Sky TV - new cards coming soon - implications?

Hi there,

I'm hoping some of the satellite experts can answer my questions below.... :-)

I'm currently living in the UK and will be moving to Spain shortly and bringing with me my sky+ box. I've had sky+ for over 18 months now so the mandatory 12mnths are done. I have additional packages which I pay for, e.g music, news and docs, etc. SO I'm paying 20 quid a month in total. I dont yet have SS1/2/3/etc or SM1/2/3/etc although I was thinking of subscribing now as they are offering me a discount for the summer period with a view to full subscription thereafter.

Sky are telling us that they need to send out a new viewing card to replace the existing one. What are the implications of this for me? (I am moving to spain at end of July). I will be changing my billing address to my parents address soon.

1. If they send this card to my current or new billing address after my move date - will I not be able to receive the channels I currently subscribe to with the existing card?

2. Can I activate the new card while in spain (my folks will post the new card to my spanish address)? Or do I need to activate it inside the UK?

3. They (Sky) havent sent the card yet and I am concerned that it wont arrive in time before the removals come. Any tips on how to get it in the post promptly when ringing sky up?

4. What will happen if I do not collect the new card? Will my existing card cease to function eventually?

5. What excuse do I tell sky as to why my billing address is changing? I noticed that you cannot change a billing address on the website (My Sky) so I assume you have to call them. What should I say? Obviously I cant tell them that I will be using the sky+ box in spain. Advice required please.

Thanks, Steve

There is usually a long lead in period from the time cards are replaced to when they stop functioning. Just ring Sky and tell them you are moving house and that you don't need an install as a dish is already fitted, they can't argue that and should change the billing address. Changing the card should be as easy as taking the old one out and putting the new one in.

Mark

1. If they send this card to my current or new billing address after my move date - will I not be able to receive the channels I currently subscribe to with the existing card?

The new subscription card will be sent to the last known address on the sky system...in other words your parents address. you will know when your new card has been posted as you will start to receive the "insert new card" on screen message. you "old" card will continue to work for a short time, but will eventually it will cease to funtion as you should be using your new white card.

so you will continue to get your existing channels on your old card until with you activate the new white card, or you leave it so long that your blue card self deavctivates.

so getyyour parents to send you the new card to you ASAP.

2. Can I activate the new card while in spain (my folks will post the new card to my spanish address)? Or do I need to activate it inside the UK?

The new cards will be "preactivated"..you just follow the instruction on screen and the accompanying letter and do the swap. as long as you insert the card into the correct sky box all will work ok and you should (!) have no interuption in viewing.

so how do you make sure your card is in the correct box - go to sky sports (401) and if you have the message "this is the wrong sky card for this set top box" then your current card has / is not "paired" by sky to the box, which may cause some issue when trying to do the swap, your new card may not activate correctly. contact sky and get the old card paried to your box asap.

3. They (Sky) havent sent the card yet and I am concerned that it wont arrive in time before the removals come. Any tips on how to get it in the post promptly when ringing sky up?

Sky have 9m plus subscribers and about 12m cards...so it does take some time to do the swap. as far as i know most scottish and irish addresses have been processed, so next would be welsh then englsih addresses. again, DONT PANIC. until you get the on screen message you are like many other just waiting. you cannot badger them to post you the new card.

4. What will happen if I do not collect the new card? Will my existing card cease to function eventually?

Yes. and the new white cards have a limited period for them to be activated...otherwise they too deactivate and you need to order a new card from sky.

5. What excuse do I tell sky as to why my billing address is changing? I noticed that you cannot change a billing address on the website (My Sky) so I assume you have to call them. What should I say? Obviously I cant tell them that I will be using the sky+ box in spain. Advice required please.

you call them and say you are moving house, it already has a dish, just change my billing address to (your parents) address. if your parents dont have sky then it should not be a problem  if your parents already have sky then it could be fun as sky will try and push the "multiroom" deal - which really should not be accepted...so maybe "invent" a granny / student flat at your parents address...or say something like your house move has fallen through and it is a temporart move...a little white lie (or BS!) is required,

hope this helps.

Is it correct that Sky are insisting on your Sky box being connected to a phone line for all services except freesat, when the new white cards are in use?

Is it correct that Sky are insisting on your Sky box being connected to a phone line for all services except freesat, when the new white cards are in use?

If so then that is a major change in the Sky T&Cs, which if they have been changed I cannot find it mentioned at all.

Under current T&CS, as part of Sky discounted installation, the box (and card) must remain connected to the uK phone line, as the box remains skys property for the 1st 12 months on a contract. After 12 months this can be disconnected - and the box and dish is yours - the card remains property of sky at all times.

note this does not apply to multiroom cards, where all boxes in the multiroom agreement are required to be connected to a uk phone line for the duration of the multiroom contract, not just the first 12 months - stops you having a second discounted card at your friends (or house abroad!)

and i know of a few new white cards working OK here in spain..

so, in reply to your question, at the moment all evidence suggests not.

many thanks for the replies guys. So basically, get the address changed to my folks before I leave (I'll do it a month beforehand). Then, all should work abroad, then when the card arrives at my folks they will post it to me and hey presto - seemless transition!

