Problems with Sky HD

I am currently in the middle of EXACTLY the same problems with Sky and am sick of being fobbed off with stories of the customer services people emailing their IT department to fix the database for my account because it is a system problem!
I am checking out alternatives to Sky.

The buzzing noise is normal operationof the box. Think of a computer - the only time it is quiet is when it's unplugged at the mains. The sky+ and HD boxes contain hard disk drives and fans. Both of which make noise. There IS no way to resolve this. I have a sky+ box in my bedroom and I switch it off at the mains at night, like every other electrical product I own. That's the only thing you can do

I used to work for an agency called RHL who outsourced to Sky. Bassically your problems arent uncommon. I worked there for 8 months, 8 months of Hell! I worked 13 hours shifts in a freezing cold building with no windows, computers older than me with only an hours break all day and for all for about £10,000 a year.

At RHL the managers are inept and constantly break employment laws. I got diciplined for being hit by a car and having to go to hospital (no sick pay with RHL) Most customer advisors at RHL refer to it as RHELL!

My Advice, dont get Sky! From what I can tell its overpiced a complete rip-off!

Having recently purchased a Sky HD box and 5 Boxes later still having to put up the Chinese water torture of continuose buzzing despite a number of telephone calls to Sky I have repetedly been told it is because of the download of information to my box. Can anyone please tell me if they are suffering the same problems the buzzing sometimes goes on for hours. Having spent 300 pounds to upgrade my system I must admit I beginning to regret it

Well, I have just had my sky HD box replaced beause I had numerous problems with the first one. That's on top of all the problems I've experienced with other sky boxes over the years!

Twice I lost all programmes that I had recorded, the play-back used to freeze, the remote wasn't being picked up by the box, the fan ran constantly and could be heard over the TV sound, the picture used to sometines dissappear, I could go on. (Oh sorry I just have!)

When it works it is fantastic but I find myself ringing sky about once a week with one problem or another. When will they learn to hire a decent company to make their boxes for them??

I mean, bloody Amstrad, Pace and now some another equally crap brand who's name escapes me at the moment.

If there was a decent alternative to sky in my area, I would take it.

I ordered my HD box on the 18th July. (£199-self install). All they had to do was send the new box by courier. How hard can it be? It’s almost three weeks later and still no HD box.

My account with Sky below…
It would seem I was a bit premature by phoning them as early as the 25th July to find out where my box was. I was told by the lady in the Scottish call centre she would e-mail the relevant department and escalate as it had been over five working days since ordering and payment cleared.

The very next evening the lady called to ask if I had received my HD box, as her e-mail reply stated the box should be arriving Thursday or Friday and it was Thursday. "No", I said. "Well you should have it tomorrow then.” the lady replied.

Friday came and went so I thought they must have meant the next week. The next Thursday and Friday passed and still no box. I phoned again on Saturday and after speaking to one gentleman and put on hold for a good 10-15 minutes a lady came on the phone who took my name and telephone numbers. She said I would get a return call within 48 hours from a manager.

The 48 hours passed with no phone call so I called again last night. Again I got the same procedure. This time the lady took far more details and got my account and previous notes up and revealed that the box should have come by the previous Friday 27th July, according to the notes.

This time though there was no promise of a return phone call, even though I requested one this time. All she could do was to add more notes and send another e-mail and said I should get the box in 5-6 working days from today (now 7th August).

What really annoys me is that no one can tell me if my box has been dispatched or even the courier Sky are using. I would have happily paid extra for next day delivery.

I would cancel and get one from an authorised reseller on eBay but I’m concerned I won’t get my money back from Sky, judging by the post by Tinamaessig.

I ordered a Sky HD box over 2 weeks ago for self-install on the special deal of £199. They took my money on the day it was ordered and I'm still waiting for it to arrive. Sky cannot tell me where it is or when I can expect delivery. They told me to phone back in 5 days and if it hasn't been delivered and they will send me another one. "So you have tried to deliver it?" , I said. They said "no we're not saying that, just phone back in 5 days". They then said "Payment is no problem because your cheque has cleared". I said "but I didn't pay by check, you took my money from my debit account over 2 weeks ago!". What's even more annoying is they would not deliver it to my work, so when the courier does deliver it and I'm out I'll have to re-arrange delivery which will probaably take another week to sort out. Terrible service...

sky havent went into liqudaiton the person who said they have are stupid

As a sky engineer I would never want to stay in a customers house for upto 4 hours waiting for the card to be repaired to the box, if you have more than one box in your house hold then its possible that the cards were not in there correct box. This problem also happens when there are system problems at sky.

An engineer would not stay in your house for the card to be repaired to the box as the way the signal is sent, it really could take 4 hours, although I many cases the system is all up and running while the engineer is there and he can show you how it works.

Trust me when I say that in most cases sky are the ones at fault, unless there was a simple error with the cards in wrong boxes.

Engineers like my self always try to do our best to get the jobs done right, and fast, but this is not always case with all engineers. Some are just basicly thick and shouldnt be doing the job, then someone like me has to go and fix it.

Its just one of them things mate, we all have to deal with it, not much we can do.

Sky never listen!

This is the one time on this forum that I agree with you, as a TL for Sky, I must say, your problem, should never have occurred and most certainly if it did should have been resoved in a matter hours at the most!
These things are what we need to look at, and as I have a meeting next week, I will be raising these issues up! Hopefully, things will improve!

I Left sky this year due to a very poor service and went to virgin, I got a free HD box , ok they only have 1 HD channel at the moment but it is true HD, and no sky one, so what.
I called sky and informed them I did not want any sky service from that date, they offered me a free sky+ box to stay, could not work out how a sky + box plus £299 for the HD box was an incentive but there you go.

Then I got my bill, I was expecting a 30 day bill after I cancelled but they billed me for movies and Premium srvices for the last 30 days after I told them I wanted no service at all.
hours of phone calls to people who just dont care and tell me that it is not on the system that I asked for a down grade in service for the last 30 days so sod off and pay it. ( how bad do you have to be when you are told a customer wants NO service at all )
Then the day after I phoned and complained about the over bill they passed the account to a collection agency.
I have asked 4 time now for the correct bill so I can pay it - nothing
I have asked 4 times now for an addres to write to - nothing

It is quite clear that SKY have no interest at all in customers, which is the oposite to virgin if I have a problem it is solved on the spot and more often than not I am given a discount for my problem.

I say with all gust may virgin wipe SKY of the face of this earth thay truly are the worst company I have ever had to deal with.

Oh god the nerve of them!!! I orderd Sky HD in November 2006, I then found out that we live in a conservation area and would need planning permission. Well I thought that was too much hassle so I cancled the box and requested a refund of £299. I made the first call on the 27.01.07 and have up until now (15.05.07) called them 7 times and they always tell me the same thing... authorisation will take 48 hours and refund will be on my account within 14 working days!!!

So.... 4 months down the line hours on the telephone - now I have written a complaint and am requesting compensation!

For the life of me I do not now of too many companies that can get away with such bad customer service!

I mean think about this: If I would owe Sky £299 I would be in BIG TROUBLE by now!!!