Sky, Virgin & BT TV Haggle down prices and get serious discounts Article Discussion

Bud_Weis_Err69 · 19 November 2011 at 4:19PM

Hello,
We have been Sky customers for over 10 years and have never contacted Sky or had a problem with our service. We have a normal Sky digibox and we're looking to upgrade to Sky+ before Christmas (well it's about time!)
Anyway we have been told that in order to upgrade we have to pay £49 for the installation and the box. Is there anything we can say to get this service for free for being with the company for so long? Also we wouldn't mind multiroom but would that be pushing it a bit?
Please can we have some advice as to what exactly we should be saying in order to get these offers?

The Sky lady will be calling on Tuesday so any help before then would be great!

Thanks

Anon · 20 November 2011 at 12:04AM

heathrow86 wrote: »

I cancelled my Sky subscription a couple of weeks ago. Mainly due to cost. I was not offered any deals at all. Anyway at the moment i cannot afford my own PVR, so i called Sky and asked for the recording to be put back on, thinking i would be charged £10 a month for the privelage, but no i was told it was free. Happy days then.

Is it working and do you have any subscription at all? How long is it on for?

Many thanks

Anon

pawlala · 20 November 2011 at 1:44PM

Bud_Weis_Err69 wrote: »

The Sky lady will be calling on Tuesday

They shouldn't make promises they won't keep. :rotfl:

Flyboy152 · 20 November 2011 at 9:05PM

Bud_Weis_Err69 wrote: »

Hello,
We have been Sky customers for over 10 years and have never contacted Sky or had a problem with our service. We have a normal Sky digibox and we're looking to upgrade to Sky+ before Christmas (well it's about time!)
Anyway we have been told that in order to upgrade we have to pay £49 for the installation and the box. Is there anything we can say to get this service for free for being with the company for so long? Also we wouldn't mind multiroom but would that be pushing it a bit?
Please can we have some advice as to what exactly we should be saying in order to get these offers?

The Sky lady will be calling on Tuesday so any help before then would be great!

Thanks

I heard that the boxes were free, I don't know how true that is, but I assumed they were desperate for customers. It might have been started by Virgin and Sky needed to follow suit.

alspants123 · 22 November 2011 at 7:09PM

Hi All,

Thought I would update you all on how I got on haggling with VM

I phoned retentions back citing sky deals and cashback offers and explained I was happy with VM but hard cash was king! I listened to the operative give me the spiel on how poor sky were, having to insure the sky box etc and then got down to haggling, first offer for

large bb
xltv
m phone
tivo 500mg
v+ box in another room (i only have one telly!!)

was £48.90 but no up front fees.

I pointed out I had received an offer of £43.90 and install+connections fee of £29.95 total only 2 days before from them, he explained he was waving the fee of £29.95 and could match the £43.90 per month. I agreed fair deal but I had been on the forums and knew I could cancel and get offered a better deal but thats not how I liked to do business (a complete lie!) suddenly the £29.95 disappered and we settled on:

Large bb
xltv
m phone
tivo box (1tb for £49.95 install and connection)
v+ in another room (which i still dont need but is free)
phone line fee

for £43.90 a month
A fair deal I felt
12 month contract but I can have the deal for 24 months if I wanted.
My negotiating style was pleasent with plenty of "im really tempted" or "I just dont know etc"
Hope this helps.

louiseamymay · 23 November 2011 at 2:21AM

bbfb10 wrote: »

Last night I phoned up to "leave" sky as we are moving house. We have been out of contract for some time, but never tried to get a deal before. Spoke to a very helpful lady in retentions who let me upgrade my package (basic + sports) to everything and then gave me a 50% discount on the whole lot for 6 months. Ive gone from paying £40 p/m to £24p/m and now I get the movies! Happy days.

How did you manage this! I am in exactly the same position- have been a sky customer for years, and no longer in contract. Am moving house, so phoned to cancel telling them id found a cheaper deal with bt. They would not back down and just insisted that although bt is cheaper sky is better quality and has more to offer (even though my point was that i barely watch any of the sky channels so its not worth paying the extra for channels i dont use). They would not budge on the price - not even a little bit to match bt - and we ended up saying we will cancel our sky and take up bt when we move. They were willing to accept our cancellation rather than budge on the price!
What number did you phone? I dont suppose you know the name of the person you spoke to? I need to reduce the price if i am going to stay with sky! The only reason i am considering staying with them is because my boyfriend wants the sports package (unless anyone knows of a way i can use my sky box and dish without subscription to pick up free channels, and just pay for sports?? I dont think this can be done though)..

louiseamymay · 23 November 2011 at 2:26AM

foxy219 wrote: »

Morning, have just read up on the last couple of pages and decided to give Sky a ring to see if they could offer me any discount on my current bill - told them I was thinking of moving onto Virgin and straight away I was offered a 25% discount for 12 months, no hard sell no trying to convince me to buy anything else very impressed, will save me over £220 a year!
Very happy!

