Sky Billing problems
 

I recently started a thread on contacting Sky (largely unnecessarily as it turns out as there had been an earlier thread - apologies!) anyway I have contacted Sky and await the result (with some trepidation) . However I have been discussing with friends the problem which prompted me to contact them. In a nutshell Sky have started debiting my account with subscriptions for lots of other people! My bank has immediately refunded under the direct debit indemnity but I obviously want to stop it.

I'll get to the point of my thread now which is - my original Sky direct debit was set up here in Spain through a local business (not operating now) about 8years ago and has operated without problems ever since - until now! Has anyone with Sky in Spain had a similar problem? The suspicious among you can probably guess what I am thinking but I will spell it out if anyone asks.

Incidentally the Spanish system for direct debits is much superior to the U.K. system - you can get your bank to permanently stop a spanish d.d. - the U.K banks won't help you at all (apart from an immediate refund which they are obliged to do).

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

What you were paying Sky through a Spanish bank direrct debit ?

Chiclanagir had a similar problem but with a UK bank account, as soon as she see`s this she will put you in the picture.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

I don't think this is quite correct. A UK DD can be stopped online/by phone/in brach by the account holder at any time.What Chic was talking about was a revolving direct debit set up on a credit card. NEVER EVER SET ONE OF THESE UP it can only be stopped by agreement with the other party and even if you shred the card and close the account they still deduct from a shadow account and send you the bill. This is what a lot of the spurious Sky in Spain organisations demand keep clear.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Oh right, I didn`t think you could set up a DD off a credit card. :eek:

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

I would be very happy if I'm wrong but my understanding is that your U.K. bank will not cancel a direct debit -only the entity being paid can cancel it. A standing order can be cancelled

[QUOTE=jdr;8475929]What you were paying Sky through a Spanish bank direrct debit ?
No, from a U.K. bank account. I don't think it would be possible to pay Sky through a spanish account.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

After I did my last post, I googled "cancel direct debit" and it came up with a cancellation procedure on the BACS web site - It looks a bit complicated (they say you need to notify both your bank and the company being paid)and of course it would involve cancelling my existing payment which I have been paying for the last 8 years. Sky would then pull the plug on us. So I hope to avoid this.

Thanks for all the helpful posts - fingers crossed I get sensible reply from Sky.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Its not called DD it is a revloving credit! you can close a direct debit from your end I have done it many times both online on the phone and in branch. You might not notice but quite often DD's are left open even when the purpose for having them has passed I always close them asap.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

I have had a reply from Sky by e mail but just asking for a bit more information. Contacting them by e mail seemed to work ok but obviously takes a bit longer than contacting them by 'phone. On their online enquiry form you have to give a phone number so I gave my son's home number (it's his address Sky have) but asked them to reply by e mail as I have problems using the 'phone.

Got my finger's crossed but I had to do something they had just charged another 94 pounds to my account!

Ref. direct debits (or whatever) on credit cards I would never do that - I once had a car insurance company take money from my credit card for an unwanted automatic renewal, even though they had specifically agreed in writing not to and I had deleted the authority on their form. Let's face it credit card companies will give your money to anyone who asks for it - they don't give a you know what........

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Just an update on this. Contacting Sky by e mail has worked well and has the added advantage that I have a record of what has been said. This has proved very necessary because getting a sensible reply from Sky has been difficult and I still have not had a proper answer from them.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

It is my understanding that you are not permitted to use Sky outside the UK legally that is although I do know people take their boxes and cards out with them but you cannot give Sky a Spanish address. A lot of people I know who live in Spain take out a Humax Freesat box which is a one off payment, runs off a dish and they can get a good selection of UK channels. Thats what we shall do when we move out. Not comfortable about the Sky thing. What happens when they issue new cards for example.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

The use of a Sky card outside the UK and ROI is aginst the terms and conditions of the sky contract. Breach of the terms means the contract is
nulified. So if Sky find out he card is used outside the Uk and ROI they can turn that card off.
Never liked the "illegal" being used as this would mean it is "prohibited by law" - and I am sure a Sky contract is not written in UK law! If it was "illegal" then the police would arrest you and start criminal charges. As it is contractual law then one of the parties hsa to prove breach of contract, so the onus is all down to sky to prove you are in breach - not the police!

At least thats my view of it.

