how to sort out TV, phone and broadband

Herbyme

Sorry if this is a stupid question but as they say, the only stupid Q is the one you don't ask...

I think I'm being had by both Sky and BT.

Currently I pay £44 a month for Sky, the basic package, no extras

Then I pay £51.50 a month for BT broadband (infinity 2) and line rental (unlimited weekend calls), plus £11 a month for BT sport.

That's £106.50 a month for TV, phone and broadband. I realise that's way over the top.

I rarely use my landline, but I have to keep it for work reasons. I don't watch any channels you can't get on Freesat, except DH HAS to have BT Sport. I think my BT contract is about to end, judging by an invite to renew it to avoid a £6.50 price hike for BT Sport.

I don't seem eligible for newbie deals from either BT or Sky, and I don't know if I can still get BT Sport if I go to a totally new supplier eg Plusnet or Virgin Media.

I'd be very grateful for suggestions about how to get my monthly costs down whilst still having fast unlimited broadband, a land line and a TV service that includes BT Sport. If it involves haggling, that's fine, but do I have to haggle with both BT and Sky, and does it matter who I tackle first?

teddysmum

You are not being 'had', as you agreed to the prices by staying. You have just failed to either haggle or move.


I suggest you read some of the threads about haggling.

Herbyme

Perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly. What I'm asking is whether I can get what I want from one or more alternative suppliers eg Plusnet or Freesat, or whether my need for BT Sport limits me to BT and Sky.

onomatopoeia99

Fairly sure you can get BT sport over satellite using your existing sky box / card as part of a bundle with Plusnet.

Don;t know what the options are with VM.

Herbyme

Thanks onomato, that's exactly what I needed to know, much appreciated. Oddly there was no mention of it on the broadband offer page so I wouldn't have known otherwise!

Herbyme

Armed with that information, I was able to go to BT and talk about ending my contract. Sure enough, they offered to reduce my bill by £22.50 a month while adding in BT TV so I can cancel my Sky sub of £44 a month. Net saving £66.50 a month with virtually the identical package.

Thanks again very much indeed onomatopoeia99! :T:D:j

tetx

So every week there are Broadband offers that are cheaper than Virgin but I can't get them! Other providers don't seem able to break Virgin's monopoly on this estate - does anyone have a similar problem? Or even better has anyone solved it? Bedzed isn't in a difficult to reach area, it's on the edge of the London Borough of Sutton so we're not talking rural satellite dish territory but every other provider I talk to can't find the postcode and tells me broadband isn't available in the area.Help!

iniltous

It's possible that when this area was developed the developer did an exclusive deal with whatever the cable company was at the time , if they effectively locked out 'BT' , then it would only be when the roads and footpaths are adopted by the council that 'BT' have the right to install services....you can use broadband availability checkers, just enter your postcode, if they return nothing but VM perhaps they do have a monopoly , and there will be nothing much you will be able to do about that

tetx

That's interesting - I suspected that when it was built, the local company whose offices were in Croydon at the time did do a deal - Blueyonder were then taken over by Virgin but when I did the broadband search all manner of BT options appeared plus TalkTalk, Sky & Vodaphone and yet those I contacted were unable to help. BT did suggest I paid for a landline and then they'd let me know if it could be followed by broadband which actually made them more expensive than Virgin - hey ho....anyway I gave in to Virgin as they gave me £100 credit and a case of wine - I admit it I'm a tart!