MSE Poll: Have you haggled with Sky, BT, the AA or others this year? Did you succeed?

MSE_Petar

Poll started 3 November 2020

Haggling can result in big savings – on anything from digital TV and broadband to credit cards, breakdown cover and insurance. Each year we try to gauge the success rates of those who've done it. So please let us know whether you've gained cheaper prices, extra goods, better deals or reduced interest in this week's poll.

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Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below.
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gloriouslyhappy

I get the renewal papers in the post for my car insurance and breakdown cover, wait until a day or two before renewal date, do a quick online comparison using the MSE checker, then phone them up and tell them I'm cancelling because the price is too high, and quote the first price from the checker results. They then say wait we can do better, quote me a lower price which I still don't accept,  I keep saying I want to cancel and after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, they speak to a supervisor and come back with a much better offer, nearly as good as the cheapest offer on the checker but my company is bigger and much more reputable. Not only do I get a decent price, but I'll ask if they can throw in a voucher and usually get one, last year was £30 M&S. 

Never ever accept the renewal price! And when they make an offer, keep pushing and they will come up with a better one. With the breakdown cover, they usually upgrade me at standard price to the at home service. Of course, I'm a safe bet, haven't claimed on my insurance for about ten years and only used the breakdown cover once when my car wouldn't start - turned out to be a worn out battery so I bought a new one from them and the friendly brakedown man installed it on the spot for a very good price (I'd checked with my garage while he was checking to see if he had one on his van and the garage was dearer plus the hassle of taking the car in)

Super_Stomper

The only offer from BT was to either keep my current rate (but without the free weekend calls!), or get things I don't want for free (TV; Total broadband - which was originally promised for no extra cost when fibre was fitted!). Going elsewhere and saving myself over £25 per month.

Caroby

Small success with EE the day before our broadband contract ran out. There was a better deal with Shell at the time and after leaving me on hold for a bit (while they checked I guess) they agreed to match the price (£3 a month less) but wouldn't go any lower. Saved the hassle of changing anyway and I was feeling slightly pleased about that for a couple of weeks, then a letter from the water company saying our direct debit has to go up by ... yep ... £3.

BobbinAlong

Told BT broadband what Vodafone were offering me and said I was going there unless they could do better so they did. Then told Vodafone what BT were offering for mobile deal and got them to do a better deal on my SIM only contract. Car insurance always pays to get quotes and haggle.

lakesider52

The single most important point I would take from this poll is that the companies in each category showing "big success" are those that clearly take advantage of and have no respect for their customers as they were clearly trying it on. 
Until the government passes laws to force these companies to quote "best price first time" for both new customers and renewals, these rip-offs will continue.

EssexHebridean

I've now decided to flip the haggling thing on its head - for years I joined in the "merry go round" of dutch-auctions between insurance companies etc - then I realised quite how much time this has taken up - so I changed my approach.

Now - when renewal quotes turn up, we take a look, then run the comparison sites as normal. If the renewal quote is a comparable price, we've been happy with the insurer and want to stay, then fine - we let it roll. If not, we find a policy for the right price, take that up, then ring the current insurer and cancel. When asked why, we state that their renewal quote was too high. When they say that they can check to see if they do better, we say "but nothing has changed....so that renewal price must have been the best you can do, surely?" - a bit of flannel usually follows that, to which we point out that what they are basically saying is that they were trying to rip us off, then... It usually goes a bit quiet at that stage. We also always make a point of asking them to please ensure that the feedback from the call gets passed on. We've been following this process for a few years now, and interestingly, have started to notice the gaps between the renewal quotes, and prices online closing.

We have also just taken the decision to vote with our feet as far as Sky are concerned, again after years of having to ring them up at the conclusion of every contract just to get a fair price that they would be wiling to offer to brand new customers. We decided that enough was enough after experiencing what can only have been a throttling of our broadband speed from the day our last contract period arrived. A few independent speed checks confirmed that our speed a long way below where it should be for the area, and a further check with Sky's own broadband speed checked confirmed that they were claiming speeds 50% above what the independent checkers were showing! A new contract has been taken out with an MSE "best buy" provider, and Sky have been given notice. It took FAR less time than the usual phone call to Sky to beg for a lower price would have done! 

Just remember folks - the person on the end of the phone is NOT the person responsible for setting your price - please be kind, polite and respectful to them, and remember that they are just doing a job! 

And in the interest of "credit where it is due" - I'll give a shout-out to AXA breakdown insurance for a completely transparent and fair renewal process - we have ever experienced them inflating the renewal quote, and their service is the best we have had from any provider! 

However

I can't even contact my provider. JohnLewis Broadband emailed an offer to reduce my monthly rate. Very nice too and I was happy to accept. But they required you phone. Impossible to contact, by phone, by online chat, by email. Even raising a ticket on my account failed because they claimed to have phoned back but I know with absolute certainty they did not - I answered their call to be met with a silent line; and having pointed that out, there's still silence. Since July.

So when my Broadband/Phone contract runs out in Feb, I anticipate it'll still be impossible (not hard - simply impossible) to contact to 'haggle'. The only thing I expect I'll be able to do is switch away. And then they'll tell me they are sad to see me go and ask me why. Lord save us from this idiocy.

jcocean

Recent end of Sky contract rang to renegotiate having seen offer of £39 for TV and broadband. Very helpful customer service almost halved previous subscription including upgrade to superfast broadband. New SkyQ box router and dish supplied. Result!!