FTV Card Activation

bucks73

Having received a FTV Card on Saturday I rang to have it activated and was asked for my digibox serial number.

When I gave it to them I was told that this digibox was contracted to another subscriber (me) and that the subscription had not been cancelled. I was told that Sky would have to contact their client to find out if the sub is to be cancelled and that the FTV card wouldnt be activated until Monday evening. I was to insert the card in the digibox on Monday morning and leave it in for 24 hours.

Will Sky try to contact the digibox to see if it is still where it is supposed to be or will the FTV just be activated anyway?

Has anyone else had this problem?

ShaneOC

Just put the card into the digibox and wait and see what happens. If nothing happens by tomorrow try ringing them again.

Make sure your digibox is not connected to the phone.

They may just have been trying to trip you up into saying that you are Irish as they have supposedly been told to clamp down on FTV cards coming over here.

Our man in Havana

Must be a new high level of security at sky?

I always thought that it was risky to activate a FTV card on an Irish sub box.

Maybe this is the start of awider clampdown. Are they going to trawl their database and switch off those cards?


Be afraid, Be very afraid!

ifconfig

Please let us know if anyone else has had similar
experiences or mores to the point words of
reassurance from anyone who has received an
FTV card without such hassles this week would
be very welcome.

thanks

--eirin

HighburyHigh

Eirin,

You do not have Personal Message enabled. Please contact me directly should you wish to discuss this issue.

Regards.

up untill I read this,thread,I assumed it was the case that no check are carried out and they weren't.
Bear in mind though, that Sky,BBC and ITV are getting a lot of mail of late regarding the availability of there channels here.
Bear in mind also that there are interests here in the ROI who can and will point out to the relevant authorities that BBC cards are illegally making their way into ROI.
As well as that there has most likely been a noticable enough surge in demand for these cards,which wouldn't ordinarilly ring alarm bells,but would if "some people" told Sky to watch out for it.

It's not too dificult to cross reference boxes and see if theres an Active ROI sub on them.

Bucks73-Did your card get activated?
mm

psychotic mouse

I've heard of this happening once before when the guy phoned Sky from an Irish landline. They twigged the number was ROI & checked further.

Was the call from landline or mobile ?

bucks73

First of all I dont know if my card has been activated yet. I had it inserted all day yesterday but took it out around 7pm. It has been in again all day today and I will leave it in overnight.

Secondly I rang from my landline which is blocked. When I gave my digibox serial number they saw straight away that it was contracted to a Sky subscriber.

ShaneOC

bucks,

Were any of the channels active on it last night before you took it out. Technically you are not supposed to take it out until it has been activated so you may have missed the activation signal.

bucks73

The FTA channels such as Sky News, TCM and Euronews were on. Also BBC Parliament and the BBC radio channels were on. I read somewhere before that BBC1, BBC2, Channel 4 and Channel 5 usually take longer than the others. Is this true?

ShaneOC

All of the channels should appear after an hour or two with the exception of BBC1 which can take up to 24 hours from when the call is made.

If it was a friend in the UK who got the card for you I would give him/her all the details from your digibox (card number, serial number, version, make, etc) and get them to ring the number to get it activated. The fact that they get a call from an unblocked UK number might help.

Make sure the card is in the digibox when the call is made. I would not take it out until all the channels are activated.

They may query why an attempt was made to activate it already, if so tell them that a child took the card from the box.

When you were ringing from your blocked Irish landline-I hope you were ringing the 0044870.... number and not the Irish 1800 number as that would have been a dead giveaway!
I am presuming that while all the Sky customer personell are located in the same Bonny Scotland call centre.
Some of them deal specifically with Irish calls-can anyone confirm/deny that?
mm

Mossy Monk

a few times when i have rang up i have been greeted by someone with a really strong Dublin accent. maybe they have taken on some Irish people in the call centre for Irish viewers

Element 4

When getting your card activated you should give them the serial number of the box with the 4th and 5th number swapped.

remember the number to call is 0044 870 243 8000, always give an english or northern ireland address

that is how I have got mine on the air. I too also have a sky card with the full package enabled. So this means that my proper serial number is on the Sky books as a subscriber and my other number is on their books as an FTA card, allbeit with a norther ireland address.

There you go.........

dmeehan

why do you switch the 4th and 5th numbers?
if you dont need the correct serial number, why do they bother asking for it?

Element 4

Dunno really,

My installer told be to do it that way and it worked, infact it worked for many more of my friends as well.

bucks73

Of course I rang the 00 44 870 number. Anyway this is not Sky but BT Contract Services who handle the service for BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Sky do issue the cards and send them out though.

I rang again this morning and a nice Scottish lass told me that there was no problem re-activating the card and to leave it in the digibox for 24 hours.

Should be activated by tomorrow.

sorry Bucks, for giving the impression, that you might do silly things, like ringing the Irish Sky number.
Some do ring that number:o
Obviously the first person you got then was acting the maggot.
It puzzles me why,a BT contracts outfit would need access to Irish subscription details though,other than to prevent ROI BBC cards going out.

Don't reckon it matters too much though,every resort bar in Europe appears to have one-no clampdown coming.
mm

ShaneOC

bucks,

all channels except BBC 1 should be activated about 2 hours after you called them. Make sure not take the card out this time

bucks73

No problem madman. I think the first guy I got was being a little too straight. Could have been his first day on the job.:p

ShaneOC, I gave your excuse about the child taking the card out. I will leave it in now until everything is ok.

bucks73

Checked at lunchtime and all channels are now activated except for BBC1.

Thanks all.

ifconfig

As a matter of interest, is Tara TV viewable via the FTV
card. I know they stopped broadcasting to ROI but I
can't recall whether they were tied to one of the packages
(probably were). Just checking....

--eirin

Mossy Monk

TARA is available via the Family Package in the UK

shinobi

If the FTV card is Activated VIA a seperate digibox (in britain),
can the card be sent across to the ROI, or does the
card get individually "associated" with the digibox.

bucks73

An FTV card is married to the digibox just as a subscription card is so it will only work on that particular digibox.

ShaneOC

However, if a FTV card is activated in one digibox and then moved to a different digibox you will be able to watch ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Mountjoy Mugger

Originally posted by ShaneOC
However, if a FTV card is activated in one digibox and then moved to a different digibox you will be able to watch ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

This seems at odds as to what Bucks73 says - married to a digibox.

Or, are you just saying that you'll get all the non sub channels available on any UK activated viewing card on any digibox?

I didn't even realise this. I might get my dish remounted in my new place and save a few quid with NTL.

ShaneOC

You will get all the FTA channels whatever card you use.

bucks is right in that the FTV card will only fully work on the box that it was married to. However if you move the activated card to a different digibox only the BBC channels will be blocked. ITV, Ch4 and Ch5 are definately unscrambled.

byte

Originally posted by ShaneOC
You will get all the FTA channels whatever card you use.

bucks is right in that the FTV card will only fully work on the box that it was married to. However if you move the activated card to a different digibox only the BBC channels will be blocked. ITV, Ch4 and Ch5 are definately unscrambled.

Yes, I can verify this coz I have a FTV card not paired with my box!:( It's not much good without the BBC channels IMO

Irish Bazza

I have justed received my BBC FTV Card, and about to registered it, and I read all the interesting screams. Has anyone recently registered a BBC FTV card by swapping the 4th and 5th digit of their Sky Digi Box?

If you swap the digits, will the BBC FTV card not be considered as a mis-match and therefore you will not received BBC channels and only ITV and Ch4 etc. I am considering using the BBC FTV Card with my Sky Subscription and swapping cards to watch ITV and CH4.

I was considering registering the card with my brother in his Pace machine in N.I, to avoid Sky doing a search on my Digibox serial number and catching on that the card and box is in the ROI. Hence the mismatch.

Thanks, bring back ITV!

Try registering it to your own box first,using your brothers name and address.
You may not have any problems

If they say your brother already has a sky sub,then tell them its the granny flat-whit lie I know:D
Usually they don't bother checking the status of your box,ie if it has an Irish sub on it.
mm

ice27

I need big time direction in order to get a FTA BBC Card.

I have a friend in the U.K who is willing to help.

What are the steps Involved. What do I tell him to do & what do I do or dont do myself. I have a full Sky Irish Subscription myself so what are the steps involved to marry the card to my existing box. Any help would be much appreciated.

Please PM me if uou can help.

Irish Bazza

Cheers Madman,

I will try this, however I have heard that some helpdesk operator's, do check the serial box number for searches. In one case the BBC helpdesk operator (as they manage SKy Sub Cards) have identified the box to a ROI subscripter and started to ask questions and stated quote 'This box is registered to a ROI subscripter which is still within the 12 month contract. I am lead to believe If I marry the card to my box, the Sky subscription is switched-off.

A mis-match will give me the ITV and Ch4, that I am looking for. The whole ITV thing has really annoyed me, as I only subscript four weeks ago to Sky, and had only one week viewing on ITV. To add salt to the wound, Sky cut off my channel's after three weeks, because they did not receive my direct debit. I did not even receive a 1st bill, after a very irate call to Sky, they had me on within seconds. After the 12 months is up, the BBC FTA will be answer, cause the teletext and inactive is better on BBC, plus Sky News is FTA anyway.

DMC

Originally posted by ice27
I need big time direction in order to get a FTA BBC Card.

I have a friend in the U.K who is willing to help.

What are the steps Involved. What do I tell him to do & what do I do or dont do myself. I have a full Sky Irish Subscription myself so what are the steps involved to marry the card to my existing box. Any help would be much appreciated.

Please PM me if uou can help.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37638 has it all.

Cheers,

Damien.

Irish Bazza

ICE 27

See all the notes above, for help and advice. However be careful when ring the 0044 number, to block your number when you phone, and make sure you have Post Code, address, telephone number and TV License number (sometimes they ask), when registering or applying for BBC FTA.

marclt

When I registered mine - they kept switching it off and I had to reregister it!

