Sky, Virgin & BT TV Haggle down prices and get serious discounts Article Discussion

babymarf

Hi All,
I've recently had a retention offer from Sky of 9 months free broadband and free line rental which is a saving for me of £22.50 x 9.
I would like to take the movies package from them but at £16 a month I find it poor value when compared to Lovefilm who are offering three months membership for £6 via Groupon. Sky won't budge on the £16 a month but I'm wondering if it would be worth paying it for a couple of months and then ringing to try to cancel it. If I did this would Sky offer me a better price to keep me on board with the movie package long term? Has anyone else tried this in the past?

Dazza1971

In order to reduce my bill last month I did the usual and phoned sky to cancel. We negotiated and I ended up cancelling the hd package (£10.50 per month) and they also gave me 25% discount. Had a phone call this week from sky asking if I would like to discuss my account. I almost said no but the guy on the phone was most polite. Anyway to cut a long story short he has now given me my hd back for £2.50 a month. One happy sky customer!

chalky_bertie

I am currently trying to get another deal from BT.

Have been offered 12 months for phone, broadband option 1 and unlimited vision (exactly the same as what I have now) for £37.75 for 3 months and then £40.25 for 9 months. Have asked for a MAC code as this is more than I am paying this year. Have looked at Sky and they are wanting £50 a month for same but obviously more channels on the telly, no Virgin cable service where I live. Not that bothered about more channels as I struggle to watch everything with the freeview box. Haven't got a HD telly either so not bothered about that either.

Do BT phone back once you have requested a MAC code to keep your business? Is this going to be the best I can get out of them. I have been with them for 3 years now and cannot fault their service at all.

vikramrkin

Dazza1971 wrote: »

In order to reduce my bill last month I did the usual and phoned sky to cancel. We negotiated and I ended up cancelling the hd package (£10.50 per month) and they also gave me 25% discount. Had a phone call this week from sky asking if I would like to discuss my account. I almost said no but the guy on the phone was most polite. Anyway to cut a long story short he has now given me my hd back for £2.50 a month. One happy sky customer!

£2.50 for HD sounds like an excellent offer. Was your contract extended?

GDBD59

My elderley father wants sky, so he can watch sports.

I used online-chat to talk to Sky yesterday.
Cheapest they offerred was Basic Entertainment £20, + Basic sports package £20 per month, free Box + free Installation.

So £480 for the year.

Are there any deals going through the cash/voucher sites that better that?

downshifter98

Hi all

Just coming off my second 6 month 50% discount with Sky (just movies, sport etc - normally £48 pm so currently £24) and received the expected offer of 25% discount for the next 12 months which I thanked them profusely for but refused and I'm now into my 30 day notice period - we do enjoy Sky but not at full-price (or 3/4 price!) so will be happy to lose it for a month or 2 if need be. If nothing forth-coming (although I fully expect a better offer at some point) I will just invest in a freesat box. Will keep you all informed, of course.

downshifter98

si1965

downshifter98 wrote: »

Hi all

Just coming off my second 6 month 50% discount with Sky (just movies, sport etc - normally £48 pm so currently £24) and received the expected offer of 25% discount for the next 12 months which I thanked them profusely for but refused and I'm now into my 30 day notice period - we do enjoy Sky but not at full-price (or 3/4 price!) so will be happy to lose it for a month or 2 if need be. If nothing forth-coming (although I fully expect a better offer at some point) I will just invest in a freesat box. Will keep you all informed, of course.

dowmshifter98

Same as us except we weren't offered the 25% discount before cancelling. We lose Sky on 17th January and have already got the trusty PS3 with Play tv (and series link) up and running. If they ring us with a deal we may consider but tbh am looking forward to saving the £40/month.

If we could get Sky broadband in our area I would be more inclined to pay full price for the TV.

Gratis

si1965 wrote: »

Same as us except we weren't offered the 25% discount before cancelling. We lose Sky on 17th January and have already got the trusty PS3 with Play tv (and series link) up and running. If they ring us with a deal we may consider but tbh am looking forward to saving the £40/month.

If we could get Sky broadband in our area I would be more inclined to pay full price for the TV.

I find it interesting that Sky, which was handing out 50% discounts on its TV packages fairly liberally prior to Christmas has now shifted its promotional emphasis to getting people signed up to its Broadband and 'Phone services, instead.

Sky must be extremely annoyed at the widespread exposure on MSE of the ways to obtain a 50% discount on its TV packages, by cancelling and waiting. :mad:

The remedy to this would be for Sky to get subscribers locked into its Broadband service. It knows you'll think twice about going through with a Sky TV cancellation if it means you'll also need to find another Broadband supplier. It's one thing to go cold-turkey without Sky TV for a couple of months; another thing entirely to go without Broadband for a couple of months. :eek:

macman

But a Sky TV sub is not required in order to have the phone and broadband (although it is discounted). You can cancel the TV once you are out of minimum term, and still retain the phone and broadband.

Gratis

macman wrote: »

But a Sky TV sub is not required in order to have the phone and broadband (although it is discounted). You can cancel the TV once you are out of minimum term, and still retain the phone and broadband.

That, I realize fully.

(Although Sky will charge you an extra £30 a year to keep them, if you cancel Sky TV – about which a poster to another thread here got his knickers into a very severe, but totally futile, twist.)

My point is that if Sky gets you locked into its Broadband for a year, it has you over a barrel should you try (in a ploy to reduce your fees for Sky TV) threatening to switch to Virgin for your media services.