Which one, NTL / BT / SKY

nutmegman

Hi all,

I am new to this, so would really appreacite any advice you could offer me;

Current situation:

Sky Family Pack £21.50
BT option 2 £16.50
NTL 1MB £17.99 (unlimited, however, should be ok with around 2-4GB per month download)

Total per month = £55.99

Proposed options

Proposal 1,

scrap SKY go with freeview
Bulldog 1 MB unlimited £14.50
BT option 2 £16.50

Total per month = £31

Proposal 2

NTL 1 MB included
NTL Phone included
NTL TV base pack £31
NTL eve & weekend £5.50

Total per month = £36.50 (could still ditch the tv pack and run with freeview to save £5.50 per month)

Proposal 3

Freeview FREE +BOX
BT line only £11
Primus eve & weekends FREE
Bulldog 1MB unlimited £14.50

Total = £25.50


I know this is long winded and would welcome any advice possible, we are not really that bothered about having lots of TV channels. We do have both NTL & BT choices open to us.

I don’t really know about Primus, are there calls expensive outside free evening and weekends?


I hope this ok, and should act as a good marker for others considering this, and finally, Talk Talk is not an option where I live.


Thanks in advance :beer:

Heinz

Welcome to the MSE forums nutmegman.

For an instant saving of £21.50, cease the Sky subscription but leave the equipment in place. You'll be allowed to keep the equipment and Viewing Card and the card will still decrypt Channel 4, five and Sky Three and you'll also have a plethora of free to air channels too (see HERE).

Sadly though, that doesn't include E4 or More 4. However, after a couple of months, you'll have saved enough to add a Freeview terrestrial STB as well so you can receive them too.

smudger1964

Heinz wrote:

Welcome to the MSE forums nutmegman.

For an instant saving of £21.50, cease the Sky subscription but leave the equipment in place. You'll be allowed to keep the Viewing Card and it'll still decrypt Channel 4, five and Sky Three and you'll also have a plethora of free to air channels (see HERE) - but, sadly, not E4 or More 4. However, after a couple of months, you'll have saved enough to add a Freeview terrestrial STB as well so you can receive them too.

Hi sorry to but in but just a quick one i am thinking of doing this if i quit sky at £21 and leave the dish and box in place just how mmany channels can i get then and do i just carry on using the sky card i have? as the (see HERE) link doesntwork

Heinz

My mistake (sorry) - try HERE.

If you get around to counting the channels, please post on here!

No card at all is needed for most of the channels on the list (most are FTA) - but a 'yellow house' ex-subscription card will continue to decrypt the three marked FTV.

BexTech

smudger1964 wrote:

Hi sorry to but in but just a quick one i am thinking of doing this if i quit sky at £21 and leave the dish and box in place just how mmany channels can i get then and do i just carry on using the sky card i have? as the (see HERE) link doesntwork

Many channels and virtually all radio stations are FTA (Free To Air) this means you just need a dish and a box, no subscription and no viewing card.

3 Channels are FTV (Free To View) this means you need a dish, Sky box and Sky viewing card, but no subscription.

The channels you can view for free can be found on the link given above, or you can take out your viewing card and flick through the channels, and then add Ch4, Five and Sky 3.

Some channels that are free on Freeview (DTT-through an aerial) aren't free on satellite, so many people who want free channels have both Freeview (where available) and Free Satellite services.

nutmegman

First,

Thanks to all for your help :beer:

So i called up sky to cancel, used the 0800 number from say not to 0870, good job as i was on the line for over 25 mins!!

Then I shocked i was paying for sky sports, we added it a few months back to watch an FA cup semi final and as usual forgot to cancel.

Then Sky said it was a months notice to cancel, I just replied stating i wanted to cancel, then i got transfered as suspected.

The package i was on costed £36 per month, sky offered me the same package at £10 per month for three months.

See it does work if you phone to cancel.

However, I wanted to cancel so I did, just a shame i have to pay for a another month at £36.,...

Thanks

BexTech

You could downgrade immediately to the £15 package, and still give your 30 days notice to quit.

nutmegman

Thanks,

I tried that, and they wouldnt let me.....I thought about sending a letter, but whats the point....

BexTech

They should have let you.

nutmegman

Thanks to this site, I have now changed all my phone detials too;

Sky - cancelled, now use the freesat thingy....or freeview
BT - downgraded to line rental only £11 pm
Onto primus saver 2
1899 for daytime calls
NTL BB, called them and they offered to extend my 9.99 deal until xmas

All in all this is a very good saving.

Thanks

Dandirt

Hi

If you want to cancel Sky make sure that you do it in writing and don't forget the date on your letter. The contract says one months notice but you will find that when they reply saying '...sorry you are leaving, etc...' they give you a date to end your service TWO months or more later - that way they get an extra months subscription.

If you cancelled by 'phone chances are they won't have done it and when you contact them to see what's happened they mysteriously have no record of you cancelling.

When you cancel your subscription make sure you cancel your ddebit so they can't take any more money after the thirty days notice! The web is full of hundreds of reports of Sky's rip-off tactics - just google in 'Sky cancel subscription' or similar to read 'em. They are currently threatening to take me to court for £19.40p (yeah, I know, it's a joke, innit) for a months subscription charged thirty days AFTER I cancelled my contract. It doesn't bother me though because they never take it to court, mainly coz they would be exposed as the rip-off merchants that they are. I just shred all their letters unopened now.

They are absolute and utter conmen with a total disregard for customer service.