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

boomumlissa

Hiya, my husband is usually quite successful at this. Maybe it's just luck of the draw as to which advisor you get on the phone. He's had new sky boxes, discounts, free packages and allsorts in the past. Maybe try saying I'm thinking of cancelling due to price, can you do anything to make me want to stay?
Hope you get a better reply from someone but just thought I'd say hi

macman

As long as you are already OOC, then just ring and ask to cancel, you will be put though to 'disconnections' (alias retentions), and say you can no longer afford your sub.
Calling near month end is probably better than now.
It's no good talking to the first tier CS, they do not have the authority to offer the good deals.

dukesy_2

Interesting call..

Currently have phone, broadband and entertainment package from them at a cost of £58.25 a month

Called them a short while ago to cancel, and was offered a rate of £41.55 instead for 12 months (no contract)

But for a little extra, we can get VM in with same (ish) product, and a Fibre Optic broadband. As we are currently only getting 4MB, this was a big draw.

Cancelled on the phone, giving them 30 days notice, and then get a call from them saying that they have managed to "boost" our broadband to 7.5MB !

AS we dont stream internet TV or anythign, this might make a difference to us.

Will call them back and see what they will offer now..

vanilla8

Skyinsider wrote: »

Ok, so first of all contact the "Value" team, if you have a tennure of longer than 5 years you will be entitled to 10 or 20% off DTV so long as you have 2 premiums, this will recontract you for a further 12 months. Don't be rude, at the end of the day we are in control of the system and we are not obligated to give you anything, it doesn't effect our pay. If there are no offers with regard to your DTV package, enquire about your products. HD, Line rental and Broadband. When phoning "Value" tell them that you are fully aware that the program called "Merlin" will generate an offer, no matter how small. Don't shout or scream at us, we just go outside have a fag and laugh. Also calling us at anytime of the day is irrelevant we use a locked computer system. If there isn't an offer there, 9 times out of 10 there isn't one there. Speaking to managers makes no difference and threatening to cancel won't wash with "Value" and soon enough offers will become a thing of the past. Sky are catching on. This process might not work if you are a contiunal "offer rider" if you ring up every few months this course of action might not work, the more offers we select in "Merlin" the less that are likely to populate in the future. To get in contact with "Value" choose the "downgrade" option on the telephone. This will only work if you currently don't have an offer on your account.

Happy Hunting

Your favorite Sky mole.

Just rang up and was offered this 10% deal - nothing else to offer me due to taking up two previous offers over the last two years.

Continued with my cancellation and will hold out for the 75% before i go back!

wrightk

anyone had any joy with this over the internet, ie their chat service? im still in grace period

DonnySaver

On-line 'chat' won't haggle with you. They're only interested in selling you more stuff. If you want to cancel/haggle then they'll always refer you to the customer service number.

shark4zero

Just took the advice of MSE and phoned sky. Was polite but pointed out that I hadn't had any form of loyalty discount for years ... they agreed and offered me one of two deals

25% off total monthly bill for 6 months

or

20% off total monthly bill for 12 months.

I took the later with no tie in or extension of contract, moral is ... don't ask don't get. £120 saving over next 12 months

oh .. and you can get the wifi connecter for anytime plus at a reduced price of £9.99 instead of the usual £60 ... just ask.

Thanks MSE :j:T:beer:

pawlala

Rang up today with the honest intention of cancelling ESPN because I hardly watch it. Was asked why, told them I was trying to reduce my bill. So they cancelled ESPN and also offered me 25% off for 12 months (no contract) without even being preempted. So my bill is now approx £35 per month instead of the usual ~£57

roger_c

Managed to get tv (entertainment extra package), unlimited BB and evening and weekend call pacakge for £32.50 per month, saving me a about £110 for the next 12 months!

Just spoke very nicely to the girl in Glasgow on the phone.

Meghalaya

I've been a customer of Virgin since they started and I am appalled with their service, communication, value, transparency and “ethical” standards.
For example, Virgin communications:
13 Jan 2012 (first): “We're giving you even faster broadband for less....boost your speeds from 100Mb to 120 Mb...we're also lowering the price..
13 Jan 2012(second): “Oops! That last email, 100 Mg Broadband Announcement, was sent in error.
24 Jan 2012: We're doubling your broadband speed from 10 Mg to 20Mg...part of an 18 month programme ...unbeatable tickle...”. This is the first time I realised that I was only getting 10 Mg BB...(and why do computer systems show this 10Mg speed as 100Mg speed in “Connection Information” - perhaps this info, together with the other technical matter, is supplied by Virgin ?).
I believed I was getting the lowest advertised/disclosed speed on their website of 30Mg.
February 2012: Unfortunately...price increase”. My price increase was £3.25 per month, yet no increase in BB speed in the near/intermediate future.


My Virgin package is Broadband L (try and find that, let alone the speed, on the Virgin website) and phone XL - Talk Unlimited. No TV. My average monthly bill for the last six months is over £43. My broadband modem/box is an old NTL one, I have never been offered one of the new/newest hub or super hub, giving increased security and usefulness, that Virgin's website assures me today, are part of every broadband package!


I have recently gone onto two reputable Broadband Speed Testing sites; the download speeds for my wonderful fibre-optic Virgin system were very close – just under the 10 Mg. Upload was 0.9 Mg. My old “3” mobile broadband (three speed rises ago) upload was faster at 1.68 Mg.


I phoned Virgin customer services in the last week to try and get some answers to these and other discrepancies and differences in performance, service and costs etc. in what long-standing and loyal customers – like myself - were getting, compared to new customers – no help/deals, some information on older cable speed capabilities (and the cheeky question to me “what was the purpose of your call today”!) As noted earlier Virgin's minimum BB speed to new cable customers is (up to) 30 Mg. Virgins earlier long-standing customers on the 10 Mg will only get upped to 20Mg – their existing fibre-optic cable is NOT CAPABLE OF GOING ABOVE 20Mg and, I am told, Virgin do not intend changing it for these customers – therefore Virgin's service to them is outdated and obsolete, and overpriced.
Virgin's non-cable copper-wire customers get a much higher broadband speed than many thousands of existing 'fibre' clients.


When and if my broadband speed is upped to 20Mg, I will still be getting one-third less speed than new customers who are paying considerably less for their higher-grade services. It's blatantly obvious that it's company policy to “rob” what must be many thousands of long-established customers to fund new business deals.
I honestly believe that Virgin are unethical in these respects; are clammy and childish in their 'spiel'; and their manner and style is narcissistic. I wish some professional body (like trading standards or even ofcom) would look into these situations. Virgin taunts BT with it's “Keep Up” nonsense...it's Virgin themselves who need to Keep Up in honesty, openness and fair play/fair deals to all. I have noticed on the BB speed websites that Sky, TalkTalk and BT are very honest and accurate in their speed claims.
To stay or not to stay with Virgin. I very much doubt it. Why wait forever for a lesser and more expensive service, and yet another price hike. Best to leave – if only for a period of time – to get a better deal (again, for a period of time)? I think not.