BTW DONT THINK about looking to get S4C Digital.... Sky operate the subscriptions for this service... One call and you'll blow your chances of keeping a FTV Card.

When I tried to do it, I realised something was up when the scottish lass (that's me being kind... I've heard stories of what they girls up there are really like) went away to check something... I hung up (ringing from my UK registered mobile) - to be honest I'm glad I did... if they didn't cross ref boxes then no one would.

ice27

Thanks DamoDmc & Irish Bazza for all the help, much appreciated

charlieb

Hi Guys,
I am new forum member from Bray. I have just received a NI FTA card and already have a suscription with sky. Assuming that the FTA is activated sucessfully can I then interchange it and the Sky card as I wish without losing the operation of each card?
I would appreciate any advice from anybody in a similar position.

Charlieb

ShaneOC

Hi charlieb,

All the information that you could ever wish to know can be found here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/show...&threadid=37638 but basically yes you can use your two cards without any problems. Just don't forget to disconnect the phone line when using the FTV card.

byte

Is it possible to change the details of a card-marriage so that you can pair it with another box? It is possible with subscription cards when original box buggers up or whatever but with FTV, do they just send another card or allow you to repair to different recevier?

Is there a button-combo to press on telephone to block number ID being sent? I know it exists in UK but not sure about Eircon lines

charlieb

Interesting info!!
Just go my NI FTV card activated on friday.The scottish lass did not request my digibox number thus my box is not matched to the card. However after over the air activation I have all the NI channels (ch 4 ,ch 5,BBC2,3&4),BBC1 I know will come edventually.
This proves that the digibox does not have to married to a particular FTV card! Open for discussion?


Charlieb

Leesider

CharlieB,

did you check your new card on another digibox, and see if the BBC channels are available?

doh.ie

As someone who has recently moved back to Ireland from the UK, I can tell you the current situation on FTV cards.

My UK account was going to change into an Irish one (no E4 interactive, no BBC News 24/4/Choice etc.) and an FTV for the UK box would solve my problem giving me all the old UK channels in Ireland (bar ITV2 which is UK Fam Pack and is rubbish anyway).

I applied and was sent an FTV card. I rang the number while still in the UK. She just asked if it was in the box (I said it was) and she said, "OK, sir, that's now activated."

And indeed a few minutes later it was; all bar BBC One which came overnight.

So you no longer need to give out the serial number - the card identifies the serial numbers and "marries" itself to the box from the information it receives during authorisation. You could say it's like getting married without the vicar present!

FTV cards are now authorised without your needing to give serial numbers. With a proper licence-paid UK address, and the card in your hands (in Ireland), a simple call (probably best made from the UK) will do the trick without any mention of serial numbers.

Just do what I did - (I had my older Irish box in the UK, where I was watching RTE, having already picked up a UK free box) I made the Irish one the FTV and there was no hassle whatsoever.

Should bring some relief to those continuing to miss out in this country because of tiresome rights issues.

Cloud

I had a card that was in a different box (i.e. a different serial number was given over the phone) when the authorisation was sent, it did not get enabled

carrolls

I enabled 4 FTV cards from the 4 main regions on a single Pace box (Also used for my Irish subscription) and never once was I asked for the box serial number. Just My (false) name and reg number.

byte

Do they ask for phone number or just address/postcode?

carrolls

No, they just ask for the Name of the person who ordered the card plus the reg number. The reg number (I think that's what it's called ) is a number that is given when you first order the card by phone. For example my Scottish one is 27548.

Paul007

I have an uncle in England who let me use his address so I got my cousin, who has an English accent, to order a FTV card from my landline last Friday.

He rang 0044 8702 438 000 preceding it with 141 and was asked the following;

If he is an existing Sky subscriber,
his postcode, address, name and phone number.

He told them he has Sky but was planning to buy a second-hand box for the bedroom.
When he gave them the postcode, they said it wasn't coming up but they would continue taking his details anyway.
He gave them my uncle's name and phone number ect. Then they said the postcode was still not being accepted. My cousin then panicked and said he will get back to them.

The thing is, I know the postcode he gave them is accurate and I can only assume that they knew he was ringing from Ireland.
The postcode he gave has 6 characters and is similair to this one - E17 4NT.
I am now worried that I have ruined my chances of getting a card through my uncle's name because they have his details. If he was to ring up, would they mention it to him?

carrolls

The person in the UK should initially order the card and get it sent to their UK address. Then they should post it out to the Irish address. On the envelope with the card will be the correct details to quote when you activate the card.
If you read previous posts on the subject, you would have known this.
Sky authenticate the initial phone call , but not the activation phone call, because they assume that because the original phone call is genuine, the second is going to be as well.

Paul007

I have read previous posts on the subject but not once have I read that the initial call has to be made from England. Most posts just say make sure to hide your number.

carrolls

Sky authenticate the initial phone call

Even if you put 141 before the number, they can tell that it's a foreign call.
They don't check the second (activation) phone call because I managed to get 4 FTV cards switched on from Ireland.