Purchasing an stb
 

Why is it when a thread is opened with regards to buying an STB it is closed or considered against the law or theft?

You can legally purchase an NTL STB. Infact NTL do sell them as they will bill you up to £250 if you fail to return it. If this is the case you become the legal owner of the box and not NTL!

However NTL do have the right to prosecute you if you fail to return any equiptment although it is very difficult to get any type of conviction as all you have to do is say you posted it back and never kept the receipt and all they can do is charge you!

If purchasing a box from ebay for example this too is legal!

All you need to do is get written proof from the seller that he/she is the legal owner of the STB and if in doubt provide the make, model and serial of the box to your local police to see if it is reported stolen.

If it comes back from the police as being ok then no charges can be brought againt you at any later date. (You must keep the report as proof!)

Although why any one wants to buy one is beyond me as they are no good to anyone as NTL will not connect it on their network!

Please do not confuse this post with any regards to theft of services as this is not what I want to talk about, I am on about a STB as is. Not tampered with in any way or form!

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

These people who buy the boxes from Ebay/Car Boots etc are doing so in the hope they can get free services. When they plug the box in and find it doesn't work they come to the forum looking for help to make it work so they can enjoy all the sports/movies and even internet for nowt, as someone posted yesterday. I've never yet seen a thread from someone who just happened to have bought a box and wasn't trying to do anything illegal with it.

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

That is not what i'm talking about and I would agree with you!

My point is you can legally obtain a box!

I am totally against theft of service I spend just under £100 a month to NTL for my services. And I don't want my prices going up because those low life thiefs want something for nothing!

EDIT: Please try to keep of the topic of theft of services as I see this is not tolerated on this forum and I don't want to get in to any type of trouble.

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

call me stupid, but if NTL are going to give me a box for free, and replace it for free if it goes wrong, why would i want to pay for one?:dunce:

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

In the 5 years I've worked for ntl, I can't remember off the top of my head having seen anyones account who has been paid the £250 (or whatever price it is nowadays) for the price of the box so of all the boxes on the car boots etc I would hazard a guess that hardly any are the "legal" property of the seller.

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

Is this an actual legal view, from a lawyer, or just your view ? because I remain to be convinced it's actually correct.

Either way, since you cannot legally use it to get ntl service, the point is somewhat moot.

We don't allow allow discussion of it on this forum, that's our rules, end of.

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

I presume this thread has arisen as a result of the thread that i just closed. Yes, you can obtain a box by not returning it to ntl and paying instead, but let's be reaslistic- how many people do that? hmm... that would be none then!

Even if you do "obtain" a box from anywhere except ntl, you are not permitted to use it on the ntl network, so it would be useful for little more than a door step. (unless of course you have your own handy catv network...)

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

I would agree most boxes are not legal, all I wanted to say you can obtain them legally.

Not every box is obtained criminally.

Maybe this thread should be closed. as it seems to change from it's original topic to one it should not be!

I agree with you chris!

I just wanted to point out you can obtain one legally...

Re: Purchasing an stb
 

Wonderful. Point made, topic closed.