Digital TV Cost Cutting Article - Discuss What You've Been Offered

Hillfly

jinkssick wrote:

And I cannot believe the fact that Sky+, you cannot just copy the files to a computer or similar. That is absurd. I have a Hauppage usb2 which records dirctly from freeview channels straight onto a pc.

The intetnion here is to copy protect their content so it can't be distributed for free which is fair enough - particularly the movies me thinks. Nothing absurd about protecting your content. The fact they provide free to air channels is by the by as they have a right to protecty everything they screen.
Freeview can obviously be distributed for free.

toonmagpie

Can anyone advise me please?

I cancelled my sky subscription last November and now that my finances are settled I wish to return. Does anyone know what the currently re-instatement deals are?

Or, has anyone any experience of another member of the household subscribing as a brand new customer for instance my wife (same bank details) or 18 year-old son (he has his own bank account)

I'm basically looking for

basic package with sports
Sky+ and multiroom.

Cheers

Bob K

BaileyB

Well they do checks and as you all have the last surname that would be a sign aswell as your wifes same bank account. So your best option is your Son's he could say he's renting it from you etc. If your surname is common like Smith, Jones etc then he will have no problem but if it's very uncommon then your best bet would be online.

I would go for the brand new customer route, you should get free Sky+ box and not sure what deals they are offering at the moment but have a little look on the sky+ website.

Aslo go through quidco for cashback deals aswell, at least then you wont have to speak to anyone.

phbaker

I have been with telewest for a couple of years. I have the basic phone package (free at weekends, £11.00), the essential tv (most channels less sky sports and no premium chanels £11.50) and broadband (4mb £25.00), the normal price for these three is about £47.50 a month. this time last year, when they upgraded, for free,the broadband from 2mb to 4mb, i negotiated a 12 month half price broadband deal (from £25.00 to £12.50) for a year if i kept the phone line, so saved £12.50, totel package proce about £35.

this month i called when the 12 month deal expired and tried the same, they were tighter about keeping the same level of services for a cheaper cost, but we negotiated a deal where the only change is dropping the broadband from 4mb (£25.00) to 2mb (£12.50). although i have lost the 4mb broadband speed, i dont notice the difference and have saved negotiated an overall cost for the three services of £30.00, saving £17.50 a month off standard prices. thats a yearly cost of £570 reduced by £210 to £360 which is still too much but is about a 37% saving on the standard prices.

to do this i told them what services i was willing to lose to save cash, unless they could offer my other options to keep the three. i got them dowm to £34.00 a month then mentioned the web advertised £30 for all three deal for new customers and asked if they were going to argue over £4 and potentially lose a loyal customer. they caved and i got the deal for a further 12 months.

they tried to bambooze me with combinations and costs, but i got the guy to go over everything several times, partly to make sure i understood the options and also so it gave me time to jot down some sums of my own and decide on what to juggle to get the price and services i wanted, not just what they wanted me to sign up for.

so, i got the package i wanted at a price i am happy to pay and dont have any of the disruption of changing suppliers.

always haggle, they want your business and will drop the prices to keep it. good luck!

p

HappySad

jinkssick wrote:

What is the cheapest deal with the most basic package. I find each one of the things mentioned a complete rip off. The movies selection is pretty poor and one movie gets replayed 6 times in a 24 hour span. With over 200 channels, everytime I go to a friends house, there is Nothing to watch. Only channel I would love and would be interested in is Discovery Channel. Apart from that Sky is a ripoff.

And I cannot believe the fact that Sky+, you cannot just copy the files to a computer or similar. That is absurd. I have a Hauppage usb2 which records dirctly from freeview channels straight onto a pc.

The football selection is something that is also laughable showing one or 2 games a week, and then they want £80 a season for additional games.

I am interested in your "Hauppage" to copy files straight to your computer. Can you tell me more about this or list the URL for more info on this. I want to next year get HomeChoice/Freeivew and be able to the programs onto the computer. Want I would like is to use a removeable harddrdive to store the information and be able to plug this into the TV/Harddisk device (using whatever device) and play the programs from there. I want to ideally go straigh from VHS to Harddrive and leave out the DVD format for my favourite recorded programs.

bergy2

Telewest

I recently managed to get 4mb BB, TV Starter (note they have a free freview option now - if you ask for that or chuck the box they give you starter so you can purchase movies), Line rental and Talk eves w/es

fer £17-50 pcm fer a year - got this through an NTL disconnections lady

SKY

I had 3 people trying to get me back in 2 days - best offer i took was 2 packages and all sports channels for £5 pcm for 4 months no tie in

If your SKY package has lapsed quote HOTLINE and say the £5 package for 4 months with all premium sports channels - as there are a load of rubbish offers under that code also

bergy2

oh and a lady i know said she wanted to ditch her telewest line rental and ended up getting it for 3 months at 19p a month - now thats a result

littlelily

Hi,

I am a newbie so I hope that I have posted in the right place! Advice please, and apologies if this has been asked before!

We have had Sky for donkeys years and currently have the full package @ around £52 (yikes!) per month. Husband is a Kiwi and so there is no way that we can cancel sports (rugby every Saturday morning) and we do also watch movies quite often. We also have Sky+ which is brill and I have no real desire to lose that.

However, as I am currently purging the direct debits, I have come to the conclusion that we are paying way over the odds. New customers seem to be able to get the same package as we have for around £40 and I have read enough posts to see that we should be able to haggle for a discount.

So, wise people, which is the best way to go?

Do I call customer services and ask them for a reduction in charges - if so, what deal should I hold out for?

Or do I call their bluff, ask for Cancellations, tell them that we can no longer afford any package and wish to cancel the whole subscription? What deal might I expect and, as the world's worst haggler, what tips do you have to help me get it?

If you could spare a couple of minutes to let me know the best way to go, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks in advance!

blueskies_3

Hi, my first ever post, so here goes!

I was on a basic famly package at £21.99. I rang sky and said I couldn't afford it and wanted to cancel. They put me on the even more basic £15.99 package. 3 months later, I rang again and said I really did want to cancel this time, so they have now given me 6 months at £7 per month with the first 2 months free as I had "overpaid"?!!! I am not an avid TV watcher so could take it or leave it so if they had called my bluff and cancelled, I wouldn't care. But I do like getting a bargain, and so will call again when the 6 months are nearly up - you never know, I might get it free for a year next time!!!

airtrack12000

I am still in 12 month contract with sky since upgrading to sky+ in january 2006 even though i have been a customer for 6 years. Told them i was offered cheaper deal with NTL and they offered me 3 months half price everything, or 5 months half price sports packages without even having to haggle........ring them even if your still in a 12 month contract!!!:rotfl: