No Freesat cards on eBay??

galwayguy85

Have just bought myself a second/hand Sky HD box to pass along to the parents.

Took it home and it still had the Irish EPG, which I'd expected to be the case.

Months ago bought a similar Sky HD box and got it easily set up for the UK freesat channels after buying an appropriate card from a UK seller on eBay.

Now, those cards are nowhere to be found on eBay! Similar google searches turn up nothing.

Did eBay suddenly change policy on sale of these.

Have just tried restoring the box. No joy.

In the past, have tried calling Setanta to get a card but was so unsure of what I was asking for I think I talked myself out of the card.

Mountjoy Mugger

Plenty listed under .co.uk

galwayguy85

So there is *blushes*.

I'm sure I looked under eBay.co.uk, but perhaps force of habit and all that got in the way.

Thanks Mugger. I'd almost resigned myself to having a Sky HD box good little else other than the Beeb and radio.

machiavellianme

galwayguy85 wrote: »

Have just bought myself a second/hand Sky HD box to pass along to the parents.

Took it home and it still had the Irish EPG, which I'd expected to be the case.

Months ago bought a similar Sky HD box and got it easily set up for the UK freesat channels after buying an appropriate card from a UK seller on eBay.

Now, those cards are nowhere to be found on eBay! Similar google searches turn up nothing.

Did eBay suddenly change policy on sale of these.

Have just tried restoring the box. No joy.

In the past, have tried calling Setanta to get a card but was so unsure of what I was asking for I think I talked myself out of the card.

No need to ring them. The online contact form is fine.
Then reply "yes, you'd still like the card and appreciate it doesn't grant access to paid setanta programmes" when they send their generic email and they'll give it to you. They're obliged to!

galwayguy85

Thanks for that!

Is there a link to the form you can post here?

Mountjoy Mugger

http://www.setanta.com/ie/contact-us/

email and ask for a card under the BAI sound and vision scheme.

galwayguy85

Tried that before and all I got back with a canned response asking me to call them.

Called them and got nowhere... will give it another last though if it means saving €10 or thereabouts by buying from eBay.

galwayguy85

Transcript of emails...

Hi

Could you please send me a card for availing of UK Freesat channels on my existing Sky HD box and dish, under the BAI scheme?

Regards


Dear Mr ,

Thank you for contacting Setanta Sports.

We have received your request for a FTA viewing card under the BAI Sound and Vision Scheme.

The BAI is the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and Setanta broadcast a number of documentaries in funded by them, examples include The Club, An Exile’s Home in the Bronx, Man on A Mission and Yes I Can.


Please be advised that Setanta Sports is a subscription service and if you wish to view our fantastic sporting content then please contact us to discuss the subscription package options available. You will NOT receive our sporting content under the Sound and Vision scheme.

We are happy to order a card for you however this card will only function in a compatible SKY set top box and if you have an existing Sky viewing card then you will already have access to the content we broadcast in conjunction with the BAI Sound and Vision Scheme. We must also advise that if we request a card for you and you do have an existing Sky card then this may cause loss of service on your current viewing card.

We have the best premium live sport on TV including top flight Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League football, the best golf action from the Masters and the Open exclusively live, deferred coverage of the Rabodirect Pro 12 and action from the GAA.

If you wish to proceed with ordering the FTA card we would need you to contact our customer service department on the number listed below.

We are open from 9:30am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

Regards

L

Mountjoy Mugger

Just ring them up. Tell them you got a 2nd hand box on ebay and you want to get a card under the scheme - (no reason to explain anything really).

Tell them you are aware of the situation with any existing card, if they ask. By the way, do not activate the card when you get it.

galwayguy85

Thanks again Mountjoy Mugger. Epic nickname by the way!

icdg

Look, while I'm happy for discussion of the "card trick", I have to remind readers that it is against Sky's terms and conditions to buy or sell viewing cards, so buying or selling of cards cannot be discussed here.

In addition there is no such thing as a viewing card for "true" ie. BBC/ITV Freesat. This only allows access to free to air channels listed on the EPG and regional selection is done via entering a postcode on set up. "Freesat from Sky" does use a standard Sky digital viewing card for regional selection and allows access to free to view (FTV) channels, that is, channels that are encrypted but will decode with the presence of any active Sky viewing card. Again in this case the above applies. And Freesat from Sky is not available in the Republic.

The only legitimate way for an ROI viewer to obtain a viewing card to access FTV channels is from Setanta.

Nowso

do u still get anything extra on them cards

irishchris

Mountjoy Mugger wrote: »

Just ring them up. Tell them you got a 2nd hand box on ebay and you want to get a card under the scheme - (no reason to explain anything really).

