Sky multiroom and telephone line - worried about engineer's remark.

[ErikaPNP]

Finally have my sky fixed, and got multiroom installed. Just a query about something the engineer did. He appeared extremely stressed and kept whining about having no time because he had a lot of booked jobs and that he had to cancel a few already. One of the things he had "no time" for was to properly fit a cable to my main telephone line; i.e tidily tack it along the walls of my house.

 

So, to set up the sky box in the kids room, he had a line running from the bedroom, down the stairs, over the lower banister and across the hall floor (loosely) to plug it into my telephone line. I said to him I wasn't happy about that because it was a severe trip hazard in three places - I don't fancy me or my kids taking a tumble down the stairs.

 

He said not to worry about it because once he'd installed it, he'd unplug that line and I could put it away behind the TV, and I'd only ever need to plug it back in if sky asked questions. He said as long as the line from the box in my living room remained plugged in (which isn't a problem as it's neatly installed), it wouldn't be an issue.

 

I don't know but that doesn't sit right with me, particulary as he mentioned Sky "asking questions". I didn't have it plugged in when I had the one Sky box, but I hear for multiroom that both the boxes need to be plugged in at all times.

 

Can someone please clarify - is he taking me for a ride? I don't want to end up with either the kids losing their viewing or me being slapped with charges because he had accepted more jobs than he could cope with and as a result, didn't have the time to fit the telephone line properly. If he is trying to pull a fast one, what should I do? Phone Sky and tell them?

[postggj]

you signed a contracct with sky and as a result they have to honour their part of the contract

 

it is unexceptable that you have wires hanging loose with kids, do your own risk assesmant and call sky back.

 

be polite to begin with but use the stick of breach of contract and request an engineer to come back and do the job to your satisfaction.

 

i believe sky sub contract installs

 

does not ell-enn work for sky

 

send her a pm

[maroondevo52]

does not ell-enn work for sky

 

send her a pm

 

Could be IdaInFife

[postggj]

thats my problem

 

allways getting the fairer sex mixed up:lol:

[callumsgran]

We don't have our second box plugged into a phone, and that's a multi-room subscription.

Just means i can't go interactive but that doesn't bother me.

 

They only use it to check up on how you use it in case you've had box office movies, pay per view

sports etc and they would go through your main box anyway so i wouldn't worry bout that part of it

However if you are worried that someone has not done a job that they have been paid to do

(and phonelines aren't part of the installation unless you've paid extra for it) then get them back in to

do the job properly

[Surfer01]

We had exactly the same thing happen with us regarding a straight forward installation. The guy slung the cable over the apex of the roof, tacked it onto the wall with some cheap cable staples. I took pictures of the work and sent them to a sky email address i got off CAG complaining about poor workmanship and insisted I would only accept a fully trained engineer employed by Sky to resolve the issue.

I got contacted by Sky within 24 hours and one of their engineers came around who stated that he had never seen such shoddy workmanship. He re-routed the cable through the ceiling without the need to staple down the cable. Also had to adjust the dish due to signal not being maximum strength. Sky then gave us 3 months free subscription.

[maxedout]

I thought it was so sky could keep eye on where other box and sky card were cos you colld pay multiroom and then set it up in someone elses house.

[ErikaPNP]

I thought it was so sky could keep eye on where other box and sky card were cos you colld pay multiroom and then set it up in someone elses house.

 

See - that's what I have heard, and is what worries me. It's unplugged at the moment - he took it out before he left, as it couldn't be left the way it was, it was downright dangerous. It was agreed over the phone, and I was informed that I'd need a phone line for the installation; I advised the gent at the time there was no phone line in the bedroom and he said that the engineer would see to all of that - but he hasn't! I don't need a new socket installed, just needed the cables fitted properly.

 

So I'm not sure if it is just that I need the line for installation only or if what I have heard is correct.

[maxedout]

tHE GUY THAT FITTED MINE SAID BOTH BOXES NEEDED PHONE LINE COS I COULD TAKE ONE BOX AND ONE CARD UP THE ROAD AND SHARE COST OF MULTIROOM WHICH IS A LOT LESS THAN TWO SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TO STOP THIS HAPPENING SKY COULD MONITOR IT BY HAVING BOTH BOXES PLUGGED IN TO TELEPHONE LINE. I HAVE HEARD OTHERS SAY THIS IS NOT RIGHT . BUT I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE OTHER WISE ITS OPEN TO ABUSE.

[Ell-enn]

I've got multiroom and the box in my son's bedroom hasn't been plugged into the phone line since the day after it was installed - 3 years ago! (only because the phone point is on the wrong side of the bedroom) Sky have never asked about it

[callumsgran]

Yes and it will work on someone else's subscription as long as it's NOT plugged into a phone line, it does work as i've done it albeit for a few months

[ErikaPNP]

I've found terms and conditions on the back of the letter they sent with my new viewing card; it says both lines have to be connected. So rang Sky about it and spoke to a lovely lady who is absolutely horrified at what the engineer did. I informed her that when I agreed to the multiroom, I made clear on the phone when the telephone line was mentioned, that my children's room did not have a phone socket and was told that the engineer would see to all of that for me.

