Fake Decoder Box From Ubc

[monsieurhappy]

Hi,

Got my UBC package 2 years ago when the shop was on Sukhumvit - Pattaya. For some reason, can't remember now, it seemed like a good idea to purchase instead of rent. Paid 20000 bt. for decoder, dish and installation which was delivered and carrried out by UBC personnel. We had a lot of problems but were put right by UBC. Then I realised that my decoder was different from neighbours so when I asked in UBC shop, was told that this was because I bought and they rented. After some more problems they exchanged the decoder box free of charge. This shop on Sukhumvit then closed. Now although we get UBC programs OK, whenever they put out an extra channel, eg. for the Olympics, we don't get it. I emailed the service centre and was told to take the box to the newly opened UBC shop opposite Car4 on Pattaya Klang. There they told me that I had been supplied a fake decoder box. Quite a few emails were exchanged with UBC service centre, but eventually they just stopped answering me with nothing being done on their part. Now I wondering what will happen when the channel relocation moves all my channels around. Anyone have the same problem or know of anyone who can work on these decoders??

[monty]

You can try Terry's satellite shop (Think it's called KCR Electronics )

When you turn onto South Pattaya Road from Sukhumvit it's one of the first shops on the left hand side. Recoginize it by the two big dishes on the roog and one in front of the window...

[astral]

I don't see how the decoder box can be "fake".

If it worked previously it must be a real decoder.

The first ones were made by PACE, the latest are "Sun Moon and Stars"

a Taiwanese company.

As far as I know there has never been a mass change of decoders.

Mine have been changed at various times, but only when I have had minor problems

The thing that has changed in the last 2 years is the smart cards.

Did UBC change yours?

There was change in the encryption codes and that was why a new card was needed.

Call UBC again and ask to speak to the supervisor. The kids who answer the phones only know the "off pat" answers.

Otherwise you might try talking to a lawyer............

I assume you have the receipts from UBC for the decoder?

[Oleg_Rus]

I don't see how the decoder box can be "fake".

If it worked previously it must be a real decoder.

Otherwise you might try talking to a lawyer............

I assume you have the receipts from UBC for the decoder?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

decoder cannot be fake, but I like bright idea to open shop, sale lots of cheap decoders with cloned Smart Card, close the shop and so on. really lame!

any shop that sell sat. equipment can provide UBC package channels - they have some sort of reseller contract, it's obvious.

and as astral said, if you are lucky enough to keep receipt for lawyer, you also might be even more lucky to keep finger prints on the dish, box and remote control unit for private investigator either !

Good luck

[monsieurhappy]

I don't see how the decoder box can be "fake".

If it worked previously it must be a real decoder.

The first ones were made by PACE, the latest are "Sun Moon and Stars"

a Taiwanese company.

As far as I know there has never been a mass change of decoders.

Mine have been changed at various times, but only when I have had minor problems

The thing that has changed in the last 2 years is the smart cards.

Did UBC change yours?

There was change in the encryption codes and that was why a new card was needed.

Call UBC again and ask to speak to the supervisor.  The kids who answer the phones only know the "off pat" answers.

Otherwise you might try talking to a lawyer............

I assume you have the receipts from UBC for the decoder?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've just been looking for the instruction book that came with the first decoder we had, to get the name, pretty sure it wasn't one of the ones UBC was officially using. I can't find it, but the decoder that it was changed to is a Technosat IR-7000 made in China by Infosat Co., Ltd. Apart from the problems we had in the first few months, which nearly everybody I spoke to at the time was getting, and which were put right when we took the decoder back to the shop on Sukhumvit Rd., everything seemed in order. We paid our monthly payment at the said shop and they always fixed the problem we had with the decoder. It was after we got the set changed that there were rumours of corruption at this shop ( surely no corruption at UBC!! ) and it was closed down. We then had problems trying to get someone to take our payments, but eventually got some bankslips from UBC and have since paid our monthly installment through the bank. As far as I know, the smart card is the same one we had when we got UBC installed unless it was changed any time without our knowledge.

When the ASEAN conference was on, UBC put out some travel programs on a channel that wasn't used for anything else. My friend told me about these but I couldn't get them on my set. I think at the time I asked UBC and got the usual couldn't care less answer and as the new program only lasted a couple of weeks it wasn't worth following it up. Then came the Olympics and again I couldn't get the tempory program so I started sending emails to UBC service centre. The last one I got back was to say someone from their Chon Buri agents would come out to look at the problem. Needless to say no-one came. As the set is still working I've not bothered too much about it, I can't get the new channels 28 & 29 but as they're only football I'm not worried. But now we have this major channel relocation and I know I'm going to have problems.

