MyCableBox does sell clones!
I read forum posts about MyCableBox in Oxford (MyCableBox) having many happy customers and that they never sell clones (http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums...tworthy-12445/, http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums...-clone-235479/, starview5 mycablebox.co.uk - Techwatch Support Forums: Digital & Satellite TV, FTA, Cable, Computers, Mobile Phones, Apple and General Tech Forums, http://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/21400...-source-2.html, mycablebox.co.uk - AfterDawn: Forums). Then I looked at their positive Amazon Marketplace feedback which does show a lot of happy people! It's definitely the same company/phone number (see attached jpeg). The final clincher that made me trust them was that they make a big deal about not selling clones ("All Cable Boxes sold by Mycablebox.co.uk are Guaranteed 100% Genuine. Absolutely No Clones sold here" - see 2nd attached jpeg). From that 2nd sentence (and also the weird capitalising of "Cable" which I thought was related to their brand name "My Cable Box" rather than just generic "cable boxes"), I assumed they meant Satellite STBs also, since
Their disclaimer (Conditions of Use) was a bit worrying, but I figured that's just the normal business legalese (i.e. they don't want to have to support each & every firmware variant). If it's not a clone I'm supported by the manufacturer anyway, so I didn't think it mattered or applied to me. Worst case, I could just flash the default manufacturer's firmware, if it was a non-firmware issue. Their returns policy (Shipping & Returns) was worrying too since they state the warranty is "void if any other than the factory provided FTA software .. returns will not be accepted" and "returned for a refund within 7 days, providing that they are still 'sealed and unopened'". For a clone box that's a problem since counterfeits are designed to look the same as the original, and it's only once you look at the installed software that there's any clue to it being a clone. But again, it looked like they didn't sell clones, so I didn't think this mattered to me at all.
The box arrived, it looked exactly the same as a non-clone box (packaging, STB, manual, etc). It was missing a part that the sales page mentioned, but they'd just copy-pasted the Dream Multimedia specs page, without even checking their clone box specs (or it isn't includeds since that part would void their warranties anyway).
Long story short, I figured it was a clone box, so I called up them up. I spoke to the main person there at MyCableBox (Scott Burgess) who admitted that they are selling clones, if only they could get more stock in from their Chinese supplier. He wasn't rude or anything, but he was of no help (basically, "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish"). To add insult to injury, the clones that MyCableBox are selling aren't even high-quality modern clones, they are very poor quality (within days of use, the PSU has started to fall apart) and unreliable (flashing a backup of their original firmware failed .. and, yes, even just doing that will void all their various 6&12month warranties). And, no, there is no refund (if you've used the item), and no replacement (if you've backed up even just their firmware image).
So, it looks to me like they're trying to sell an old/poor-quality clone that can't update reliably at close to the price that legit non-HD boxes cost a few years ago (no it's not old/surplus stock!).
I spoke to UK distributor of DM (Dream Multimedia) SMS (Signal Master Satellites). These are the guys who supply review kits to one of my favourite mags (TechRadar). They confirmed that MyCableBox (in Oxford) is a clone-maker box sales company, selling fakes from China. They said that the value for these low-end fake boxes isn't more than ?10, so they are ripping people off, by fooling people in the forums.
I bought products from MyCableBox a few weeks ago, and checked it with SMS, confirming they (MyCableBox, in Oxford) are selling fake boxes.
ALERT: do not deal with them.
Buy direct from SMS (both related stores are listed at Retailer | dream-multimedia-tv.de), and include the full 2 year warranty / guaranteed back-to-base. The 2nd shop is for e-tailing (dreamboxshop.co.uk).
PS: this is a another tell-tale sign (MyCableBox was offering a 1 year warranty only), but I learnt about that too late because I'm in a rush to set this up (Trader ALERT Page).
- they only mention the word "cable" not "satellite" regarding "cable boxes" in their Conditions of Use and Shipping & Returns pages (see attachments, I've highlighted "cable" as "satellite" returns no results, obviously)
- there is no mention of the word "clone" anywhere in their satellite section,
- the price of the DVBS STB I purchased was high for a clone, compared to sites selling clones, and users on this forum stated this company was "reputable" and "trustworthy",
- it's a UK ltd company, not one registered here but based in China! So UK law applies to both sides of the transaction.
Their disclaimer (Conditions of Use) was a bit worrying, but I figured that's just the normal business legalese (i.e. they don't want to have to support each & every firmware variant). If it's not a clone I'm supported by the manufacturer anyway, so I didn't think it mattered or applied to me. Worst case, I could just flash the default manufacturer's firmware, if it was a non-firmware issue. Their returns policy (Shipping & Returns) was worrying too since they state the warranty is "void if any other than the factory provided FTA software .. returns will not be accepted" and "returned for a refund within 7 days, providing that they are still 'sealed and unopened'". For a clone box that's a problem since counterfeits are designed to look the same as the original, and it's only once you look at the installed software that there's any clue to it being a clone. But again, it looked like they didn't sell clones, so I didn't think this mattered to me at all.
The box arrived, it looked exactly the same as a non-clone box (packaging, STB, manual, etc). It was missing a part that the sales page mentioned, but they'd just copy-pasted the Dream Multimedia specs page, without even checking their clone box specs (or it isn't includeds since that part would void their warranties anyway).
Long story short, I figured it was a clone box, so I called up them up. I spoke to the main person there at MyCableBox (Scott Burgess) who admitted that they are selling clones, if only they could get more stock in from their Chinese supplier. He wasn't rude or anything, but he was of no help (basically, "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish"). To add insult to injury, the clones that MyCableBox are selling aren't even high-quality modern clones, they are very poor quality (within days of use, the PSU has started to fall apart) and unreliable (flashing a backup of their original firmware failed .. and, yes, even just doing that will void all their various 6&12month warranties). And, no, there is no refund (if you've used the item), and no replacement (if you've backed up even just their firmware image).
So, it looks to me like they're trying to sell an old/poor-quality clone that can't update reliably at close to the price that legit non-HD boxes cost a few years ago (no it's not old/surplus stock!).
I spoke to UK distributor of DM (Dream Multimedia) SMS (Signal Master Satellites). These are the guys who supply review kits to one of my favourite mags (TechRadar). They confirmed that MyCableBox (in Oxford) is a clone-maker box sales company, selling fakes from China. They said that the value for these low-end fake boxes isn't more than ?10, so they are ripping people off, by fooling people in the forums.
I bought products from MyCableBox a few weeks ago, and checked it with SMS, confirming they (MyCableBox, in Oxford) are selling fake boxes.
ALERT: do not deal with them.
Buy direct from SMS (both related stores are listed at Retailer | dream-multimedia-tv.de), and include the full 2 year warranty / guaranteed back-to-base. The 2nd shop is for e-tailing (dreamboxshop.co.uk).
PS: this is a another tell-tale sign (MyCableBox was offering a 1 year warranty only), but I learnt about that too late because I'm in a rush to set this up (Trader ALERT Page).
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