Problem with Centralised Satellite System in Apartment Complex

A few weeks ago the signal on our satellite receiver started to drop from time to time. Then about a week ago it dropped completely, there has been no signal on any satellite channel since.

I have a spare receiver that I have checked as well and there is no signal on that either. I have also taken both of these receivers to a friends house and tested them against their satellite connection and they work fine there so this confirms that there is no problem with the receivers. I have also tried replacing the cable that goes from the satellite outlet on the wall in our apartment to the receiver and there is still no signal with the new cable.

Having done all of the above, this would lead me to believe that the problem lies somewhere between the satellite outlet on the wall in our apartment and the distribution point. Obviously I have no access to this so I cannot check.

I contacted the management company regarding the issue and they said that they have not received any other complaints regarding the issue and that I should contact my satellite service provider. I have a Free-To-Air receiver so I do not have a service provider. I said to the management company that when they ban individual satellite dishes on apartments and provide a central system, is the upkeep of the system not their responsibility, to which they replied no. They said they can provide access to the system to a qualified engineer but they are not responsible for fixing issues with it.

Is the management company within their rights to not take responsibility for this issue? Another question is when these systems are being installed, who pays for it? Does Sky come along and say that they will do it all for free in the anticipation of gaining new business (in which case I guess Sky are responsible for the maintenance of the system) or does the management company pay a private satellite contractor to fit the system?

It's a central service, so the management company response is an all too familiar cop-out. Sky engineers will not touch it as it's not their equipment.

Do any of your neighbours have similar issues?

Leo said:

It's a central service, so the management company response is an all too familiar cop-out. Sky engineers will not touch it as it's not their equipment.

Do any of your neighbours have similar issues?

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To be honest I haven't checked with any of the neighbours yet but I plan to do over the weekend. Both the letting agent and management company told me that they have not received any such complaints from other occupants regarding the issue so it sounds like an isolated issue.

So if you're saying that Sky won't touch it as it's not their equipment (I'm not a Sky subscriber anyway so this is kind of irrelevant), does this mean that the management company would have paid a private satellite engineer to install this system? I kind of thought that Sky would have sales teams proactively contacting management companies offering to come in and set-up a central system for free (if it is a large enough complex). Sky would then have a new base of 100+ customers to target who would have previously had no way of getting Sky (due to satellite dish ban).

Checking with the neighbours should be your first port of call, that will let you know whether it's an isolated issue or limited to your connection. If you can confirm your box receives a signal in other units, you know the issue is limited to the physical connection between the dish and your wall plate (and is most likely at the dish/ LNB, distribution end.)

Sky have offered free communal dishes to OMCs on and off over the years, at other times the OMCs would have paid a contractor to install.

Leo said:

Checking with the neighbours should be your first port of call, that will let you know whether it's an isolated issue or limited to your connection. If you can confirm your box receives a signal in other units, you know the issue is limited to the physical connection between the dish and your wall plate (and is most likely at the dish/ LNB, distribution end.)

Sky have offered free communal dishes to OMCs on and off over the years, at other times the OMCs would have paid a contractor to install.

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So if Sky have installed it I guess the management company will say that Sky are responsible, but if the management company have installed it themselves they should be responsible. I have no way of knowing really and the management company are saying that they will not fix the issue. Should I contact the PRTB and see what my rights are here? I am forbidden from installing my own satellite dish and the management company won't fix the issue effecting my connection, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

Either way it's the OMC who are responsible. Even if it was Sky who installed the equipment, the contractual relationship for that equipment is between them and the OMC. Does your contract say anything about the provisioning/ maintenance of the service?

Daniel said:

Should I contact the PRTB and see what my rights are here?

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Are you renting ? If so the landlord should be your first port of call but I'm guessing if the MC have talked to you then you are an owner.

Leo said:

Either way it's the OMC who are responsible. Even if it was Sky who installed the equipment, the contractual relationship for that equipment is between them and the OMC. Does your contract say anything about the provisioning/ maintenance of the service?

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I'm not sure where my contract is, I'll need to take a proper look for it. I have a feeling that I never received my own copy, the last time I renewed I was sent 3 copies to sign and I had to return the 3 of them. But the management company copied this paragraph into an email:

"We are not responsible for any systems connected to the central cable network. The Tenant shall provide a qualified satellite service technician to supply, install, configure and repair equipment connected to the central cable network. We shall provide access to the central cabling network to enable a qualified satellite service technician to carry out his work and as long as this does not impede on the communal service to Residents."

I replied that there is no problem with the equipment connected to the central system (as I have verified by testing the same receiver against a different satellite connection), but with the central system itself.

elcato said:

Are you renting ? If so the landlord should be your first port of call but I'm guessing if the MC have talked to you then you are an owner.

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Yes I'm renting. I have no direct contact with the landlord, only with the letting agent, that is who I contact with any issues. I contacted them first and they said it is not their responsibility. Then I said that the central system should be maintained by the management company, to which they replied they are not the management company and I should contact them about it. Should I be chasing the letting agent about this then?

Daniel said:

I replied that there is no problem with the equipment connected to the central system (as I have verified by testing the same receiver against a different satellite connection), but with the central system itself.

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The other potential issue here is the LNB connected to your cable is shot, or the connection has deteriorated through weathering (or was disconnected). You'd only be able to verify that by getting access to the communal dish.

Daniel said:

Yes I'm renting. .... Should I be chasing the letting agent about this then?

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Ah, that does change things. Yes, your contract is with them. Perhaps suggesting withholding a portion of the rent until the issue is resolved might encourage them.

I guess whatever the problem is it will require access to the internal cable ducts and communal dish which I don't have.

I guess withholding rent until the problem resolved could be an option but it would probably be a last resort. Before I do this I want to be sure that they are indeed responsible for fixing the issue which by the sounds of it they are (regardless of whether Sky fitted the equipment for free or they paid someone to do it).

Do you think there is any point contacting the PRTB or should I just keep chasing the letting agent about it and then withhold rent if they still won't fix the problem?

Daniel said:

Do you think there is any point contacting the PRTB or should I just keep chasing the letting agent about it and then withhold rent if they still won't fix the problem?

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No point contacting the PRTB until you have run full course with the agent, you need to give them the opportunity to resolve the issue before registering a complaint against them. Document all communications.

Leo said:

No point contacting the PRTB until you have run full course with the agent, you need to give them the opportunity to resolve the issue before registering a complaint against them. Document all communications.

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I managed to speak to 2 other tenants in the same block as me (and overheard a conversation in the courtyard) over the weekend and their satellite signal is also completely gone so it looks like it is not an isolated incident effecting my apartment. Both of them are Sky subscribers, and one of them said that Sky is sending an engineer on Monday. So luckily for me there are other tenants who are Sky subscribers complaining to Sky about the issue who will surely have to fix the issue. I guess I shouldn't have to do anymore now really and the issue should be resolved eventually, surely the Sky subscribers will have more of a chance of getting Sky to fix the issue than I will have with the letting agent / management company. I'll check with my neighbour after Monday to see what Sky had to say but I guess it could be a slow process as they will need to get access to the central system from the management company.

Thanks for all the replies.

Cool, hopefully the Sky engineer will resolve the issue for all connections so and save you a frustrating battle with the letting agent.