Annual Sky nonsense

Hyperbollix · 27-02-2024 1:20pm #1

That time of year again when the SkyQ discount rate reverts to full price!

Had planned to do as I always do, plug the dish cable into my LG TV and just live with Saorview and FTA until I either a) get a price from Sky I'm willing to pay or actually bite the bullet and sort out a new way to get TV. Tuned in channels last night and none of them work, bar one or two. From having a look around, it seems the LNB on the dish isn't compatible with anything but the SkyQ box so I'm debating between signing up for the Lite Sky package (Irish and basic UK channels plus recording is practically all I need) or getting a local installer to fit a suitable LNB so I can just get back FTA satellite until I decide what to do long term....

If I get hybrid LNB fitted to allow me to use TV tuner, will that still work A-OK with SkyQ box if, in the next few weeks, I end up going back?

I have an elderly person in the house who is not great on new tech but is comfortable with the Sky interface. Changing to a new box isn't out of the question but it would need to be fairly straightforward and the ease of Sky's recording thing is important. With that in mind, is going down the route of these Linux boxes a bad idea or could one be set up to be as near as dammit to Sky?

Thanks for info.....

waywill1966 · 27-02-2024 1:54pm

Whats the lite Sky deal about and how much?

muffler · 27-02-2024 2:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823719#Comment_121823719

It was the FTA channels only and I think they were charging something like a tenner a month but a couple of people have stated that Sky don't do it any longer.

Seve OB · 27-02-2024 2:25pm

get up and check your LNB

some of them are dual operation so you could possibly just plug it out of one socket and into another/.

sorry, I can't remember the technical name for the type pf LNB but I know I had to ask the installer to make sure that is the type he fitted for me

Schorpio · 27-02-2024 3:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823989#Comment_121823989

It's called a hybrid LNB, and unless you specifically ask for it, or you have other satellite boxes in the house, installers generally won't fit it.

If you are comfortable in getting to your satellite, it's easy and cheap to get a 'standard' LNB and swap over yourself.

Seve OB · 27-02-2024 3:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121824311#Comment_121824311

yep that's it. i specifically asked for it when i was putting my order in as we have a second TV in the house.

Installer was not going to use one when he was on the job, said he didn't have one.

I told him to sling his hook as and come back another day as it was specifically asked for. he miraculously produced one 5 minutes later

Hyperbollix · 28-02-2024 5:41pm

I let the service cancel and received the packaging from Sky to return the SkyQ box

Got some quotes for changing the LNB from local installers and to fit a hybrid would have been €160. That would allow me to tune freesat on the TV. Obviously would have no recording ability so to get a box that could mimic a SkyQ box would have been around the €200 mark. One installer quoted about €350 all in.

Before deciding to pull the plug, I opted to try Sky's loyalty dept to see if there was a returning customer discount and if the Sky Essentials offer was going. Was immediately offered €22 for Signature, that's a good saving from the €36 pm that the previous agent offered prior to letting the service lapse. The agent told me Essentials wasn't available to me. Not that it wasn't available to anyone, it sounded like it was, but just wasn't popping up on his screen for me ;)

I decided to go with that and take a two month free trial of Netflix included which I was assured can be cancelled before charges incur, without a battle with an agent.

Happy enough with that outcome. For the ease of use, selection of channels that are wanted, fantastic recording ability as well as the easy catch up service on SkyQ I think €22 pm is a bargain.

Dayor Knight · 04-03-2024 11:14am

I called Sky on Friday to cancel as I have already initiated a switch and the 14 days have passed. I was asked if I would like to transfer to the SMS option and I thought yes, as i could keep responding please cancel to their offers.

So now I have a text record of 12 times I instructed them to cancel on Friday, and of course at the end of day they still hadn't done it and said they would come back to be again on Monday (today) at 8.30. New guy came on this morning and started the whole process again, asking me for the my details again, obviously starting from the start. I refused point blank to discuss any further. As far as I'm concerned I cancelled on Friday, end of. It's their problem to implement it. I suspect of course that they won't and will continue to bill me beyond April 1st. Which will leave me cancelling the direct debit etc and more hassle....

Right now my blood is boiling with SKY. I can tolerate some rigamarole about cancelling but this is completely unacceptable.

dulpit · 05-03-2024 10:38am

My parents are with sky, just the basic package. They cancelled last week, but their plan is to retain Sky either with a better offer from them or else to sign up as a new customer. Because of issues with Netflix from Turkey no longer working, they were going to try to get Netflix added. If a new customer it would be €42 (€30 for the basic Sky plus €12 for the ultra Netflix), the same would cost €41 (best offer Sky gave for them before they cancelled for just basic Sky) plus €21 for ultra Netflix. So it's currently a decent saving if they just allow the current contract end and set up a new one.

My question is this - has anyone had any experience of getting Netflix added at the reduced rate new customers get when an existing customer? Or has anyone has any experience of getting a similar price to the new customer when an existing one?

