Only got Sky Sports, Setanta & MUTV for the footie? Cancel for the summer to save ££s

Former_MSE_Natasha

What's this about?

If you've subscribed to Sky Sports, Setanta Sports, MUTV or others via Virgin Media, Sky or BT Vision just to watch the football, by cancelling the channels/downgrading to a smaller package over the summer you can save £££s. Plus it's also a great opportunity to haggle for a better deal too.

You won't miss Euro '08

If you want to watch Euro '08 (though sadly none of the home nations are involved) don't panic; it'll be broadcast on terrestrial TV anyway so you won't miss out.

You will miss other sports

Of course, other sports like cricket, rugby and golf will still be shown on these premium channels, yet if you're not interested in those there's no point paying for them. If you're wavering, sit down and consider if you really actually watch enough of them to justify the cost (see the Demotivator for the real cost).

How much can you save?

This depends on your digital TV provider and the package you have.

For example:

• Someone with Virgin Media on the XL package paying for MUTV and Sky Sports on top will be forking out around £55 per month could downgrade and save £35 per month.

• Those with Sky can 'spin down' to it's basic package which excludes Sky Sports and Sky Movies for £21 per month (or £38 if you really want the movie channels) yet you must give 30 days notice for this.

• And BT Vision customers can knock between £4 and £12 off their monthly bill by requesting to opt out of the sports channels, although the request will only be effective from the following bill date.

What to do

Simply call your digital TV provider and tell it you'd like to cancel these channels. Virgin Media, Sky and BT have all confirmed, regardless of being in contract or not, you're able to drop channels or your package if and when you please.

Take advantage of this...

Chances are you'll either be offered a discount to keep the channels or will be able to haggle a better deal without them anyway, especially if you DON'T mention you're going to resubscribe at the end of August and are only doing it for the summer...

For full hints, tips and tricks to get more for your money, read the Digital TV Cost Cutting article.

PLEASE REPORT HOW YOU GET ON IN THE THREAD BELOW

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yorkshire_seagull

A great idea but if you are a Setanta subscriber you first have to get through their call centre to cancel. Contacted them this evening and you are put through from the main call handler (who cannot take your cancellation instruction) and left on hold, on hold (at 20p per min).

I have emailed them and contacted credit card to put account into dispute. Personally I think their coverage of sport is pants at best and the picture quality average. Their customer service is appalling so I will not consider renewing (ever) [that is..if I can ever cancel].

Have seen lots of other posts complaining about sentanta but do think people should be aware of difficulties they've had.

Has anyone ever succesfully taken them to small claims court! That would be fun!

soccergoods

to find the number of setanta go to saynoto0870 numbers website there are lot of numbers there for them.

NumberOneScrooge

I have been a Setanta subscriber for years - as they have had the monopoly on Scottish football coverage for 4 or 5 seasons (people in England are just finding out how utterly **** they are).

The first rip-off was the 12 month contract which COULDN'T be cancelled during the non-football months.

The next rip-off was continuing to charge existing subscribers 12.99 a month on a 12 month non-cancellable contract whilst at the same time advertising £9.99 a month for new subscribers with "NO CONTRACT"

The CURRENT rip-off emerges when you try to cancel the service now that the footy has finished:

A) You can't get through on the phone for ages
When you DO, they won't take cancellations on the phone (Sky manage it somewhow) - you have to write in (email no good).
C)They are alleging a 30- day cancellation notice period (what happenned to the "no contract" they heavily advertised?)
D)They threaten a £25 re-connection fee when/if you want to re-subscribe for next season

As a "sop" they offer to drop the fee to £7.50 a month for 6 months if you stay which I eventually accepted.
However a friend was offered £5.00 a month - Setanta are making it up as they go along!

If you REALLY want to cancel, there's one certain way - phone your bank, say you've mislaid the debit card you pay Setanta through. When you get your new card the security number will have changed and they cant get any money out! You pay a month in advance so they'll just cut you off, they're not going to take you to court over £9.99!

Of course it would all seem a bit better if the Setanta offering was of any quality at all. I don't know to what standard they cover the English matches, but here in Scotland there are at least 4 or 5 breaks in transmission during each match where the screen just goes black for up to 5 or 6 seconds at a time.

Shocking, shocking broadcast quality.

NumberOneScrooge

soccergoods wrote: »

to find the number of setanta go to saynoto0870 numbers website there are lot of numbers there for them.

Some of the non 0870 numbers are now just playing a recorded message telling you to dial 0870 etc!

SETANTA obviously operate on the RYANAIR model of customer service - no service, poor product, and screw the customers for every penny you can get!

marcais

If you're intending to turn Setanta back on for next season then it may be worth taking the deal they offer when you say you want to cancel.

They offered me a deal paying £7.50 for 6 months to mid-November, which comes to £45.

This is opposed to cancelling, staring again in mid-August and paying their connection fee of £15 and the £10 a month they normally charge, which would also come to £45.

But by continuing to pay I have access to their channels over the summer for the same price as cancelling and reconnecting.

timmo44

I'm about to cancel Setanta too. What information do I need to provide them? I don't appear to have ever received any emails or correspondence from them containing an account number!

simond001

You dont have to cancel to benefit. I have just called and asked to cancel Sports till August. They immediatly gave me a £40 credit on my account. This more than covers the cost of two months sports and allows me to still see summer footie etc..

danger_mouse_2

i used to phone every summer to cancel as youve suggested, never had any problems doing this and they oftn offered to reduce the bill so it worked out costinf pennies to keep it on, this also allowed me to watch the pre season tournaments they show live during the "off season".

alot of these tournament are from abroad so not available through errestrial v and due to there foreign base setanta, celtic t and sky were a good way of catching a lot of the friendlies, so if like me youll watch just about any footy keep that in mind

pen1

The Mirror ran an article a few days ago regarding peoples' experiences in trying to cancel Setanta:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/money/city/2008/05/24/setanta-angers-fans-trying-to-cancel-89520-20428005/

There's also an MSE thread here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=648941&page=11

I've sent them 2 recorded deliveries- the first received by them 7 weeks ago.
The only response from them so far has been 2 letters requesting that I re-instate a direct debit- one after they attempted to take a payment that wasn't due, and the bank correctly refused it.

Ian_Richardson_2

Have to defend Setanta from my point, no issues cancelling over the phone, very helpful only waited a few minutes to connect. About 2 months later they phoned me offering £7.50 for 6 months or £5 for 3. Explained would not use until footie season started again so they have held the offer open until then with no reconnection fee. Cant really moan about that I suppose.