How to get best deal for combined phone/broadband/TV

Pat38493

Hi,

I’ve been with Sky for TV, and with BT for phone/broadband for many years, and if I tot up the bills I am paying an absolute fortune.  My kids also wanted BT sport and I’m being charged a fortune for that as well.

Looking on the Sky website, it looks to me like I could get everything combined for quite a bit less than the combined amount I’m paying today.  

I am out of contract on both services.

If I want to get a good deal, would it be better to cancel my Sky TV for a short while and then sign up again as a new customer for everything?  If I tell them I’m going to do that, will they give me he deal anyway?

If they wont’ play ball should I tell them I am cancelling, or tell them I’m moving everything to BT?  Not sure which approach will work best.

Also, I’m kind of assuming that my best approach is to have a combined deal for all 3 items with either Sky or BT, but maybe that’s not the case and I should shop around on an ad hoc basis for each service?

JJ_Egan

Price up BT and Sky first especially BT offers today .

brewerdave

Pat38493 said:

I am out of contract on both services.

If I want to get a good deal, would it be better to cancel my Sky TV for a short while and then sign up again as a new customer for everything?  If I tell them I’m going to do that, will they give me he deal anyway?

If they wont’ play ball should I tell them I am cancelling, or tell them I’m moving everything to BT?  Not sure which approach will work best.

Definitely approach Sky first re cancelling TV service. As long as they believe you mean it , then you should be able to negotiate a much better TV deal ,and in my experience anyway , during the discussions , they will no doubt offer you a phone /bband deal. If those prices look good then you can either accept on the condition that they add BT Sport at a good price OR play hardball, stick with the Sky cancellation, and go to BT for an alternative offer.
You can always go back to Sky if BT don't offer a better deal ALTHO' there is a risk that the original offer may not still be on the table
You won't be treated as a new customer of Sky after cancellation for at least 12 months..

Pat38493

brewerdave said:

Pat38493 said:

I am out of contract on both services.

If I want to get a good deal, would it be better to cancel my Sky TV for a short while and then sign up again as a new customer for everything?  If I tell them I’m going to do that, will they give me he deal anyway?

If they wont’ play ball should I tell them I am cancelling, or tell them I’m moving everything to BT?  Not sure which approach will work best.

Definitely approach Sky first re cancelling TV service. As long as they believe you mean it , then you should be able to negotiate a much better TV deal ,and in my experience anyway , during the discussions , they will no doubt offer you a phone /bband deal. If those prices look good then you can either accept on the condition that they add BT Sport at a good price OR play hardball, stick with the Sky cancellation, and go to BT for an alternative offer.
You can always go back to Sky if BT don't offer a better deal ALTHO' there is a risk that the original offer may not still be on the table
You won't be treated as a new customer of Sky after cancellation for at least 12 months..

Thanks - so am I likely to find that Sky won't give me the same price as a new customer would get, even if they think I will go with BT instead, and they would prefer me to leave than give me the same price as a new customer?

I guess I am probably prepared to cancel with Sky if necessary and go with BT for a couple of years.  I would rather have Sky as their technology is better, but I'm not sure that after paying full price for 5 years and being out of contract, that I'm prepared to put up with being told that I have to pay more than a new customer with no loyalty.

Edit:  Also - if I tell Sky I am cancelling, what is the notice period - I assume they wouldn't cut me off immediately.  I've heard that often they pretend they don't care that you are cancelling but then call you back later with a better offer.

Browntoa

30 day notice period  

Do your research first on competition prices , call up , accept upgrade to sky q if you haven't already got it as part of the deal if need be 

JJ_Egan

(I would rather have Sky as their technology is better,)

What technology is better ??

Pat38493

JJ_Egan said:

(I would rather have Sky as their technology is better,)

What technology is better ??

I guess I'm assuming it works, but at the moment I don't yet have Sky Q only Sky + multiroom.
I like the fact that the boxes can act as wifi extenders, and also that (at least it claims) that the extender boxes can be boost their signal through powerline technology.  Further the fact that you can have several multirooms is useful for me whereas I didn't see anything about that on the BT website and it seems to me that everything is streamed other than the freeview part.

This could actually be another issue, since if BT takes its freeview signal from an aerial rather than a dish, I think the aerial on my house doesn't work as it's never been used for 10 years or more.

With BT I didn't see anything about any concept of having a multiroom setup on their website.

Pat38493

Browntoa said:

30 day notice period  

Do your research first on competition prices , call up , accept upgrade to sky q if you haven't already got it as part of the deal if need be 

Thanks - one other question - how do Sky know if you are truly a new customer or not?
For example, if I cancel my account, and then open a new account in my name (the current account is in my wife's maiden name), how do Sky know that I'm not just the new resident at this address?

JJ_Egan

Yes Freeview is via an Aerial on BT TV box .

You need to bluff Sky by saying i will move to XX who is ££ cheaper .

Browntoa

I believe the sign up in partners name at same address option may have been closed 

Pat38493

Browntoa said:

I believe the sign up in partners name at same address option may have been closed 

Well I guess they don't want you to do that, but I'm just wondering how they would even know?
If the names are different, surely they have no way of knowing whether it's the partner signing up, or simply the unconnected new resident at that address.