Sold a sky+ hd box with a cancelled viewing card

livEwirE

I recently cancelled sky for freesat. The service was due to expire on 20th September. Today I sold my old sky+ hd box to a guy on adverts. I met him and he insisted that he needed the viewing card in order to access the free channels from the UK. I am 99% sure he doesn't need it but gave it to him anyway. As I have already cancelled my account, the card should be useless. I made a note of the viewing card number before I gave it to him. Have I anything to worry about here?

livEwirE

Okay cool, thanks for that, I think was was just looking for confirmation

faral

hmm I have a question about sky-Ive just move in to new home and found a sky+ box and whole installation was in place. I just took a chance a conected to my tv and it appeared that its working alright. Im really surpised by this fact but on the other hand I dont want to put previous owner/tenant in troubles by unauthorised use so should I worry that he/she will be charged for that?Is it possible that this is on cancellation period and is still working for short period of time?How can I check that?

Kensington

Quite a few of the channels on Sky (BBC, ITV, Channel 4) are free to air, so they'll continue to be received on a sky box without a subscription and that's perfectly legal.

irishgeo

You broken the law as you don't own the viewing card. It's the property of Sky at all times you are only renting it.

mgbgt1978

faral wrote: »

hmm I have a question about sky-Ive just move in to new home and found a sky+ box and whole installation was in place. I just took a chance a conected to my tv and it appeared that its working alright. Im really surpised by this fact but on the other hand I dont want to put previous owner/tenant in troubles by unauthorised use so should I worry that he/she will be charged for that?Is it possible that this is on cancellation period and is still working for short period of time?How can I check that?

If you're receiving any RTE Channels then it's still an active card (possibly running out it's 30 day's notice.
If not, then you should continue to receive whatever you're currently getting.

makeorbrake

irishgeo wrote: »

You broken the law as you don't own the viewing card. It's the property of Sky at all times you are only renting it.

Is it not a case that he has technically broken skys terms and conditions - not the law per se?...



In any event, it's no big deal. It's just a piece of plastic.

winston_1

makeorbrake wrote: »

Is it not a case that he has technically broken skys terms and conditions - not the law per se?...



In any event, it's no big deal. It's just a piece of plastic.

Definitely broken the law. It was not the OPs card to give away. But don't worry about it, no one has yet been prosecuted over it.

mgbgt1978

Jebus Winston, let it go.
Can you show me where in the Irish Statute Books does it state that it's an offence to give away a Sky Card ?

Sky's T & C's don't count by the way. They cannot over-ride the Statutory Laws.

makeorbrake

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Sky's T & C's don't count by the way. They cannot over-ride the Statutory Laws.

That's the distinction I was making...

Anyways, even if we were to enter the phantasy land of someone being sued, what monetary value does a deactivated $ky card have? Possibly €10 if we consider their value as a ftv card. Otherwise, zero to the holder or a couple of cents to $ky....but then they hardly reuse them - so zero...

winston_1

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Jebus Winston, let it go.
Can you show me where in the Irish Statute Books does it state that it's an offence to give away a Sky Card ?

I'm sure sky cards are not specifically mentioned, but it is an offence to give away or sell someone else's property.

Bepolite

winston_1 wrote: »

I'm sure sky cards are not specifically mentioned, but it is an offence to give away or sell someone else's property.

Look at the Criminal Law (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act. A number of elements would need to be proved any number of which would be demolished by any lawyer, law student or frankly anyone with a passing interest in law. The very worst that could happen is a civil suit.

decor58

in reply to ferel, take out the sky card, box works as a free to air receiver, no irish channels, and nobody else is involved.

irishgeo

its a wonder sky dont ask for the card back as its their property if you cancel your service, I mean you cant be in breach of the terms and conditions if you are no longer a customer.

makeorbrake

irishgeo wrote: »

its a wonder sky dont ask for the card back as its their property if you cancel your service, I mean you cant be in breach of the terms and conditions if you are no longer a customer.

They never bother with that...presumably because it's a piece of plastic that they will not reuse - and has no monetary value....and presumably because they want it to remain easier for any former customer to resubscribe..

irishgeo

makeorbrake wrote: »

They never bother with that...presumably because it's a piece of plastic that they will not reuse - and has no monetary value....and presumably because they want it to remain easier for any former customer to resubscribe..

So why do they put the clause in

winston_1

irishgeo wrote: »

So why do they put the clause in

Ask sky.
But they always ask for the card back if it goes faulty before they issue a replacement. Presumably to stop people claiming they have a faulty card when in reality they want a second one FOC.

makeorbrake

irishgeo wrote: »

So why do they put the clause in

I didn't write the clause - so why ask me?

Perhaps they are contractually obliged to do so on the basis of whatever agreement they have with the encryption provider (and yes, I'm aware that they half own that entity - that's besides the point).

In any event, in the context of the query outlined in this thread, who cares!? People disregarding a benign clause/term/condition hardly makes for a campaign of civil disobedience...

winston_1 wrote:

But they always ask for the card back if it goes faulty before they issue a replacement. Presumably to stop people claiming they have a faulty card when in reality they want a second one FOC.

And if the answer was the cat or dog ate it, they'd still provide a replacement.

GerardKeating

irishgeo wrote: »

its a wonder sky dont ask for the card back as its their property if you cancel your service, I mean you cant be in breach of the terms and conditions if you are no longer a customer.

Not a wonder, the administrative costs of collecting the cards would vastly exceed their re-usable value.

irishgeo wrote: »

So why do they put the clause in

Allows them to "go after" those who resell cards, 2nd/3rd card on a contract are at a reduced rate, some people "resell" them at full price.

Bepolite

There's really no need to ever get the plastic card back - it can be deactivated. There will always be clauses like this is contracts for a myriad of legal reasons; some contemplated some not.