No Viewing Card....anyone else having problems?

[Bunnie]

The installation is not a problem. The installer lives in the same village, he keeps calling me to ask why I don't yet have a card, and will come round as soon as I tell him I have a card.

Getting a card is the problem

Cheers

[Isitme]

Sorry, I still do not understand why he can't do the installation. The card is not needed to make the box operate, it simply gives access to extra Sky channels you are paying for.

[seawright]

Sorry, I still do not understand why he can't do the installation. The card is not needed to make the box operate, it simply gives access to extra Sky channels you are paying for.

If it's an independent installer he won't get paid until the service is activated so may not want to install until the viewing card is available. Which begs the question why the service wasn't ordered direct from Sky. Communal dish?

[seawright]

@Bunnie: After re-reading your previous posts I take it that the dish you are waiting to have installed will only supply your Sky TV services.

1. Do you have any active services with Sky (eg broadband or telephone)?
2. Have you made any upfront payments?
3. Are there any special offers with the deal that are no longer available?
4. Have Sky previously refused to install a dish at your home?

If the answer to all the above questions is no you may be better off cancelling your Sky order and placing a new order direct with Sky.

[Bunnie]

Sorry, I still do not understand why he can't do the installation. The card is not needed to make the box operate, it simply gives access to extra Sky channels you are paying for.

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware you didn't need a card to watch Sky. If I get the installer to put everything together tomorrow, I can be watching basic Sky TV at zero cost until the card arrives. Is that correct?

[seawright]

Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware you didn't need a card to watch Sky. If I get the installer to put everything together tomorrow, I can be watching basic Sky TV at zero cost until the card arrives. Is that correct?

Yes providing the installer is willing to do the work.

Without a viewing card the first four channels in the EPG will give local content applicable to London.

[Bunnie]

Do you have any active services with Sky (eg broadband or telephone)?

No - I just wanted Sky Sports to watch The Ashes

Have you made any upfront payments?

Yes - a one off payment of £10 to a Sky Agent in Cheltenham

Are there any special offers with the deal that are no longer available?

I only asked for Sky Sports, but was offered a deal of 12 months of the full package for £10 less per month than Sky Sports alone. Do you think they are deliberately holding this up until that deal no longer exists?

Have Sky previously refused to install a dish at your home?

No. The obvious place to put a dish is on the front of our terraced cottage, but due to a covenant on the terrace, the dish has to go on the roof or round the back. The local installer, who lives in the same village 800m away, is aware of this, we've discussed it, and the dish will go on the chimney next to the terrestrial aerial. It is not a communal dish, just mine.

I contacted Mike, the local installer, when I first started this off. He told me he used to work directly for Sky, but they stopped using the really local guys, so the area Sky Agent is this place in Cheltenham, who obviously and promptly gave the work to Mike. When there was no sign of the card after the first week, I thought it might be the agent that was the problem, so started communicating directly with Sky. After getting through to Cancellations, where I was asked (again!) all the questions about my address, and ' We can't understand why you haven't received the card' for the third time, the person tried looking up the Royal Mail tracking number, and told me she couldn't understand why there were no entries against that number. I asked her if she'd put the card in the post box herself, she said 'No, of course not', so I suggested someone at their office is telling everyone that they're doing their job, but not doing for their own reasons.

That was why I asked originally if there was a black market for unregistered viewing cards.

Thanks for all the info.

[Bunnie]

Without a viewing card the first four channels in the EPG will give local content applicable to London.

So, as I now understand, anyone can watch Basic Sky TV at zero monthly cost, just paying for an installation. Why are Sky attempting to charge £20 pcm for this, when you can get it for nothing?

[seawright]

If you login to "My Sky", is there anything in "Track my order"?

[seawright]

So, as I now understand, anyone can watch Basic Sky TV at zero monthly cost, just paying for an installation. Why are Sky attempting to charge £20 pcm for this, when you can get it for nothing?

The £20 per month will give access to On Demand, live pause, recording facilities, and some channels like Sky1 and Sky Atlantic which are not available with Freesat from Sky.

Although Sky state that the box and installation are free they have to make their money somehow. The last time I checked Freesat from Sky required a one off payment of one hundred and seventy five pounds.