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Old 31-05-2009, 17:34
Nancy16
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I disagree. These callers have system details to hand, including the date that the system is to fall out of warranty. In addition, my number and my sisters number are ex-directory.

If it were a random caller, they wouldn't have personal details.

I agree. I've received several phone calls and they knew when my warranty was due to run out. I didn't and had to go and check! I am also ex-directory so they are getting our information from somewhere. Sky perhaps?

Phone calls seem to have stopped since I asked,'Which part of NO don't you understand?' and now I'm getting letters.
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Old 24-06-2009, 20:52
Chorlton Fisher
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I just had a call...

H&G: Hello Mr ******** I'm calling on behalf of Sky and just to let you know we're recording this conversation for training purposes.

Me: Hello.

H&G: We've just checked our records and noticed you've had a Sky HD box for more than a year and it's now out of warranty.

Me: Hang on, you're not actually Sky are you, you're an insurance company...

H&G: I never said I was calling from Sky, I said 'on behalf of Sky' which we legally have to do. I'm calling from Home and General their preferred supplier.

Me: Well, I don't care if you're their preferred supplier. I'm not interested in an insurance policy thank you.

H&G: You do realise a replacement HD box would cost £199.

Me: Nonsense... I wonder if you've heard of a website called eBay..?

H&G: That's a rather patronising response Mr *****.

Me: And that response tells me all I need to know about your customer service, I will now be terminating this call, thank you for calling, please do not call again.

LINE GOES DEAD..!
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Old 06-08-2009, 17:33
DBC
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Satellite Direct has gone bust :-

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigat....html#comments
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Old 27-08-2009, 22:14
crazeyhorse
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Surley it is Sky to blame for this warranty fiasco. After all these warranty companies are simply using Sky's business model, unsolicited phone calls, exagerated or untrue claims, use of cowboys to do work instead of engineers.
Also Sky's idea of a replacement box is a "recon" which actually means a repaired box some of which are 5+ years old. I've tried to repair some of these "recon" boxes when they inevitebly fail but generally end up writing them off as it appears Sky use Stevie Wonder to do their soldering for them!
Sky have undoubtedly beenn the major cause of standards within the industry plummeting in recent years so I think it beggars belief that they can complain about the cowboy, rip off culture that they have helped to create.
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Old 04-09-2009, 11:36
Arandora
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I received a call today purporting to be from Sky Protection telling me my subscription had expired last month and offering me renewal for 2 boxes for £200 for 3 years cover or £80 pa or £7.50 per month. I was suspicious so asked for their number and contact and said I would ring back, so that I could check my policy and ring the real Sky Repair Plan company (D&G). The policy and D&G confirmed the policy expires in November and this was not an authorised call or an authorised company. I'm waiting for them to call back but not holding my breath.
For the sake of anyone else contacted by these shysters, the number is 0870 7777 375 and the contact was Ronney.

BTW I think it's unfair blaming Sky for others copying Sky's business model. That's like saying you deserve what you get if you book with RyanAir. Hmm, come to think of it perhaps you are right!
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Old 15-09-2009, 07:44
Dino
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Got a call last night. I've only had sky+ since July. Don't these things come with a year warranty? Anyway don't do cold call so asked him for web page. Seemed genuine but not sure sky protect is worth the money?
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Old 30-09-2009, 18:38
richchestmat
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Robin Cooper (from Look Around You fame) captured one of these scam warranty telemarketers on tape and played around with him somewhat.

http://www.robertpopper.com/2009/09/...-cooper-style/

Very funny and work safe - no swearing at all.
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Old 30-09-2009, 18:52
ProDave
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Call tonight.

Your sky warranty has just ran out.

Interesting, please tell me where you got my number form.

From (I can't remember the details) database.

Please tell them to remove my number from their list.

Why.

Because I am not, and never have been a sky subscriber.

May I sugest you sign up with the Telephone preference service.



