I have a few questions to answer here!

Firstly, the maintenance fee was for a whole year - works out to 23€ a month. I don't know what system they're providing but it gives all the UK main channels. I don't think it's Sky because we can only get one of their programs. It doesn't use a dish - some kind of small receiver - works very well actually.

As for asking them why they had written a receipt if they hadn't received the money - we went down that route. The girl says she'd written it out and then we said we didn't have the money with us. I also asked why, if that was the case, she didn't write the biro "not paid" while we were in the shop and take back our receipt. The reply was that she just didn't do it !!

It's no good saying we have found our copy because we haven't and they won't restore our service until we show it to them. I suspect we might even have left it on the desk at their office - who knows, it's driving us crazy trying to remember where we put it.

I know they've been paid; what happened to the cash, I have no idea. But I do know that we either pay again or we have no TV. Having paid well over a 1000 to have it installed in the first place, seems to me that paying twice for the maintenance is cheaper than any other option we have if we want a UK TV service.

Thank you all very much for your advice and the information.

It's our fault for not taking care of the top copy of the receipt. Hard (and expensive) lesson.

As long as you are aware that what they are providing is an illegal rebroadcasting service which could be terminated at any time by the Guardia Civil (as happened last year with some providers), then yes, it probably is cheaper to pay the charge again!

Surely the cheapest route, in the long run, is to go LEGAL?

Yep! But that will probably mean the need for a mahoooosive dish, which may not be feasible.

I`m completly lost as to why you have paid 1,000 Euros to have a little decoder box installed and paying a service charge.

I wouldn`t spend that much either without knowing what it was, you may well have found the box you got available in Eroski for 49.99.

I`m no tv expert as I watch Spanish tv in Spain and Spanish tv in the UK and it didn`t cost that much.

In fact to have sat installed in my place in Spain and the UK combined did not cost that much.

And I`d never pay the monthly payment to the installer.

If there Spanish simply go in heavy handed making threats about the Ombidsmen, the law etc etc, you`ll be supprised how easy Spaniards fall apart at the type of conflict.

In the UK if i threatened to take someone to court they wouldn`t blink, in Spain, whole different place.

The company isn't run by Spanish people, they're British. Their system gives us all the UK TV channels.

Can't have a massive dish, so this was our best option. Installation fee was for the external receiver, the digibox (or whatever they're called) and first year's maintenance.

Cheapest quote we had for a big dish, even if we could accommodate it, was more expensive !!

It is an illegal service and you are leaving yourself open to lose more money and maybe a fine for being a client.
It`s coming your way.

I will lay money its illegal and they are trying to frighten you into paying -denounce them

Just walk away and get Spanish TV.

Its goin digital around Spain at the moment, you may want to find a Spanish local company who can install something that will get some UK TV legally.

Like a said I`m no expert.

Any company employing a 16 year old with the intellect of a gold fish are probably illegal, chances are its his daughter.

I`d also denounce them and sue them for your 1,000 Euro`s, speak to the Guardia and state they sold you something illegal and overpriced.

Tell the Taxman and rain all the hassle on there heads that you can.

If they treated me like that, i`d chase them around Europe and make them pay.

There taking the pi.... and making you look like an idiot, get revenge.

I have a hatred of dodgy business.

Karma sent - you and me both!!!

Does writing in biro on a carbon copy invalidate that copy?

I think they`d find it difficult explaining to the judge why they removed the top copy and wrote on the bottom copy.

Then again a British business, illegally selling a product, probably unable to speak much lingo, it`ll never get near a court.

If it was me, i`d be in there getting my cah back.

Don't let them bully you, go back and speak loudly - so that other customers in the shop hear, they won't like that. Take Sue G's advice and threaten to denounce them if they don't reconnect your service which you have definitely paid for. Writing in biro on a carbon copy surely cannot be accepted, if the money wasn't handed over when the receipt was written the top copy would have been kept and 'not paid' would have been written on the TOP copy. It seems to me that someone is pulling a fast one and hoping you will pay again and they keep the money.

These type of firms should be stopped from trading and cheating the trusting public