Our new Broadband Haggling guide - please share your feedback

El_Presidente

Just off the phone to Virgin for third time in a week - they are playing hardball. A 15 year customer whose bills have gone up 30%+ in just the last 2 years.


Yesterday I asked for a discount off my Full House package (£79/m), also stating that my TV service was not working properly and I was waiting for an engineer visit, and was offered £6 off a month. I left it and just called back this lunchtime, through to customer retentions and told them I was off. Still offered £6 off my current package or a downgrade saving to Mix Package at £53/m. Overall that does save me £26 a month, but I loose half my channels, lots of HD and my internet speed is reduced.


Told them I'll sleep on it - may need to actually book a disconnection.


Meanwhile engineer calls to look at bad TV picture pixelation, tells me that it's a local Virgin upgrade project running in my area for 'several weeks'!

Carfilhiot

I have just renewed with BT after taking over responsibility for the account from another family member, and ended up paying £26.99 per month for "Broadband & Calls", less than half what we were paying previously.

Bungaroosh

RachelLee99 wrote: »

I switched to BT two years ago from EE via Topcashback at a cost of £30.99 pm (with the cash back, it was effectively £19 (line rental + 35mb speed + weekend unlimited calls) for 12 months. I was given a speed boost to 75mb sometime during the contract. When it came up for renewal, I told them I would like to leave, so they reduced it to £25 (from £30.99). The price was increased to 27.5 in Sept 2018.
When the contract expired this month, they started charging me £43. So I rang them again and they said they are happy to keep the price at 27.5 for an 18-month contract. I said I am not prepared to pay more than £25, so she asked me to wait and came back with an offer of £24.99. Vodafone and Now are effectively £22.5 pm after cash back for the same speed. Did anyone get BT sports thrown in for similar price? or am I asking for too much? :-))

This sounds a brilliant deal that I would like to get myself. Just got a letter from BT through the post offering to renew the same as what you've got for 18 months for £40 p/m, with a £50 gift card. The standard rate for this is a frankly ridiculous £58.99.

I'm tempted to ring them and say I "know someone" who has this deal for £24.99. I'd rather stick with BT wherever possible as touch-wood have had very few problems with them over the years, and I read about someone who had nine months of problems after switching from BT to Plusnet. I've never done much haggling before but it must be worth a try -- you make it sound effortless!

Bungaroosh

Carfilhiot wrote: »

I have just renewed with BT after taking over responsibility for the account from another family member, and ended up paying £26.99 per month for "Broadband & Calls", less than half what we were paying previously.

What broadband speed is this? Thanks!

fingerbob7

Have been on Sky for three years, getting Sky fibre unlimitted. I renewed in Oct for 18 months at £25 a month including line rental (was previously on better offer at £20). When the price went up so soon to £27 I called and tried haggling, I was told there was nothing better they could offer. So I decided to cancel and go with Vodaphone at £21 a month.

Now in the past two days I've read some very negative reviews about Vodaphone and decided to go to Plusnet.

Dusty_Bin

My £20 per month deal with Now TV Broadband for so-called Fibre Max (up to 35mbps) ends soon with the standard price starting at £39.99pm, so nearly doubling.

I called them asking for a better deal and was offered £25pm on a 12 month contract or £27pm with no fixed term contract.

They're offering the same price (£25pm) to "new" customers but with inclusive anytime calls, which is worth an extra £8pm.

I asked if they could match that deal for me as an existing customer and was told that they couldn't.

So much for loyalty!

pphillips

Been paying Virgin Media around £10 a month (plus annual line rental saver) for broadband for years. Discounts have just ended, tried haggling and the best they will do is £22 a month for a 12 month contract or £29 a month for rolling contract. Feeling trapped as live rental saver runs until January 2020.

JJ_Egan

Work out what you can get if you leave and factor in lost ALR .

pphillips

Lost ALR is around £110 then you need to factor in BT line installation cost (free with Sky) and then you have the slight speed reduction as well, so is it worth it?

[Deleted User]

pphillips wrote: »

Lost ALR is around £110 then you need to factor in BT line installation cost (free with Sky) and then you have the slight speed reduction as well, so is it worth it?

Only you can answer that question.