Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

Freesat from Sky Cards - Important

It looks like these cards will be changing also soon......

Messages have been appearing on screens this weekend saying along the line of "Your card is about to expire - you may lose channels after September"

If you purchased a Sky FTV card after 1st May 2006 you are entitled to a free replacement card.

(Note this may be different if you bought your card from an agent in Spain who may charge for a replacement!)

Unlike the new cards for Sky subscribers, Freesat replacement cards will not be sent out automatically, but via an onscreen message saying the card is due to expire and to contact Sky.

If you do nothing then you will loose access to any FTV channels:

ITV1 (in these regions only: Anglia W, Central SW, Mer N, Mer SE, TT S, Yorks E)
Channel 4 HD
FIVE
FIVE USA, FIVE USA +1, FIVER, FIVER +1
Sky 3

Sky Freesat customers have to either call Sky or apply for a new card online before the end of September 2009.

You can apply online at: http://www.sky.com/replacecard/index.jsp

(I have no idea if this works with Spanish IP address, and you will have to provide a UK address - which could be an issue if you bought it from a supplier / installer...i dare say you will have to buy a new FSFS card from them...and may not be able to get a Free Replacement out of your supplier!)

Just enter your viewing card number and it will tell you if you are eligible for a replacement.

Looks like the FTV cards will be continuing for a while then

There is no mention if the new cards you will get are preactivated or not....so you may also have to contact sky to get the cards activated - as they may not be able to be activated in your box, but the box the cards were originally activated in.

And would also assume that all those that bought a new card in the last 12 months from a supplier may be able to get the new FSFS card for free and for no charge under their guarantee!

Re: Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

The new cards do come pre-activated or at least my UK one did:D Just stick it in the box and it works.

Can you confirm what will happen with expired Sky viewing cards? I guess they will be switched off in September?

Re: Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

True.
But many FSFS cards were activated in other boxes and sold onto people here in Spain...which may be an issue with these...just as the new replacement subscription cards can only be actiavated in their original boxes...I honestly do not know until the first ones are issued...

Very likely - unless there are any delays in the card issue process - that all blue yellow house cards will be deactivated at the end of September.

Re: Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

I paid my company in Spain to change my UK address to my parents current one as soon as they started advertising that new cards will be issued (the new white ones).
I still havent received it yet although all my paid channels are still on. Should I be worried are they still sending them out to people?

Re: Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

another batch were sent out last week - and they still have a fair few to deliver....

you will know when your card has been posted to your UK address as you will see the "insert your new card" message on the screen...

as far as i know they plan to have all new cards out by 1st October so that they can fully activate the new encryption -this may note MAY cause issues with the new cards in nonsky boxes - but I dont know for sure.

Re: Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

.... and for those of us who no longer have a sky card in the box but receive all the channels we need (until winter!!! will have to organise a UK address...) ? Will we lose even those channels?

Re: Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

you will not lose the free to air channels.....which are the channels you can get without a sky card...
as they are nothing to do with a sky card....

(i lie - a sky card determine which regions you get on 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105!)

you will only lose (if you have a old sky card) those channels mentioned in the first post.

Re: Freesat from Sky Cards - Important
 

Thanks again:thumbup: