Help needed - Sky box, free channels but just lost Ch4 and Five ?????

[impykiddy]

My sky box has been working fine (second hand) with a sky card in etc

just receiving all the free channels you can get. About 2 weeks ago I

found that I had loads of channels for free like Discovery, Sky sports

etc which I presumed were given to me to entice me to pay for them and

then they would be taken away.  Well, they have been taken away

but I now can't get Channel 4 or Five either and the message on my

screen says "this viewing card is not authorised, please call

broadcaster for assistance".  what has happened ?  What can I

do ?  I haven't changed anything and I'm annoyed that I have lost

Channel 4 and Five. Please help.....

[Benjamin]

I'm no expert but it sounds to me as if Sky have blocked their card.

The reason that channels 4 and 5 have also disappeared is that they are currently still encrypted whereas the BBC channels and ITV are not.

Without more info on where you got your card from that's the best I can suggest for you.

Benjamin

[impykiddy]

Hi, I've had the skybox second hand since March of this year and the

sky card that is in the box is the original one.  It has up until

now worked fine with no hitches and I've had Channel 4 and Five all the

time.  I haven't done anything recently that would cause any

problems, it just coincided with these extra channels coming on and

then disappearing and taking my Channel 4 and Five with them ! 

Anything I can do to get them back ?

[George]

Have you tried taking the card out and pushing it back in?

[impykiddy]

Yes George, I tried this but still no joy.  I'm at a loss what to do, does anyone know how to get my Ch4 and Five back ?

[Eslier]

There are several reasons why Sky may have blocked the card. The two most likely are:

They have discovered that you are using the card in France - have you telephoned them for any reason ?

The original person to whom the card was issued has asked Sky for a replacement - possibly so he can sell it to another unsuspecting person (a common scam) and so the original card has been cancelled.

Sky viewing cards are only valid when used at the address to which they are originally registered and when used by the person to whom they are registered. You therefore have no comeback if a card stops working because the person who sold it to you had no legal right to sell it to you. Technically, buying a second hand card could be construed as receiving stolen goods - however no one, including Sky, really  cares too much about that and I'm not aware of anyone ever being prosecuted for using a card in France.

The only thing you can do is try to obtain another card one way or another.

[PossumGirl]

My guess is that when the sent the computer signal to cancel the other channels, that ALL subscription Sky channels were cancelled at the same time. 

PG

[Ron Avery]

[quote user="PossumGirl"]My guess is that when the sent the computer signal to cancel the other channels, that ALL subscription Sky channels were cancelled at the same time. 

PG
[/quote]

 

As Ch 4 & 5 are not subscription that does not follow, most ex pats in France who do not subscribe to SKY from a UK address use an out of contract SKY card or a FTA card from SKY. It is possible that you have been unlucky and SKY have found you in France and zapped your card but before you try and buy another card,  what messages are you getting from Ch 4 & 5? Do you get still get SKY 3 and ITV 2 & 3 which are also linked to the SKY card?   What you also should try before anything else is the usual remedy for all ills digi-box and turn your box off at the mains for 5 minutes and then start it again.

[impykiddy]

Yes Ron, I still get ITV2 etc but I had these before on a non-sky box

so I thought it was just Channel 4 and Five that were "decrypted" with

the sky card even though I don't pay anything for them.  I had

understood that the sky box and card were "married" to each other so to

speak as I have another sky card that is in a box that doesn't work,

could I swap the cards ?  I haven't phoned sky at all, I just know

that I got loads of free channels for some strange reason then they all

got zapped away along with my Channel 4 and Five.  I was thinking

of getting my dad to phone sky in the UK (he lives in UK so ok to do so

I think) and say that he has a spare box in his bedroom and just wants

the card married to the box so that he can watch the free channels, is

this a good idea ?????

[Ron Avery]

I've swapped cards from two out of contract sky boxes when one box was playing up without any loss of channels, it just gives you the same set up as on the other card one was 101 scotland, the other BBC London, so first try switching off the digi box first and re booting, if that fails, then try switching cards. Personally I would not contact Sky, unless the card was registered to your dad they know without you even telling them your phone number where you are and if you subscribe or not.  You will get people telling you to phone SKY through mobiles,  diverted numbers etc, but its not their SKY card they are risking is it?

[impykiddy]

My Dad has subscribed to sky for years and is a little worried that he

might have problems himself if he phones for me but I thought he could

pretend he had a spare box in a garden shed or something that his son

in law has set up just for free channels and then get this sorted for

me, do you think this would be too risky ?  I'll try switching off

and on again and then try with the other card and I'll keep you posted,

thanks for the help.