# Sky - why the phone line ?



## zag (16 Dec 2008)

Can anyone explain why Sky need to have their boxes plugged into a phoneline and what the call cost and line usage implications are ?

I know that they download stuff from the satellite to the Sky box but can't upload stuff since the box is a receiver only and not a transmitter.

I'm wondering do you ever get calls at 0300 which your Sky box is supposed to pick up ?  Or does it call home every day or few days and if so, how long are the calls, how much do they cost, etc ?  What happens if you are on the phone to someone and your Sky box decides it's going to squawk down the line ?

Thanks,

z


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## callybags (16 Dec 2008)

I think it is to tempt you to use their shopping channels. I cancelled my landline shortly after getting Sky and never heard anything more from them


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## jhegarty (16 Dec 2008)

If you don't have mulitroom it's just to tempt you into using premium services. They don't really care if you unplug this one.


If you have multiroom it's to check both cards are in the same house. They really care about this one.


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## serotoninsid (16 Dec 2008)

Sky is one clever setup.  Everything they do is about adding extra revenue.  They make big bucks from interactive games, gambling, box office and multiroom.  Hence the phone line.


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## zag (16 Dec 2008)

Ah - I've just ordered multi-room as a new customer.  Can I expect both boxes to ring home every night or something ?

I fully plan on not buying anything from them other than the basic package and the multi-room.  I also plan on cancelling after 12 months and just continuing to pick up the free channels.  I'll see at the time how that goes down with the kids.

When signing up, the guy read out the preamble along the lines of "Sky and their partners and various other undesirables may contact you from time to time, yada, yada, continuing with this call signifies approval"  At this point I said I didn't approve.  This threw him for a bit, but he was able to opt me out of their marketing campaign alright.  The whole thing was designed in such a way the customer feels they have to opt in if they want to order the service.

z


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## Fatphrog (16 Dec 2008)

Off topic bit Sky are one of the original rip-off-republic companies. Every time I try to access a channel I'm not subscribed to, I'm put off by the "£1 or €2" screen that comes up.


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## Jock04 (16 Dec 2008)

zag said:


> Ah - I've just ordered multi-room as a new customer. Can I expect both boxes to ring home every night or something ?


 

Sky "ping" the boxes at random intervals & the ping back tells them that the box is still at the address they sold it to. Unless your neighbour is a friend & you have a very long phone line!
There is no additional cost to you for the phoneline pings. But they'll be onto you pretty quickly if they find 1 of the boxes not connected.


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## Bubbly Scot (16 Dec 2008)

Jock04 said:


> But they'll be onto you pretty quickly if they find 1 of the boxes not connected.


 
They were constantly on to us about this and it turned out someone in their company had given us a UK code not an ROI one. One of the machines kept resetting itself to the wrong code. I recall three, maybe four conversations with them during my first year but after that they never bothered us again. I think it's because our contract was initially for a year. Our sky isn't connected to the phone line and we have two boxes, one is a multiroom.


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## colm (16 Dec 2008)

Fatphrog said:


> Off topic bit Sky are one of the original rip-off-republic companies. Every time I try to access a channel I'm not subscribed to, I'm put off by the "£1 or €2" screen that comes up.


 
What £ €  ??
They have to tell you you are not subscribed & I think they are oblidged to tell you the cost if you wish to subscribe.
I have been a subscriber to Sky sine they launched their digital platform.
IMO they are the best value for money out there. In relation to the number of channels & variety they are miles ahead of UPC.


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## jhegarty (16 Dec 2008)

colm said:


> miles ahead of UPC.



That doesn't win them any prizes....


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## colm (16 Dec 2008)

jhegarty said:


> That doesn't win them any prizes....


 
No but im sure it wins them customers


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## allthedoyles (16 Dec 2008)

zag said:


> Can anyone explain why Sky need to have their boxes plugged into a phoneline and what the call cost and line usage implications are ?
> 
> z


 
If you have kids ....Watch out 

Small kids will use the phone line to play games ......... Older kids ( teens ) may use phone line to pay for adult movies ........ this is my experience


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