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

The_Old_Bag

I cannot seem to get a complete deal from SKY.
They will only talk about the TV package, and say I need to talk to phone/BB people separately about phone/BB
In past I was able to sort out a price for the complete package.
Has anyone got a number where you can speak to someone about the whole thing?
Thanks

carpy

The_Old_Bag wrote: »

I cannot seem to get a complete deal from SKY.
They will only talk about the TV package, and say I need to talk to phone/BB people separately about phone/BB
In past I was able to sort out a price for the complete package.
Has anyone got a number where you can speak to someone about the whole thing?
Thanks

same i was told yesterday when i negotiated my tv deal

after blood sweat and tears got 50% off any package (tv only) for 12 months (offered 10m to start with).

pushed for 60% + account credit as others have had but no joy....told that finished 24/12/14 and was for a very few selected customers

managed to get £10 as goodwill gesture out of live chat advisors 'kitty'!! lol

taxidad

Advice please.
Told Virginmedia I was going to Sky about 2 weeks ago and cancelled everything except phone but I haven't had a call from retentions yet. However I want to stay with Virginmedia. How soon is it that retentions call customers to try and keep them? Do I have to book the sky first before they call me?

itstheone

taxidad wrote: »

Advice please.
Told Virginmedia I was going to Sky about 2 weeks ago and cancelled everything except phone but I haven't had a call from retentions yet. However I want to stay with Virginmedia. How soon is it that retentions call customers to try and keep them? Do I have to book the sky first before they call me?

I had cable for over 25 years but got fed up with the yearly price rises and as most of my viewing is Netflix/Amazon or linear channels decided to cancel the TV/Phone and just keep broadband.

Got 50mb BB for £19.50 but no phone calls from them whatsoever about TV/Phone. Went ahead and got an aerial fitted and bought a BT Branded retail Humax box for £150 before christmas and cable switched off on the 8th January, sent the boxes back on Monday.

Can't say i miss it at all and i'll be saving over £50 a month.

From my experience VM aren't as proactive or aggressive about keeping customers as Sky are. I wouldn't rely on getting a phone call, although i never mentioned sky when i called to cancel.

Hope you have better luck than i did although paying a big wedge of money for channels i never watched was, to me, a waste of money.

aggie_01

I am getting incredibly frustrated with BT - they have some AMAZING offers, both on their website and on Money Supermarket. However, every time I go through the process of filling in forms and ticking boxes, the page that appears says 'an error occured'. When I contacted BT, they said that the company policy is not to offer online deals over the telephone, while at the same time acknowledging that the error is their fault. Can someone advise whether I should persevere with the deals online or just accept that they are just a trick to get people's attention and companies like BT simply have no intention of respecting those deals? Do they just offer deals and on purpose create those 'technical errors' to get us to call? This is incredibly frustrating.

Innys1

aggie_01 wrote: »

I am getting incredibly frustrated with BT - they have some AMAZING offers, both on their website and on Money Supermarket. However, every time I go through the process of filling in forms and ticking boxes, the page that appears says 'an error occured'. When I contacted BT, they said that the company policy is not to offer online deals over the telephone, while at the same time acknowledging that the error is their fault. Can someone advise whether I should persevere with the deals online or just accept that they are just a trick to get people's attention and companies like BT simply have no intention of respecting those deals? Do they just offer deals and on purpose create those 'technical errors' to get us to call? This is incredibly frustrating.

Probably. Proving it, mind, is an entirely different matter.

danielvmn

I have Virgin XL package with 100mb internet, I’m currently paying around £68 and this will increase in Feb and I’m quite unhappy with that.

I’ve been out of contract for 6 months, so yesterday evening I called and talked with retentions to try to get a better price, I said I would seek other cheaper options. The well trained kept offering these packages on a contract, the same that are available on the website, so he basically offered downgrades rather than discounts. He didn’t budge, so I decided to proceed with the cancellation. My service will terminate on 20th-Feb and I will switch to BT Infinity and will use Now TV/Netflix from now on.

I know I’m not at all entitled to a discount, I just wanted to mimic other success stories heard here. Is this the common experience with Virgin? Are they really difficult to get a discount with?

Thanks

Geordie_bear

Ok ladies and gentlemen, I always use the 'cancellation' technique & it's never failed yet. In 2011 I was paying £72 now in 2015 thanks to their own 'price increases' I've negotiated right down to £51. Here's what I got:-

150meg broadband (big kahuna package)
Tivo box downstairs XL TV package
Virgin plus box upstairs
Line rental
Unlimited calls (including 0870 numbers)

all for only £51

Virgin are getting wise though so you need resolve and plenty of it! Whan I originally cancelled they said they would just freeze it for 6 months nah no ta disconnect. My first call from retentions offered me nothing merely confirming my disconnection date (a bluff to try & force my hand & cancel my cancellation!) nope disconnect please. My second call was a lot better however I used the (blatent lie) technique so here goes:-
VM

"Hello sir can I ask why you're leaving Virgin"

ME

"Yeah sick of the price increases"

VM

"So may I ask who you're thinking of going with"

ME

"Yeah looks like sky, checked up online & for a comparible package to VM apart from Broadband speed it worked out £88.43 but I spoke to the online adviser & was told as I was a current VM customer if I went with them I could have 12 months half price on a 12 month contract, meaning after 12 months I could cancel & try to renegotiate"

TOTAL AND UTTER PORKY PIE FROM ME

VM

"Wow errr ok that's a good deal, well we can't beat that but we can offer you the Big Kahuna deal 150meg broadband on top of your current deal & give you it for £51, that deal is valid for 12 months on a 12 month deal"

ME

"Well errm ok then I suppose that's alright I'll take your deal"




So everytime there's a price increase the 'cancellation' method has paid dividends year on year I've got more out of them and paid less! Take my advice & get a deal yourself :T

Geordie_bear

danielvmn wrote: »

I have Virgin XL package with 100mb internet, I’m currently paying around £68 and this will increase in Feb and I’m quite unhappy with that.

I’ve been out of contract for 6 months, so yesterday evening I called and talked with retentions to try to get a better price, I said I would seek other cheaper options. The well trained kept offering these packages on a contract, the same that are available on the website, so he basically offered downgrades rather than discounts. He didn’t budge, so I decided to proceed with the cancellation. My service will terminate on 20th-Feb and I will switch to BT Infinity and will use Now TV/Netflix from now on.

I know I’m not at all entitled to a discount, I just wanted to mimic other success stories heard here. Is this the common experience with Virgin? Are they really difficult to get a discount with?

Thanks

You're paying way to much for your service, you need to get it around the £50 mark, retentions will ring you back they can't afford to lose £800 a year from you, read my post above for ideas in negotiating techniques.

Geordie_bear

taxidad wrote: »

Advice please.
Told Virginmedia I was going to Sky about 2 weeks ago and cancelled everything except phone but I haven't had a call from retentions yet. However I want to stay with Virginmedia. How soon is it that retentions call customers to try and keep them? Do I have to book the sky first before they call me?

relax my friend, it's a game of cat and mouse, you will get your call from retentions & they will offer you a better deal & a cheaper monthly cost! Don't be afraid of negotiating relish it, it's fun :T