Freesat has its limitiations
With a freesatfromsky card and a sky receiver you can get ITV C4 and Five on a small 80cm dish across most of Spain.
On freesat you need a big dish to get these channels.
Personally I avoid Freesat receiver due to this limitation - is it really worth getting a Freesat HD receiver for BBC HD and ITV HD? Probably not if you already have a SKy receiver - as a Sky receiver without a sky crd gets the same channels as a Freesat SD box!
And not all free to air chanels are on the freesat guide - you have to add many to "non freesat mode"...so you are swapping between modes - like, for example Sky News. Sometimes a generic (i non sky or non freesat) free to air receiver is better!
Thats why you give Sky a UK address from a friend or family member, and thats where they send the new cards to.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

from next year nobody outside the uk will be able to get uk tv no mater how big a dish you have
(SNIP)
i have just installed a 2.4 meter jobbie here in sweden.
i would advise no one to invest in a sky box or dish..your wasting your money.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

So you think SKY are purposely going to shed a few hundred thousand people paying anything around £40 each per month?

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Are they going to shoot down the sats ?:rofl:

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

no they are launching a new one early next year...fringe reception will be 100% impossible.
it's a big debate just now on satellite forums

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

they have no say in it..hollywood and the sporting events are putting paid to it.
i cant seem to post any links but if you check the astra 2d forum you'll see for yourself.
it's illegal for astra 2d to be broadcast in europe

all the w's astra2d.proboards.com/index.cgi?

what they are all saying is from around june next year you will un able to receive astra 2d no mater how big a dish you have..and i have the biggest you can buy..i'm gutted i tell thee all
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d5...4/DSCF0461.jpg

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

I read that link, but it didnt seem to say that
There is a Hollywood objection presently to the downloading of films etc. Thats been hot news.

How would they actually stop the broadcasting then?

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

a new satellite is being launched .to replace 2d..the new one will make a very tight spotlight on the uk.
looks like streaming will be the only option the top satellite peeps are saying.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

You can`t put a door on airwaves, and it is certainly not illegal to receive them in Europe ( by the way the UK is in Europe ), it is allegedly just against Skys T+C`s to pay for a contract and use outside the UK, but they know it is done.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

no it's not illegal to recieve astra 2d...they are not allowed to broadcast outside the uk..the 2d satellite was suppose to put paid to it..
THE NEW ONE WILL FOR SURE.
they are making it water tight.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

i have 4 boxes in my house...sky hd in the lounge and 3 freesat hd boxes in the bedrooms.
just make the most of it while it lasts peeps...if you can pay for a uk ip address and have a good high speed net connection then streaming is a good second option. i know nothing about satellites but i do know some very clued up people on satellite forums...2 i know are astra 2d gods...and from what they say it's all over soon for us expats

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

I will believe that when I lose my picture, mind you the heavy rain does a fairly good job. :D

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

lol and me.
around june next year...one morning you'll wake up and see
no signal being received..:(

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

rudolph:
i thnk you are giving out mixed messages I am afraid.
Astra 1N is due to go up next year - yes Q2/Q3.
(although given the issues with Astra 3bs failed / delayed launches the last week these may be pushed back - who knows!)
Its destination is unknown - even Astra dont know yet - they have changed its destination on the web/press release at least 3 times so far - and now its destination has been removed from their website!
It is not replaceing the 3 Astra satellites already up there.
It was initially meant to be adding EXTRA capacity - as per the Astra press release - it was to replace Astra 2c that moved from 28east a few years ago - there to provide BACK UP and EXTRA capacity for more HD channels. That is if it is actually used for UK TV.
It may go to Astra 1 location at 19 east or 23.5 for German TV....as these locations are rapidly being filled up and need more capacticy...however no one knows as Astra has not published its final location or even reception footprint.
And although 1n has a spot beam, this may not necessarily be used for UK TV (if used for that location!)...it maybe used for Astras internet service, or for another country - even Astra 2a has a spot beam currently used on Nigeria for example!
Even on one of the posts you link to they suggest 1n going to 28east is a typo by Astra that was qucikly removed - and someone saw that and said OH NO 1N is going to 28 east..before the destination was removed.

"Hmm interesting - SES have now changed the planned orbital postion for 1N from 28E to 19.2E! Typo or change of plan??" - from the poster of the original information - and the he posted "When this info was originally posted the SES site definitely said that 1N was going to 28E to begin with. However the SES site has changed since then so its anyones guess as to whats going where." - but people pickup on the "outofdate" information only and started to try and put 2 and 2 together but not getting a definate answer!!

It is not going to replace Astra 2d as that still has a few years still left!

And bear in mind that UK TV is from 4 satellites (one not even Astra!), then this one alone will not mean loss of all channels!! Many channels actually have pan european rights for their programmes - so they are happy to be received across europe!

