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Cancelling after 14 years

18-month contract ends on the 30th July. Called them today and they said the renewal price plus all their discounts will be £59, so I said I wanted it cheaper and they put me through to retentions. I have Line Rental, PAYG home calls, Fibre Superfast BB and Sky Signature and a Mini Box in the bedroom, just 1 No HD Sports or the like.

I've been paying £51 with the recent increases and now they want more. 
Retentions came back and said it'd be £60!! More than I was offered earlier in the call. I said no, I wanted it at the same price and he refused point-blank to do it. I've been with them 14 years, Platinum, and my wife was with them in her name for 10 prior to that. I told them to cancel it all. They are allowed to call etc so what are the chances of getting a call asking me to stay? Obviously, I don't want to cancel, mainly because of the SkyQ recording feature and I have it in the bedroom too. Are Sky playing hardball now with everyone?
Thank you Li
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Comments

  • Neil_Jones
    Neil_Jones Posts: 9,419 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Nobody is entitled to discount whether you've been with them 14 months or 14 years.  If you don't want to pay, don't have it.  Callbacks are not guaranteed.  You could always come back in 12 months as a new customer.
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Read the Sky threads to see how to negotiate .
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    14 years without a switch very much indicates to them that you are bluffing, so unlikely that you'll get any movement until you give notice.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Lijong
    Lijong Posts: 31 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts
    Nobody is entitled to discount whether you've been with them 14 months or 14 years.  If you don't want to pay, don't have it.  Callbacks are not guaranteed.  You could always come back in 12 months as a new customer.
    I do understand that but you'd think as a long-standing customer that they'd want to keep you. We have agreed a date to cancel. I will cancel and will go onto Freesat. I followed the negotiation tactics but nevertheless, it didn't work.
  • knightstyle
    knightstyle Posts: 7,123 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    You will probably have to wait till near the day you leave to get a phone call with a decent offer.  We even got a call a few days after leaving but we had already signed with Virgin so it was too late.
    If you want to stay with them cancel and wait, takes nerves but you should get what you want.
    By the way we got Virgin 100 BB and basic TV for £29 a month fixed for 18 months.
  • Neil_Jones
    Neil_Jones Posts: 9,419 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Lijong said:
    Nobody is entitled to discount whether you've been with them 14 months or 14 years.  If you don't want to pay, don't have it.  Callbacks are not guaranteed.  You could always come back in 12 months as a new customer.
    I do understand that but you'd think as a long-standing customer that they'd want to keep you. We have agreed a date to cancel. I will cancel and will go onto Freesat. I followed the negotiation tactics but nevertheless, it didn't work.

    As I say, loyalty means nothing.  That's just code for "I'm happy to pay through the nose".  Mature markets like digital TV at at the point where they grow by pinching new customers from other providers, and then hoping they don't notice they're paying full whack 18 months later.

    Remember for Sky Q you have to send the equipment back.  The older sky+HD box the box was yours and would double up as a Freesast from Sky box (Freesat with a handful of extra channels), once your subscription ends, albeit a chunky box.
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If indeed loyalty was rewarded no money saving sites that promote disloyalty .
  • Lijong
    Lijong Posts: 31 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts
    I have 60 days to return the SkyQ boxes after my 30th cut-off from all contracts. Actually, if I don't get it at last year's price, or near enough, I will leave. While I appreciate things go up they put the prices up earlier in the year, as they do most years. I am disabled and watching TV in bed is one of the only things I do. On Chemo I spend weeks in bed ill and the TV is good company.
    I need to buy a roof antenna, I have a TV up and downstairs both with a tuner, the only thing I'd miss is the ability to record my fav programmes on one TV, the bedroom one, and also the broadband for my computer, If I can get an antenna, find a way to record the TV and go with a cheaper BB provider I don't need Aky any more which will save me a fortune in the long run.

    Thanks for the help everyone, it is appreciated. 
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 5 July 2021 pm31 3:40PM
    Why don't you simply buy a standard (non-Q) Sky box on eBay, from a fiver upwards, and use it with your existing dish to get all the non-subscription channels? The line up (Freesat from Sky) is almost identical to Freeview, and no need to have an aerial installed.
    However, if you want to record programmes, then you'll need a Humax Freesat recorder or similar, but it will still work with your existing sat dish.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • matelodave
    matelodave Posts: 8,859 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    SKY Q use a wideband LNB on the dish whereas bog standard SKY HD or Humax boxes dont, so unless you've got a hybrid LNB (which has connections to suit either) you need to ensure that you get a satellite receiver/recorder that matches your LNB.
    Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers
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