Tell them you are aware of the situation with any existing card, if they ask. By the way, do not activate the card when you get it.

Ordered One on the phone number included in the standard email I got back as above.
Ps why not activate the card when I get it?

Mountjoy Mugger

What I meant was there's no real need to activate the card. (probably a touch of paranoia too)

Activation pairs the card to the box and, as I had already a paired subscription card, I didn't want to cause any conflict by trying to pair another card. Some activate it to get LFC TV and some Sony channels activated - see this thread.

machiavellianme

I activated mine and it somehow became an Irish sub EPG with LFC, Sony etc activated.
So basically, all I could watch was the Setanta added content and none of the FTA stuff without going to the other channels.
Not sure why this happens or if it happens to all, hence my recommendation that you don't activate in other threads.

pbarr

galwayguy85 wrote: »

Have just bought myself a second/hand Sky HD box to pass along to the parents.

Took it home and it still had the Irish EPG, which I'd expected to be the case.

Months ago bought a similar Sky HD box and got it easily set up for the UK freesat channels after buying an appropriate card from a UK seller on eBay.

Now, those cards are nowhere to be found on eBay! Similar google searches turn up nothing.

Did eBay suddenly change policy on sale of these.

Have just tried restoring the box. No joy.

In the past, have tried calling Setanta to get a card but was so unsure of what I was asking for I think I talked myself out of the card.

PM sent

SPAWKER

irishchris wrote: »

Ordered One on the phone number included in the standard email I got back as above.
Ps why not activate the card when I get it?

If you activate the card it will become an Irish one and wont give you the english EPG,so best not activate it.

eoin2nc

What channels does the card from Setanta allow you to view, that a SKY box without a card wouldn't? (My box has reset to the English EPG)

ftakeith

freesat makes the sky freesat from sky card seem worthless and you can record with freesat+

toplinestreamli

SPAWKER wrote: »

If you activate the card it will become an Irish one and wont give you the english EPG,so best not activate it.

So if I get a viewing card from Setanta and activate it, I will get an Irish EPG, so will I be able to view all the Irish Channels, ie. 101 Rte 1, 102 RTE 2 etc? I have an ordinary Sky box in the kitchen and just using it as a freeview box on an old Tv.

steveon

toplinestreamli wrote: »

So if I get a viewing card from Setanta and activate it, I will get an Irish EPG, so will I be able to view all the Irish Channels, ie. 101 Rte 1, 102 RTE 2 etc? I have an ordinary Sky box in the kitchen and just using it as a freeview box on an old Tv.

if you activate the card 101 will become rte1 but it will be scrambled. You will only get RTE 1 on a sky box if you pay sky for it.

toplinestreamli

steveon wrote: »

if you activate the card 101 will become rte1 but it will be scrambled. You will only get RTE 1 on a sky box if you pay sky for it.

Thanks steveon. Have the original Sky card from that box and the Irish stations scrambled on it, was worth a shot.....

toplinestreamli

steveon wrote: »

if you activate the card 101 will become rte1 but it will be scrambled. You will only get RTE 1 on a sky box if you pay sky for it.

Thanks steveon. Have the original Sky card from that box and the Irish stations scrambled on it, was worth a shot.....

Ilyushin76

I got an email from setanta saying they no longer supply the cards.

mackersdublin

Channel 5 HD no longer Free-to-view

https://twitter.com/channel5_tv

Might be worth removing Channel 5 HD from the Tuning guide sticky as it certainly won't be FTA in the near future:mad:

samarillo

5:12 PM (2 hours ago)



to me

Dear Mr McCarthy,

Thank you for contacting Setanta Sports.

We have received your request for a FTA viewing card under the BAI Sound and Vision Scheme. Regrettably, we no longer provide FTA cards.

If we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team on [URL="tel:0818%2020%2030%2040"]0818 20 30 40[/URL] (from the Republic of Ireland) or [URL="tel:08712%20770393"]08712 770393[/URL] (from Northern Ireland) and one of my colleagues will be happy to help.

We are open from 9:30am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

Regards
Sandra O'Donnell

gtg60

mackersdublin wrote: »

Channel 5 HD no longer Free-to-view

https://twitter.com/channel5_tv

Might be worth removing Channel 5 HD from the Tuning guide sticky as it certainly won't be FTA in the near future:mad:

Well that sucks a big one! I was expecting it to go FTA soon not bloody subscription! :mad:

winston_1

toplinestreamli wrote: »

I have an ordinary Sky box in the kitchen and just using it as a freeview box on an old Tv.

Impossible. Freeview is a UK terrestrial service received through an aerial not a satellite dish.