Probably best read the full discussion and speculation on the link you provide and then comment - as all it is at the moment is speculation as nothing official has been announced by Astra abut its 1n intentions.

And not too sure about fringe reception being impossible - they said that about Astra 2d! And many of the new satellites beams that were meant to be limited are not as limiting as first thought - I can easily get the recent Poland beam! So until the satellites are up and running no-one can say what reception will be like - it may even be better - look at the South Spain and Portuguese "lobe" of 2D.

the cheapandnasty fortecstargh 2.4m dish (i know installers heer in spain that gave them away they are so bad - see posts about them on astra2d website that say avoid them!) is not the biggest you can buy - there are 4m dishes you can get - see people over in Greece who have had to have these for the last few years for their Astra 2d reception.

they even sell them at one of my local suppliers - ref ap420
http://www.demon-multimedia.com/prod...ctos.asp?ids=4

Or make your own...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0JFP7NFx3s

PS I am assuming you are "stan"?

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Can you get 3A? Kabel Deutschland for example?

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Wow, you did an effective job of diverting my original thread away from the subject! About on a par with posting "I think drinking is a sin" on the "licensed victuallers forum" !

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

No such thing as watertight, where the transmission/propagation of radio waves is concerned even at those frequencies.
Try as they might no one has yet made it an exact science
What with reflection,refraction,side lobes,end lobes,movement and correction of satellites,etc. there are always unpredictable factors, as reception in areas as far afield as Gibralter and the Canaries prove.
Also there will always be fringe areas.
Do you really believe that they can cover an area from the Shetlands down to the Channel Isles without taking in N.France for instance?

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

I have not done a scan recently or done a decently aligned test - but last time i tried i got one or two of the 3a frequencies....it has been on my "things to do" list when i have a quiet day...have a play with a 1.8 and 2.4 and see what they can pull in from some of these other birds they say have restricted beams!
(what sad life i lead!)

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

My guess is a 2.4 would be too small for 3A. Most of the rest of the European "spot" beams are easy except for maybe K1 at 1ºW but with that the intended audience is twice as far away from here as the UK.

To be honest I think this spot beam thing is a hoax. To produce a really tight spot beam the satellite would need a bigger dish for the downlink. Bigger dish means size (needs to fit in the launcher) and weight (offset against fuel means satellite would have shorter lifetime).

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

LOL Thought it was only me that did that.:D

For the record here in Sevilla using a 1.3m (top quality) prime focus dish I can't get a sausage (German or otherwise) from 3A. I can only pick up 1G and 1E with the wider beams from 23east.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

How can you have so many outputs with only (2) cables coming from one LNB ?
DSB.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

i replaced the lnb last month with a invacom quad plus matchin feedhorn.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d5...4/DSCF1192.jpg

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

According to you that will be a bit of a waste of money in the long term :D

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

yep thats why i'm gutted dude..just bought a samsung hd box and white sky card aswell.
400 euros down the plug ole ffs

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Well ... at least you aren't living up to your screen name, eh?

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

well me wife thinks i'm just like victor meldrew if that's anything to go by dude

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

I tried to pull up that 2d Thread mate and it won't load / got another one ?
DSB.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

go straight to the source...and the 4 week old post that first mentioned this and is the part that has been picked up on, then the other posts after disussing the possible implications, and then posts three weeks or so that suggests it was a just typo, that nothing has been ofiicially announced and that the panic may be all about nothing!
(EDIT: I now see Astra website has 1n going to 19 east - not 28 east!)
http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/s...q2-2011-a.html
(it does get a bit technical as well!)

and if this new sat is used for UK TV you will not lose ALL television as claimed, as UK TV is from 4 satellites, not just one, most HD channels are on Astra 2a and 2b anyway, and Astra 2d has a few years still left on it before it gets dumped.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

Thanks for that.
Don't get me wrong, worrying never solved anything. But "SAT", if you were about to buy an engine and it's fuel was possibly going to be eradicated for some reason next year - Wouldn't you be concerned / or more over not BUY that ENGINE ??

The ONLY people, I repeat, the ONLY people that I've come across who have at the very slightest said 'I can't see it happening' up-to 'nothing to worry about' are people who are in THIS TRADE. Go figure, surf the Net's Forums. The only ones who say or back 'against' the negativity are people who ARE in the TRADE.

DSB.

Re: Sky Billing problems
 

good post the guy.
lets hope it's all bollox then aye?