[johnwayne66]

Morning, I am currently not a sky subscriber and was thinking of signing up to skyHD, internet and telephone package online for 27p/m and £100 for HD box, until people reported that you can purchase a SKYHD box From Tesco.
I live in an apartment and already have a communal dish which I know works as I have borrowed the in-laws box when they were away.
My dilemma is if I purchase the Tesco box and get the 2 - 4 months free trial will and then decide to keep the subscription afterwards will that then tie me in for 12 months? If I do have to subscribe for a year I think I would be better up signing up online as I would like to move my broadband as well, any advice would be appreciated as I notice most threads are aimed at existing subscribers.
Also as I already have a communal dish can I get out of the £30 install fee as I’m not willing to pay this or wait for an engineer? Many Thanks

[SHATNERSTACTIC]

Originally Posted by johnwayne66

My dilemma is if I purchase the Tesco box and get the 2 - 4 months free trial will and then decide to keep the subscription afterwards will that then tie me in for 12 months? If I do have to subscribe for a year I think I would be better up signing up online as I would like to move my broadband as well, any advice would be appreciated as I notice most threads are aimed at existing subscribers.

Probably going direct if you're taking up the other services is easier. Are the other services cheaper if ordered all at once? The advantage of taking the deal from Tesco would be a box straight away (instead of mid-December at best) and save a bit of cash if you were intending to take the packages offered in the Tesco deal.

Originally Posted by johnwayne66

Also as I already have a communal dish can I get out of the £30 install fee as I’m not willing to pay this or wait for an engineer?

Not a chance to be honest. Do a search on installation fees - you'll see lots on here about it and why there is a fee even if you have all the hardware in place.

hth

[johnwayne66]

Thanks Lee12, does anybody know if once the trial period has ended if I can continue to pay on a monthly basis or will I have to sign up for 12 months in Feb? I think if you are an existing sky customer you can add the talk and surf for free anyway

The Tesco option is looking more appealing as I dont want to pay for someone to plug in a box for me.

[davemurgatroyd2]

Originally Posted by johnwayne66

Thanks Lee12, does anybody know if once the trial period has ended if I can continue to pay on a monthly basis or will I have to sign up for 12 months in Feb? I think if you are an existing sky customer you can add the talk and surf for free anyway

The Tesco option is looking more appealing as I dont want to pay for someone to plug in a box for me.

Beware purchasing through Tescos and NOT having Sky install it would mean all warranty problems would be via Tescos and you would not be able to call Sky out free on them.

[D'@ve]

The Tesco deal is contract-free. Can't believe you've missed the the massive and active thread all about it... see in there.

[cashlessbond]

Communal dish, do you still have two feeds to your apartment? if not then you won't be able to take advantage of recording one prog while you watch another

[Jaycee Dove]

Originally Posted by davemurgatroyd2

Beware purchasing through Tescos and NOT having Sky install it would mean all warranty problems would be via Tescos and you would not be able to call Sky out free on them.

So the warranty is with Tesco unless Sky fit it? And, as Tesco may not sell these long term, how does it work if in six months it fails and they cannot give you an immediate replacement?

This is because the box is yours, I imagine. Not Sky's or Tesco's.

But if you get one of these as an existing Sky subscriber I assume that Sky will not fit it as the blurb on the box says it is for brand new customers only.
Although not clear if by that they mean the deal (ie the freeby subscription) or the box.

Not getting the free sub as an existing subscriber seems perfectly fair. But hard to see how the box can be for only new customers if you pay them a sub and agree to the 12 month HD deal then it is not cheaper than the existing deal for current customers.

And if the box is yours then once it is purchased how can Sky demand it back? I am confused.

But if you plug it in and they pair it up and pay them, say, a Sky World and HD sub, what if two years from now (when out of warranty) it goes wrong?

Are you suggesting that Sky will not then agree to a £65 call out to fix/replace because they did not fit it?

This certainly is a complicated situation created by selling boxes off the shelf as it is bound to lead to some fractious relationships in coming years.

