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

Fluffpuff

I've been having problems with Sky for a few months now (Been with them for 2 years). Basically a few months ago I gave them my new bank details and the following month they didn't take a payment from my new bank account. The only reason I noticed this was because two months later they tried to take two months worths of payments in one go which made me overdrawn. (I have no overdraft facility either).

I know this was probably my fault too due to not checking my bank and noticing that one month the direct debit didn't come out, and I could have possibly checked my account online to see that they would be taking 2 payments but as they didn't tell me this when I changed the bank details I never thought anything of it. And I've never had any problems before.

Then, Christmas Eve my bank went overdrawn again because of Sky. I had left enough in my bank for the one months payment, plus a few extra pounds that was left in my bank but they decided to take a larger amount!

When I rang them they said it was because I had changed my direct debit date and added on 4 days difference. I hadn't! But there were no actual notes on their system stating I had requested this.

I then told them that I was going to leave Sky due to the problems I had been having with payments and that when I was with another provider I never had this problem. I also said that I had been offered a better deal.

At that point they didn't try to keep me as a customer but instead told me that they will cancel my subscription and my internet would go off within the next few days and that everything else would go off within the next month!

Any advice? I feel that having been a customer for 2 years and paying the same amount in all that time (including being faffed about with payments) they could at least give me some incentive to stay.

[Deleted User]

Fluffpuff wrote: »

I feel that having been a customer for 2 years and paying the same amount in all that time (including being faffed about with payments) they could at least give me some incentive to stay.

Sky don't usually make any serious attempt to stop a cancellation until you actually go through with it. If you continue on the present course, you can expect offers tempting you to stay at a later date.

lexie55_2

If you cancel Sky and then take one of their offers later, does an engineer have to attend?

Anon

lexie55 wrote: »

If you cancel Sky and then take one of their offers later, does an engineer have to attend?

No (assuming that you have left all the cables in place - it is a 2 minute job to re-attach them).

Anon

50Twuncle

21Twinkle wrote: »

Done it - hope that he responds - unlike EE's (Tmobile/Orange) CEO who doesn't even acknowledge the existence of mere mortals !!
If he doesn't - it is BYE BYE SKY !!

I have heard back from Sky Executive Support Team - who have offered to fit me an HD ready box for free in a week or so's time - with no change to my contract...
So - maybe Sky are not that bad after all ?

penrhyn

Assuming your TV is HD ready , you'll be able to receive BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 HD without having a Sky HD sub. You'll also be able to connect the box to the interweb for Catch Up TV.
Get the installer to go through it all with you.

PS Nice result.

50Twuncle

penrhyn wrote: »

Assuming your TV is HD ready , you'll be able to receive BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 HD without having a Sky HD sub. You'll also be able to connect the box to the interweb for Catch Up TV.
Get the installer to go through it all with you.

PS Nice result.

Good point - We do have an HD ready TV in the bedroom (connected via cable) - not downstairs (that is still an old CRT set) - I hadn't even thought about this ....
Catch-up TV was the main reason for wanting an HD box - just a connection to the router is all that I need ?
My Internet speed is only 4Mbps max - is that going to be adequate ?

penrhyn

Yes, just a connection to your router, you also have to activate the service on the Sky website.
4Mbps should be fine as with the Sky system all catch up programmes are downloaded to the harddrive, only when sufficient has be downloaded can you play the content.
The latest software has a handy undelete feature so watched and deleted stuff can be retrieved.

50Twuncle

penrhyn wrote: »

Yes, just a connection to your router, you also have to activate the service on the Sky website.
4Mbps should be fine as with the Sky system all catch up programmes are downloaded to the harddrive, only when sufficient has be downloaded can you play the content.
The latest software has a handy undelete feature so watched and deleted stuff can be retrieved.

And catch-up TV is free ?
Good job I am on unlimited broadband - surely the amount of data being transferred will be huge ?

Beef73

Hi guys as you can see i am a newbie, i have read a lot on this section re haggling with sky for a better/cheaper deal and would like to share my experience.
I was having a problem with my old sky+ box approx 12 years old, when watching a recoreding it wasn't playing properly.
I phoned sky approx 14 days ago and explained with the economic recession the advent of digital tv etc I was looking for a better deal plus getting a new sky hd box to replace the old box.
My package is the basic bundle + sport £47.25/month, the first day i phoned i was offered a new sky hd box for £29, 9 months at £37.80 and then £52.25 thereafter for hd. i told the guy i would think about it and speak to the wife re the deal and he advised me to ring back later on that day.
i phoned the next day and told the girl of the deal i had been offered the previous day, the girl said that the deal was no longer available.
I went through the routine of explaining economic recession, freeview wouldn't like to leave however if i wasn't offered a deal i was giving serious consideration of cancelling with sky even though i have ben with them 12 years approx. I will go and speak to my line manager was the reply, she then came back with an offer of free box, 9 months £42.80 and 3 months £52.50 and have sky hd for the full year on basic bundle and sports. After the year i cancel the hd and have a 1 year old box which i originally set out to get for nothing. whilst I acheived what i set out for the point i would like to make for your informatio is the offer you receive is at point of call only, in other words if you don't take it will be different the next time you call it could be better or worse. Sorry for the long essay