Is Haggling a Myth?

Rev

I pay tesco £10 for 1000mins and 1gb data. I've found these to have zero haggling. Take what's on the website or in store and that's it. So don't expect them to offer much at all, of anything (I also sort contracts for six family members who are also with tesco and I've never managed to haggle with them much).

I pay £22.99 for 150mb with virgin. I've been with them for as long as I remember, just BB never had TV or phone. I just cancel every year tell them I can't afford it and wait for them to call me back and offer something.

The thing is you have to cancel. If you don't cancel why would they bother to try and keep you? You're not leaving.

My uncle currently has the basic sky package free for 6 months. I haggled him a deal of 60% off with £100 credit and no new contract. And all he has is the basic TV package.

I change house insurance every year unless the company I am with is still cheapest. I even haggle my pet insurance. I've had insurance companies knock money off but never call back once I've cancelled.

But unless you actually say the words please cancel then they've no reason to offer you anything extra to stay. And if they don't, then change provider. These days loyalty gets you absolutely nowhere.

Everynamestaken

Haggling is certainly not a myth. I take the position in knowing that companies will rip me off and are willing to let me pay over the odds.
An example is sky (but I could use many), once my contract was up they quoted me 80 pound a month. After 30 minutes on the phone they knocked it down to £45 month. They wouldn't go down any further so I cancelled it and when I went online to go into my sky account, they had offered me £21 a month.

If I had just agreed with the original, that's an extra £700 pound a year I would have paid. Not forgetting, all the other companies, insurance, utility bills etc.


Lastly, I once rang talk talk, and I told them I would cancel, and they weren't fussed. I had explained that I had seen an offer for new customers and told them in no uncertain words that I would come back as a new customer in 12 months. Again, they weren't fussed. When I agreed to go with somebody else Talk Talk sent me an email expressing their regret that I was leaving. I called them back, and then the haggling really started. I got it for next to nothing, and I'm sure when it is up for renewal this time, the same will probably happen again.

brewerdave

Agree totally with the last post -haggle for everything you can -ALL types of insurance - broadband,phone rental - TV services - car breakdown cover - diarise renewal dates to get an early start!

Marvel1

Didn't work for me, Virgin 70Mb and Telephone M is going to be £40 a month.

I have read people with more for less, my friend even got BB 50Mb only at £23.

I phoned, the best you can offer is £31 BB only at 50Mb, I said no, and they said even stated you will get it cheaper elsewhere, they would not allow me to use about 250-300GB a month like we do and most gamers know this and stay with Virgin, and I also watch TV by BB.

I had to give my 30 day notice (10/10/16) :eek: I have no BT line for any others.

Rev

cjdavies wrote: »

Didn't work for me, Virgin 70Mb and Telephone M is going to be £40 a month.

I have read people with more for less, my friend even got BB 50Mb only at £23.

I phoned, the best you can offer is £31 BB only at 50Mb, I said no, and they said even stated you will get it cheaper elsewhere, they would not allow me to use about 250-300GB a month like we do and most gamers know this and stay with Virgin, and I also watch TV by BB.

I had to give my 30 day notice (10/10/16) :eek: I have no BT line for any others.

When did you call to cancel?

Did you make sure your details were up to date (phone number etc)?

I have no phone line either. I still cancel with VM every year when my contract is due.

Worse case if they don't call you back is call them a week before it's due to be cut off and ask them not to go through with the cancellation.

teddysmum

A few minutes ago, I cancelled my Sky tv and was immediately offered 50% off, followed by just £2 for the Original pack, if I retained and paid in full for phone, broadband and call package.


I was told that if I didn't take the offer shortly, they wouldn't be able to make it again, but I was adamant, saying that I had no intention of paying in full for the other items, as though £2 is an excellent offer, the new total cost would be over £11 more than I now pay.


The next step is to look up phone/bb deals elsewhere then negotiate on those. If Sky don't make a good offer on these, I may move, but certainly won't renew tv.