Attemting to purchase Sky Gen 2

[OAFAAF]

I'll keep this brief. I contacted Sky this morning to upgrade my Sky Q contract to a Gen 2 setup with two pucks. After around 35 minutes negotiating a price that suited my needs, we reached the payment stage—and that’s where the trouble began.

Despite multiple attempts, my card details wouldn’t go through. We agreed the agent would call me back later to try again. Fast forward to mid-afternoon: he called as promised, but once again, the system refused to accept my payment.

Now I’m waiting for a third callback today to try once more to pay for the two pucks and the £20 Gen 2 upgrade fee. The whole experience left me questioning whether I’d been scammed—I even called Sky directly to confirm the agent’s legitimacy. Thankfully, he is indeed a Sky employee.

I was offered the chance to complete the deal with another colleague, but I declined out of fairness to the original agent who’s been trying to sort this out. As a last resort, I’m swapping my SIM from my Sky Mobile Pixel 8A into my old Sky iPhone SE, hoping that might help get the transaction through.

This has been an absolute shambles. In over 15 years as a Sky customer, I’ve never encountered anything like this.

If anyone has suggestions or advice to help me finally get this deal over the line, I’d be very grateful.

Thanks all.

[Mark39]

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@OAFAAF wrote:

Despite multiple attempts, my card details wouldn’t go through.

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Do you mean your card details weren't accepted? Or that payment was refused?

[BenJoBanjo]

@OAFAAF 

Sounds more like you need to contact your bank to see if there's a problem with the card or the account you're trying to pay with. 

[OAFAAF]

My card details were perfectly fine, so I’m starting to wonder if the system itself was having issues today. The Sky system simply couldn’t recognise any of the 16-digit numbers I entered via the phone keypad. At one point, I was even advised to try using a landline—seriously, who still has one of those?

Then came the suggestion to use an old iPhone instead of my brand-new Google Pixel, which was frankly laughable. It felt like I’d stepped into a tech time warp.

I’m not superstitious in the slightest, but I’m beginning to wonder if this is karma nudging me to just stick with Sky Q after all.

🤔

[OAFAAF]

No the card is actually fine and working as per it should be. If only Sky's sytem were a bit more reliable. Or dare I say it why not just attach these charges onto thier bill? It all seems a bit Arthur Daley to me? needing cash up front etc!

[Mark39]

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@OAFAAF wrote:

My card details were perfectly fine, so I’m starting to wonder if the system itself was having issues today. The Sky system simply couldn’t recognise any of the 16-digit numbers I entered via the phone keypad.

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Possibly, though I doubt you would have been the only customer having the same problem if that was the case. Do you have another card you could use?

[OAFAAF]

When making a payment to Sky for additional pucks and the £20 sign-up fee, you're asked to enter your card details using your phone's keypad. The agent on the other end doesn’t actually see your card number—just whether the correct number of digits has been entered.

That’s where today’s system completely fell apart. After I keyed in the first four digits, the agent could only see two. And that was the beginning of the problem. I even tried switching cards, but that didn’t help either.

Then came the truly baffling suggestions: try a different phone, or better yet, use a landline. A landline! In 2025! Honestly, it felt like I was being asked to send smoke signals.

[OAFAAF]

Yes, I tried everything—to absolutely no avail. I’ve been attempting to purchase a Gen2 package since 10:00 this morning, and at this point, I’m convinced Sky has either sold out of enthusiasm or simply decided they’re not in the mood to make money today.

Every attempt has been met with the digital equivalent of a blank stare. It’s as if my pleas are being launched into the void, only to bounce off a satellite and land in a black hole marked “Customer Indifference.”

Honestly, if persistence were a payment method, I’d have bought the whole Sky catalogue by now.

[Mark39]

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@OAFAAF wrote:

That’s where today’s system completely fell apart. After I keyed in the first four digits, the agent could only see two. And that was the beginning of the problem. I even tried switching cards, but that didn’t help either.

Then came the truly baffling suggestions: try a different phone, or better yet, use a landline. A landline! In 2025! Honestly, it felt like I was being asked to send smoke signals.

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I don't know why you're baffled. The payment system relies on the tones generated and sent by your handset so trying a different handset as the tones sent by the one you're using aren't apparently detected, sounds logical.

[OAFAAF]

Thanks, Mark39, for your ever-enlightening response. It seems the system is still gloriously kaput—radio silence since lunchtime. Maybe they’ve finally run out of Gen2s and are too embarrassed to admit it. Or, plot twist: the whole thing’s collapsed under the sheer weight of listening for dial tones like it’s auditioning for a role in Close Encounters of the Telecom Kind.

Honestly, every day’s a masterclass in unexpected revelations. Who knew “learning something new” would involve deciphering the mysteries of a system that’s apparently powered by wishful thinking and carrier pigeons?

[Mark39 · Accepted solution]

@OAFAAF you're welcome. The other possibility, given that Sky's payment system recognises only the first 4 digits, is that the issuing bank isn't acceptable.

[OAFAAF]

Well, that may very well be the crux of it. I’ll be giving them a ring tomorrow and gently suggesting they might be the unwitting architects of this entire debacle. It’s entirely plausible, isn’t it, that my bank—sorry, building society (mustn’t forget the distinction)—has been quietly sowing the seeds of this angst all along. Wouldn’t be the first time bureaucracy managed to cause chaos with a straight face and a cup of tea.

[Sharon118]

I have found myself in the same predicament today, my contract with my sky Q ends September so thought I would upgrade to sky glass air towards the end I was asked to make the £20 payment by card I entered my numbers and the agent was telling me I hadn't entered any numbers!! I assured him I had I then entered them another 2 times with nothing being recognised!  The agent then phoned my house phone to try and again it still didn't recognise the numbers I entered. I also am now waiting for a call back tomorrow to complete my upgrade. After reading the issues you have had I am not holding my breath for a resolution. I've been left frustrated with the whole thing as this was my second attempt today.  Sky must think their customers have nothing else to do in a day both calls were an hour long with no resolution.

[Cliff54]

I have had the same problem today ordering a puk . Did anyone get to the bottom of why this happens.

The explanation of how to do it was very unclear , could someone explain the way your iPhone should be set up .

Any help appreciated