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

[Deleted User]

[text removed by MSE Forum Team]

liam8282 wrote: »

If they can offer a deal to entice a new customer, they can offer the same deal to keep a customer who is no longer in contract.

My original response was to someone who was complaining about Virgin staff saying that new customer offers are not available to existing ones. All I said was that this is true, they aren't.

I'm not saying no one should try to get a reduction in the price they pay. My issue is with you inferring that it should be an entitlement once you have passed the minimum term. The overwhelming majority of customers pay the full subscription and don't haggle for a reduction. If this were not the case, then the business model on which these suppliers are based would fail.

SnowWhiterThanWhite

liam8282 wrote: »

You'Re Receiving A Loyalty Discount It's For £11. If You Change Your Package You May Lose This Discount. Which
Will End 15-MAR-14
Promotional offer(s)
CR £11.00
Phone line rental
Telephone Line Rental
Phone line rental total
£14.99
Your package total
£19.00

Thanks. A colleague at work is paying £30 for phone & internet, which is the same as yours but obviously without the discount.
I will update as/when any progress made with Virgin

[Deleted User]

liam8282 wrote: »

But loyalty offers are available to existing customers who are out of contract.

They are available to some existing customers. "Work" and "haggling" are far from being the only reasons they may be offered; the suppliers also take into account the previous history of the customer to determine whether it is worth making an offer to keep them. Plenty of posters report being allowed to cancel completely when attempting to "haggle".

Your loyalty offer ends next March, it is far from certain that Virgin will then extend your deal-especially now that you no longer subscribe to any TV from them.

liam8282

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

They are available to some existing customers. "Work" and "haggling" are far from being the only reasons they may be offered; the suppliers also take into account the previous history of the customer to determine whether it is worth making an offer to keep them. Plenty of posters report being allowed to cancel completely when attempting to "haggle".

Your loyalty offer ends next March, it is far from certain that Virgin will then extend your deal-especially now that you no longer subscribe to any TV from them.

What is your point?

Virgin do not review your account when your contract expires and offer you new terms at the price best price available. It is upto the customer to realise they are out of contract and discuss a new contract at terms acceptable to both parties.

If you don't ask, you don't get. Which is the whole point of this thread, isn't it?

For me personally, when my contract expires, I will do exactly the same as I do every time my contract expires. I will ring them and discuss a new contract. If I am not happy with the contract offered I will leave and join a rival with a contract I am happy with. I am sure my comments from previous years will still be on this thread somewhere, where exactly the same process has been followed.

If you think it is ok for people to plod along paying over the odds for a service they could get much cheaper, by simply asking for it, then fair enough.

[Deleted User]

liam8282 wrote: »

If you think it is ok for people to plod along paying over the odds for a service they could get much cheaper, by simply asking for it, then fair enough.

I've never said or implied any such thing.

[Deleted User]

I called SKY yesterday to remove the HD pack from my account.

I only have it for the F1, and as that has become a bit of a Zzz recently I thought I'd save myself the £10 a month.

Unfortunately I was told that, as I am still in my 12 month contract period (I used an MSE 50% off code in Feb/Mar I would have to pay £27 odd to have it removed.

Fortunately the operative offered me 50% off the HD pack for the next 12 months with no additional lock in period (except the one I am currently in).

It wasn't what I really rang up for but a £5.25pm saving is better than a kick in the teeth:j

fondue

Still nothing from Virgin..........

Can see them just letting the cancellation go through...

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote:

Unfortunately I was told that, as I am still in my 12 month contract period (I used an MSE 50% off code in Feb/Mar I would have to pay £27 odd to have it removed.

Fortunately the operative offered me 50% off the HD pack for the next 12 months with no additional lock in period (except the one I am currently in)j

You need to urgently check if your original 50% off deal is still in operation. Usually, accepting any additional offer will void the previous one.

liam8282

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

But you are wrong for expecting that! All suppliers offer deals to entice new customers, but if everyone paid the reduced rates all the time then there would be no incentive for new customers!

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

I've never said or implied any such thing.

Surely your first comment to me implies that only new customers are entitled to an incentive or a reduced rate?

Anyway, point of the thread....

MSE_Archna wrote: »

This thread is specifically to discuss the content of the

Digital TV Cost Cutting Article
and to discuss what deals you've been offered to help others in their haggling.

To discuss or ask a question about the article: click reply

To see past haggles read the old haggle thread.

GOLFER

Ok a couple of years i had Sky sports, movies etc. I then cut back to kids programmes and eventually in July 2012 I cancelled, keeping phone and broadband. i had the usual comeback calls and letters offering 25% then 50% but I held out.

I then basically forgot about sky untill mid nov 12 I get a call offering me a new sky+HD box and 50% of sports etc. I said that it was still a bit much for me to pay each month. He then asked what box i had, i told him the original one i got when i signed up, he then offered me a 75% discount if i just kept the box. So i agreed and was informed i could cancel anytime as i wasnt tied into a contract.

Rolling on to the end of Sept 13, my box gives up. I phone up to be told its £65 to send out engineer to fix the box or I would be entitled to a new Sky + HD box and free intallation. So i asked if i would be tied in to new contract and was told just for the box for 12 months.I said as my contract for 75% was finishing up in mid november i might not want to renew as i couldn't afford to pay full price. I told them that if i could re-sing to 75% discount (chansing my arm) i would take the new box. She said hang on let me have a look.

To my amazement she came back and said yes she could do that and ordered my new box and installation for the next week. New arial and box all fitted and working on the Monday but with limited HD channels as i didnt have HD package.

On the tuesday phoned to see if they could maybe offer me a deal on HD. I thought maybe half price for 6 months something like that, but she said as i had a 75% discount there were no offers for me. Then she tells me that if i add it to my package i would get the 75% discount on thr HD also. So she did.

Entertainment extra, sky movies and sky sports all with HD for an extra £1.25 per month. So i now pay the grand total of £15.50 for the total package incuding HD.

So sometimes its worth cancelling altogether and see what they offer you