some Department in Sky is aware that this is happening.

Doodah7

Was in Liffey Valley yesterday afternoon and at the entrance to Dixon's their usual hand written offer about Sky installation was €10 and that NO phoneline was required.