Existing Sky Customer

atech

Is there anyway for an existing sky customer of 15+ years to get a free sky+ box and set up.

All the offers appear to be for a sky+HD box when you take out a 12 months HD pack. (The 3 months free only seems to be for new customers)

We don't have a HD TV so the HD pack isn't that much use (plus its not clear if the set-up fee is included or extra) so it's not really worth paying €180+ just for the sky+ features.

Should we threaten to cancel and hope they offer a free box and install or just buy a cheap box second hand and do a self install?

If we do threaten to cancel and they say fine go on away; can you re-subscribe in your partners name the next day and get the new customer package i.e 15*9=€135 for the box and HD pack.

donegal.

Is it was me , I'd cancel.

atech

Problem is we are very rural and don't think we can get all the free to air channels; plus I think you need an aerial for that too so there is a cost with that anyway.

Prob will threaten to cancel but just want to know where I'm left if they say fine feck off so. If its a case that we can sign up as new customers after anyway then I got nothing to lose from what I can see.

fatherted1969

Think you would be better off just telling them you want to cancel and see what happens. Same as yourself customer of 15+ years i had some issues with them and also had one of the older sky+ boxes. Couldn't get any satisfaction so just rang them to cancel my contract. I had to give them a months notice so i did.

I started to get phone calls about 2 weeks before it was due to be disconnected but i kept refusing their offers till a day or 2 before it was due to be cut off. In the end i got a brand new sky+ box (they fitted my old one in an upstairs bedroom) 6 months half price on the full package and €50 credited to my account by way of an apology. Oh and wasn't charged for getting new equipment fitted.

My biggest gripe with Sky is thats its all about new customers no reward for years of loyalty at all with them

atech

Thanks I think I'll do that alright.

Forgot about the months notice, I can always back out before the month's up and just buy a second hand box in that case if they don't offer me a free upgrade.

muffler

atech wrote: »

so it's not really worth paying €180+ just for the sky+ features.

Maybe you are referring to the HD but just to point out that there are no additional fees for the Sky+ features.

atech wrote: »

Should we threaten to cancel and hope they offer a free box and install or just buy a cheap box second hand and do a self install?

As suggested by others ring up and give your 31 days notice and see what if any type of offer you get. They may not make an offer there and then but could possibly ring you with an offer prior to the termination of your contract. If you dont get an offer then you can always pick up a cheap box.....Adverts.ie usually have a few bargains.

atech wrote: »

If we do threaten to cancel and they say fine go on away; can you re-subscribe in your partners name the next day and get the new customer package i.e 15*9=€135 for the box and HD pack.

Half the country's doing it

techsavysista

Hey I worked for Sky before and if you threaten to cancel they'll offer you something nice.

They might ask you who you would move to (upc) and how much upc are gonna charge you and they'll beat it if they can. However sometimes they can't so they will lose you so don't chance makong up figures. don't even mention upc, just say you'll quit completely.

Or cancel and sign up under a new name but even when you sign up again try and go the whole way and get a free box, free installation and a few months half price. they have the ability to give you those things they just feel like better sales people when they don't!

atech

muffler wrote: »

Maybe you are referring to the HD but just to point out that there are no additional fees for the Sky+ features.

Hey Muffler, what I meant was we only have a standard box at the mo but only really need a sky+ box as we don't have a HD TV so we'd effectively be paying €15*12 just for the sky+ features as the HD wouldn't be used.

techsavysista wrote: »

Hey I worked for Sky before and if you threaten to cancel they'll offer you something nice.

Or cancel and sign up under a new name but even when you sign up again try and go the whole way and get a free box, free installation and a few months half price. they have the ability to give you those things they just feel like better sales people when they don't!

Hi, wasn't sure about being able to cancel in the husbands name and then subscribing again in the wife's but it seems that's not a problem so.

Looks like there's nothing to lose by cancelling so.

Thanks all.

Kristopherus

I cancelled 2 years ago, and just this week I got a begging letter from $ky offering me any package for half price for 12 months plus a free $ky+ box and free installation:)

whizbang

Sorry for banging on about this...

