Top 10 service companies to haggle with

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  • TREVORCOLMAN
    TREVORCOLMAN Posts: 1,001 Forumite
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    Tried to get a better deal with VM as had been with them for many years, but they would not budge, so asked to cancel contract. Lots of introductory offers with other providers, They said Ok cancel then. I expected a call back but nothing. Hey ho time to save money. :rotfl:
    I am NOT a mortgage & insurance adviser - or anything to do with finance, that was put on by the new system I dont know why?!
  • Frankie56
    Frankie56 Posts: 108 Forumite
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    Update on 'I was paying £53 for Mix tv with V6 box and Vivid 100 Optical fibre. I decided to have broadband only and get Netflix so phoned Virgin. The best they could do was reduce my bill to £51 so I signed up for Talk Talk broadband only for £20. Got a phone call from Virgin 2 days later offering me Fibre 20 broadband for £12. So that with Netfix will be £22 a month.'

    They had capped the above package at 30 GB so I worked out that I would only be able to stream about 4 hours of films a month from Netflix so I phoned them again and got unlimited downloads on Fibre 50 for £24 a month and a £40 credit. I have bought a Firestick so got 1 month of free Amazon Prime so free films, box sets, music and books. I'll cancel that just before they charge me and get the 1 free month of Netflix then decide which one to keep.
  • AshleyH
    AshleyH Posts: 6 Forumite
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    I rang Sky when they told me of a mid-contract price hike and got nowhere.
    Firms that hike prices before the term of the contract ends wind me up (more annoying is OFCOM who condone such breaches of contract).
    Only a £2.00 hike but I was in a contract. I couldn't arbitrarily reduce my monthly bill so why do OFCOM condone Sky doing so???
    My 'haggling' was limited to just wanting the deal I had signed up to. No decrease, just the price I had agreed to for the term i had agreed to.
    ANYWAY - Sky wouldn't budge on my broadband deal and would not 'reduce' the price back to that previously contracted too. So I got nowhere and left without penalty for a different provider.
    I was happy with Sky so in chasing just £2.00 a month they not only lost that but I would have stayed with them for a new fixed term at the end of mine.
    Well done Sky then - not!
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 5,186 Forumite
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    AshleyH wrote: »
    Only a £2.00 hike but I was in a contract. I couldn't arbitrarily reduce my monthly bill so why do OFCOM condone Sky doing so???

    You're quite right, OFCOM should make the companies offer the customers a chance to leave without any additional costs or exit fees if they do this...

    ...oh, wait a minute.

    My 'haggling' was limited to just wanting the deal I had signed up to. No decrease, just the price I had agreed to for the term i had agreed to.

    The deal you signed up to (and the T&C's you no doubt read) allow them to do this. If you don't like it sign up to one that guarantees no price rises.
  • Croft12
    Croft12 Posts: 252 Forumite
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    AshleyH wrote: »
    I rang Sky when they told me of a mid-contract price hike and got nowhere.
    Firms that hike prices before the term of the contract ends wind me up (more annoying is OFCOM who condone such breaches of contract).
    Only a £2.00 hike but I was in a contract. I couldn't arbitrarily reduce my monthly bill so why do OFCOM condone Sky doing so???
    My 'haggling' was limited to just wanting the deal I had signed up to. No decrease, just the price I had agreed to for the term i had agreed to.
    ANYWAY - Sky wouldn't budge on my broadband deal and would not 'reduce' the price back to that previously contracted too. So I got nowhere and left without penalty for a different provider.
    I was happy with Sky so in chasing just £2.00 a month they not only lost that but I would have stayed with them for a new fixed term at the end of mine.
    Well done Sky then - not!




    There are providers like Zen that offer a price fixed for contract guarantee.



    zen.co.uk/home/broadband#linecheck
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
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    AshleyH wrote: »
    I rang Sky when they told me of a mid-contract price hike and got nowhere.
    Firms that hike prices before the term of the contract ends wind me up (more annoying is OFCOM who condone such breaches of contract).


    As its in the contract its not a breach of contract .


    At least Ofcom let you out with in contract rises .
    Or as most do renegotiate contract at a lower price.
    (i have actually paid less year on year due to the price rises )



    NOTE
    2020 i see at least one ISP says subject to Jan RPI price increase for all contracts .
  • Supatramp
    Supatramp Posts: 693 Forumite
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    I have come to the end of a 24 month contract with BT, anybody had good results haggling with BT recently?
    I am currently on Fibre 1, or whatever it's called, and don't need tv or any other extras, just phone, rental, and broadband.


    TIA
    David.
  • Croft12
    Croft12 Posts: 252 Forumite
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    edited 6 April 2019 at 11:33AM
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    Supatramp wrote: »
    I have come to the end of a 24 month contract with BT, anybody had good results haggling with BT recently?
    I am currently on Fibre 1, or whatever it's called, and don't need tv or any other extras, just phone, rental, and broadband.


    TIA


    Yes. They are much more flexible than they used to be. Its almost like they've been on a customer service course!



    Remember there is line rental saver after you have got your best deal:


    Usual haggling. Put your details into the usual places get the best offers for you that you can find . try to find those that offer the same things as BT if possible (so they can't point out they offer free weekend calls etc) and then say you'll thinking of leaving and say what offers you have. That usually provokes them to drop the price. Always hang up and go to retentions if you don't have luck on the general call handlers.



    They were offering a new customer deal of 18 months | Avg. speed 50Mb | Weekend calls | £9.99 delivery | £29.99pm + £40 reward card + FREE Google Home. So they can certainly offer a better deal than the official £39 they quote on their site (or £50 uncontracted).
  • Trogglet
    Trogglet Posts: 5 Forumite
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    Be very careful haggling for broadband and phone lines. They really want to get the contracts out of line with each other.
    Because then you can't leave without getting massive "cancellation" charges on one or the other. Charges much higher than actually providing the service.


    How do they get the contracts out of line? Offer 18 months on one, not the other. Or start a new contract if you change anything - add caller display, remove answer system, whatever.


    The best one is the free extension to 18 months. You are now tied in forever!
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
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    Nothing to stop you having a monthly contract for phone after 12 months is up .
    Many do offer 12 month BB but at a higher cost .
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