Sky HD + EBay

Ivan E · 10-10-2007 9:00pm #1

Hi,

I am toying with the idea of changing from NTL to Sky. All down to actually bothering. Anyway, it's beginning to seem more of a good idea now and I am just looking at the options available. Ideally I would like Sky HD but the price of the box seems a bit high. So I saw a thread over on AV Forums where they suggested looking on ebay and I did that.

My question is how to go about this option and whether it makes sense? I understand I would have to get an independent installer in to install the dish and connect it to the hd box. And then get a subscription to Sky. I could also get the connection on the dish to allow me put in a freeview box as well.

spockety · 11-10-2007 10:26am

Is it possible to get a Sky sub as a new customer without going through a re-seller etc?

i.e. Stick up your own dish, buy a Sky HD box on eBay, and then just ring Sky and say "Hi, I have all the equipment, I just want to become a customer and you send me out a card"..?

Kotek Besar · 11-10-2007 5:00pm

spockety wrote: »

Is it possible to get a Sky sub as a new customer without going through a re-seller etc?

i.e. Stick up your own dish, buy a Sky HD box on eBay, and then just ring Sky and say "Hi, I have all the equipment, I just want to become a customer and you send me out a card"..?

Yes. Sky call it a second hand (or is it second year?) contract. With such a contract you are also not contractually obliged to keep your phone line connected. You may even get 6 months at 50% off, or 12 months at 33% off by calling the UK "Freesat From Sky" number, which is +448702405651.

eirebhoy · 11-10-2007 5:36pm

£200 including postage - Not bad

Kotek Besar · 11-10-2007 5:45pm

eirebhoy wrote: »

£200 including postage - Not bad

£200 + VAT @ 17.5% = £235 = €336. I've seen cheaper.

byte · 11-10-2007 7:39pm

I hate sellers that list ex-VAT, though this seller has made it clear, sort of.

I digress, and I think €336 is rather steep.

Ivan E · 11-10-2007 8:56pm

So really not all that cheaper as the time you put the price of the equipment together and the installation, really you're probably better taking the Sky deal on offer.

I suppose it does make sense if you have Sky+ and want to upgrade.

spockety · 12-10-2007 9:12am

169 GBP inc VAT...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-SKY-PLUS-HD-HIGH-DEFINITION-SATELLITE-BOX-169-99_W0QQitemZ130160625089QQihZ003QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

eirebhoy · 12-10-2007 10:14am

Ivan E wrote: »

So really not all that cheaper as the time you put the price of the equipment together and the installation, really you're probably better taking the Sky deal on offer.

It's just under €500 to buy from Sky and have them install it. If you want to buy the box without the HD subscription it's even more.

pbirney · 12-10-2007 8:53pm

benifa wrote: »

£200 + VAT @ 17.5% = £235 = €336. I've seen cheaper.

... + approx. €55 shipping = €391

Kotek Besar · 13-10-2007 9:11am

pbirney wrote: »

... + approx. €55 shipping = €391

No, that included shipping. That BIN auction was for £158, + £40 shipping to Ireland = £198 + VAT (so not quite £200, but I think eirebhoy was just rounding up).

In any case it's expensive. The auction spockety linked to is a better price. How can you trust a seller who advertises ex-VAT? And charges £40 shipping ro ROI? £40 is totally overpriced.

eirebhoy · 13-10-2007 11:24am

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Sky-HD-High-Definition-Sky-Box-Brand-New-No-V-A-T_W0QQitemZ140167882950QQihZ004QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.ie/SKY-HD-BOX-THOMSON-SKY-PLUS-300GB-BRAND-NEW-RRP-399_W0QQitemZ330175624382QQihZ014QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

~ €275. What should you be looking to get one for?

Kotek Besar · 13-10-2007 11:47am

eirebhoy wrote: »

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Sky-HD-High-Definition-Sky-Box-Brand-New-No-V-A-T_W0QQitemZ140167882950QQihZ004QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.ie/SKY-HD-BOX-THOMSON-SKY-PLUS-300GB-BRAND-NEW-RRP-399_W0QQitemZ330175624382QQihZ014QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

~ €275. What should you be looking to get one for?

Both of those are very good prices IMO. SkyHD boxes seem to be really coming down in price. The first of the two is £10 cheaper, but there's no shipping price to ROI. That said, the second auction that quotes £32.50 for shipping to ROI. Again, this is inflated. I recently took receipt of a SkyHD box from England. My relative there paid £17.50 to send it here using Parcelforce at the Post Office counter.

I know eBay sellers also take packaging costs into account when quoting the shipping price, but no-one pays £15 for a cardboard box and bit of parcel tape. :mad:

eirebhoy · 13-10-2007 1:52pm

I just did a rough calculation for Global Priority with Parcelforce and £32.50 is definitely about right.

Kotek Besar · 13-10-2007 2:08pm

eirebhoy wrote: »

I just did a rough calculation for Global Priority with Parcelforce and £32.50 is definitely about right.

Ah yes, I didn't notice that the seller charging £32.50 was advertising Global Priority. Fair enough then, in that case. Usually International Standard is the chosen service by most sellers, in my experience.

Bogger77 · 15-10-2007 9:26am

I actually bought from this seller the week before last, got in overnite delivered to my sister in uk, who was coming home on the ferry at the weekend. Works a dream, and the BBC HD (FTA) showed the ENG-Estonia match in HD.

spockety · 15-10-2007 12:17pm

spockety wrote: »

169 GBP inc VAT...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-SKY-PLUS-HD-HIGH-DEFINITION-SATELLITE-BOX-169-99_W0QQitemZ130160625089QQihZ003QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

FYI this guy is looking for 45 GBP to ship to Dublin.

