Can you Haggle with BT on their Renewals?

Leodogger

My BT contract is up for renewal and their prices are going up. I would rather haggle for a better deal than bother switching as people seem to have so much trouble but I wonder if BT offer discounts to existing customers on BB & Line Rental ?

MataNui

The simple answer is No.
BT will NEVER give an existing customer the same deal that would be available to a new customer. It wont be even remotely close.

I was in similar situation a few months ago. New customers could get 12 month contract fibre at half the price BT wanted me to pay for an 18 month minimum term. All they tried to do was sell me their crappy TV service (and make me pay activation charges for the both the TV and Fibre).

Whatever BT will offer you will be available significantly cheaper (and for a lower minimum term) elsewhere (or even everywhere).

Leodogger

MataNui wrote: »

The simple answer is No.
BT will NEVER give an existing customer the same deal that would be available to a new customer. It wont be even remotely close.

I was in similar situation a few months ago. New customers could get 12 month contract fibre at half the price BT wanted me to pay for an 18 month minimum term. All they tried to do was sell me their crappy TV service (and make me pay activation charges for the both the TV and Fibre).

Whatever BT will offer you will be available significantly cheaper (and for a lower minimum term) elsewhere (or even everywhere).

I thought that might be the case and was considering moving to Sky with their £100 M & S voucher. Charges are almost half of BT for the first 12 months but I believe they charge to transfer your line (although they say they don't and even though I have a BT line), they charge you £20 I believe, but still sounds like a cheaper option.

Paully232000

Yes you can haggle, not sure about as Good a deal as new customers. I haggled when renewing and monthly bill now 20.97 instead of about £34.
This is infinity BB, TV and evening and weekend calls.

Always haggle, or try to.

Leodogger

Update !

I have contacted BT to cancel my Unlimited Anytime Calls and Unlimited BB and they offered a £54 per yr saving (£4.54 discount per mth off the BB), thus charges after their increase would still be £454pa!! This compared to the fact that I will be saving just under £156 in the first yr with Sky (£297.60 for Unlimited BB + Unlimited Anytime Calls) Add on the £100 M & S voucher in the first year, the Sky cost would be £197 which, is a no brainer !

I will be contacting Sky to change over as BT obviously doesn't need my business !

jem16

JWhite wrote: »

Charges are almost half of BT for the first 12 months but I believe they charge to transfer your line (although they say they don't and even though I have a BT line), they charge you £20 I believe, but still sounds like a cheaper option.

Sky did not charge me anything when I transferred from BT to Sky.

Leodogger

Just been chatting with Sky and they say that my download speed will vary between 7.9 and 15.6, yet I get 12mb with BT. They said what I get with BT would not be guaranteed.

Has anyone found that their speeds decreased with Sky when swapping over to Sky Unlimited BB on their 12 months free package offer ? What happens after 12 months, I know the monthly price increases but are there additional charges and what speed would I be getting as I get up to 17mb with BT at the moment and would want to retain the same and not get a reduced service.

Gordon_Hose

They have to give you a range where your broadband speed could fall as there are so many variables that can affect it.

If you get 12Mb with BT, you'll probably find it will be similar with Sky.

JJ_Egan

Should be the same sort of speed as its down the same wire .
It also depends upon the number of users on Sky where its transferred at your exchange from BT .

Leodogger

That's great. Can you or someone else clarify what happens with my BT contract as I am a bit confused.

I just rang them to say I am definitely changing to Sky and they said that I should leave changing over to 7/11 which is when my Line Rental Saver finishes to save my money but I have to give one month's notice of cancellation to BT and they said if I do this I will have to pay a charge of £31 for cancelling the phone line but if I am swapping over to Sky I wouldn't have to pay the charge ! If I don't terminate the contract with one month's notice which I am legally obliged to give, how do I change over to Sky on 7/11 without incurring a cancellation charge for disconnection of the line?

How do these things work ?

jem16

JWhite wrote: »

How do these things work ?

You don't cancel anything with BT. You sign up with Sky and let them handle the transfer, especially if you are keeping your number.

This is a transfer, not a termination.

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/internet/broadband-switching/switching-broadband-provider/