Sky+ Woes

ManWithThePlan

Hey guys,

I bought my parents Sky+ for Christmas and they got it installed yesterday. They already had a Sky installation before and the guy in the Sky kiosk (The one in Stephen's Green shopping centre) said it was only a matter of replacing the set top box.

I called my mother yesterday night and she was fuming. The guy they got to install the Sky+ wasn't the most professional of people! First he drilled a big whole directly into the side wall of our house (used no filler, etc.) for a cable to be run, next he said we needed to change our dish but then decided not to and left a new dish in our back garden (My parents said it was if he saw the extent of the job in hand and decided not to bother). Next was the cabling.. The cables we have for our current Sky runs from the dish through the back cabinet and isn't visible at all. This guy said he hadn't the tools to do this and decided to run the cable on the outside of our cabinet by hammering support pins into the outside of the cabinet. The SCART lead from the box into the TV he didn't hide either, they way he has done it is whereby you have to leave the door of the cabinet permanantly open and the SCART is going from the box through this gap made by the door and then into the TV.

We also had Sky in two other rooms (wasn't multi room or anything, just whatever was showing in living room you could see in the other rooms). Now this doesn't work either.

I'm just wondering who to contact about this. Sky helpdesk themselves haven't a clue. My parents have managed to find a company called Altera(?) that will sort it all out for 80 euro.

I know Sky installations aren't the best because they are busy and i haven't paid for a really good job but seriously this job looks terrible. There is a big SCART lead sticking out of the cabinet and another lead running along the side of it. Also a huge whole in the wall outside.

Are these engineers Sky employees or do Sky hire local third-party engineers to install this equipment? If you guys knew the name of the company that they hire I would be greatful.

Thanks a mill!

byte

If you ordered from the guy in a kiosk, go back to him to complain

With relation to the Scart issue, I'd imagine the hole for cables between TV and underneath was too small to fit a scart plug through, as is usually the case with cabinets. However, maybe he should've had a drill and bit suitable for making a bigger hole behind the TV to allow for Scart (though I've come across those who don't want things done with their precious cabinet and make do with RF)

WRT the other room not receiving Sky anymore, I'd imagine the new Sky+ box is on a different output frequency to the old one, so maybe a retune will sort it. Otherwise, he didn't bother to reconnect the other TV to RF2.

The installers that Sky use would be third party, like Sierra Communications or Finlay's

pistolpetes11

They are usually Thrid party installers whom have a contract with Sky , I have to say I had a completely separate experience,

Guy came yesterday came to put in my multi room sky plus and an extra standard box ,

Although he was late he done an excellent neat and tidy job, it would of been a hell of a lot easier for him just to tack wires to the outside of the walls and he would of been in and out, I already had the house prewired but we didnt know which cables where which after Chorus install guys had messed up my wiring system. He tided up all the cables and sorted it all out for my (coax and cat5 and connected all the boxs with the wires hidden behind the walls .

I was also having probs with current SKy HD box and although it was not on his list ( i had asked SKY to service the box ) to be done he fixed that also.
He arrived at 3 and left at 6.45 and was heading off to do another job ,

I was so impressed i gave him €40 to grab him self a few pints later on .

He came from a company called finlays and i could not recommend the service highly enough !

currythis

There's cowboys in every profession I suppose but my experience was very positive.
Had sky+ installed by sierra communications just after new years and was very happy with the job.
installer rang me early that morning to say he'd be there between 11am-1pm but he arrived at 10.30 and did a nice neat and tidy job(cable tacked nicely and sillicone sealant used in the drill hole) and he was done in about 45mins.
The box has had problems since but thats a box fault and not the installers and an engineer is due on monday to replace it.
All in all very pleased with the service!

Sam Radford

Sky installers are not allowed to drill through anything apart from an outside wall. Also, they are on a tight schedule and don't have time to do anything apart from the most basic wiring job.

redout

byte wrote: »

If you ordered from the guy in a kiosk, go back to him to complain

With relation to the Scart issue, I'd imagine the hole for cables between TV and underneath was too small to fit a scart plug through, as is usually the case with cabinets. However, maybe he should've had a drill and bit suitable for making a bigger hole behind the TV to allow for Scart (though I've come across those who don't want things done with their precious cabinet and make do with RF)

WRT the other room not receiving Sky anymore, I'd imagine the new Sky+ box is on a different output frequency to the old one, so maybe a retune will sort it. Otherwise, he didn't bother to reconnect the other TV to RF2.

The installers that Sky use would be third party, like Sierra Communications or Finlay's

Some scarts can have the head screwed off if the hole is not big enough and then passed through. Saves having to make a bigger hole.

von Smallhausen

ManWithThePlan wrote: »

Hey guys,

I bought my parents Sky+ for Christmas and they got it installed yesterday. They already had a Sky installation before and the guy in the Sky kiosk (The one in Stephen's Green shopping centre) said it was only a matter of replacing the set top box.

I have to say that im sorry to hear what happened and if I was in your position I would go back to the guy in the Kiosk and complain about the engineer.

P.S Dont give out to me as im one of those guys that works in a kisok but in Athlone.