So, they are not JUST targeting sky subscribers, but ANYONE at random perhaps?
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Old 30-09-2009, 19:04
Winston_1
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Got a call last night. I've only had sky+ since July. Don't these things come with a year warranty? ?
No they don't. They come with a TWO YEAR warranty. That is EU law that has been ratified by the UK.
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Old 30-09-2009, 22:02
Nigel Goodwin
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No they don't. They come with a TWO YEAR warranty. That is EU law that has been ratified by the UK.
Sorry, but completely wrong on all counts - EU law doesn't give a blanket 2 year warranty - the UK also didn't adopt it, we stuck with our existing 6 year scheme (which also isn't a blanket warranty).
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Old 02-10-2009, 21:35
terry45
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I had an engineer out from sky to fix a bad connection on our magic eye. Within a week I had received a letter and two phone calls advising me my warranty was about to expire. i asked how long the warranty ran for and was told it expires after one year. i then informed the caller that my box and subscription were over 9 years old and asked why they were now advising me that my one year warranty was about to expire. Up until I'd had to have the engineer out i had not been bothered by these people, so it is pretty obvious info is being pased on from Sky.
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Old 07-10-2009, 07:34
Strathclyde
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I wonder if some rogue engineers are passing on details (for a fee..) to some of these maintenance outfits???
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Old 07-10-2009, 07:38
Strathclyde
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Sorry, but completely wrong on all counts - EU law doesn't give a blanket 2 year warranty - the UK also didn't adopt it, we stuck with our existing 6 year scheme (which also isn't a blanket warranty).
Has nobody ever formally challenged Sky's approach that after a year, your box is unwarranted? It's not legal for any warranty to take away your rights, and a 12 month life expectation for a piece of basic electronic equipment is pretty shabby....
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Old 07-10-2009, 09:21
Nigel Goodwin
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Has nobody ever formally challenged Sky's approach that after a year, your box is unwarranted? It's not legal for any warranty to take away your rights, and a 12 month life expectation for a piece of basic electronic equipment is pretty shabby....
What 'rights' is it taking away? - the UK has 12 month warranties, Sky (and others) comply with that.
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Old 07-10-2009, 18:02
Strathclyde
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What 'rights' is it taking away? - the UK has 12 month warranties, Sky (and others) comply with that.
As is clear from your earlier post above (re the UK's 6 year scheme- which I understand is more about the time to bring a claim, rather than actual product warranty), this is a very fuzzy area, complicated by the Uk not yet enshrining the EC's doctrine of 2 year mandatory warranties.

A manufacturer is free to provide whatever warranty it wishes, but (and most manufacturers point this out ) "this does not affect your statutory rights". So they can't take away a statutory right for a device to be "reasonably fit for purpose". So for example, the manufacturer may offer replacement/repair cover - but that does not take away your statutory right to go back to the SUPPLIER and demand a replacement from them, if the device fails. (some chain store do try fob you off and suggest you send it back to the manufacturer under warranty...but you can reject that suggestion).

My argument is that one year lifetime on a digibox is NOT "Reasonably fit for purpose".

Sky may claim that your box is "out of warranty[ as defined on the supply agreement]" after 1 year, so they won't send an engineer to check/replace it. I'd argue with them "OK - but the box you supplied 13 months ago has broken. That's unreasonable. The box was not fit for purpose. Please send me a replacement for the broken one, which I will send back to you."
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Old 07-10-2009, 18:36
Nigel Goodwin
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As is clear from your earlier post above (re the UK's 6 year scheme- which I understand is more about the time to bring a claim, rather than actual product warranty), this is a very fuzzy area, complicated by the Uk not yet enshrining the EC's doctrine of 2 year mandatory warranties.
Isn't the EU 2 year scheme just the same as the UK 6 year one, the time you can claim in, and not a 2 year warranty?.
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Old 23-10-2009, 15:08
DBC
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Court action has been taken by West Sussex Trading Standards against a company operating in Ford after thousands of complaints from disgruntled customers.

Trading Standards took the action against Satellite Direct UK Ltd, Sat Cover Ltd, One4Group and company directors David Reynolds and Kelly Drew for numerous breaches of consumer protection legislation. Despite consultation about their legal obligations, the complaints about the companies based in Ford Lane, Ford, continued and therefore court action had to be taken.



Trading Standards press release.
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Old 16-12-2009, 17:12
GavMJM
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I just received a call from a company called 'Digital Satellite'

Apparently my Sky Box warranty was about to expire... I'm so glad they rang. I handed over my credit card details, and of course my bank account details so they could set up a direct debit...


They asked for the account holder by name and called from 08712659865

Digital Satellite Warranty Cover Limited is the name you get when you call them back.

