Haggle with BT - our new guide

Castro202

That seems very expensive.

JSmithy45AD

autumnbreeze47 said:

My BT contract for broadband and home phone ends in early January. I always check in with MSE and found the updated Haggle with BT guide really helpful -- so I wanted to share my experience with re-negotiating this week (w/c 1 December 2025).

Headline (TLDR): if an existing customer, don't bother with Sales (call or online chat, at least at time of posting). Go through customer retention ('thinking of cancelling?') to access decent discounts and avoid unnecessary upselling.

At the end of my contract, I'm paying £67.70 for Full Fibre 150 with Complete Wi-Fi and Pay As You for home phone usage. For the past year, I work from home and rely on Zoom so I'm happy with the Full Fibre 150 and need the Complete Wi-Fi set-up due to age and layout of property. The home phone is a non-negotiable for my elderly mum and that's usually been a sticking point with moving providers. I've gone freelance this year and can no longer afford £68+ per month for just broadband and access to home phone.

Predictably, all my 'VIP offers' were upselling and I wanted to chat with someone about getting my current package for less. I spoke to two different Sales guides (nice name change): both immediately offered TV and Netflix packages. I said I was interested if the packages were cheaper than my current subscriptions and with no ads (£33 pm). Both offered £30 but with ads which is a non-negotiable for my family (quirky bunch). I politely declined. Then they offered SIM cards -- if anyone is looking for a new SIM only contract, these are actually pretty good deals. I'm not as already sorted family out in summer and I'll need a new handset; again, declined. After this, the negotiation deteriorated pretty rapidly; they weren't interested in any information I offered and seemed surprised that I'd comparative figures to hand. This surprised me, as I've found BT sales reps to be pretty sparky and helpful in the past.

Sky's Black Friday deals for new customers seemed my best bet and I found a package inc TV/streaming that worked out cheaper than my current subscriptions. I fully intended to go with Sky: it was only when I realised that the 'switch' date would likely fall over Christmas that I decided to return later, within the 30 day cancellation window for BT. Due to giving Sky permission to contact BT (part of a pre-check out accessibility check for my area and existing number), this activated BT's customer retention department. 

Within minutes, I had an email for an 'exclusive' (cough) offer that was much cheaper -- and a different phone number to contact. The following day, I had three missed calls by midday and all from a number linked to BT customer retention. I finally had time to answer (and have my figures back in front of me!) and had a proper, friendly, informed re-negotiation. As I predicted, the email offer was too good to be true: there were just enough details missing that made me think it was a lure. Nonetheless, I did end up with the outcome I had in mind as acceptable: £41.00pm with my Holy Grail of an additional Complete Wi-Fi disc 😁 

I know I could've probably gone even cheaper but I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. Whilst I was prepared to switch, personally, it's not a great time for me to do it so I've saved myself a lot of hassle. Plus I've been after an extra disc since last year!! I'm saving just under £400 with this 24 month contract: I'm happy with that.

My guess is that BT have lost a lot of experienced Sales people. Perhaps those that remain have been moved over to customer retention. If you're also looking to re-negotiate with BT, perhaps head straight to customer retention. And remember that Sky, Virgin etc contacting BT appears to automatically engage customer retention.

£41pm for 150Mbps with PAYG phone calls is not a good deal, sorry, but it's not even close. You're not "saving" £400 either, even if you ignore the 2 pay increases in that 24 months, it's only £400 when compared to their (frankly) terrible full price.

Christmas or not, I'd have taken up the Sky offer all day.

Do you have a 30 day cancellation period with a BT renewal as opposed to a new customer deal?

Spare_change

I have been with BT/EE for 5 years. My broadband contract increased every year & was due to end in March 2026. 

I was shocked at how much I was paying compared with deals on the MSE App. 

I called EE and was told they could reduce the monthly cost to £41 (from £44) by reducing the speed to 75.
With help and advice from my neighbour I have changed to Sky.
Now I am getting 150speed Broadband for £20pm & the TV basic package (inc Netflix)  for £15 
(and because MSE has saved us so much money this year we have treated ourselves to Sky Sports)
Sky also gave me Sky Credits to cover my EE exit fee.
Not only that but they sent £75 worth of vouchers to me and also to my neighbour because of his recommendation.

And it gets better…….This week the Sky App offered a FREE TASTE THE DIFFERENCE PIZZA.🎉🎉🎉to App users

EE rang to ask why I was leaving & to try and persuade me to stay, 
The guy had the audacity to say he could have matched Sky’s £20pm if I had only called.
I was speechless.

I am thrilled by how much I have saved with Martin Lewis & his MSE newsletter & App.

Not only am I saving on my Broadband but I am saving  £600pa on my car insurance
& £9pm on my SIM ONLY deal with Lebara.
I was paying over the odds for more data than I needed until I took the MSE “data usage check”

I now preach the Gospel according to Martin Lewis to whoever will listen to me!

Thank you to everyone at MSE

julie777

Have had an awful 5 weeks haggling with BT the WRONG way.
regarding getting cheaper broadband.
We were in the cooling off period of a contract but I saw newbies were getting much better deals.
I did not ask for retentions!!! First tried the web chat and after many expensive offers he said I COULD have 150 fullfibre for £27.99. He was going to note everything on the account and then I'd have to phone "Values" on a particular number. However after 3 long phone calls over 4 weeks I was no further forward. Each different person said they had to do some-thing-or-other, they would note my account then I could get the deal finalised. Most of them did not do any of the things they promised! Every call was excruciating. They kept trying to upsell me too. The first guy actually put me onto a tariff I never agreed to which was way more expensive!.
Sick to death of getting thr runaround I found a way to email an elusive complaints department (most agents told me there wasn't one). I think at last it is going to work out but that's 5 hours I will never get back again! At least (allegedly) someone is putting things straight and refunding £70.
The moral is don't use webchat or Values dept. They appear to be staffed by liars and cheats.

Andyjm15

julie777 said:

Have had an awful 5 weeks haggling with BT the WRONG way.
regarding getting cheaper broadband.
We were in the cooling off period of a contract but I saw newbies were getting much better deals.
I did not ask for retentions!!! First tried the web chat and after many expensive offers he said I COULD have 150 fullfibre for £27.99. He was going to note everything on the account and then I'd have to phone "Values" on a particular number. However after 3 long phone calls over 4 weeks I was no further forward. Each different person said they had to do some-thing-or-other, they would note my account then I could get the deal finalised. Most of them did not do any of the things they promised! Every call was excruciating. They kept trying to upsell me too. The first guy actually put me onto a tariff I never agreed to which was way more expensive!.
Sick to death of getting thr runaround I found a way to email an elusive complaints department (most agents told me there wasn't one). I think at last it is going to work out but that's 5 hours I will never get back again! At least (allegedly) someone is putting things straight and refunding £70.
The moral is don't use webchat or Values dept. They appear to be staffed by liars and cheats.

Sorry you’ve been through that , but it sounds very familiar. 

I’m not sure what’s happened at BT, but my last call with them just to ask a simple question resulted in three attempts to switch me to EE with a new contract with them trying to do it without me realising.
They never used to be like this, but now they are an absolute nightmare to deal with. Third party agents trying to earn commission is the problem I’m guessing.
My contract ends in a few days and I fully intend to switch away from them.

bristolleedsfan

Worth a mention taking out a new Broadband contract or renewing with BT/EE from 1 March onwards usually avoids 31 March price increase which is currently £4 per month.