If you are considering buying a cheap Sky Digibox the following correspondence from ‘Digibox Exchange’ may be useful…  

The following advert appeared at "Digibox Exchange". The seller wanted to sell them as a job lot.

  “Quantity of Pace 2200 Digiboxes available, all are brand new boxed
non-subsidy units, offers required.”

Vinyl Gems replied..
“We too located a couple of brand new boxed digiboxes. There did however appear to be some doubt as to whether Sky would issue a card as the boxes might not be 'registered' or might be 'samples' or, even worse, stolen. Now, I'm not suggesting that your 2200's fit into any of those categories but can anyone say how a potential purchaser can check out the validity of a box without compromising him/herself or the seller of the box/boxes (if for instance a box turns out to be stolen). Also, talking hypothetically, if one were to connect an 'unofficial' digibox without a card to 28.2, perhaps just for the Free to air channels, would Sky be able to disable the box completely?  

1) “The Digboxes we have are end of line 2200 models but still with 12 months warranty. We would prefer to clear them as a job lot if possible. I can see no reason why Sky would either disable or not issue a card on these boxes

Regards

2) “Hi Chris

Your question is very relevant. There is one way around it. Get the details of the box (version number and serial number) from the menu. An honest seller will give this. Then ring Sky and order a card for a second hand box with these details (not every person at Sky call centre knows how to do this, if you get one who doesn't - hang up and redial until you get somebody who knows what you are talking about). If the box is reported stolen you will be told. If the box is not out off contract you might get a card anyway but then it wont be your problem you will have a functional box.

Cheers

Puffin

3) “Hi Chris

It seems to me that Sky would not care a hoot if a box turned out to be stolen.  In the supposition that you bought a "dud" box and the owner had reported it stolen, Sky are not the police and are only in the business of regenerating and promoting their own business.  One should take all the possible precautions, but in the circumstances of buying from a newspaper advert, there is very little the buyer can do to protect himself but some precautions can be taken to be on the safe side and on the right side of the law.

Recently I bought a Sony box from the Loot newspaper and it came with a card and the private "dealer" told me all the sports and movie channels were there and had about 3 weeks to run, the previous owner did not want it.  I insisted that it must come with a card because it is the only way to find out on arrival if the box works, also I insisted on transferring the money to an account number with names and addresses of holders and a method that offers me a record of the transaction.  I always knew where the seller was. This being no problem, I went ahead and bought it and have had no problems.

While I was away on holiday for a few days, my son got some reception problems and innocently phoned Sky about them, they told him they could not trace this box as registered, he told them we bought it second hand and they said they would allow the subscription to run to expiry date but would send him papers for a new contract.  No mention of any possible problems with the box and in fact they were not interested in any more explanations, which means they do not have all the boxes registered.  The subscription channels were turned off some days later, we still have not received the contract papers but we can see all the free channels perfectly, which is what we wanted.

Two years ago my son had all his professional hifi and DJ equipment stolen in a burglary at his flat, worth more than 2500 pounds and the police were totally uninterested.  He lost it all, as he had no insurance.   Are they going to be interested in an individual small box worth 90 pounds?  It is sad but it is the real world we are living in now.  They may only be interested to track an organised racket in stolen boxes, that is a different matter.

Best wishes

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