you may find that one of the buttons is stuuck and has not been "released", and therefore it is blocking the remote.
Simply press all buttons on the remote and make sure they "pop" back out.
If you press buttons and the red light on the top of the remote is not lighting up with each button press, check the batteries, check the contacts, and reset the remote by leaving without batteries for about 15 mins - 30 mins to be sure.
If the lights on the remote are working, does the red light on the dodgybox light up with each button press? If not then there is a dodgybox issue, or an IR sender / receiver/ magic eye blocking hte signals.