Out of curiosity, I've never unplugged my phone cable from the box since I've had it. Should I at least test that nothing untoward happens by pulling it out now? That way, any problem gives me time to contact Sky and ask whats going on.

Out of curiosity, I've never unplugged my phone cable from the box since I've had it. Should I at least test that nothing untoward happens by pulling it out now? That way, any problem gives me time to contact Sky and ask whats going on.

Nothing should happen if you do disconnect the phone line...apart fromt he fact that you cannot order from QVC or vote on Britains Gott Not Talent or BB, with your Sky box....

I never had my Sky box connected to the line, even when new as they didn't have the budget cap for services and we had a young son!! The only thing that happens is when you reboot the box, it tells you the phone line is disconnectred.

Mark

Now when it comes ot things technical........i have more chance of going to my garden shed and building a rocket out of spare parts!

i have sky tv in spain it gives me all the basic channels and some more when i bring my uk card over with me....what effect will it have for me please?

I live in milton keynes and the new cards arrived on monday and my last name begins with an A at the bottom of the letter it says this card must replace this card number which is the old card number we hae multiroom so the letter may be different

i have sky tv in spain it gives me all the basic channels and some more when i bring my uk card over with me....what effect will it have for me please?

as far as i know new white cards work in the same maner that the current cards do....ie you can get all "6 mixes" channels on any sky receiver, but the sports and movie channels are box specific and will only worek on the box thatt he card has been "paired" to.

so no effect....

thank you-so hopefully nothing to technical for me to worry about!

[Quote:SatAndPCGuy]as far as i know new white cards work in the same maner that the current cards do....ie you can get all "6 mixes" channels on any sky receiver, but the sports and movie channels are box specific and will only worek on the box thatt he card has been "paired" to.

so no effect....[Quote]

So I could effectively order an upgrade to sky sports & movies even after I move out there right? I still have the same box and the card is paired to that box so in theory...hmm?

Or is there something that would deem it necessary to return to the uk to receive it?

So I could effectively order an upgrade to sky sports & movies even after I move out there right? I still have the same box and the card is paired to that box so in theory...hmm?Or is there something that would deem it necessary to return to the uk to receive it?

At the moment all you need to do is call sky, with your sky card number and accound details confirm you serial number on your box, and you get upgraded....usually happens whilst you are on the phone - its that quick.

of course the trick is calling sky from spain,.....you can always get someone in the UK to "pretend" to be you.......

You can call Sky from Spain but only with a mobile with a uk number or over Skype which is registered to you in the uk. We have a uk Skype number that shows on the receiving phone.

I have called Sky using both these methods from Spain with no problems, you just pretend to be at the uk address you are registered to.

I have called Sky using both these methods from Spain with no problems, you just pretend to be at the uk address you are registered to.

Just dont get tricked into answering the "Whats the weather like where you are?" question with "Its sunny and 40 degrees!" when all of the UK is under 10foot of snow! Some operators are starting to do this....!

Hi there its me again. I have been in spain now for a few months and I have kept my sky subscription going from back in the uk. I have also got my new sky card. However, I havent started using it yet as we havent got our satellite dish and sky+ box up and running yet.

Question 1: Before I simply take the old card out and put the new one in before I've switched on the box what are the steps I need to carry out? Hoping someone out there can well advise me on this. I was thinking that I would have to have the box detect that my old card is now redundant and it would prompt me to insert the new one. Correctomundo or way off the mark?

Question 2: Is there a time limit before the new card simply becomes redundant before I have activated/started using it?

Cheers, Steve

Question 1

Turn the box on, make sure you are getting reception of some channels, see the "please insert you new viewing card" message, swap cards.

Sometime SKy advise to keep the box with the old card turned on for 24 hours before swapping the card over

Question 2:  Quite possibly. At the last card swap 6 years ago the new cards had to be actiavted with a peiod of 3 weeks of issue. Otherwise you had to contact sky (careful not to let them know you are outside the uk and roi) and get the to do the swap manually.

I replaced my FTA card in October last year. The box is the same box the original FTA card was used in and away we went with no problems. Coming back to Spain yesterday and all the C5 and other channels are showing "wrong card in wrong box". This cannot be as this card has never been a subscription based card and therefore should be able to be moved at whim. I have had to email Sky about it as my mobile isn't roaming properly at the moment .  I'm wondering if the card has "gone to sleep"?

 Mark

edit to add: Card can't have gone to sleep, as still have regionalised BBC, ITV and other FTA channels, just no 5, Fiver, 5 USA, etc 

I replaced my FTA card in October last year. The box is the same box the original FTA card was used in and away we went with no problems. Coming back to Spain yesterday and all the C5 and other channels are showing "wrong card in wrong box". This cannot be as this card has never been a subscription based card and therefore should be able to be moved at whim. I have had to email Sky about it as my mobile isn't roaming properly at the moment .  I'm wondering if the card has "gone to sleep"?

I've just done my fta card which my daughter brought out from the UK and once it was in the box she had to ring and activate it and give them a load of info via the services screen.

That's what you lose, 5,fiver, fiver+, etc. if it's not activated.