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

JPL64

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

The point is that offers don't become "available" just because you come to the end of the 12 month minimum term. Sky are under no obligation to offer you anything to encourage you to stay and asking "several Sky operators" means diddly squat because none of them will have been staff who are authorised to give you retention deals.
It's only now that you have tendered your one month notice that Sky even know that you intend to cancel.

Do not be tempted to ring Sky seeking any offers, since this will simply reveal to them that you are not serious about your cancellation. Also, don't expect any "deals" to be forthcoming during your notice period, they will only come once your TV service actually ends.

Basically one month ago, I rang Sky saying I wanted to end my tv digital package. I did not actually ask if any offer was available. The guy I spoke to convinced me to cancel only the day after the 12 month contract was over as offers could be available. I phoned subsequently a couple more times in the past month and spoke to different sky operators who told me the same thing (to double-check their story...).

I won't phone SKY anymore and will wait for them to contact me, in the coming 30 days or after once my TV contract is effectively over (thanks for the advice by the way Moneyineptitude).

[Deleted User]

JPL64 wrote: »

Basically one month ago, I rang Sky saying I wanted to end my tv digital package. I did not actually ask if any offer was available. The guy I spoke to convinced me to cancel only the day after the 12 month contract was over

You couldn't have ended your contract earlier than the twelve months minimum anyway (unless you were prepared to pay an Early Termination Of Contract, ETC, fee).

So the Sky employee didn't convince you not to cancel (you couldn't have anyway) and simply provided you with a "sweetener" to get you off the 'phone.

Further, you then spent money ringing Sky on several occasions since then to be told the same thing?

This is a money-saving site, so the recommendation is only to ring your provider if you have a problem-not for confirmation(s) of what you have already been told!

Why did you keep ringing them?

All this information is freely available on the Sky website;


https://my.sky.com/mysky/indexb.html

JPL64

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

You couldn't have ended your contract earlier than the twelve months minimum anyway (unless you were prepared to pay an Early Termination Of Contract, ETC, fee).

So the Sky employee didn't convince you not to cancel (you couldn't have anyway) and simply provided you with a "sweetener" to get you off the 'phone.

Further, you then spent money ringing Sky on several occasions since then to be told the same thing?

This is a money-saving site, so the recommendation is only to ring your provider if you have a problem-not for confirmation(s) of what you have already been told!

Why did you keep ringing them?

I did not want to terminate my contract earlier, I just wanted to let them know I was not going to renew my tv contract once it ended on the 26th of December.

As I have also sky phone and broadband, I used 150 to contact them, so it did not cost me anything.

Nemo

Well, that didn't go to plan. Just got through to 'upgrades' and explained that I'd had Sky TV for 25 years, was looking at bringing my phone and broadband over, and what could they do for me dealwise? All I got offered was half-price broadband for a year. ie. £3.75 instead of £7.50 . Says he's not allowed to offer anything off of the TV price.

I asked for Retentions as he said they were the only ones who could, and went through it all again. The offer was half-price broadband and 10% off of the TV price. As I was looking to upgrade to the HD packs the price would have been about £60 instead of £65.25 (apparently I already get a £2 discount), but still more then the £55 I currently pay.

I told him that I felt insulted after all I've paid Sky over the years, but he said that's the absolute maximum he's currently allowed to offer. I said I wasn't going to cancel there and then, but would be looking at other providers. He did say that it would be worth phoning again in the new year as he expected new offers to be available.

I do like Sky but don't want to pay all that on principle as much as anything else. Think I'll have a look around to decide what to do, but will likely phone in the new year and cancel the TV channels unless they come up with a decent offer.

incesticde

incesticde wrote: »

I've been switched off for a couple of months now, I've had the 30% off offer! four or five 50% offs and said onto all of them before.

Got called last week and offered 50% off again, refused and was offered the 75%. Said yes, went through the process only to be told after about five mins that as I was still signed up to sky broadband and talk the system would not allow me to get the 75% offer!

He then had the cheek to offer me the same 50% offer that I said no to at the start of the conversation!

Shall be phoning up tomorrow to see if I can get the 75% offer, if not I'm moving broadband and talk to primus or bt

Well sky refused to budge, 75% offer is no longer available apparently and they would only offer me 50% off and no offer on bb/talk

Said no thank you and signed up to bt infinity, £88 cashback and £100 sainsburys card

[Deleted User]

JPL64 wrote: »

Basically one month ago, I rang Sky saying I wanted to end my tv digital package.

I think this would be regarded as a cancellation

JPL64 wrote: »

I did not want to terminate my contract earlier, I just wanted to let them know I was not going to renew my tv contract once it ended on the 26th of December.

You're were just ringing them for no justifiable reason, your "TV contract" did not end on December 26th, only your minimum term did. The contract continues automatically without any "renewal"
I'm glad it cost you nothing...

[Deleted User]

incesticde wrote: »

Well sky refused to budge, 75% offer is no longer available apparently

Nonsense, it just wasn't available to you personally.

[Deleted User]

Nemo wrote: »

I said I wasn't going to cancel there and then, but would be looking at other providers.

This kind of "threat" achieves nothing. As said over and over and over again on this thread the only way to get the best discounts is to cancel and actually mean it. What's the point of saying you'll be looking at other providers? Tell them you have looked and are moving and you might get somewhere!

superbigal36

incesticde wrote: »

Well sky refused to budge, 75% offer is no longer available apparently and they would only offer me 50% off and no offer on bb/talk

Said no thank you and signed up to bt infinity, £88 cashback and £100 sainsburys card

They know they had you caught on their worm hence offer withdrawn.
As I mentioned earlier today I got 75% off (The £57 package) for 12 months AND £100 credited to my account.
When you are happy with the offer take it there and then.
Remember it is still without a new contract so you can still cancel any day.

Nemo

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

This kind of "threat" achieves nothing. As said over and over and over again on this thread the only way to get the best discounts is to cancel and actually mean it.

Yeah, I totally get what you're saying. Naively, I thought for a long-term customer looking at moving their phone and broadband, they would make a decent offer. There's no way I was going to go for it, and just wanted to be clear in my own mind rather than cancel there and then. Principle's more the issue than the money.

I'm going to phone after the new year (just in case there are any new offers available) and cancel. If they don't try and stop me with a good offer, so be it. May just go Freeview and Netflix for a while. I'm having a dilemma now though of whether to move the phone to Sky anyway. Obviously not that principled:D

I'll post how I get on.