 

The woman I spoke to just now has advised that they (Sky) do monthly call backs from the box to check that it is installed in my home - she exlpained that it's basically a measure to stop fraud because multiroom get discounted subscriptions, but if the box isn't connected it could be the case that someone else is using it and getting a full sub for next to nothing. If a call back is done and it's found that my box isn't connected, they can either terminate my multiroom with 7 days notice or charge me full subs for both boxes (eek!).

 

She said it's unacceptable what the engineer did and that he should never have left me in that position. She's contacting the engineer's team manager about it, and will arrange for another engineer to finish the job properly. She's going to give me a ring back with a date for this to be done. I explained that due to work I cannot be home during the day except weekends so she said she'll place a note on my account about the problem so that if they do a call back, they'll see that I haven't deliberately removed the line from the socket.

 

She was an absolute star.

[IdaInFife]

there a quite a few threads in here about the extra charges:

 

for multiroom:

 

sky send a message to all your viewing cards once a month via the phone line - if the viewing card does not respond i.e. if line is not connected then with the terms and conditions of multiroom you argree to pay the full price of subs for EACH box.

 

 

so yes Erika it was better to get it sorted now than later.

 

sometimes the system can delay in picking up missed callbacks from your viewing cards but they eventually will catch up

[ErikaPNP]

Thank you Ida. I've had Sky back on the phone. The lady said the engineers company would call me directly, which they now have - they'll have an engineer round tomorrow. I felt a bit awkward raising it, because in doing so it meant that I dropped the engineer right in the deep stuff. I don't like doing that to people.

 

Five stars to Sky, though - the lady I spoke to was so helpful, and not only that but she had a really pleasant manner about her. She was genuine, not robotic like so many other companies are.

 

The engineer's company were not so customer focussed when they phoned. They weren't rude or anything, but I could almost picture her rolling her eyes as she was talking to me - if you see what I mean! Perhaps the Sky lady could give her a few tips on communication

[zodiac78]

Great to see you got sorted out so easily ErikaPNP. Nice to see you again postggi hows the knees?

Perhaps you can answer a question for me Postggi. I have had sky since 2001 only in the main room. 2 years ago my son wanted sky in his room. I relented and phoned sky they sent an engineer put in a box for him. We did have a telephone line to it but not trusting my kids to rack up a bill with the interactive services I removed it.

 

I noticed last month that since March i have been charged £104.00 instead of usual payment to them of £62.25. I rang them to ask why and was told my sky boxes where not connected to a telephone. So i went out brought new extentions and new connectors for the boxes and rang again and they checked they were connected. They did say they had sent me 3 warning letters since January which I have never recieved. (don't know where they sending them but it's not here)

 

They told me they would fully refund me. Great. Checked this months statement and once again they have overcharged me. I rang yesterday and they say phone lines are still coming up not connected. They going to ping them again I am to ring them sometime this evening. Think this may be because we have a withheld number which apparently causes a problem.

 

My question to you postggi is this. I have never have had a multiroom contract just the engineer coming to fit box and put new cable to satalitte. In my contract that I do have from 2001 it states. Telephone line to be connected to the sky box for 12 month period. The only communication I have had off sky through the post was the additional sky card for the new box in 2009.

 

If I have never had a new contract and we have had the new multi room box for 2 years + now then they can not overcharge me because I haven't broken my contract and I am entitled to take out the telephone line from the back of the box as the 12 month period is over.

 

What do you think Postggi I know you are a wizz with contractual law your thoughts will be greatly appreiciated.

[IdaInFife]

Hi Zodiac,

 

you do have a multiroom contract - the viewing card for the multirrom box was attached to the terms and conditions and when you insert and activate the card you agree to them.

 

This contract stiputlates that ALL boxes must be plugged in to receive the multiroom discount.

 

If it due to witheld number then you need to add prefix of 1470 into your telephone settings on the boxes.

[zodiac78]

The viewing card was on a piece of carboard and only had instructions how to insert it and activate it. Which the engineer did when he fitted the box. There were no t&c with it at all and certainly no contract which I had to sign and send back. So therefore I would say the original 2001 and one and only contract is the lawful contract.

 

This aside it just annoys me so much how Sky have such a monopoly and the billions the company earn their customer service and communication is (french word here ).Besides the multi room I haven't had any communiction from them since 2003. I am glad I don't run my business like them I would be bankrupt by now. For people who live in the sticks such as myself we have no choice but to use their service. Free view is useless to us even with the most up to date box and ariel we can only recieve 10 channels and dab radio well that's a joke 4 stations and one of them is bird song! Luckily I can get many on sky to listen to whilst I do my ironing.

[IdaInFife]

Sky do not send out cardboard, they have always sent out cards with the activation details but the multiroom ones also have the t and c's on them. Sky do not use written contracts that need signed and haven't done so for quite some years. It's all about the viewing being attached to the activation letter and t and c's and your acceptance of them activating the card.