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

learn2cope

kay9 wrote: »

Hi Please bear with me I am new to using forums and only hope I am doing this right.

I'm looking for advice on cutting the cost of my TV, phone and broadband package. I am currently with VIRGINMEDIA (wouldn't recommend them) and I have spoken to them about downgrading my packages in my New Year financial spring clean. I have been told that I can't downgrade as they are part of a bundle I can only ever increase my package. When I threatened to leave and look elsewhere I was told there would be a £180 cancellation fee. Either that or I'm stuck paying a fortune until November.

Has anyone else had this problem and can anyone suggest a way out without the financial penalty?

Thanks for your patience I hope I'm getting this right.

I did the same type of thing last year but spoke to a very sympathetic person at Virgin. I basically phoned up and said I'm either going to have to drastically reduce my monthly bill or cancel everything. He asked me what I could manage to pay every month and then he altered my plan to that price. We had previously been told that we needed the largest broadband package (by a Virgin technician that came out to fix our modem) but when the guy looked at my usage he said I was wasting money and we could infact downgrade to a cheaper one without affecting our access to the internet.

He may of been more sympathetic as I'm a women and probably sounded desperate as what I was saying was the truth and I had already spent the morning trying to plead with other companies along the same lines.

Moral of the story - It may be worth trying again in the hope that you get a more sympathetic person and try the 'I can't afford to keep you' approach as opposed to the 'I'll go else where' approach.

Good luck xxx

dizzymanda

Hi I am trying to reduce outgoings so rang Sky this evening - I explained I am out of contract and intended to cancel unless there were other options as I have had my new cards I can watch freesky for free saving me quite a bit a month although I am on the basic variety package.

They offered me a permanent £25.00 instead of £30.00 offer by reducing my sky multi room cost to £5.00 a month which will save me £60.00 over the year and I can still reduce my viewing package if I wish as I am out of contract.

They said I could have (though there was an expectation I would stay with sky for a full 12 months which I disregarded - but I could have the current package I have for another 6 months at £15.00 and then go up the full price after that. As I probably intend to drop the lot and got to free sky I chose the first option which I decide what to do as the kids may be able to contribute.

Incidentally I rang the freesky section first and they told me that once you cancel the digital package you automatically go onto freesky if you have your new viewing cards you don't need to buy new cards (£20 a go).

Mutton_Geoff

I rang Virgin last month to downgrade my V+ TV/phone/BB package to phone & BB only and they offered me a deal that was OK but not spectacular so I said I'd leave it. They sent me boxes to ship back the V+ and second room box we had but the day before the TV was due to be turned off, they rang me back. The deal they offered (after a bit of haggling) convinced me to stay.

I've got a V+ box with TV XL, M phone (basic) and L broadband (basic) all for £31.75 (new customers could pick this up for the equivalent of £39.33 according to the bundle/2 months free on their website today).

The deal was structured at £39.75 a month but with £30 credit (free month) and six months free phone line rental, so £28.75 for next 6 months then £39.75 for the rest of the year. Total annual cost £381 on a 12 month agreement.

suicidal_blonde

Does anyone know if the £65 quidco cashback (or topcashback) for SKY+ HD works if you just get the SKY+ HD box without the HD subscription? My TV isnt really up to the HD package so I dont see the point in paying the £10 extra for it?

littlem's

I might be being daft but can anyone give me a straight answer on this one -
Is it cheaper to have your broadband and phone line paid to one or two companies and buy a Freeview + (the ones that record) than to go with a digital TV package?

We are out of contract with Virgin and pay loads for it, realising that whilst we view some of the channels we won't get elsewhere unless we stick or switch to Sky we have decided we can live without them as we REALLY need to reduce our outgoings.

I've looked at BT's offer - what do people think? It sounded like a good deal to me or am I missing something?

I have a feeling BB and Phone and buying a Freeview + really is the cheapest option - as so many of you are savvy on this one I thought I'd ask the experts!
Many thanks!:wave:

darrell_ick

I've been a sky customer for a number of years, i'm paying £38 pm thats for £17 broadband and £21 for sky + tv (4 packs) , i noticed on their website that they are doing a really good deal, which is a much better deal than im on, so i filled in all the boxes of the packages that i want which consists of ; 4 tv packs £21, sky +hd box £10 pm free instalation (online only), talk unlimited, £5 line rental £11 free voice mail free withheld number and free caller display, which adds up to £47, i would be paying an extra £9 but i would no longer be needing my current phone supplier which is costing me £15pm so i would be saving £6 pm and gaining a hd box plus a few extras.
so i filled in my bank details and clicked ok. a while later i had an e-mail saying it was cancelled, so i rang sky asking why they had cancelled my request, they replied it was because i was an existing customer.
so i said i find it terrible that new customers get a much better deal than someone that has been with sky for a number of years, i then asked is there any chance of me getting the same deal or otherwise i will cancel my account which ends in a few days? he said no sorry its only few new customers. I then replied i would be looking around for a better deal with another supplier, which he wasn't bothered about and ask if he could help me with anything else, i replied no thanks and put the phone down.
Has this happened to anyone else?

rabtmac

Ive spent the morning reading the posts on here and after searching online for the true cost of Virgin i decided to give Sky a call and ask if they could do anything for me.
I've been made redundant so wanted to reduce my costs as best i could but to be honest if i couldn't i would have gone over to Virgin for a reduction of only £8 but would have gained a V+ box
After a short chat with a very friendly lad from Sky i decided to cancel my multiroom subscription saving £5 (i had a deal on that since i set it up a yr ago)
and thinking about it i only ever watch the freeview channels on it anyway so ill still get those once the service ends in 30 days, so no loss really.
also while i was on and having said i was seriously considering quitting altogether i was offered 6 months half price TV package to help me out.
Brilliant i thought so now in total im paying £37 for Sky + broadband unlimited download, phone line rental and the unlimited phone package.
(My bill this month was £66 so a total saving of £29)
and thought id let others know that there are some good savings to be made with just a bit of information from the internet and reading this website.
Once again Martin your website has saved me money
thankyou.:T:beer:

gorstj

Phoned Sky cancellations as 'my bill was too high this month' and considering swapping to Virgin as offer better package.

Largely due to mobile and daytime land-line calls. (over £20)

Offered me Sky Talk unlimited (free anytime national/local calls and reduced mobile calls) for £2.50 a month for 12 months (usually £5 per month).
This seems to be a 'standard' offer as she said she had an email about it recently.

Even if I didn't get the offer I would save £15/month, now going to save £17.50/month

geordiepaul2001

Hi all,

I have checked with Virgin Media and unfortunately my contract doesn't expire until July 2010.
I have the Medium broadband package and the extra large telephone package a t present and I am looking at getting the extra large television package with the v+ box.
Virgin have said I will need to pay £75 for the box and then £44.75 per month.
I have been with Telewest/Virgin Media for 4 years now - is this a fair deal???

Paul

Mic2904

My Agreement with Sky ends on 25th of March, with allows me to call them on February 25th for a new deal.

Currently I am getting a 25% Discount on Sky+, Sky SPorts and ESPN. It was on for 6 months, would prob go for the same.