Can i ask what you were paying previously? I am currently paying £47 a month for entertainment plus and sports. I am moving house and want a package that will include tv, broadband and line rental. The best sky would offer me was £52 - MORE than what im already paying! I told them i will cancel unless they reduce the price, as bt offer everything for £44. They wouldnt budge! Offered me no discount at all! What am i doing wrong!

What number did you call and who did you speak to?

brewerdave · 23 November 2011 at 8:42AM

louiseamymay wrote: »

How did you manage this! I am in exactly the same position- have been a sky customer for years, and no longer in contract. Am moving house, so phoned to cancel telling them id found a cheaper deal with bt. They would not back down and just insisted that although bt is cheaper sky is better quality and has more to offer (even though my point was that i barely watch any of the sky channels so its not worth paying the extra for channels i dont use). They would not budge on the price - not even a little bit to match bt - and we ended up saying we will cancel our sky and take up bt when we move. They were willing to accept our cancellation rather than budge on the price!
What number did you phone? I dont suppose you know the name of the person you spoke to? I need to reduce the price if i am going to stay with sky! The only reason i am considering staying with them is because my boyfriend wants the sports package (unless anyone knows of a way i can use my sky box and dish without subscription to pick up free channels, and just pay for sports?? I dont think this can be done though)..

Can't have Sports pack without standard Sky sub. If you go Freesat from Sky there is no way of getting Sports.
If you take up BT it'll be Freeview (thru an aerial rather than thru the dish) plus on demand stuff over the internet (so you will need a decent connection - certainly better than 2Mb with a high download limit -60 GB ??) - Going this route you can get Sky Sports 1 & 2 via TopUp TV, but it ain't cheap!!!:(

beverley1296 · 23 November 2011 at 12:52PM

Just rang up threatening to leave sky to BT, but best they came up with was saving £7.50 a month for 9 months...... been with them for years never get any deals think this is rubbish too, makes me wonder whether i should leave them try bt for a year then go back if it doesn't work out. Tried for a 1T box wanted £149 plus £15 delivery. Never ends with them.

The_Old_Bag · 23 November 2011 at 5:32PM

louiseamymay wrote: »

How did you manage this! I am in exactly the same position- have been a sky customer for years, and no longer in contract. Am moving house, so phoned to cancel telling them id found a cheaper deal with bt. They would not back down and just insisted that although bt is cheaper sky is better quality and has more to offer (even though my point was that i barely watch any of the sky channels so its not worth paying the extra for channels i dont use). They would not budge on the price - not even a little bit to match bt - and we ended up saying we will cancel our sky and take up bt when we move. They were willing to accept our cancellation rather than budge on the price!
..

I am in the midst of re-negotiating my contract.
I have just finished a half price deal with sky, and I have phoned them about 3 times on different days at different times and been offered completely different deals each time.
Not necessarily getting better...... but I think you just have to be prepared to
1) Do your research so you know what Virgin, BT etc are charging.... and drop their prices into the conversation with Sky so they know you are clued up on the market prices.
2) Phone, phone and phone again as the offers very depending on who you speak to
3) Be prepared to cancel. I did this last year, as I genuinely was fed up of the cost and rubbish on the TV despite all the hundreds of channels supposedly on offer.
The cancellation never happened as they talked me into a substantially better package for half the price !!:T
Wish I could get something as good this time, but if needs be, I will cancel.
One of the best deals I ever saw was about 18 months ago in Morrisons foyer - phone, BB and ALL Channels for £25.
For existing and new customers.
Said I needed to check out where I was with my phone/bb provider... but when I phoned Sky up to take up the offer, they know nothing about it.
Said that they knew nothing about, and could not match these in-store promotions..... so been kicking myself ever since I didn't sign up there and then.
He was even offering £25 M&S vouchers and a new Sky+HD box with free installation.
I should have bit his hand off..... but you live and learn:cool:

Sky, Virgin & BT TV Haggle down prices and get serious discounts Article Discussion

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