Sky "standard set-up" fee for an upgrade? Having a laugh?

Memphis

Memphis

Memphis

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Just a hopefully quick question for those with recent experience or are in the know.

We received a nice card through the door today from Sky offering the HD box for "half price" at £75 when taking the full HD package. To be honest, the price of the box was all I was waiting for and has made my mind up to go for the upgrade.

Now, this £60 standard set-up fee. We already have 2 Sky+ boxes in the house, with multiroom. Therefore we already have all the cables required to slot the HD box in. Are they honestly expecting me to pay an engineer to come out and unbox the HD box?!

Thanks for any help!
 
I think if you already have it instaleld you can skip the install cost and just get the box on the cheap?
 
If you push them hard enough they'll drop it to £30. It might take a few calls though.

Tell them that I got that deal and that you won't accept anything else.
 
Begbie said:
Phone cancellations ya stenjy git! :p
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You're seriously saying I should pay an engineer £60 to come and plug it in? Honestly? With the HD subscription, I will be paying Sky £65 a month. I don't think free "installation" is too much to ask ;).
 
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You should be able to have then simply supply you with the equipment. :confused:

In all honesty, I'd be tempted to tell them where to shove their "installation fee" and pick up a Freesat HD box. Not really an option for you, though, is it?
 
we got sky last week and only paid £30 installation for a sky + box and multiroom with the standard box.

It was through the "recommend a friend" scheme, we got the sky plus and stand box both free.

You shouldnt have to pay anything, u only have to plug in two wires.
 
I live with my girlfriend and her parents. We have the full Sky mix (movies, sports, the whole lot) with Multiroom, one box being Sky+ and the box in our room being a standard box.

The standard box is really bad - it crashes, loses signal randomly, and won't remember our favourites. Worst of all, it won't call home either. So when we order things off SBO it just sits in the box and won't charge us for it.

I've considered getting a new box but as we have a 36" HDTV and the price of the HD box is dropping all the time we're looking into getting an HD box.

I've tried different angles with Sky customer services, but they just won't budge. They've offered to replace the standard Sky box with an identical one but I just can't get the price down on the HD box (£150 + £60 to install).

Like the OP, i'm sure that I don't need anything special as when they came to fit multiroom and the Sky+ box, they replaced the dish, ran extra lines in, and got it all working fine.

What can I do? I really want HD but as we've been with them for 9 years i'm loathed to give them (another) £210 on top of the amount they get each month. Anyone got any tips? Should I threaten to leave? I'm worried they'll just call my bluff and cut me off.
 
i had this when i moved

I just pointed out in that case i'd just cancel and take up one of the many free installation offers kicking about

they offered me a free re-install on the spot.
 
The buggers claim that if you fit in a box to an existing Sky install without a Sky 'Engineer' (lmao) installing it, they provide no warranty on that box. They tried it with me, I told them go away and did it myself anyway.
 
Tute said:
I live with my girlfriend and her parents. We have the full Sky mix (movies, sports, the whole lot) with Multiroom, one box being Sky+ and the box in our room being a standard box.

The standard box is really bad - it crashes, loses signal randomly, and won't remember our favourites. Worst of all, it won't call home either. So when we order things off SBO it just sits in the box and won't charge us for it.

I've considered getting a new box but as we have a 36" HDTV and the price of the HD box is dropping all the time we're looking into getting an HD box.

I've tried different angles with Sky customer services, but they just won't budge. They've offered to replace the standard Sky box with an identical one but I just can't get the price down on the HD box (£150 + £60 to install).

Like the OP, i'm sure that I don't need anything special as when they came to fit multiroom and the Sky+ box, they replaced the dish, ran extra lines in, and got it all working fine.

What can I do? I really want HD but as we've been with them for 9 years i'm loathed to give them (another) £210 on top of the amount they get each month. Anyone got any tips? Should I threaten to leave? I'm worried they'll just call my bluff and cut me off.
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HD box is even more buggy than the regular sky + boxes, mine crashes at least once a week.
 
Metalface, if you have a revision 1 HD box, 99% chances are that 'Satcure' PSU swap will cure all that ails it. We have 2 HD boxes, 1 from almost first release time and 1 from dec 07. The old ond started to exhibit failed recordings and would shut down/crash at random intervals. The newer box started failing within about 2 weeks..... Failed recordings, power downs, LNB 2 loss, pixelating, you name it.

2 Satcure PSU's later and box of our boxes have been free of ANY problems for 4 months now, more stable than our + boxes were infact by some margin too! The original PSU is made by Satan and causes the vast majority of problems in those Thomson boxes.
 
and reference the installation fee, as said before you will go and cancel and get a free installation deal. and do it if they **** you around
 
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I don't know where people are getting the idea that simply threatening to cancel will get them a free install.
Is this just assumption or good old "Internet Myth" doing its stuff?

Call cancellations these days and 99% of the time you will be told when your last day of connection will be and that is it.
Sky do not go out of their way to retain your subscription because really you've got two choices.
If you want Sky you'll pay for it.
If you don't want Sky you won't - they don't attempt to keep you these days.

At best you can sometimes get a reduction to £30 installation.
What you need to remember is that the Sky HD box is worth a lot more than the £150 they charge you (or £75 if you're taking everything HD).
To buy the HD box alone you're looking at £300 still.
So you get a subsidised box, so they charge you installation.
Don't want to pay installation - source yourself a box elsewhere, install it yourself and phone Sky to do a free pair of your Viewing Card to the new box.
 
stoofa said:
I don't know where people are getting the idea that simply threatening to cancel will get them a free install.
Is this just assumption or good old "Internet Myth" doing its stuff?
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I think it's because it's a tactic that's been used so well in the past with things like mobile phones, utility bills etc.

Call cancellations these days and 99% of the time you will be told when your last day of connection will be and that is it. Sky do not go out of their way to retain your subscription because really you've got two choices.
If you want Sky you'll pay for it.
If you don't want Sky you won't - they don't attempt to keep you these days.
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This is what I was worried about. I take it you don't recommend threatening them with this then?

At best you can sometimes get a reduction to £30 installation.
What you need to remember is that the Sky HD box is worth a lot more than the £150 they charge you (or £75 if you're taking everything HD).
To buy the HD box alone you're looking at £300 still.
So you get a subsidised box, so they charge you installation.
Don't want to pay installation - source yourself a box elsewhere, install it yourself and phone Sky to do a free pair of your Viewing Card to the new box.
Click to expand...

What about getting the box reduced? I've seen a £75 offer for the box floating around somewhere?
 
The £75 offer recently, was officially for 'Brand new customers only'. Some existing customers claiming ignorance or threatening to cancel managed to get this offer too. I managed to get a box for £100 + £30 for the folks this way but it soooooooo depends on the person you get on the other end of the line/time of the month/direction of the wind. I had to ring twice to get a better offer and change tactics.
 
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