[johnwayne66]

Thanks for all replies, I purchased the box from Tesco last night and plugged it in and BBC HD is all I can get at the mo but it is superb (oh and Luxe whatever the point of that is). Called Sky who will be sending out an installer in mid December in which case I was told I need to repackage the HD box and let them plug it back in for warranty purposes as pointed out above
After the 2 months trial I can then cancel or add remove packages on a month by month basis with no contract as also stated in D'@ve's massive and active thread. Sorry if this has been discussed before but I am not and existing subscriber and most of the other posts seem to be aimed at upgrading to Sky HD.
On another note I have one Sky feed (f socket I think) on one side of the room with TV and FM feeds, and one on the opposite side. Does anyone know if it is possible to run a long cable from the other socket to feed the second Sky input? This was another reason I did not want a 12 month contract so I could see how well Sky + would work.
Jaycee Dove I think you are worrying too much, buy the box and if it goes wrong within 12 months then take it back to Tesco for a refund. It is aimed at new customers only but to me it seems you are only taking a small risk, If it goes wrong in 2 years time who knows what packages Sky will be offering then? If you are that worried then just go through the normal Sky channels.
Thanks all

[Jaycee Dove]

Originally Posted by johnwayne66

Jaycee Dove I think you are worrying too much, buy the box and if it goes wrong within 12 months then take it back to Tesco for a refund. It is aimed at new customers only but to me it seems you are only taking a small risk, If it goes wrong in 2 years time who knows what packages Sky will be offering then? If you are that worried then just go through the normal Sky channels.
Thanks all

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

Actually what happened was this.

I have had Sky HD since day one in 2006. Wanted to replace my failing Sky + box on multiroom with an HD box as was getting a new HD TV for that room and it was pointless getting a replacement Sky + box.

Called Sky, offered to upgrade to the second room HD sub (ie another £10 pm) and told to come back in February as they were selling boxes to brand new customers only due to a shortage.

I then considered buying from Tesco but was wary of the new customers only sticker on these. In the meantime my brother, knowing my dilemma as I told him, bought a box from Tesco as a new customer - decided he did not like the deal - and then said he would give it to me as a birthday present.

So a new customer DID buy it and wants to give it to an existing customer as a pressy. Hence my dilemma over what Sky will/will not allow, whether the brand new customers only sticker applies to the two free months (which I do not need anyway as I am a Sky World/multiroom/HD customer already and - reluctant but willing to pay the second £10 pm HD sub from now) or whether it applies to the supposed discount on this box.

I cannot see the latter as the price is almost identical to the price Sky charge existing customers for a second box (£209) and I am not seeking to opt out of the second £10 sub.

But the way this deal is being organised puts the frighteners on existing Sky customers who want to be honest. That is my concern.

[johnwayne66]

Hi, If it was me I would accept the new box as a gift, call sky and say you purchased it elsewhere (independent reseller) and upgrade to HD or get it paired to your old card. I don't think they will really care. I have unboxed mine and plugged it in ignoring the warning to wait for an engineer. I told sky this and they advised to box it back up beforehand. I'm sure they don't really care that much or they wouldn't sell them through Tesco etc.. it is the monthly income they probably want. If there is an issue with the box take it back to Tesco they will not be technical and ask any questions so it seems win win to me. Still think you are worring about it too much

[davemurgatroyd2]

Originally Posted by Jaycee Dove

So the warranty is with Tesco unless Sky fit it? And, as Tesco may not sell these long term, how does it work if in six months it fails and they cannot give you an immediate replacement?

This is because the box is yours, I imagine. Not Sky's or Tesco's.

But if you get one of these as an existing Sky subscriber I assume that Sky will not fit it as the blurb on the box says it is for brand new customers only.
Although not clear if by that they mean the deal (ie the freeby subscription) or the box.

Not getting the free sub as an existing subscriber seems perfectly fair. But hard to see how the box can be for only new customers if you pay them a sub and agree to the 12 month HD deal then it is not cheaper than the existing deal for current customers.

And if the box is yours then once it is purchased how can Sky demand it back? I am confused.

But if you plug it in and they pair it up and pay them, say, a Sky World and HD sub, what if two years from now (when out of warranty) it goes wrong?

Are you suggesting that Sky will not then agree to a £65 call out to fix/replace because they did not fit it?

This certainly is a complicated situation created by selling boxes off the shelf as it is bound to lead to some fractious relationships in coming years.

Sky almost certainly will not handle warranty problems FOC and refer you back to whoever you purchased the box from, as they do on any second hand contract - which is what this is as you have not had the box supplied or installed by them. They should however do £65 call outs on the box with no problems providing you are a subscriber.

[Jaycee Dove]

Originally Posted by davemurgatroyd2

Sky almost certainly will not handle warranty problems FOC and refer you back to whoever you purchased the box from, as they do on any second hand contract - which is what this is as you have not had the box supplied or installed by them. They should however do £65 call outs on the box with no problems providing you are a subscriber.

That is fair enough by me and all I would expect.

Thanks.