Recent Satellite news
New Sky Christian TV channel numbers from Monday July 21. Radio channels stay the same.
NO Christian TV or Radio on FREESAT the new free satellite service from the BBC & ITV.
This page index
• Sky subscription-free system.
• Tips when phoning Sky for the subscription-free system.
Click here for the latest news on Sky £75 deals
Sky subscription-free system.
The Sky £75 Deals available now make this whole page pretty much obsolete! Why fight to pay £120 when you can get a system for much less? Just check out the Sky Deals page to see who is offering them.
At £120, this was the cheapest Sky system but Sky have always been reluctant to tell anyone about it. It's shown in the very small print at the bottom of every Sky advert and leaflet. But a word of warning. Although all Sky adverts mention 'free digibox ... standard installation costs £120 if you don't subscribe to Sky digital', it is getting more difficult to find Sky call centre staff who know about this or are prepared to help. So, although this is the cheapest way to get new equipment with installation included, it may be just too much trouble for most people because of the difficulties encountered when calling Sky. The digibox is free - the £120 pays for the installation. If you can't face the hassle with Sky, just skip this page and go to the Sky systems page for Freesat from Sky!
This system will cost you a one-off payment of £120. And that's it - there is no monthly rental. You'll get all 220 Free-to-Air channels on the Sky EPG which includes all the Christian, BBC and ITV channels.
Sky is under a regulatory obligation to offer the digibox free to non-subscribers. This regulatory obligation is mentioned in 'Progress towards achieving digital switchover: a BBC report to the Government' Paragraph 24. To see it click www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/switchover.shtml. I don't know who enforces this regulation. From my enquiries it is not Ofcom, who were unable to help me when I wrote to them about this matter.
Take a look at Sky's website which shows that installation costs £120 if you don't subscribe. It can be seen at http://static.sky.com/images/ordersky/terms/offerterms.html entitled 'Free Sky box offer'.
Difficulties in getting it aside, the only real snag is that you have to sign a Sky
Interactive Discount Contract
in which you agree to keep the digibox connected to a phone line for at least twelve months.
This is for Sky's interactive TV, which you don't have to use.
(Interactive TV enables you to bid, buy or vote for something you see on TV).
How to get it
By phone. Call Sky on 08702 42 42 42 and ask for the 'subscription-free system', (see tips on phoning below) If you ring Sky, you must pay £120 by credit or debit card. You then book a date for the installation of your system.
From a retailer. Because it's so difficult to get a helpful response when ringing the call centre about this system, I suggest that you get a Sky Contract from a retailer such as Currys or Comet. You can read this at home, complete it and take it back to the retailer. This should be a lot less trouble than phoning!
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
|---|---|
|
No Sky rental. You only pay an installation charge of £120. The equipment is new and free. Receive all 220 Free-to-air channels on the Sky EPG including all the Christian and BBC channels. No TV or technical knowledge needed for tuning, so this is an ideal choice if you only want satellite radio. |
Very difficult to get any co-operation from the Sky call centre. If you ring Sky and order over the phone, you must pay by credit or debit card. Must sign an Interactive Discount Contract. Must have a telephone line connected to the digibox for the first 12 months. No ITV, Ch4 or Ch5. If you want these channels you can get a 5 year 'TV viewing card' from Sky for £20 by ringing 0870 606 1111. Some unwholesome free channels on the Sky EPG. |
Tips when phoning Sky for the subscription-free system.
For those who are ready for the challenge, here is some help to prepare you. It can be quite daunting ringing the Sky call centre! You will be speaking to people who are skilled at selling Sky rental packages. Some call centre staff are willing to tell you about the subscription-free system but I have found that most will give the impression that they know nothing about it. In fact, from my experience, I actually believe that many of them don't know about it.
To give you confidence, it would be very helpful to have any Sky advert in front of you. This can be in a newspaper or a Sky leaflet. Every Sky advert has the small print which says 'Standard installation of your free Sky box is........... or £120 if you don't subscribe to Sky digital.
If you don't get a helpful response, call again. One person I spoke to said there are around 300 call centre staff at any time, so you should get someone else if you call again. Be calm and firm and, before ringing, why not pray and ask for some help?
When you ring, here's what to expect.
After dialing 08702 42 42 42 you'll hear a recorded message -
'Hi, you're through to Sky.
Calls may be recorded to give you a better service'
The voice goes on to say
'If you're calling to join Sky, please press 1'
'If you've been with us before and want to speak to someone about coming back to Sky, press 2'
'If you would like more information about Sky, press 3'
'If you are an existing Sky customer, press 4'
Press 3 for more information.
You will now hear
'Thank you'
'If you live in a house press 1'
'If you live in a block of flats with ten or more flats, please press 2'
'If you live in a block of flats with less than ten flats or for any other property, press 3'
If you press 1 you will hear
'Thank you, a member of the team will be with you soon'
And now the difficulties begin. Almost every call centre person you speak to will deny any knowledge of the system for £120. Even their team leader or manager may do the same. Some will admit that they have never been told about it. Most will insist that you call the 'Freesat from Sky' phone number and suggest you get that system if you don't wish to subscribe.
All I can suggest at the moment is that when you first speak, you ask straight away if they can provide you with information about the £120 subscription-free system. Then, if they don't co-operate, ring off and try again. After a few tries I hope you will get someone who is helpful.
You may also like to try the following:-
- ask the operator to get a Sky leaflet or advert. If they haven't got one to hand, ask them to find one and then call you back when they have one (rather than keep you waiting on the phone). Then direct them to check the relevant part of the terms and conditions at the bottom of the advert.
- ask the operator to read the Sky terms and conditions online at http://static.sky.com/images/ordersky/terms/offerterms.html particularly the third paragraph entitled 'Free Sky box offer'.
If anyone has successfully obtained a Sky £120 system we'd be glad to hear how you managed it!
We'll place any helpful tips on this page for the benefit of others!