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

suffolkb

I cancelled Sky 3 weeks ago as they wouldn`t continue my 50% reduction (I`m out of work and told them I wouldn`t be back until I find a job). Since then I`ve had 2 calls asking if I`ll do a `phone survey on my viewing habits. Coincidence?. Since the survey is 20 mins, I haven`t bothered.

conniemander

We took out the £30 a month tv/broadband/phone package with NTL, but without even noticing the offer period had ended and we were paying 34.99 for 10mb broadband and £34.50 for tv/phone (about £50 inc call charges) plus £4 penalty for not paying tv/phone by direct debit, totalling about £90 a month, sometimes more. An NTL leaflet came through the door so I ran them to see if I could switch. As soon as I told the guy I thought we were paying too much he got all panicky and changed our phone to a different package, halving the price of our tv family pack and reducing the broadband to £17.50, all for three months. We are now paying less than £50, which is cheaper than the similar advertised packages on their recent leaflet, and about half what we were previously paying. Just goes to show its always worth a phone call.

conbon0

I have just called up Sky to tell them I want to cancel because their prices are too high and guess what ....they said ok and cancelled they did not even attempt to keep me and I have been with them for over 10 years!!

Bmwm3gt2

Just called NTL was on 4mb and phone line with talk unlimited. Told them had been offered sky+ with multi room and all channels except sports and mid bb for £47 a month (plus £11 BT line rental). They hadn't really but... Retentions came back and offered me line rental and bb as before with the V+HD box and another normal box with all channels including sports for £67.50 for the next 12 months, well chuffed with it.

curtlyb

conbon0 wrote:

I have just called up Sky to tell them I want to cancel because their prices are too high and guess what ....they said ok and cancelled they did not even attempt to keep me and I have been with them for over 10 years!!

.............wait............. you won't be cancelled just yet i presume (ie waiting for your latest payment to expire), there's an extremely good chance that you'll get a phone call a few days before expiry

pen1

Sky published their latest results today. This is what they said about subscription discounts:

As we indicated at our first quarter results announcement on 3 November 2006, we have moved ahead with our plans to first reduce, and then remove, viewing package discounts in retention and acquisition with a greater use of broadband and telephony. This has resulted in a short-term increase in churn to 11.9%. The Group estimates that around 27,000 customers left Sky's platform during the quarter as a result of this change in policy.

Results: BSkyB Corporate website

pen1

Just to add a bit more.

I've been watching Sky's analyst presentation this morning (I'm having a quiet day ), given by the CEO, James Murdoch and Chief Finance Officer, Jeremy Darroch.

Basically, what they're saying is that there are "offer riders". Apparently, they talk on the internet and spread the news (;)), which in turn puts pressure on their customer support centre.

They said that the new policy aimed to "weed out the bluffing" and when customers were not offered a deal they often stayed anyway. They indicated that they were prepared to take a "hit" in terms of some customers genuinely cancelling when a deal was not available, and that in the short-term they expected cancellations to increase.

They said that they were pleased by early results of the new policy, as the numbers who were genuinely departing when not offered a deal, were lower than they could have anticipated.

Miroslav

Probably already posted, but check out 'The Month' - just a sheet of paper that comes with the Sky Magazine.

Offered me 'Sky Sport's for half price for 3 months - it is in small writing mind.

Different offers for different people.

pen1

Although Sky were trying to get across that there was a new approach to address "offer riders" (their description!) and were talking in a determined manner about it, they didn't entirely rule out occasional discount promotions, and emphasised that their decisions were always being reviewed.

Reading around, I think some business analysts are a little nervous today about Sky's churn (cancellation) rate, as it is higher than many anticipated.

tamarto

Miroslav wrote:

Probably already posted, but check out 'The Month' - just a sheet of paper that comes with the Sky Magazine.

Offered me 'Sky Sport's for half price for 3 months - it is in small writing mind.

Different offers for different people.

Where did you see the offer? i cant see anything on mine