Sky+ installed : installer took original box with him

Gregor Samsa

Just got Sky+ installed this morning. Ordered through Sky, and a guy from Sierra Communications came out and installed it.

Just after he had gone, I noticed that the original Sky box (which I've had for more than 2 years) was gone. :mad:

Called the installer's mobile, and he claimed that "they tell us to take the old boxes away". I insisted that I owned the box, and that I want it back, so he said he'd drop it over this evening.

Anyone else ever heard of this happening? I'm worried now that he'll drop back a different box to the one he took out (I won't be there when he calls back).

Saruman

Sounds like a chancer, the installer i had did not try take the old box.

mathias

As clearly pointed out in the sky contract , the hardware is yours and you have to pay to have it fixed if it breaks ,

The installer commited a crime when he took that box , a chancer of the highest order , he probably gets away with it more often than he gets caught .... I would have no further dealings with him , and I'd report it too if that were me.

nava

Get him to plug in the box and test it to make sure it works just in case, unless in the original contract you have the serial number or other info to identify the box.

Gadgie

After you get it back I would contact Sky and Sierra Communications to complain. If he's been told to take them away then he will have nothing to worry about.

Tony

This is theft pure and simple, theaten him with the gardai if he does not play ball.

bigpaddy2004

Them guys go around all the time gathering up box's for free to air systems to install themselves. all they do is just stick a ch4/5 card in it.

byte

Wow, handy way of making a few bob. I'd imagine some people don't pass any heed, or even consider that they own the existing box.

steveon

Its down on their latest brochure that they will take any any old equipment but I would imagine you would have to ask them, as after 12 months the equipment is your own....

byte

steveon wrote: »

Its down on their latest brochure that they will take any any old equipment but I would imagine you would have to ask them, as after 12 months the equipment is your own....

Yeah, that's probably down to the WEEE directive, but I'd expect somebody to ask me to take it first.

Gregor Samsa

Well, just after I posted this thread, I contacted Sierra Communications. My girlfriend was on to them too (I was busy with work), and mentioned that he had basically stolen the box. An area manager then phoned me back to say that it was their policy to take the old boxes and send it back to Sky in Scotland, and to say it was "stolen" was a bit harsh. I asked him to tell me what he'd call the unauthorised removal of my property from my house, but all he'd say was that that the installer had made a mistake in not informing me that he was taking the box.

A couple of hours later, the installer dropped back the original box and remote, which were in the Sky+ packaging from the earlier installation. The Sky+ manual and a copy of the Sky+ contract were in the box too (installer hadn't left these with me).

Some thing of note from the Sky+ Conditions:

Section A, A1, (c)

Unless you tell us otherwise, the installer will take away any equipment that has been replaced.

So it looks like it's Sky policy to get the installers to take away Digiboxes without the consent of the owners - you have to expressly tell them that you want to keep your own property!

As it happened, I had told the Sky salesperson that I wanted to keep the box when I ordered Sky+...

Also, it's noteworthy that the installer left the old LNB sitting on my driveway after he installed the quad - obviously they're choosy in what equipment they take.

Anyway, something to watch out for if anyone else is getting Sky+. You have to tell them that you want to keep your own property!

bigpaddy2004

Good God Sky are getting worse everyday. This is the first I ever heard of Sky allowing an installer to take back a box which you would of originally obtained under their "free dish and box" promotion which must be 6-7 years old by now(im open to correction!)

You say your contract was in the sky plus+ cardboard box. Was it an offical sky contract or a simple slip of a4 paper which Sierra made up their own t & c's on?

Gregor Samsa

bigpaddy2004 wrote: »

You say your contract was in the sky plus+ cardboard box. Was it an offical sky contract or a simple slip of a4 paper which Sierra made up their own t & c's on?

It's the official Sky contract, titled "Sky+ Conditions". 12 pages of glossy paper with Sky's Address on the back.

norbert64

actually, most of major retail chains that do sky, along with Electroplus state this offer quite clearly
''Swap out of old box from FDB to Sky+''

which means, they do take your existing box. I have heard of people managing to keep them anyways, though.

so the installer may have been within his rights to take it.

mathias

Unless you tell us otherwise, the installer will take away any equipment that has been replaced.

The way I read that is that if a box goes faulty and has to be replaced , sure thats fine , you get a new one , they take the broken one away ,

In this case though , new equipment was bought , not replaced , and he had no right to take the box , which is your property , equally swap out one for the other in no means that they get to take your property.

On what planet is any installer " entitled " to take away your property , thats nonsense !