If you cancel a sky account,. YOU MUST CANCEL YOUR DIRECT DEBIT WITH YOUR BANK ALSO.

they will try to reinstate the old account, and if you didnt cancel the bank.....

muffler

atech wrote: »

Hey Muffler, what I meant was we only have a standard box at the mo but only really need a sky+ box as we don't have a HD TV so we'd effectively be paying €15*12 just for the sky+ features as the HD wouldn't be used.

First of all Sky+ features are free and it doesn't matter what type of tv you have. You can buy a new or used Sky+ box or a Sky+ HD box and your subscription wont change but you will have the benefit of the Sky+ features --- pause, record, rewind etc.

You will only pay €15 per month extra if you subscribe to the HD pack.

techsavysista

Hey you only pay once off for the box.
no seg up fee, as you just plug it in instead of your old one yourself. Just keep your card. You can get one second hand from adverts.ie and even sell yoir current one? Or keep your current one to set it up to get a limited number of free channels in another room, not sjy channels.

atech

Ok that changes things slightly; so I can by a second hand sky+ or sky+ HD box for around €50 and just swap with the existing box without having to pay any set-up fees.

When you say we could use our existing box in a second room and get free channels do you mean that certain UK free to air channels can be watched on that at the same time someone is watching sky on the main TV.

techsavysista

atech wrote: »

Ok that changes things slightly; so I can by a second hand sky+ or sky+ HD box for around €50 and just swap with the existing box without having to pay any set-up fees.

And yup. Just buy the box!
When you say we could use our existing box in a second room and get free channels do you mean that certain UK free to air channels can be watched on that at the same time someone is watching sky on the main TV.

I'm not entirely sure what channels you'll get to be honest, but just hooking it up to another TV kt aill give you something, not sky channels because well thats another 15quid a month

PogMoThoin

You will get these channels (although some will need to be added in other channels)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free-to-air_channels_at_28%C2%B0E

Sky+ needs 2 feeds from the dish so you can watch one channel as another records.

muffler

atech wrote: »

Ok that changes things slightly; so I can by a second hand sky+ or sky+ HD box for around €50 and just swap with the existing box without having to pay any set-up fees.

I should have said that you will need 2 cables from the dish for the Sky+. Again this is a fairly cheap way of getting the additional features. Once you have the additional cable in place you just need to ring Sky to get the card paired with the new box.

atech wrote: »

When you say we could use our existing box in a second room and get free channels do you mean that certain UK free to air channels can be watched on that at the same time someone is watching sky on the main TV.

Yes that is possible. As above you will need an additional cable for this. As you would then have 3 cables coming from the dish there's also a chance that you might have to change the LNB.

denismac

'Is there anyway for an existing sky customer of 15+ years to get a free sky+ box and set up.'

I was in the same situation last summer. I rang them to cancel my subscription but they 'persuaded' me to stay by upgrading my hardware to the modern standard. It didn't cost me a penny but I was locked in to a new contract for 18 months (I think) or so.

atech

Thanks all,

The additional cables required from the dish are a bit of an issue because the dish isn't fixed to the house so an IT gut may be needed for that part but at least I know what we need now.

Ok so to sum it up the options are:

1) To buy a second hand sky+box and pay someone to run 2 additional cables from the dish to the two TV's or

2) Cancel and hold out until sky offer to pay for a box and installation for free and give their IT guy a little cash to put in an additional cable while he's at it for the second TV.

I think I'll see how difficult putting new cables in myself would be otherwise I'll cancel and see what comes of it. Cheers.

techsavysista

Why not both?

Call them and threaten to cancel but don't cancel. If you don't like the offer, get a sky plus box second hand. Forget about hooking up your other tv if its too complicated, you'll be in the same situation as you are in now but with sky plus features.

Jon_459

This may sound a bit stupid but, have you asked them for a new box?
I had multi room with an old Sky+ box and I rang and asked would they replace it for me.

Sent out an installer and a new HD box - no charge!