Sky+ HD without installation

TheElf

I am looking to upgrade my current standard Sky to a Sky+ HD, but I already have a quad LNB and two lines running to the living room from a previous install I did, I was wondering if I was to upgrade sky would I still have to pay an installation fee for someone just to come out just to change the boxes or could I just buy the box off sky and do this myself?

Thanks
-Mark

Finne1993

Go to your local Sky agent, more than likely is your local electrical retailer, tell them you'd like to upgrade to Sky+ HD and you're doing the install yourself, all you'll need is a few things with you, id etc, probably a bill of some description and your viewing card number and possibly the number of the box you're currently using. Pay your €49, get your HD box there and then and head home, swap over the card, ring Sky to pair it up with your new box and Hey presto Sky Hd!!

TheElf

Excellent news, I will be doing this tomorrow so!

Finne1993

Let me know how you get on

TheElf

Was just in with the dealer, he said that they would have to charge the €100 installation regardless becasue Sky set the prices and they have to follow them, pity really!

redout

What a load of bollox. Call Sky directly and tell them you only require the box. If they say no then they are the ones missing out on the €15 pm sub. Its their loss really.

Finne1993

Yes, that is total Bulls**t, The dealer is trying to screw you out of the €100, they obviously do the installs themselves or at least get a cut out of it. I bought mine 6 months ago and the retailer did'nt care less about the install, they hire independents to do the work who the customer pays directly but if you wanna do it yourself thats fine by them. he even gave me a quad LNB even though I told him I had one on the dish as it was.

The dealer just has to let Sky know someone upgraded and either got an independent to install it or done it themselves. I rang my own dealer there now just in case Skys policy towards this has changed and it has'nt.

F**k your dealer, they're part of the rip off brigade I just can't stand, go somewhere else, I'm sure some genuine dealer will help you out.

TheElf

Cheers guys, there's actually 2 dealers in town, I'll fly in now and see what the other one has to say! If they are the same I'll get directly on to Sky!

Thanks!

TheElf

The other dealer isn't doing Sky+ HD yet, I'll be ringin sky directly so. Why do sky make it so hard to give them more money??

redout

Simple - Existing customers dont exist!

As far as sky are concerned. We are treated like second class citizens hence why I cancelled last year and signed up again to save about €350 on a couple of Sky+ boxes and a multi-room sub.

flower tattoo

i had my sky+ since july 2007 - its now not letting me change channels when i'm recording. an engineer is coming out Saurday probably to replace and i'm being charged £60 - -does anyone know if i can do any easy fix myself - if not do sky charge a fixed price for Eire or do they use the daily exchange rate when billing??

redout

flower tattoo wrote: »

i had my sky+ since july 2007 - its now not letting me change channels when i'm recording. an engineer is coming out Saurday probably to replace and i'm being charged £60 - -does anyone know if i can do any easy fix myself - if not do sky charge a fixed price for Eire or do they use the daily exchange rate when billing??

No exchange rate. Sky will have their own price for here whatever it may be.

John mac

flower tattoo wrote: »

i had my sky+ since july 2007 - its now not letting me change channels when i'm recording. an engineer is coming out Saurday probably to replace and i'm being charged £60 - -does anyone know if i can do any easy fix myself - if not do sky charge a fixed price for Eire or do they use the daily exchange rate when billing??

€100

bricks

Finne1993 wrote: »

Go to your local Sky agent, more than likely is your local electrical retailer, tell them you'd like to upgrade to Sky+ HD and you're doing the install yourself, all you'll need is a few things with you, id etc, probably a bill of some description and your viewing card number and possibly the number of the box you're currently using. Pay your €49, get your HD box there and then and head home, swap over the card, ring Sky to pair it up with your new box and Hey presto Sky Hd!!

Can anyone confirm they have done this?
Tried 2 places no in both cases.
I'm not getting sky hd unless they allow me to install.

Wizard007

Whether a customer wants to do / does the install themselves or not, Sky charges the FULL box and install cost to the retailers ASA at the offer price for the date the sale was processed. Unfortunately there is no way what so ever around this.