If sky are to offer a better deal, is it likely only to be at the moment of cancelling? Or do they follow up a few weeks later, before the contract fully expires? My parents have until 29th March before current term ends, is it likely they'll get anything else?

muffler · 05-03-2024 12:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121852074#Comment_121852074

I can't answer the questions but they could sit tight right up to the cancellation date to see if Sky ring with a better offer. If that doesn't work out they can always ring in to see what offers are on the table just before they get cut off.

A few years ago when I was with Sky I had rejected a 25% discount when I was cancelling. I rang in the day before I was due to be cut off and there was no improvement on the offer. I rang again the day after the service was removed and I was told that I was now classed as a "returning customer" and as such they could make me a better offer. I got 50% discount at that point. I'm not saying that will work these days but might be worth a shot.

Hyperbollix · 06-03-2024 2:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121852074#Comment_121852074

In my case I cancelled the Basic package as was not prepared to pay €40 pm. It lapsed and I left it two days before ringing the loyalty team at Sky. Got a nice fella based in Dublin on the phone who immediately offered me a 50% discount if I signed up for 12 more months.

It seems now the best option is to let it cancel. They no longer offer the best discount to people bluffing about cancelling. The best deals are for those who have been disconnected.

dulpit · 06-03-2024 2:29pm

I'm sure my parents will love that... But I'll tell them and see what they think. Cheers lads.

muffler · 06-03-2024 4:31pm

No pain no gain. 1 day without telly could save them a wee fortune for the year ahead.

dulpit · 06-03-2024 4:43pm

Actually, if you did that cancel and re-sign up: did you have to return equipment and stuff and get new one sent out? Or if you got to keep your old equipment - did you lose any recordings/etc?

muffler · 06-03-2024 6:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857765#Comment_121857765

When I was with them I was using the old Sky HD box which didn't have to be returned. But Id imagine the equipment and any recordings would still be safe as there wouldn't be any returns requested until after the cut off date.

joebloggs32 · 06-03-2024 7:02pm

Left them years ago.

I have 3 tvs in the house with dual digital and satellite tuners.

I got a local TV guy to stick up an aerial for Saorview and all are hooked up now with about 50 channels to choose from.

I also have now tv on the go. I currently have movies at €1pm, Entertainment at €3 pm, Sports and Sports Extra at €25 pm and Boost at €3pm. Boost also allows 3 streams simultaneously so each TV in my house can use the sky services at the same time.

While I cant record anything I am very satisfied with what I have for just €32 per month. If I had all that through sky even on a discount I couldn't get anywhere near that price.

Izy · 06-03-2024 7:25pm

Was in the same boat….

Great offer when I joined them first for BB & TV, when renewing first year made a mistake of not looking properly at the confirmation email and the BB got extended for 18 months instead of 12 causing havoc with renewals.

TV was up this month, only have Signature and HD(who even charges for HD outside of Sky) and was €48, the BB was €47.50 (still in contact for 6 months)

New price increase came through an email so rang to cancel TV, was offered my same Signature + HD for €35 and a drop in BB to €45 for 12 months. Told them I’d like to cancel.

1 week later I got a text asking me to review my options so I rang them again and was offered the Signature pack at €22 and HD for €5 but not th BB discount anymore. Told them I’d like to cancel.

2 days after that another message, rang them and was offered the same TV price and the BB for €35.

I was bluffing from the get go as I wanted to keep both but managed to get my bill from €95.50 to €64 per month.

I should’ve never let it get out of hand at my first renewal where it gotten to the €95.50 but I chickened out on the cancellation call and took their first offer…

Hyperbollix · 08-03-2024 7:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857765#Comment_121857765

No, just agree to cancel. You will have to do a month's notice then the service shuts off. Afew days later you get the return packaging for the box and I think the letter says you have about 2 or 3 months to return it, otherwise a fee is incurred.

I just rang them a day after I got the return packaging. Agreed another 12 month deal and the guy flipped a switch. I was back on just like I was never off. All recording and scheduling intact.

riddles · 08-03-2024 7:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121866934#Comment_121866934

What package did you design for an how much? Thx

Hyperbollix · 08-03-2024 7:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121866963#Comment_121866963

I just have the basic Sky Signature. That was re-instated with a 50% discount for 12 months, so €22 pm. I was then offered Netflix for €6 pm with the first two months free. So If I decide to keep Netflix beyond the trial, it's €28 pm in total.

dulpit · 12-03-2024 10:51pm

So my

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121852074#Comment_121852074

Update on this. My mother got a text from sky yesterday asking her to ring to see if they could get her to stay. I rang for her today. With no prompting they offered a deal that works out at €28 and change a month for sky signature and Netflix premium (the top tier one) for 12 months.

So that was remarkably easy in the end.

gersgang · 12-03-2024 11:11pm

You can get a Freesat recorder box but you would need a different LNB as discussed. If you currently have a few sky boxes they all link whereas if you went with Freeview boxes they don’t link so it’s messy. Theres a lot of good info on cordbusters.co.uk and it’s worth researching to see if you would be happy with a new system and its set up costs

Annual Sky nonsense

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