Sky MultiRoom - Worth the Money?

[Energize]

What do sky expect people to do whose phone has been disconnected, or those use don't pay for a landline rental and use a mobile instead?

 

[DavidMarq]

Not wrong at all, unless the engineer did something with the cards, or one of the many other issues that can cause the system to fail and since at the moment I spend my days sitting in Sky's Marketing Operations in Osterley designing service processes and decision logic for them I'd take my knowledge over yours.

Sky say you are wrong.

Sky+ with Multiroom Terms & Conditions

Sky+: Only compatible with digital satellite. Sky digital subscription required for Sky digital programming. Sky+ subscription required to use the Personal Video Recorder features of Sky+. Sky+ subscription is free if you subscribe to two or more of Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2, Sky Movies 1 and Sky Movies 2 (otherwise £10 a month). Minimum Sky+ subscription 12 months. Professional installation and fixed telephone line connection for 12 months required.

Multiroom subscription: A multiroom subscription costs £10 per month and provides the same subscription channels as you receive under your first Sky digital subscription on a box in another room. You must be a Sky digital subscriber at all times during your multiroom subscription. Minimum contract 12 months (unless first subscription ends earlier).

Sky+ with Multiroom: If you relocate your existing box and purchase a multiroom subscription, the Sky+ box is £99 and standard installation of your Sky+ box and relocation of your existing box is free (otherwise £60).

General: Prices subject to change. Boxes that receive your first and Multiroom subscription(s) must all be connected to the same fixed telephone line at all times. Sky can connect up to 8 standard Sky boxes or 2 Sky+ boxes and 4 standard Sky boxes or 4 Sky+ boxes to the same minidish. Additional charges may apply for non-standard installation. Installation may be subject to availability delay. You must get any consents required eg. landlord's. Further terms and conditions apply. Information only applies to residential customers in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man. Correct at time of print (July 2006).

http://www.sky.com/portal/site/skycom/offers/skycustomers/article?contentid=10715103

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

I'm sure Sky say that I am wrong, but then they also tell you that if you only have one box it must be plugged in to a phone at all time, and mine has never been plugged in.

As for what happened in your case mrLOL, as I mentioned before there could be any number of reasons why you got the letters, but I assure you that the system is only supposed to check the secondary box, not the primary. Believe it or not though the BAU manual processes (including BO report merging used to generate the contact lists) are not necessarily fool proof.

Energise - it's in Sky's terms and conditions that you must have a working BT line to connect your box(es) to.

 

[Tesla]

Asprilla you are wrong. Sky must receive a ring back from BOTH boxes. If either box fails then this will flag up an issue with Sky.

If your method was actually the workings of the system then they may aswell not bother with ringback at all!

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

Asprilla you are wrong. Sky must receive a ring back from BOTH boxes. If either box fails then this will flag up an issue with Sky.

If your method was actually the workings of the system then they may aswell not bother with ringback at all!

Ok, remind me again who does what for a living?

I actually spoke to the ops guys who administer the system, because I want to get an HD box and move my current Sky+ upstairs to be multiroom box, but the carpet-fitter has damaged the new telephone extension I'd put into the living room. Rather then lift the carpet again, I wanted to know if both boxes had to be plugged in and the answer was a resounding no.

I asked again because I didn't believe them and got the same response.

 

[DavidMarq]

Ok, remind me again who does what for a living?

Arrogance does not make you right. It just makes the hole you have dug a little deeper.

Have a look around the AV Forums and Digital Spy and you will find examples of many people who have had letters and some that have been charged full subs on the 2nd box for ignoring said letters.

 

[chris06]

Ive had sky for a few years and never plugged the box into the phone line?

I wonder why I haven't received and letters?

 

[DavidMarq]

Ive had sky for a few years and never plugged the box into the phone line?

I wonder why I haven't received and letters?

Do you have multiroom?

On a single subscription you are only required to plug in for the first 12 months . Sky tend not to enforce this.

If you have multiroom then Boxes that receive your first and Multiroom subscription(s) must all be connected to the same fixed telephone line at all times.

Sky do actively enforce this.

 

[chris06]

Do you have multiroom?

On a single subscription you are only required to plug in for the first 12 months . Sky tend not to enforce this.

If you have multiroom then Boxes that receive your first and Multiroom subscription(s) must all be connected to the same fixed telephone line at all times.

Sky do actively enforce this.

Just a single subscription. I dont think I plugged it in for the first year either

 

[Tesla]

Ok, remind me again who does what for a living?

My business provides satellite installation/repair including Sky amongst many other services.


Asprilla, lets imagine you are correct and that only the second box was checked. Everybody would sign up for multiroom and then give the primary, unchecked box to their friend/relative.

This is the exact reason callback exists, to prevent this from happening. It's why Sky require a call back from both boxes every few weeks to ensure they are both being used at the same address.

