Mandatory Phone Connection for Digibox

IPFreely · 31-10-2002 11:39am #1

I saw a flyer in a shop yesterday offering the usual half-price sky installation but across the top of the flyer it stated that the phone connection was no longer mandatory for digiboxes and that a mobile would suffice! Is this now the case or is this guy a chancer? Any ideas?

Dun · 31-10-2002 12:20pm

AFAIK the phone connection was never mandatory in the Republic of Ireland. Certainly wasn't for us (installed July 2001).

koneko · 31-10-2002 12:24pm

I've been told by Electroplus (who do the Sky installations here) that the phone connection is mandatory.

They can still have it activated without the connection though, they just need to ring Sky and give them the number. It's just that Sky are a bit whingy and don't usually do that. If the guy connecting it up for you is nice though he'll do it anyway. He had to ring Sky 3 times in my case, as the first 2 refused to do it.

watty · 31-10-2002 12:31pm

It wasn't mandatory before because the extra services didn't work here. (I think only Box Office worked at one stage)

Now they are rolling out the phone up interactive services in Ireland (Eircom didn't get contract, forget who did).

This is why NEW contracts have the mandatory 1 year phone connect and they are "clamping " down on installers who don't do the phone wiring and check it.

Tony · 31-10-2002 1:48pm

Originally posted by IPFreely
I saw a flyer in a shop yesterday offering the usual half-price sky installation but across the top of the flyer it stated that the phone connection was no longer mandatory for digiboxes and that a mobile would suffice! Is this now the case or is this guy a chancer? Any ideas?

He's a chancer

Tony · 31-10-2002 1:52pm

Originally posted by koneko
I've been told by Electroplus (who do the Sky installations here) that the phone connection is mandatory.

They can still have it activated without the connection though, they just need to ring Sky and give them the number. It's just that Sky are a bit whingy and don't usually do that. If the guy connecting it up for you is nice though he'll do it anyway. He had to ring Sky 3 times in my case, as the first 2 refused to do it.

Firstly they only do some of the Sky installations here and secondly they are breaking the terms of their agreement with Sky.
Its not a question of the sky guy being nice its a question of him knowing his job. Glad you got away with it though

Tony:)

byte · 31-10-2002 8:21pm

Originally posted by watty
Now they are rolling out the phone up interactive services in Ireland (Eircom didn't get contract, forget who did).

THe contract winners were Nevada Tele.com though I'm sure €ircon get their share too since it's their phone network (more's the pity).

This guy went to fair hassle to activate card! Even if he weren't going to connect phoneline permanently, he could do what I always did before it was mandatory and that was to use a phoneline extension reel and activate it without hanging on the phone ringing them!:rolleyes:

Though I can't do that anymore, sadly, and the local Sky rep said they are going to crack down on any chancers.

Would there be a possibility that whoever doesn't have a phoneline connected now will get phoned up from Sky asking why the box cannot dial out?

irishgeo · 31-10-2002 8:56pm

when we signed our contract it was not mandatory to have phoneline connected so i dont see how they can ask you to do it now.

i thought it was only for the first 12 months that you had to connect the as it was a condition of the subsudised box.

byte · 31-10-2002 9:09pm

It has been mandatory for some months now.

After 12 months, you can disconnect it again as you will no longer be under obligation.

Tony · 31-10-2002 11:01pm

Originally posted by irishbyte
This guy went to fair hassle to activate card! Even if he weren't going to connect phoneline permanently, he could do what I always did before it was mandatory and that was to use a phoneline extension reel and activate it without hanging on the phone ringing them!:rolleyes:

sshhhhh giving away our secrets:D

Tony

byte · 31-10-2002 11:20pm

Originally posted by Tony
sshhhhh giving away our secrets:D

Tony

rofl! Well it was always handier than going to the hassle of ringing them! Surprised this guy didn't know this making me wonder about his skills! :rolleyes:

Prisoner6409 · 02-11-2002 11:43pm

I contacted Sky in Aug 02 about having Sky installed. They organised for the installer to come out and do the installation. It was installed Sept 1st approx. The installer crimped 2 ends of a piece of wire, connected one end to the Digibox and one into the phone socket on the wall. He then activated my account, promptly removed the phone line connection handed it to me and told me I would need to re-connect it if I wanted to use interactive services/box office movies. Not a thing said about mandatory connections or needing to leave it connected. Sky can't be that bothered about it as it was no big deal to the installer(or me) whether it was left connected or not.

Irulan · 03-11-2002 12:21am

Can someone tell me why would Sky make it Mandatory to connect your phone in the ROI when sat box works perfectly well without it. " Apart from e-mail that is. "Is it for financial gain?,
is to keep track of the location of the box?.Why? If they really really wanted us to do it ,could they not arrange to send important info such as upgrades to the EPG via the telephone line only?

sceptre · 03-11-2002 1:38am

Originally posted by Irulan
"Is it for financial gain?,

Yes

If they really really wanted us to do it ,could they not arrange to send important info such as upgrades to the EPG via the telephone line only?

I suppose they could but it'd probably be more trouble than it's worth to them, for lots of reasons - cost to them of sending info over a slow phoen connection, hassle with this and so on.

watty · 03-11-2002 9:48am

Sky hope eventually to make as much or more out of interactive services as basic subs.
Unless the box is connected people won't use the betting, pay games, online shopping and email services as well as ppv tv such as Box Office.
These services were not available so the connection was not mandatory.
Mostly (or soon mostly) they now are so Sky want to get new users "hooked" in theory that after first year you will keep using the services.

It costs too much for Sky to send TO the box by phone compared with Satellite, though the "connect box and see is it there" scheme IS used for "mirror subs" as otherwise it would be a cheap way for a mate to get a sub. I think Sky even try to ringback "mirror" sub boxes occasionally to check they are at the number given on contract.

dougal · 06-11-2002 9:49am

though the "connect box and see is it there" scheme IS used for "mirror subs" as otherwise it would be a cheap way for a mate to get a sub.

What's a "mirror sub" and why is it a cheap way for a mate to get a sub?

DMC · 06-11-2002 10:40am

A mirror sub is a 2nd digibox in your home at a low subscription rate, on top of what you pay for the normal subscription. Its called mirror, as it the 2nd box would be an exact replica of your Sky sub.

Mandatory Phone Connection for Digibox

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