Sky advantages?

[HornetUK]

As my biling question got moved, rightly so...sorry

Anyone know what the effect of not have the Sky box plugged into the tel line is...does the red button still work? Sky+ etc?

I've had NTL TV for 6 years now, but as I don't use their phne line I can save myself £10.50 a month by switcing to Sky Sports pack. I presume there is no way of having NTL TV, but not the phone?

Cheers

[Jefferson T]

The red button will work fine for free interactive stuff - like bbc i...

But not for ordering films or buying sky games that kind of thing. (With no phone line connected I mean)

I've not had a phone line plugged into my sky box in 3 years.

I don't think you can get the tv without the phone.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by HornetUK

As my biling question got moved, rightly so...sorry

Anyone know what the effect of not have the Sky box plugged into the tel line is...does the red button still work? Sky+ etc?

I've had NTL TV for 6 years now, but as I don't use their phne line I can save myself £10.50 a month by switcing to Sky Sports pack. I presume there is no way of having NTL TV, but not the phone?

Cheers

You need to have a phone line for the first year with Sky I think.... so you won't save much til after the first 12 months....

[Chris T]

Your Sky box will work on any phone line, whether NTL, BT or anything else, so there is no reason for you not to have one. When you say you don't use your NTL line, presumably that's because you have a BT landline also? In which case you can dispense with the NTL line along with the other services and have the Sky box plugged in to the BT line.

I know some people object on principle to having the digibox plugged in to the phone but really it's not obtrusive in any way. BBCi and Teletext don't need to dial up and if you try to do anything that does require a phone call the box checks to confirm it has your permission before it dials. It also tells you whether you'll be charged for the call or not.

As to what happens if you don't connect the box ... well, legally you're in breach of contract so if Sky ever found out they would be entitled to make you pay for your equipment and installation. How they might find out I don't know. I'm not sure if the box is set to 'phone home' from time to time or not.

[djstevie]

Its a must to have the phone line connected with Sky for the first 12months of your subscription. They can and will charge you if they find out you have breached your contract. The box calls Sky on a freephone number at least once every month to check it is hooked up to a phone line.

[ian@huth]

The only times when not having the phone line connected causes problems is with ordering PPV movies and events, some paid for interactive content (most is free) and if you have Sky multiroom. The Sky system sends a signal via satellite to your digiboxes each month if you have multiroom and tells the boxes to phone home. This is to stop people with multiroom having the two or more digiboxes at different addresses. The phone check needs to be able to check the phone number that is calling back on, not just that a phone line is connected.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by HornetUK

As my biling question got moved, rightly so...sorry

This one's been moved too since you're discussing a Sky product & you posted in the ntl Cable TV forum.

[dexter_k]

Also, after 12 months with Sky, if the box breaks, they will charge you per call out, irrelevant of whether its there fault or not. After 12 months, the box is yours and its not their issue

[Neil]

Also look here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ight=advantage as this has been discussed before.

[Caspar]

Originally Posted by dexter_k

Also, after 12 months with Sky, if the box breaks, they will charge you per call out, irrelevant of whether its there fault or not. After 12 months, the box is yours and its not their issue

The Sky+ box is yours the minute you pay the £250.


I've got Sky+, with it plugged into the phone, for the last 6 months or so...and imo...it's the best thing I've probably ever bought!...

[dexter_k]

Originally Posted by Caspar

The Sky+ box is yours the minute you pay the £250.


I've got Sky+, with it plugged into the phone, for the last 6 months or so...and imo...it's the best thing I've probably ever bought!...

My apologies, I understand the box is yours, what I meant to say is its only covered for 1 year. I have a Sky box too (not Sky+, im cheap) and ive not had a problem since it installed on December 4th. Ive only rung them twice:
1. To give my new direct debit details
2. To ask why they sent me a finding nemo toy

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by dexter_k

Also, after 12 months with Sky, if the box breaks, they will charge you per call out, irrelevant of whether its there fault or not. After 12 months, the box is yours and its not their issue

Sky have been known to repair boxes free of charge after the 12 month initial period. It may be a retention issue involved or could be that the customer is enforcing the sale of goods acts six year warranty on parts that were faulty at time of sale (hard but not impossible to prove).

Customers with Sky+ boxes are reminded that after the initial 12 months if they cannot wangle a free repair can pay £65 for a call out where the box will be replaced with a refurbished unit guaranteed for 90 days. Quite often refurbished goods like this can be more reliable than new ones in that they have been far more thoroughly tested.

[dexter_k]

Originally Posted by ian@huth

Sky have been known to repair boxes free of charge after the 12 month initial period. It may be a retention issue involved or could be that the customer is enforcing the sale of goods acts six year warranty on parts that were faulty at time of sale (hard but not impossible to prove).

Ooooh thats interesting to know. Thanks Ian

[zoombini]

I had Sky+ and Multiroom installed a few months ago, didn't have extensions to the boxes & used temporary ones for the install day.

The engineer said that they would ring the boxes within a few days, next week & in a month to check that they are still wthere etc, esp with Multiroom as I could fit that next door.

Well, I never got around to sorting out the wiring & they have been without phone lines for several months.
Not heard a thing from Sky.

I will get around to fitting extensions, but I was not going to let the install guy do it, having seen the mess that they make.

if I do get a call from them I simply say, Oh do they not work? Oh I must have a fault on the extensions then (and do it pdq)

[djstevie]

Originally Posted by zoombini

I had Sky+ and Multiroom installed a few months ago, didn't have extensions to the boxes & used temporary ones for the install day.

The engineer said that they would ring the boxes within a few days, next week & in a month to check that they are still wthere etc, esp with Multiroom as I could fit that next door.

Well, I never got around to sorting out the wiring & they have been without phone lines for several months.
Not heard a thing from Sky.

I will get around to fitting extensions, but I was not going to let the install guy do it, having seen the mess that they make.

if I do get a call from them I simply say, Oh do they not work? Oh I must have a fault on the extensions then (and do it pdq)

You've been REALLY lucky so far then. I work for Sky and they do, on every account i've seen, do a callback to the box every month ,especially with Multiroom. Standard procedure if they arent connected is 2 warning letters and if the box still doesnt callback then they start charging you full price for your extra box, i.e if your on the Sky world pack at £41 they'll start charging you the £41 for the 2nd box instead of the normal £10 extra.