Have Sky stopped trying to retain customers?

ferry

Just a rant,but I have had some trouble with Sky recently. .
Following being mis-advised by them and that 'advice' ultimately costing me money,they applied a small monthly discount on my account for 10 months
This was fine until I started receiving special offers on my account, that would mean that I would have a far bigger discount benefit overall than the one applied.

I have challenged them on this and because there can only be one discount on the account at a time on the account I never qualify for any of them.
So now I'm out of contract I called them to see what the cancellation charge would be (and quietly hoping or expecting they would make an offer to retain my custom after being a loyal customer for 16 odd years) but despite my efforts and threats to cancel all they would offer was a £30 discount.Thisdespite the advisor going away and speaking to a manager as she was quite surprised thats all they could offer to keep my custom.
So I'm looking to go elsewhere. Dont get me wrong I know I probably shouldn't expect much but after reading some success stories on here with negotiating with Sky and paying them thousands over the years I'd like to think theres a bit of loyalty back to customers!

Rant over!

mije1983

Forget loyalty. They owe you nothing, just like you owe them nothing. Both sides are out for themselves.

There are plenty of discounts about (see the haggling thread for more tips and info) but a lot of the time you actually have to start the cancellation process. Check your marketing options, my sky account, and sky app as well.

macman

30 years is totally irrelevant. What matter is your monthly spend-they'll do far more to retain customers paying over say £50 pm than those with a minimum TV package who are spending £21.

[Deleted User]

macman wrote: »

30 years is totally irrelevant.

30 years is not mentioned?

OP has been a customer for 16 years and been offered a £30 retention deal..

teddysmum

Because you chose to be 'loyal' (mainly without any or tiny discounts?),they see you as someone who is willing to pay full or almost full price, so try it on.


By asking what the exit penalty would be, you showed lack of knowledge of the 'system' (no penalty chargeable beyond minimum term) , but the thing to do is cancel, if you want offers.

Person_one

They do try to retain customers, but they are well aware that people know to 'play the game' now so they don't offer you the best deals until you get right to the wire or actually cancel.

I cancelled my TV and talk package (kept broadband only) and during my 30 day notice period the offers went from completely rubbish, to fairly tempting, but I held my nerve and got an email the day before the services were due to stop saying basically 'Call us and tell us what you want".

I now pay £25 for unlimited broadband, talk package, and original TV + movie channels. I also got a £50 credit so the first two months free.

If they believe you will genuinely cancel and go elsewhere, they will do what it takes to keep you. There are no more outlays for them if you already have dish/box etc. and they may as well have £25 of your money, rather than none of it, even though they'd rather have £50 of it!

macman

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

30 years is not mentioned?

OP has been a customer for 16 years and been offered a £30 retention deal..

Point taken. Sky only started in 1990, so it would be difficult to have been a loyal customer for 30 years!

takman

ferry wrote: »

....but despite my efforts and threats to cancel all they would offer was a £30 discount.Thisdespite the advisor going away and speaking to a manager as she was quite surprised thats all they could offer to keep my custom.
So I'm looking to go elsewhere...

Well there is your problem, if your unhappy with the price why isn't your sky cancelled?. 12 months ago I had to cancel the service to get a good discount. This discount expired a few weeks ago so I rang up and I wasn't happy with the price, so I cancelled!. My sky has been off a few weeks now and no sign of any offers so I won't be going back.

By you not cancelling they have called your bluff and have retained your custom with little discount!.

Peter333

Person_one wrote: »

They do try to retain customers, but they are well aware that people know to 'play the game' now so they don't offer you the best deals until you get right to the wire or actually cancel.

I cancelled my TV and talk package (kept broadband only) and during my 30 day notice period the offers went from completely rubbish, to fairly tempting, but I held my nerve and got an email the day before the services were due to stop saying basically 'Call us and tell us what you want".

I now pay £25 for unlimited broadband, talk package, and original TV + movie channels. I also got a £50 credit so the first two months free.

If they believe you will genuinely cancel and go elsewhere, they will do what it takes to keep you. There are no more outlays for them if you already have dish/box etc. and they may as well have £25 of your money, rather than none of it, even though they'd rather have £50 of it!

This ^^^

Our bill kept going up and up, and I realised what a colossal waste of money it was, as 97% of what we watched was on freeview/freesat anyway. So a year ago, I rang up, pretended I was moving to Australia, and cancelled. (They can't keep you on the phone for an hour then, to try and stop you cancelling, because if you are moving abroad, there is no way you can keep SKY.)

We got a Freesat box, that records and rewinds and pauses live tv, and it has extensive 'tv on demand' too, and netflix, and youtube, and lots more... Best decision ever. It paid for itself within 4-5 months and we miss NOTHING. As Person One said, they will try and tempt you back within the 30 days notice with all sorts of offers. Actually, this one time - 2 months after it finished, they offered us nine months of SKY TV - including movies and sports - for a tenner a month... It's normally about £70 a month for this package!!!

I wasn't interested at all, and had cancelled SKY for a reason; because we no longer wanted it, and as I said, we get most of what we watch on Freesat anyway.

I also wonder why they couldn't have offered us this 'tenner a month for nine months for EVERYTHING' offer before we cancelled. I may have accepted and may have stayed.... MAY be. But to offer it two months after, when we realised we are fine without SKY?! Too little, too late SKY people! You snooze, you lose... :cool:

Back to the OP; just quit SKY and get Freesat my friend. You'll wonder why you didn't do it YEARS ago! :T

ferry

Thanks all for the advice. I get that from the TV perspective
Out of interest what do you do regards your line rental and broadband?

Just gathering ideas.

Browntoa

haggling thread


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5310751