Sky increasing Broadband price from £25 to £27.50 for 80 Megs - worth switching to Virgin or other?

makara

As per the title - I got a letter from SKY yesterday, advising that from May 1st my Broadband would be increasing by £2.50 per month to £27.50

I am torn as although I "only" get 80 Megs download - Sky have three times (when my speed dipped slightly below the guaranteed minimum of 68.5 Megs to 67 Megs) refunded me the whole month's bill (so £75 in total so far)   - and their "Talk Shield" has eliminated 100% of Spam / Scam calls to our Landline (which previously used to ring off the hook when with B.T.)

I was thinking of switching to Virgin's 100 or 200 or 350 Megs - but do know from others that their Customer service is appalling

- and also I just read some stories on MSE of Virgin using MSE for "Bait and Switch" tactics.

I will phone SKY to discuss my options (they tend to be reasonable on negotiations) on leaving my contract without penalty - but just putting this post out there to hear any feedback.

Thanks

phillw

It depends on what was written in your contract, most of them now say that they will increase up to a certain percentage every year & you therefore don't have any right to leave without penalty.

flaneurs_lobster

Unless you have an actual requirement for greater speed then the existing deal from SKY, even after the increase, sounds like a pretty good one. And their speed guarantees are being honoured - result.

Leave it alone is my opinion.

makara

Spoke to a lady in Cancellations, who said she couldn't budge on the increased price, and gave me the instructions to migrate - but warned me that some customers who started the leaving process then got caught out, as the ISPs they moved to didn't tell them (or didn't advertise in their deals) THEIR revised prices from April 1st.

I might well stay just for the generous refunds (if I get a speed guarantee drop again, they will give £27.50 back I guess for each month / instead of the old £25 I am paying until now)

- plus she said to keep checking if Ultra-fast (100 Meg+) or Ultra-fast Plus (500 Meg) becomes available in my area - and see if I can haggle on those.

Also she mentioned I've just turned from Platinum to Diamond (as I joined 15 years ago in 2007) - so tried to guilt me into leaving, saying I would lose my Diamond status...until I told her I'm also with Sky Mobile (in a 3 year contract) still, so won't lose it if I leave their Broadband :-)

razord

I moved my mum from Sky to Now TV today - well submitted the switch at least.

£20 a month (plus potentially £75 Quidco if it tracks) for a 12 month contract, as Sky wouldn't budge from £27.50 as a minimum.

makara

razord said:

I moved my mum from Sky to Now TV today - well submitted the switch at least.

£20 a month (plus potentially £75 Quidco if it tracks) for a 12 month contract, as Sky wouldn't budge from £27.50 as a minimum.

Wow - thanks!!  Am signing up for this with £100 cashback from Quidco (Topcashback are only offering £90 for the same) -

" £100 cashbackfor new customers purchasing Super Fibre with Free Anytime Calls "

- and the speed is the same as my SKY one.

Interestingly they seem to be giving free Anytime calls - worth £8 normally -

Super Fibre

£20.00

Anytime calls

£8.00

Anytime Calls Offer

-£8.00

Monthly Total:
Then £43.00 / month after your 12 month offer

£20.00

Fibre set up fee

£0.00

NOW Hub Delivery Charge

£5.00

To Pay Today:

£5.00

Order Total

Broadband membership:

Monthly Total:

£20.00

To Pay Today:

£5.00

makara

razord said:

I moved my mum from Sky to Now TV today - well submitted the switch at least.

£20 a month (plus potentially £75 Quidco if it tracks) for a 12 month contract, as Sky wouldn't budge from £27.50 as a minimum.

As per above response...signed up for NOW Super Fibre + Free Anytime calls...but then found I am already a NOW TV member...then remembered that some months back I signed up for a free one month TV trial with them...

...so I am guessing that MIGHT exclude me from the £100 Quidco cashback...as that is for "NEW" customers...

...although that said I am still a new Now BROADBAND customer...

In any case - this is still substantially cheaper than Sky's £27.50 - and will save me around £90 over the 12 months (unless NOW increase their prices substantially within the 12 months...)

"Go Live" date of April 4th   - let's see if I get the Cashback / and let's see how NOW compares to Sky.

P.S.  They have the same "Speed Guarantee" for my line as SKY do...so if the speed drops below that...I hope they refund me for that particular month...

Thanks again!

makara

makara said:

As per above response...signed up for NOW Super Fibre + Free Anytime calls...but then found I am already a NOW TV member...then remembered that some months back I signed up for a free one month TV trial with them...

...so I am guessing that MIGHT exclude me from the £100 Quidco cashback...as that is for "NEW" customers...

...although that said I am still a new Now BROADBAND customer...

Aha...found when I joined NOW - back in May 2021 I signed up for a "Cinema Membership 7 day free trial"

- let's see if that denies the Quidco cashback / or allows it...

makara

 

Quidco rules for Cashback include this one -

 

++++++++

 

What will stop me earning cashback?

 

 

If you have already made a purchase with NOW within the last twelve months

 

++++++++

 

Not sure if my free one-week Now Cinema trial counts as a "purchase"...but even if I don't get the Cashback...moving from Sky to Now should still save (around) £90 over the 12 months.

 

 

Oh...and I wonder if Sky's "Win-back" team will now come a-chasing...like they did when I initiated leaving Sky TV...

bill888

fwiw, are you aware that NOW does not offer anything equivalent to Sky's Talkshield, as you mentioned it in your OP?

When you moved from BT to Sky, did you move your telephone number or did Sky give you a new number?

makara

Yes, I am aware.  We will see how we go in the cooling off period in that regard. 

Yes, we kept the same number from bt to sky, which will remain from sky to now