For someone who "consults" on the design of logical/process systems, how can you fail to see this OBVIOUS flaw in your own fictitous system?

 

[Fr0dders]

Ok, remind me again who does what for a living?

he installs skys systems for a living and say your wrong

im a sky customer and had sky telling me your wrong

and the sky website says your wrong


not looking good so far ...

 

[Fr0dders]

edit

double post

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

It's not one of my processes & who said that I couldn't see the flaw?

It's a rubbish system, but it doesn't change what it does. Sky also say that if you only have one box that has to be plugged into the phone line and yet sky never call them back to check there are at the specified location.

I've checked again this morning and the answer is the same.

 

[Tesla]

Sky also say that if you only have one box that has to be plugged into the phone line and yet sky never call them back to check there are at the specified location.

This is untrue. You only have to have it plugged into your phone line for the inital 12months unless you opt out of the interactive subsidy you receive when signing up, I think this will cost you £50.

Also, Sky do call back these boxes but if they are found to not be plugged in they never do anything about it.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

This is untrue. You only have to have it plugged into your phone line for the inital 12months unless you opt out of the interactive subsidy you receive when signing up, I think this will cost you £50.

Mine's has only been plugged in when the engineer first installed it. The following day it was unplugged and has never been back in again. I've never payed any sort of fee for this.

As you pointed out before, what would be the point in putting these conditions and an opt-out charge if you weren't going to do anything once you called boxes? Surely that's an OBVIOUS flaw in the system (or maybe they don't call the primary box).

 

[Tesla]

Mine's has only been plugged in when the engineer first installed it. The following day it was unplugged and has never been back in again. I've never payed any sort of fee for this.

As you pointed out before, what would be the point in putting these conditions and an opt-out charge if you weren't going to do anything once you called boxes? Surely that's an OBVIOUS flaw in the system (or maybe they don't call the primary box).

Sky's third-party partners request Sky to have the box connected to the customers line as part of the contract between them and Sky. Dominos pizza is one of them.

The reason they do not enforce it is down to commercial viability. Sky will have no loss of revenue through the box not calling back, unlike multiroom where they could be potentially missing out on additional revenue.

The box is required to ring back at least once if taking the subsidy deal (this is the normal deal and you have to choose to opt out otherwise it's assumed it's wanted). If the box is not able to ring back at least once (usually done on installation) then Sky will charge you ~£50 for an unsubsidised equipment.

 

[Begbie]

Erm, multi room boxes need to be permently connected to a telephone line, and sky do check up on them, trust me I have to deal with the crap when they ain't, the main reasoning behind this is so sky know that both boxes are in the same household.

Sky charge a £25 fee if you don't want to have a standard box connected to a telephone line within the 1st year, only on the one box. Any other kind of box sky+, HD need to be connected within the 1st year.

 

[Begbie]

I'm sure Sky say that I am wrong, but then they also tell you that if you only have one box it must be plugged in to a phone at all time, and mine has never been plugged in.

As for what happened in your case mrLOL, as I mentioned before there could be any number of reasons why you got the letters, but I assure you that the system is only supposed to check the secondary box, not the primary. Believe it or not though the BAU manual processes (including BO report merging used to generate the contact lists) are not necessarily fool proof.

Energise - it's in Sky's terms and conditions that you must have a working BT line to connect your box(es) to.

you obviously don't work for sky, chordiant picks up if both boxes are not dialing back. And the contract is deemed in violation, if any one of the boxes are not calling back.

You can't assure me, it is only the 2nd one, as I do work for sky and have to deal with the customers when they call up saying ' o the engineer told me that didn't have to be connected'. We then have to explain why the engineer is stupid and we will now need to send him back out again.

 

[dbmzk1]

[DOD]Asprilla, you clearly either do not work for Sky or if you do you are not one of their star employees.

It states quite clear in the terms and conditions that both boxes have to be plugged into a phone line. Every installation engineer I've spoken too (about 6) says they both have to be plugged in. Every Sky customer I've spoken too has been told they both have to be plugged in. Every Sky customer support operator I've spoken too (about 4) have told me they both have to be plugged in.

Oh, and I got a letter telling me my box wasn't plugged in - I disconnected it a few weeks after the engineer left. Once they installed the 2nd box a few months after when I decided to get multiroom, I got a letter telling me to plug the first box in or else. It even told me which box wasn't plugged in.

I think you are slightly confused. If you have only 1 box it doesn't have to be plugged in (after 12 months, though an opt out is available). However, if you have multiroom then they ALL have to be plugged in. End of story.

Oh, by the way - all employees of Sky get free Sky anyway, so it wouldn't matter to you either way!

 

[Begbie]

[DOD]
Oh, by the way - all employees of Sky get free Sky anyway, so it wouldn't matter to you either way!

Still matters mate, we get our subs cut off if we don't even though mines hasn't been, iv'e just got lucky