Sky

[Bazile]

I am considering taking out protection for sky box / dish
Spoke to sky customer Services lady , who advised that all the queries she has ever had to do with sky equipment , was concerning the box . She has not had any customers with a fault with the dish .

Would you advise covering just the box - or the dish as well ?

[askyourgran]

We kept getting phone calls from sky about taking insurance out on the box,(not the dish) I can't remember the exact figure, but it would be expensive for us when we reckon that my OH pays £45+ per month to Sky already. He said that if the box goes kaput he will go elsewhere. We haven't heard from them since.

[VHG]

The dish is securely bolted to the wall and has no moving parts so is probably OK.

The boxes do go sometimes, but I always think it is worth the risk for electronic devices like that.

If the box if fine for 2 years you have wasted the "insruance", and if it does fail, just tell Sky you are going to Virign/BT and they may reckon they will lose money so may offer you a reconditioned box at a cut down price.

I would NOT take out the insurance and take the chance.

[Mattk]

Gran, if the calls are like the ones I receive they are not actually from Sky. They are from a 3rd party firm trying to con people into taking out insurance with them.

Ive had many boxes fail and also a dish but in most cases it was not actually the piece of kit at fault. With the failing boxes it turned out we had a split in the sleeving for the cable outside where water had got in and had made its way into the boxes. The dish failed because the bracket had totally rusted thru !

Anyway because the cable problem went undiagnosed for so long I opted for insurance but when you ring up to get someone to come out it is truly painful. They really really do not want to send anyone out and will keep you on the phone for absolutely ages going thru all the usual nonsense.

[AlBags]

Don't bother!
Very reliable now we are several generations down the line.
Get one from eBay, connect it up, and Sky call to authorise the box for special packages paid for. That's it.

[keithlbw]

I have been a Sky subscriber on and off for quite some time. Whenever I am called asking if I want to take out protection for the box etc. I just say " no thanks if it breaks I will get Sky to replace it free ", The caller usually says how do you know they will do that , my reply is because Sky want my custom and they are not the only providers . I am then thanked for my time and I am not bothered for another 12 months or so.

Sky want you more than you need them

DON'T PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU DON'T NEED.

[Hopkirk]

The company must somehow be getting hold of Sky's account list.

I cancelled my Sky account years ago, just watching free channels. Recently I had to renew my Freesat from Sky card, and since then I get the calls.

It is always someone with an Indian accent, asking to speak to 'The Sky account holder' They have somehow got my number, but not my name.

Alternatively they are just ringing numbers at random, and asking for the account holder.

[whiskeryron]

I disagree with all of you.Because we have multiroom Sky+H/D ( 2 boxes ), I took out insurance cover as soon as our 12 months contract with Sky finished in 2008, & I'm so glad I did, in Feb & March of this year I had to have both boxes checked,1 of the boxes was replaced,& the other box had to be replaced twice, also the LNB in the dish was replaced twice, & the 2nd engineer who called told me '' It doesn't matter how many replacements you have,thats what you are paying insurance for'' so you see all aspects of the system are covered not just the boxes,all for £8.50 per month to Domestic & General,I think it's well worth it.

[AlBags]

A + box is 50-100 quid
An LNB is about 10
So far, then in insurance, you have paid over £200
:-/

[Mr k]

Why when buy law your covered for 6 years..

http://www.consumerdi...ts/SGAknowyourrights/

[Bazile]

Thanks for your replies

I had my sky box / dish /receiver installed in Dec 2004.

Recently on some channels the picture keeps breaking up / or there is a message saying that no satelite signal is being received .

That's the reason I thougt it might be wise to take out the cover , as something might be on it's way out .

Do you still think that it's not worth taking the cover out ?

[AlBags]

NO!

Check the alignment on the dish .. easy .. 5 minutes. It's probably sagged a bit.
Check the LNB connectiion at same time and make sure clean, dry and sealed.

[Mattk]

Go into the menus and check your signal strength.
As I said above we had a bracket rust through letting the dish sag - maybe you have the same?

[Whickerman]

a tree could be causing that interference...