Also, it is a tad unfair to claim certain retailers are maybe acting not in the best interest of the customer as above. Their hands are tied as far as boxes and installs are concerned. If a box is sold over the counter at the box sale price only, the retailer is still liable to Sky for the install cost.

gleep

Sky's deals are actually pretty decent at the minute, special offers ending 1st November. Link Even if you do just buy a box i think you'll have to pay extra subs for HD Channels. Have a look at BeThrifty.ie for €75 cashback offer on HD, should take some of the edge off!;)

Finne1993

Wizard007 wrote: »

Whether a customer wants to do / does the install themselves or not, Sky charges the FULL box and install cost to the retailers ASA at the offer price for the date the sale was processed. Unfortunately there is no way what so ever around this.

Also, it is a tad unfair to claim certain retailers are maybe acting not in the best interest of the customer as above. Their hands are tied as far as boxes and installs are concerned. If a box is sold over the counter at the box sale price only, the retailer is still liable to Sky for the install cost.

Crap, crap, crap, and more crap.

I bought my Sky+ HD box in March/April this year, the deal with Sky at the time was €49 for the box and €50 installation, I simply took my id details to the retailer, signed one form and walked out the door with the HD box and quad LNB under my arm and I paid €49. I then went home, swapped cards and rang Sky to pair the card and box and upgraded my sub to include the HD pack, simple as that and ANYONE can do the same as me once their dish and LNB are in place and wired up.

A retailer can organise to install the box themselves once the transaction is done through them, if they can't it means they are not an OFFICIAL Sky agent.

The installation costs that are quoted are only applicable if you order directly with Sky. If an OFFICIAL agent is used its entirely up to the customer who does the install, obviously the agent is going to recommend getting a professional job done but if everything is in place whats the point!?

In fact my own local agent always advises people to go the independent route when installing Sky and are actually quite content when a customer says they'll do the install themselves because it saves them the hassle of arranging it

A retailer who tells you otherwise is either lying or just has'nt a clue about how the system works.

Wizard007

"A retailer can organise to install the box themselves once the transaction is done through them, if they can't it means they are not an OFFICIAL Sky agent."

Yes of course they can, this is normally what retailers do.


"The installation costs that are quoted are only applicable if you order directly with Sky. If an OFFICIAL agent is used its entirely up to the customer who does the install, obviously the agent is going to recommend getting a professional job done but if everything is in place whats the point!?"

Not true, every retailer with an ASA is liable to Sky for the offer cost of box and install, no exceptions. Of course a customer can have the install done themselves or do it themselves if they know how but the ASA is still liable.

"In fact my own local agent always advises people to go the independent route when installing Sky and are actually quite content when a customer says they'll do the install themselves because it saves them the hassle of arranging it."

Whether he does this or not, he is still liable on his ASA for the offer cost on that date. As for an agent being content when a customer wants to do their own install - what happens when there is a problem and the customer comes back and blames the box when it may have been a problem with the type of install carried out? Will the customer still get the same type of warranty he would get if the agent sent out his own engineer? Will an engineer then be sent out, at no extra cost to the customer, to sort out the problem? etc etc etc

I'm not going to get into an online argument with you over costs. Bottom line, Official agents are liable for ALL offer prices.

Finne1993

yes, the agent is liable for all offers Sky offer but not the install, IMO

I agree with your point on the problems that would be caused with people carrying out their own install, yes that could get messy, but I was referring to situations like the OP's and myself where dish, quad LNB and wiring are all in place and its only a matter of plugging in more or less.

I know for a fact that in the agents that I am talking about this is still the case and I rang 2 other agents nearby and explained my situation that I am a current SKY customer and want to upgrade to SKY+ HD and already have the Quad LNB, wiring etc in place and just want to buy the box and install it myself, they said no problem, they wanted a form of ID, my sky card number and the serial number of the box I'm currently using and payment of €49 and no installation fee as I'm doing it myself.
Why on earth they would take a hit of €80 for an installation is beyond me so its pretty obvious they don't. If it is the case that an agent is liable for the cost of the install (which seems like a ridiculous set up, I never heard of it before and I've installed at least 20 sky set ups in the past year or 2) there is a way round it because they're all doing the same thing here beside me and fair play to them because they're looking after their customers.

Anyway, end of subject as far as I'm concerned, don't wanna argue with anyone, we'll just agree to disagree!

OP, persevere, as you will get it sorted with some agent/retailer with a bit of common sense.

