To get a new FTV card

[Clair]

Help!!!

I am tearing my hair out in despair...

I have tried to obtain a replacement card, using the 0870 05 41 800 number from a UK based mobile and a UK friend's name and address and my Switch card for payment.

Shortly after my call, my usual BBC channels changed: BBC1 South became BBC1 Scotland and BBC 2 England also changed to Scotland, ITV Meridian became Grampian, then ITV, C4 and 5 disappeared altogether....

As my friend is based in Scotland, I took the changes to the BBC channels to mean that my telephone request was being dealt with.

6 weeks on, I am still waiting for my replacement card. My UK bank statement arrived today and does not show any payment of 23.50...

I have tried calling the same number from my French landline, but the system is rigged not to accept calls from outside the UK.

The www.free2view.tv website cannot proceed with my request (has my Sky card number been tagged somehow?) and I cannot order a "new" card on the website...

I have asked another UK based friend to make the FTV card request for me, but she's worried that "they" will link her existing Sky subscription and the new card request...

Does anyone have an answer?

[Mazan]

Your BBC region changing indicates that the new registered address was accepted. ITV etc. going off indicates that the replacement order was processed as this automatically cancels the existing card. You are right in thinking that once you have requested a replacement the card number is flagged and you can't use it again, even if the replacement never arrives.
I don't see why you weren't charged though. Had you been charged then one could assume that the card had just been lost in the post and a phone call from the UK would get another issued. Now your only option is to forget the old card and get someone in the UK to ring for a brand new one. There should be no problem with this, even if they already have Sky. The new card will need activating by phone, unlike a replacement card.