I told UBC that we bought the package from the shop on Sukhumvit Rd. and we have receipts on UBC headed paper, the sat. dish has UBC on it and it was all installed by men in UBC uniforms and a UBC vehicle. They just don't want to know. As for seeing a lawyer, it might be cheaper and less frustrating to just cancel the package we have now and sign up for a new rental agreement. Or see the guy who Monty ( thanks ) as suggested.

PS. I was once in the shop on Sukhumvit before it closed and I was talking to a guy from Jomtien who had been sold the same decoder box and was having the same trouble. So there are others who might now be getting the same problems. In fact there have been at least 2 people in my village ( only just learned about these ) who were sold fake boxes. They just cut their losses and took out rental contracts, too long ago to do anything. UBC puts it down to the fact that these shops are run by agents, the shop on Sukhumvit was in fact a subsidary of the agents at Chon Buri and leaves you to sort it out with these agents. After 2 years, do you think it's worth persuing??

[waldwolf]

.....After 2 years, do you think it's worth persuing??    

IMHO, Yes. If UBC exchanged the convertor once, then obviously it must have been a "legal" box. I don't think they have a leg to stand on.

The fact you originally purchased the box from an "authorized" reseller, the fact UBC replaced your original box, never questioning its legality, the fact you've taken extraordinary efforts (automatic bank payments) to insure "on-time payment of the subscription charges", all weigh heavily in your favour, as an honest, model citizen. The fact UBC has failed to provide or compensate you for "pre-paid" services such as the ASEAN conference and Olympic coverage you could not receive, then ignoring your "request-for-service" emails and phone calls, all violate their service policy obligations.

Would suggest you try exchanging the box again. As Astral suggested, talk to a supervisor. Play dumb and when asked what is wrong with the box, just say "it doesn't work, I need a new box". If asked any probing questions, just say, "I'm a lawyer, not an engineer.......It doesn't work, I need a new box".

You might also tell this supervisor, if the matter is not resolved immediately, you may be forced to take "other" actions and hint something to the effect, "I'm sure your supervisor will be very unhappy with you, when he has to spend a day or two in court, answering embarasing questions, which may make him look incompentent." (To give this supervisor more food-for-thought, you might even drop the word "redundancy", during the conversation.) Then ask to speak with this supervisors supervisor.

Would also suggest you write down the date/time of each and every communication with UBC; name and position of each person to whom you speak, phone number and extension, together with a brief outline of each conversation, especially verbal committments/agreements made by either party. Save as a "Note-To-File". Such a document carries considerable weight in court, in the event that becomes necessary.

Another avenue you may wish to investigate/persue is the filing of a formal complaint with those governmental agencies who license/regulate UBC.

good luck. Keep us posted.

(PS - After you get the new box, which I'm sure you will if you play your cards right, then demand compensation for "lost" programming (ASEAN conference, Olympics, etc). They may just give you a few months "free" service. )

Edited January 29, 2005 by waldwolf

[monty]

I'm not sure UBC has to do anything for MonsieurHappy.

There are three options to watch UBC

1) The complete rental package, where UBC installs everything and you pay the 142 something baht monthly for the rental of the decoder on top of the 1400 something Baht subscription.

2) Buy the equipment from UBC at around 11000 Baht (at the moment). This will save you the aforementioned 142 Baht monthly, and you own a UBC approved decoder which will automatically update with any new channels UBC decides to broadcast! You can't use this decoder for anything else though as it is specially designed and built for UBC by a few company's (Pace, New Moon,...) Because there are just a few models around, UBC can update the channels settings "over the air" so it seems the new channels misteriously appear !

3) Get yourself a decoder on the open market which has Irdeto2 capability (the encoding system UBC uses) and completely seperately get a UBC subscription for which you will receive a smartcard to pop in your decoder.

Advantage: Combined with a movable dish you can use this system to watch anything beamed down to Thailand from the multitude of satelites above us.

Disadvantage : There are literally hundreds of Irdeto2 capable decoders around, and UBC simply cannot update them all "over the air" as they all probably need to receive slightly different instruction sets!

Obviously MonsieurHappy is in the last category, which is a perfect legal situation where UBC has responsibility only towards the correct working of his smartcard!

I'm however sure that a qualified satellite installer can put any new channels UBC might have started broadcasting into your decoder. It's just like tuning a television set but a bit more complicated. Normally this service would have to come from the shop you bought your equipment from, but since they closed shop you'll have to go somewhere else!

Edited January 30, 2005 by monty

[astral]

3) Get yourself a decoder on the open market which has Irdeto2 capability (the encoding system UBC uses) and completely seperately get a UBC subscription for which you will  receive a smartcard to pop in your decoder.

Advantage: Combined with a movable dish you can use this system to watch anything beamed down to Thailand from the multitude of satelites above us.