Just a heads up.
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Old 03-01-2010, 19:55
bigstunnerdude
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I've been with the Sky Repair Plan/Domestic and General since I had Sky installed 6 years ago. They been great so far providing me with two new remotes and a new Sky+ box when it developed a fault.

I got a policy renewal letter the other month and just filed it. Then I got a phonecall from someone I for quite a while believed was from Sky Repair Plan, about my policy. As detailed above lines were similar mentioning my HD box and how its out of warranty and that I should look to get it covered as they cost x amount to replace. This got me thinking as I was sure my policy already covered any equipment in the house not specific boxes. They then began detailing how the policy covers everything to do with the boxes, remotes, cables and dish etc which I already knew. I was at this stage thinking maybe my renewal letter was a payment reminder, maybe I needed to setup a new direct debit or payment method or something. The woman on the phone then proceeded to tell me the policy would cost me £16.99 a month.

At this point I went hang on a second lady the letter I got last month said my renewal price would be £9.50 or something like that a month. She then said I wasn't a current customer and had no existing policy. I went and got the letter out and read my contract number. At that point it turns out she wasn't from Sky Repair Plan but some other company. I promptly hung up then.
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Old 06-01-2010, 18:17
Starkicker
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I just received a call from a company called 'Digital Satellite'
I had a call from them this afternoon. They asked for me by name and told me "your agreement with Sky is about to expire"

Me: Really, which agreement is that?

Her: Your warranty agreement.

Me: Ah, perhaps you could tell me the reference number of the agreement?

Her: I don't have that, it's your 1 year warranty.
(at this point she told me my address)

Me: Ah, so the agreement I don't have is about to expire?

Her (confused): I didn't say you had an agreement. It's your one year warranty.

Me: Right, and you're calling from?

Her: Digital Satellite.

Me: And are you familiar with the Telephone Preference Service?

Her: Yes we pay for that.

Me: So you'll know that the number you've called is registered with the TPS and since I have no commercial arrangement with your company that you should not be calling me?

Her: I'll make a note and you won't get another call.

I think they sent me a letter last week. That went through the shredder and then was returned to them in the prepaid envelope.
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Old 16-01-2010, 23:36
MrsRobinson
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On three days this week I was called by three different people telling me that our Sky warranty is about to run out
AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SKY WARRANTY AND NEVER HAVE!!!!

When I told the first caller this, he just put the phone down on me.... VERY RUDE!!!

The next day I was phoned again by a woman telling me the Sky warranty was expiring and could she speak to the person who pays the bills and I said that both my husband and I pay bills and we never take out extended warranties and this rude woman also put down the phone on me!!!!

The following day I was phoned yet again by another person saying the same thing so I told him that this was the third time I was called about this non-existent warranty and that the previous callers put the phone down on me and I said that I find this to be extremely rude so she said she would report it and not trouble us again!!!!
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Old 17-01-2010, 08:48
Nigel Goodwin
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Your mistake was confirming you had Sky, you were then marked as a confirmed Sky box user. If you had said you didn't have Sky, you would have been taken off the lists as a waste of time.
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Old 26-01-2010, 18:55
bilko99
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I had a call from them this afternoon. They asked for me by name and told me "your agreement with Sky is about to expire"

Me: Really, which agreement is that?

Her: Your warranty agreement.

Me: Ah, perhaps you could tell me the reference number of the agreement?

Her: I don't have that, it's your 1 year warranty.
(at this point she told me my address)

Me: Ah, so the agreement I don't have is about to expire?

Her (confused): I didn't say you had an agreement. It's your one year warranty.

Me: Right, and you're calling from?

Her: Digital Satellite.

Me: And are you familiar with the Telephone Preference Service?

Her: Yes we pay for that.

Me: So you'll know that the number you've called is registered with the TPS and since I have no commercial arrangement with your company that you should not be calling me?

Her: I'll make a note and you won't get another call.

I think they sent me a letter last week. That went through the shredder and then was returned to them in the prepaid envelope.
i wonder if this is the same company
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...0252-25675728/
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Old 01-02-2010, 11:27
Brian.Hinchclif
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Does anyone think the sky repair insurance is a good one or would they recommend another one if such a thing exists? Bri H
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Old 18-02-2010, 17:00
Firthy2002
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Does anyone think the sky repair insurance is a good one or would they recommend another one if such a thing exists? Bri H
Go with Domestic & General (Sky Protect) mate, no messing around and it even shows on the Sky system that you have an extended warranty.
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