Wizard007

Yeah grand fine whatever!!!

I've already said what Retailers are liable for, if God himself does the install, the TOTAL cost is taken into consideration when it comes to Sky payments.

I own two Sky Retailers ASA, I kinda have an idea of what I am talking about here.

Yeah OP, best of luck finding a retailer to give you exactly what you want. But please do take this into consideration - for the sake of an install fee, your box and work carried out will be guaranteed for twelve months and all service calls, regardless of how big or how little a problem it turns out to be, are free for that period of time. You do the install yourself, you can forget it. Get a third party to do it? get a guarantee in writing from them for all works carried out.

There's no one trying to screw anyone here. A retailer would be a right eejit if he were to let customers away with an install fee he himself is liable for.

mickdw

Wizard007 wrote: »

A retailer would be a right eejit if he were to let customers away with an install fee he himself is liable for.

So someone buys a box off you for €49. You charge them €49 & €100 installation. You then go out, install the box & presumably keep the €100 for the works carried out
or

return €149 to sky based on payments received and then invoice sky for 1 installation at €100 or whatever.

I cannot see how it could be any other way if you are to get paid for your installation service. Either way, sky makes €49 on the deal and you get installation cost.
So my question is.... Why not allow the customer install themselves. It seems the only problem with it could be loss of the installation job for you? No?

bricks

mickdw wrote: »

So someone buys a box off you for €49. You charge them €49 & €100 installation. You then go out, install the box & presumably keep the €100 for the works carried out
or

return €149 to sky based on payments received and then invoice sky for 1 installation at €100 or whatever.

I cannot see how it could be any other way if you are to get paid for your installation service. Either way, sky makes €49 on the deal and you get installation cost.
So my question is.... Why not allow the customer install themselves. It seems the only problem with it could be loss of the installation job for you? No?

Simple question where do I go in Dublin for a self install?
I've been to everyone in the blanch centre and its a firm no way.
I'm in Dublin 15, if someone can provide me with the details of a retailer that will allow me to pay 50Euros and not pay for install that would be handy.

Wizard007

The 149 ( or whatever the offer price is on the day ) is deducted from Sky payments. Our hands are tied when it comes to this, and the only offer that has 100 install fee is a swap out to Sky+ which Sky are trying to phase out. There is no such thing as keeping the 100 for works carried out or invoicing Sky for 100 for an upgrade install. The payment for an upgrade is so tiny it just about covers the cost of the van, engineer and gear to do the job, so trust me - the loss of an install would so not be a problem!!

bricks

Finne1993 wrote: »

Crap, crap, crap, and more crap.

I bought my Sky+ HD box in March/April this year, the deal with Sky at the time was €49 for the box and €50 installation, I simply took my id details to the retailer, signed one form and walked out the door with the HD box and quad LNB under my arm and I paid €49. I then went home, swapped cards and rang Sky to pair the card and box and upgraded my sub to include the HD pack, simple as that and ANYONE can do the same as me once their dish and LNB are in place and wired up.

A retailer can organise to install the box themselves once the transaction is done through them, if they can't it means they are not an OFFICIAL Sky agent.

The installation costs that are quoted are only applicable if you order directly with Sky. If an OFFICIAL agent is used its entirely up to the customer who does the install, obviously the agent is going to recommend getting a professional job done but if everything is in place whats the point!?

In fact my own local agent always advises people to go the independent route when installing Sky and are actually quite content when a customer says they'll do the install themselves because it saves them the hassle of arranging it

A retailer who tells you otherwise is either lying or just has'nt a clue about how the system works.

You say the retailer doesn't have a clue, please name one that does so I can get the box. At the moment I'm nearly conviced its not posible.

Finne1993

Got onto my supplier earlier and asked him if he would mind me posting his details about this subject and he said he'd rather I did'nt.

He confirmed what Wizard007 said earlier in the thread that the retailer is liable for the full price that Sky offers but that there is a way round it but would rather not say. He would only allow people that he personally knows are capable of carrying out the install to avail of the equipment only price, and that he rarely does it so thats the end of the subject!

My apologies to Wizard007 for my dismissive tone earlier in the thread, she obviously knows more about the subject than me and I should've done more research before I commented on the subject.

Wizard007

Apology accepted and appreciated. I can see where you were comming from having had the experience yourself.