Disadvantage : There are literally hundreds of Irdeto2 capable decoders around, and UBC simply cannot update them all "over the air" as they all probably need to receive slightly different instruction sets!

Obviously MonsieurHappy is in the last category, which is a perfect legal situation where UBC has responsibility only towards the correct working of his smartcard!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You cannot get the smart card alone!!

UBC will not provide it. They will only sell or rent the whole package,

dish/decoder/card.

[monty]

Yes you can Astral,

The UBC agents don't know or don't want to sell but you can get the card seperately.

I have one !!!!

3900 Baht one time fee plus whatever package you want. (Gold/Silver/Platinum)

http://www.satthai.net/th/mcard.htm

Same in Pattaya, KSR Electronics(South Pattaya Road) is NOT a UBC dealer, but they can install a satellite system from whatever brand you fancy and then arrange a UBC smartcard!

[monsieurhappy]

Yes you can Astral,

The UBC agents don't know or don't want to sell but you can get the card seperately.

I have one !!!!

3900 Baht one time fee plus whatever package you want. (Gold/Silver/Platinum)

http://www.satthai.net/th/mcard.htm

Same in Pattaya, KSR Electronics(South Pattaya Road) is NOT a UBC dealer, but they can install a satellite system from whatever brand you fancy and then arrange a UBC smartcard!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi,

Thanks for your info guys, I've decided to wait until later this week when the UBC relocation starts before making a move. Then I think I will be trying KSR Electronics or similar to see if they can set up my decoder with the new locations. My smart card is OK, when I took the decoder to the UBC shop on Pattaya Klang during last years Olympics, ( I couldn't receive the temp. program on my decoder ) they tried it in one of their genuine boxes and everything worked. So really the only problem with my decoder is the fact it doesn't update automatically. The first decoder I got when my system was installed was just the same, ie. when the History Channel first came on I couldn't get it, but a visit to the UBC shop sorted it. My gripe with UBC was not that I wanted a new decoder, it was that because I had been sold a fake through their organisation they should update it for me free of charge. They were only too ready to do this for a price.

I would like to go down the path that waldwolf suggested, but I think it would prove to be expensive and frustrating. UBC said more or less in one of their emails to me that it's their agent who supplied the set and so I must get redress from their agent. It would be different if I was in the UK trying to fight this one ( or would it? )

Anyway, thanks again for your help, I'll let you know if I get it working.

[monsieurhappy]

Yes you can Astral,

The UBC agents don't know or don't want to sell but you can get the card seperately.

I have one !!!!

3900 Baht one time fee plus whatever package you want. (Gold/Silver/Platinum)

http://www.satthai.net/th/mcard.htm

Same in Pattaya, KSR Electronics(South Pattaya Road) is NOT a UBC dealer, but they can install a satellite system from whatever brand you fancy and then arrange a UBC smartcard!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi,

Thanks for your info guys, I've decided to wait until later this week when the UBC relocation starts before making a move. Then I think I will be trying KSR Electronics or similar to see if they can set up my decoder with the new locations. My smart card is OK, when I took the decoder to the UBC shop on Pattaya Klang during last years Olympics, ( I couldn't receive the temp. program on my decoder ) they tried it in one of their genuine boxes and everything worked. So really the only problem with my decoder is the fact it doesn't update automatically. The first decoder I got when my system was installed was just the same, ie. when the History Channel first came on I couldn't get it, but a visit to the UBC shop sorted it. My gripe with UBC was not that I wanted a new decoder, it was that because I had been sold a fake through their organisation they should update it for me free of charge. They were only too ready to do this for a price.

I would like to go down the path that waldwolf suggested, but I think it would prove to be expensive and frustrating. UBC said more or less in one of their emails to me that it's their agent who supplied the set and so I must get redress from their agent. It would be different if I was in the UK trying to fight this one ( or would it? )

Anyway, thanks again for your help, I'll let you know if I get it working.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, switched on this morning to find ( Surprise Surprise!!) no channels execpt Thai. So I took my fake decoder to a certain shop ( not fair to name it as the guy tried his best ) and over an hour later - no luck. So my wife says we go to UBC shop and rent new set which I was very reluctant to do. We go into UBC shop on Pattaya Klang and there's a couple of farang guys with the same decoders I have. When I get into conversation, one seems to know his stuff, and A-presto, I have all the channels working on my set. ( FOR NOW anyway ) I can't thank this guy enough, but even though I now have BBC Prime etc. apparently these are only on for 30 days with the Gold package. I'm just hoping that after the 30 day period UBC don't &lt;deleted&gt; up the whole set-up again. It also proves that I'm not the only person in Pattaya with one of these fake decoders. Still haven't got UBC Mag. yet, but MonsHappy is OK for Now.