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

ceminem

Received a call on Sunday from Sky after 4 months since cancelling my HD TV subscription on full package. Was offered six months full HD package for free with no contract tie in straight away as advisor said he this was the best deal to entice me come back.

I took the offer due to the no contract tie in, the advisor even reminded me the date which I need to give notice in order to cancel if I didn't want to continue the subscription after six months. Was an ideal result given the fact that I called up to ask if I was eligible for the 25% offer which I was told no, this deal is even better. It pays to hold out and let Sky call you.

Jass1

Hi just a quick update, got round to ringing sky today to see if they could offer me anything, after speaking to a nice woman on the phone i was told there wasn't any deals avaiable to me so i decided to play hard ball and i gave my 31 days notice and left. Hopefully somebody will phone me when im not at work and offer me something or i get an offer through the post. Has anybody got any experience with how long it takes them to get back to you or post a flyer?

Nobleman

Jass1 wrote: »

Hi just a quick update, got round to ringing sky today to see if they could offer me anything, after speaking to a nice woman on the phone i was told there wasn't any deals avaiable to me so i decided to play hard ball and i gave my 31 days notice and left. Hopefully somebody will phone me when im not at work and offer me something or i get an offer through the post. Has anybody got any experience with how long it takes them to get back to you or post a flyer?

I heard nothing during the 31 days and then had to wait just over 2 months to get a 6 months free on a 12 month contract offer through the post. I phoned them on the last day of the offer and said i'd only rejoin if they gave me HD for free, they refused so i left it.

dan7hughes

Rang up the other week to see what they could offer. Was on entertainment extra, sports, phone and bband - so £65 a month from sept.
Worked out BT would cost me £45 a month for sports, tv, phone, bband (average cost per month give or take one off costs/offers).

Said I wanted to leave and had worked out the cost. The agent spoke to me about what I used it for, and would/wouldnt get with BT and said he could do a deal. I pointed out i was previously told they couldnt do deals (see my post a few weeks ago) and he said of course they could and put me on hold.
Offered to reduce me from entertainment extra to normal entertainment to saver £5 (as i said i wouldnt be too fussed if i lost those channels going to BT. Offered me another £10 a month off for 12 months with no tie in. So i'll pay £50 a month for next year. Also gave me free HD for 6 months as i have the HD box from a previous haggle, but never taken the HD pack.
Its not amazing, but better than full price and seems OK with what existing customers are offered on here. Although sky seem to be placing more emphasis on new customers than retentions, despite the average cost of a new customer being a lot more than a retention in this industry.

FiftyPents

How does it work in terms of cancelling and then signing up again in a different name? Do people get away with that?

For example could I just use my girlfriends name, even though she doesn't live with me, but still use the same account to pay from, or would she have to take it in her name, use her account to pay etc?

Theodoris_Zagorakis

My contract runs out 30 days from now. Have the whole caboodle, HD, multiroom, sports inc espn, movies, unlimited broadband and line rental costing £99 a month.

Rang up yesterday to cancel. Somewhat aggressive Scottish lady insisting I downgrade and asking about our watching habits.

In the end I was offered 20% off TV for 12 months, saving me about £15 per month taking into account the imminent price increases.

I Explained that I could join Virgin (didn't really want to mention other providers but was baited into it by her attitude) and get all channels, 100MB bb and unlimited phone for a price cheaper than the discount I was being offered. She then tried to qualify the offer saying it will 'save you money' despite me continually explaining that Virgin would be cheaper, and with a better product (100mb broadband!). Eventually she started talking about whether I wanted the 'hassle' of changing and stated that they could not better that offer. Duly cancelled.

Just need to decide whether to actually get Virgin (fibre optic broadband is tempting) or wait for a ludicrous offer from SKY.

baisui

I've just moved into a house with a Virgin Media package that is out of contract. VM have told me I can arrange with the previous occupiers (now landlords) for a 'transfer of responsibility' - they were reluctant to confirm this, but they did tell me in the end that doing this would allow me to take on the account *without* being tied in to a new contract. I'm half worried that this advice is not right and that I'll end up tied in on the terms of the old account for good (it's an old account, so expensive). But on the other hand, if what they say about TOR is right, I'm wondering if I'll have better bargaining power as an old customer than as a new customer.

So in a nutshell, to get the best deal from VM should I:

(1) ask my landlords to transfer the account to me, then haggle with VM retentions, or

(2) just ask them to cancel their account and then call VM to set up a completely new account.

Thanks for any advice.

JM

afc80

Emailed my cancellation of sky 2 weeks ago. Was getting switched off on 21 July 2012.

They just called me.

Gave them the normal, money is tight !!!!!!., that i love my sport but i cant justify the outlay. Just confirming what i told them by email.


Quick as a flash the lovely girl offers me half price tv for 12 months and im not tied in for that 12 month period.

I can cancel at any time.

:beer::j

Deedo

My contract is due to finish with Virgin on 31st August, I called today to suggesting i will go to sky in august but they offered me
30mb broadband
L - TV
tivo box
Talk weekends
for £39

but they want £49 installation fee, :eek: when i asked why I had to pay for installation as all they had to do was plug in a Tivo box, they said "its a bit mroe technical than that" and i said i'll think about it, much to the surprise of the woman i was speaking to.

Think I will cancel and go to sky as I can sign up via a cashback site and they are also offering £100 M&S vouchers, though this is due to end 26th July so I will see whats on offer closer to the time.

I know Tivo is better than the Sky+ box but theres never 3 programmes on i want to watch anyway, and Sky seem to offer more TV channels than Virgin for the same money.

Whats the likelyhood of Virgin forgoing the installation fee?:(

ricky7

baisui wrote: »

I've just moved into a house with a Virgin Media package that is out of contract. VM have told me I can arrange with the previous occupiers (now landlords) for a 'transfer of responsibility' - they were reluctant to confirm this, but they did tell me in the end that doing this would allow me to take on the account *without* being tied in to a new contract. I'm half worried that this advice is not right and that I'll end up tied in on the terms of the old account for good (it's an old account, so expensive). But on the other hand, if what they say about TOR is right, I'm wondering if I'll have better bargaining power as an old customer than as a new customer.

So in a nutshell, to get the best deal from VM should I:

(1) ask my landlords to transfer the account to me, then haggle with VM retentions, or

(2) just ask them to cancel their account and then call VM to set up a completely new account.

Thanks for any advice.

JM

Let your landlord cancel and take the hit on any cancellation notice. You will probably end up with upto a months free viewing!

I say you join up as new customer, as from my experience with virgin their rolling contract prices are silly prices. Sign up via quidco/topcashback. whichever pays you more.