Bah.

Kotek Besar · 15-10-2007 12:30pm

spockety wrote: »

FYI this guy is looking for 45 GBP to ship to Dublin.

Bah.

Drives me mad. Cheaper to get it shipped to a relative in the UK and get them to forward it on.

Bogger77 · 15-10-2007 9:40pm

benifa wrote: »

Drives me mad. Cheaper to get it shipped to a relative in the UK and get them to forward it on.

Thats what I did, 25squids next day delivery (wanted to get the box through the post before UK royal mail strike caused havoc), delivered to my by relative.

spockety · 16-10-2007 8:55am

Bogger77 wrote: »

Thats what I did, 25squids next day delivery (wanted to get the box through the post before UK royal mail strike caused havoc), delivered to my by relative.

Did you buy off that seller at 169? Think his eBay handle is skysatellites .. were you happy enough?

Bogger77 · 16-10-2007 11:05am

spockety wrote: »

Did you buy off that seller at 169? Think his eBay handle is skysatellites .. were you happy enough?

I bought from : http://stores.ebay.ie/UKSATELLITE

feedback is 100% since 2003.

I'd buy from them again, so that's says happy enough! :-)

Kotek Besar · 16-10-2007 12:05pm

This was the auction is won:
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290156738689

Hours after I PayPal'd the money, I got an email with the Parcelforce tracking number. It was received by my relative in England the next day. At £169.99 it even came with a free quad LNB and a spare remote.

Widescreen · 17-10-2007 1:21pm

spockety wrote: »

169 GBP inc VAT...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-SKY-PLUS-HD-HIGH-DEFINITION-SATELLITE-BOX-169-99_W0QQitemZ130160625089QQihZ003QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I assume these boxes are perfect for the irish market... ie. you can link your RTE terrestrial aerial through it normally etc??. i remember looking at a UK panasonic dvd recorder once and found out in time that you could not put your terrestrial aerial through it as only single tuner, ie u cud not record rte1,2 tv3, tg4....

Bogger77 · 17-10-2007 2:07pm

Widescreen wrote: »

I assume these boxes are perfect for the irish market... ie. you can link your RTE terrestrial aerial through it normally etc??. i remember looking at a UK panasonic dvd recorder once and found out in time that you could not put your terrestrial aerial through it as only single tuner, ie u cud not record rte1,2 tv3, tg4....

there's no tuners on sky boxes, it merely acts as a pass through.

eirebhoy · 18-10-2007 8:14pm

Cheap one here if anyone wants one:
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Sky-HD-High-Definition-Sky-Box-Brand-New-No-V-A-T_W0QQitemZ140169836234QQihZ004QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Kotek Besar · 18-10-2007 8:21pm

eirebhoy wrote: »

Cheap one here if anyone wants one:
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Sky-HD-High-Definition-Sky-Box-Brand-New-No-V-A-T_W0QQitemZ140169836234QQihZ004QQcategoryZ96971QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Good find!

donb · 19-10-2007 1:32pm

Bought a Sky HD box from the UK on e bay last week. Excellent service, worked out with postage et al, Euro 310 Euro 40 cheaper than Sky deal. Package arrived 2 days later. Set up was no problem, just unplugged the existing leads from the sky+ box and put them into the new box. Quick phone call to sky and was connected within 10 min. Delighted with it since, especially for matches and movies !!

IT Loser · 19-10-2007 4:00pm

Hello all.

I have one overiding concern, I just want to get set up with my own SKY in my bedroom, WITHOUT a phone line. There is already a SKY account at my address with a dish and working system etc etc.

How can I do this??

Can I do it thru Ebay, set up my own dish, and then get them to send me out a card???

Kotek Besar · 19-10-2007 4:21pm

IT Loser wrote: »

..There is already a SKY account at my address with a dish and working system etc etc..

Why not just go for multiroom then on your current subscription? It's an extra €15 a month and mirrors the package of your existing box.

Both boxes need to call Sky at once a month though. Have you a phone line at all in the house?

IT Loser · 19-10-2007 4:26pm

benifa wrote: »

Why not just go for multiroom then on your current subscription? It's an extra €15 a month and mirrors the package of your existing box.

Both boxes need to call Sky at once a month though. Have you a phone line at all in the house?

We're in the midst of getting a phone line set up, so, in time, there will be a line at the house. The trick is that we are trying to eliminate phone lines and the such traisping all over the house. Any advice you have would be gratefully accepted!!! I'm not rigid, I'm just looking for the smoothest setup possible. Cheers.:cool:

Kotek Besar · 19-10-2007 4:38pm

IT Loser wrote: »

We're in the midst of getting a phone line set up, so, in time, there will be a line at the house. The trick is that we are trying to eliminate phone lines and the such traisping all over the house. Any advice you have would be gratefully accepted!!! I'm not rigid, I'm just looking for the smoothest setup possible. Cheers.:cool:

The problem with multiroom is Sky are quite strict on making sure both boxes call back once a month, from the same phone number. I'm not certain, but I doubt very much that they'd even install / activate without a phone line. If you're getting an Eircom line and worried about wires everywhere, then I'm sure you could make a tidy job of extending a telephone socket? Telephone cable is not very thick anyway. Alternatively, you could consider a VoIP setup (assuming you have broadband already?)..

Multiroom option aside, you could always just get a second sub. You might have to change the LNB on your dish, if the current one is not dual / quad. If you choose this option, you need not have a phone line at all. It would be more expensive though.

Sky HD + EBay

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