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

theloft

katthehat wrote: »

Advice please............digital starts in our area (cumbria) on thursday, think it's BBC2 we loose first!! I want a box that i can record on to watch whenever, but don't want to have an overpriced monthly thing going on, what would anyone suggest and where would i get what you suggest...lol Thanks for any answers, i no nothing when it comes to this sort of thing!

I was faced with this problem and also, where to put my Freeview Box, VHS Recorder, DVD player etc. Solved all of this by scrapping the lot and buying a Panasonic DMR EX95 unit, which has 250 Gb hard drive, plays and records on DVD's, plays and records on VHS tapes, copies from one to the other and it has the freeview box built in. So TV and one box only - never looked back. Initially expensive, but worth every penny as all the programmes you record are played back as clear as the original. Then if you wish to keep the programme, just record it on to a DVD - brilliant!

jamesjl

Just wanted to let everyone know I am new to this money saving thing, but fed up with being a Sky customer for 10 years and having to pay more for Sky+ than HD to upgrade my box, and inspired by this site, I phoned Sky to try my luck. Took a few attempts to get through to cancellations, but once there I quickly got offered either a free reconditioned + box with free install, or £29 + box with free install. I went with the latter and they are coming to fit next month. Hooray! Phoned on a Thursday morning, if this helps others. Here's to more moneysaving ...

cv76

Me and a mate both got the following deal (i got it on 25th June):

Phoned up cancellation department and said i wanted the same deal as new customers were getting for Sky HD. Was told that she couldnt offer me anything as she only dealt with cancellations, so i took the hump and said i wanted to cancel!

At that point, and with some light hearted haggling, i was offered the exact same deal for HD as new customers get! i.e. £49 for HD box and (most importantly) 12 months free line rental, this then cancels out the cost of the HD subscription, and as they are cheaper than BT am actually a few quid a month better off!

My mate got the exact same deal, and he had only been with Sky for 12 months. Have now told everyone at work with Sky to give it a go!

cuedini

I phoned to ask if there was a better deal other than the one I was on (£36 10mb, XL TV) preferably with a phone line as I didn't have one. I wanted to downgrade my tv too. They agreed to let me have 10mb, M TV & phone for £25 pm plus £30 installation. I agreed but changed my mind the next day as the M TV package is not much better than freeview, so I'd really be paying £10 for a phone line I only need for "freephone" numbers. I cancelled and they phoned me the next day saying it was my "lucky day" and I could have phone installed for free and downgrade TV to L for £1 less, which is ok cos I want eurosport in July then I'll downgrade to BBand only for £15 and get freeview. I'm torn now though with the option of a BT landline for free, that would give me more provider options in future.

Harveycat_2

I don't have Sky and I haven't phoned anybody to cancel anything.

I save myself around £37 per month at least.

skaff

Been a Sky customer for years and always squeeze the price down when they raise them!

My latest long haggling session was pretty fruitful. I had Full Sky package, Sky + and multiroom with one extra box.

After much 'negotiating', i added Sky talk, Sky broadband, Sky line rental, and an extra box for another room and the whole package ended up 12 quid cheaper per month than what i had been paying previously!!

dgvajani

I have one question as we all know Sky is giving lot of good offers to new customer , What will happen If I cancel my current subscription and apply again as new customer in wife name with her current bank details and then I can get £60 from quidco + £25 voucher from sky and HD box with free installation. any thoughts ? is there any implecation ?

toojohnny

Does anyone use Virgin Media? Been with them over 4 years, but they aren't offering much when I tried to haggle. Currently paying £59 p/m for XL tv, 2MB Broadband (moderately used) and 'free weekend (certain) calls' phone (rarely used) Have a second box in the bedroom for the tv.

They would give a tenner discount, making the price £49, but the downside was a renewal of a 12 month contract. Just for watching tv (with no special extras like Sky Sports) and a bit of internet, £49 doesn't seem like a bargain.

Tried to get them to change 2nd box for a V+ box, but wouldn't do it for free - wanted £49 installation. Wouldn't budge, so I cancelled.

They have taken about £3k off me since I was a customer, and the cable will now just sit lifeless - all because they can't see past the end of their noses, and wouldn't budge on a one-off £49.

Anyone get a much better deal that what they offered me? After saying they had gone rock bottom, they then said they would match if I found a lower price.....

dj9928

When I phoned to cancel Sky 6 months ago they made me an unbelievable offer, I said it was to expensive, they said, right what we can do for you is, remove sports and leave u with 1 mix for £16.50, I said I could have done that myself if I wanted to. Needless to say I left

nicp60

toojohnny wrote: »

Does anyone use Virgin Media? Been with them over 4 years, but they aren't offering much when I tried to haggle. Currently paying £59 p/m for XL tv, 2MB Broadband (moderately used) and 'free weekend (certain) calls' phone (rarely used) Have a second box in the bedroom for the tv.

They would give a tenner discount, making the price £49, but the downside was a renewal of a 12 month contract. Just for watching tv (with no special extras like Sky Sports) and a bit of internet, £49 doesn't seem like a bargain.

Tried to get them to change 2nd box for a V+ box, but wouldn't do it for free - wanted £49 installation. Wouldn't budge, so I cancelled.

They have taken about £3k off me since I was a customer, and the cable will now just sit lifeless - all because they can't see past the end of their noses, and wouldn't budge on a one-off £49.

Anyone get a much better deal that what they offered me? After saying they had gone rock bottom, they then said they would match if I found a lower price.....

I've just got off the phone with Virgin and Sky. I'm currently a Virgin customer and had TVM (not much better than freeview), BB XL (not a gamer or anything, so definitely not worth it), and Phone M. I pay £34 a month, but it's frequently £50+ with OD films and phone calls (no mobile reception at all at home).

I went to the Sky website and 'built' my own deal - Sky movies 2, Variety Mix 1, Free Sky+ box and basic BB and line rental for £35.50 a month + 55 installation for phone line and Sky+.

I called Virgin to cancel and they offered me TV XL (the OD service is excellent, and better than Sky's imho), same phone deal (need to stop using the phone!!), to downgrade my BB (they had claimed this was 'impossible' before) to 10Mb, a free V+ box (with installation at £30), and the same channels as are included in the Sky Movies 2 package for £40/month.
I've been with Virgin for 12 months (contract expires the day after tomorrow).

Although I'll pay out more per month (only a fiver), we'll save a ton on movies and OD services. Add to this the DVD recorder we just got from clearance at Richer Sounds (£40 rrp £180) and I'll never leave the house again!
I'm really pleased with this, as the TV service we had before was pants!:rotfl: