[Technology] Out of contract with Sky - Tips ?

[Springal]

To be honest I'm dreading the usual 'dance' with Sky which is due in late December. Firstly, I'm hearing they are getting a little immune to the ' threat to cancel ' ploy which usually works pretty well.

However, the biggest issue is the broadband which is clearly over priced for speed since they currently don't do full fibre into the property in my area. Lightening Fibre are offering some brilliant deals and it looks a no brainer. The fly in the ointment is a technical issue whereby Sky mini boxes as part of a Sky Q set up don't like play nicely with non Sky broadband. Lots of reported issues and seemingly the only surefire solution is running Ethernet cable which I'm loath to do as it will look rubbish and have only just decorated.

Yeah it’s a pain to get Sky Q set up without their WiFi as well. Ethernet might be ok but I was using my own wireless network and it constantly disconnected. Ended up going back to using the WiFi on the sky router

 

[Professor Plum]

To be honest I'm dreading the usual 'dance' with Sky which is due in late December. Firstly, I'm hearing they are getting a little immune to the ' threat to cancel ' ploy which usually works pretty well.

However, the biggest issue is the broadband which is clearly over priced for speed since they currently don't do full fibre into the property in my area. Lightening Fibre are offering some brilliant deals and it looks a no brainer. The fly in the ointment is a technical issue whereby Sky mini boxes as part of a Sky Q set up don't like play nicely with non Sky broadband. Lots of reported issues and seemingly the only surefire solution is running Ethernet cable which I'm loath to do as it will look rubbish and have only just decorated.

If you can find a solution to the tech issue I’d warmly recommend Lightning Fibre. I get a 1GB connection for £33 a month including two extenders. Very reliable and nice people to deal with. I have a similar dilemma with an Ethernet cable for one TV that is just out of range.

 

[Eeyore]

I pay £62 a month for Virgin broadband and TV including Sky Sports and TNT. I think new offers are about £75. I think it's by far the best value out there. I get my money's worth.

 

[Neil]

lightning fibre £18 Sky £29

 

[Since1982]

Yeah it’s a pain to get Sky Q set up without their WiFi as well. Ethernet might be ok but I was using my own wireless network and it constantly disconnected. Ended up going back to using the WiFi on the sky router

I have BT Broadband and use a power line to connect my q box to the router, works well but it's the only means I have found to make it stable.

 

[C1 BHA]

I can’t help wishing the likes of Sky would charge a fair price for their product and get everyone paying the same. I get a bit fed up hearing that we’re all paying different amounts for the same package. I’ve always considered myself reasonably good at negotiating but looking through this thread I can see people that are paying less than me. Once upon a time, threatening to leave had them offering all sorts of great deals. Nowadays they just say that’s the only offer available, take it or leave it.

 

[Bad Ash]

I can’t help wishing the likes of Sky would charge a fair price for their product and get everyone paying the same. I get a bit fed up hearing that we’re all paying different amounts for the same package. I’ve always considered myself reasonably good at negotiating but looking through this thread I can see people that are paying less than me. Once upon a time, threatening to leave had them offering all sorts of great deals. Nowadays they just say that’s the only offer available, take it or leave it.

You have always had to actually submit the formal request to leave to get the better offers, rejecting their initial offers.

 

[bluenitsuj]

I pay £49 a month for EE tv and broadband which includes Netflix. A further £30 a month total for 3 mobile sims with unlimited data.
I get Apple tv free with my bank account
Amazon free
Disney free

Away games streamed for free

 

[dazzer6666]

Just gone out of contract with Virgin Media - switched 18 months ago from Sky (Virgin product is better in every aspect providing you don’t need to speak to someone) so was on a good introductory deal. Very surprised to be able to log on, click ‘new offer’ and get another 18 months at virtually the same cost. No threatening to close or the usual dancing around.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

Thinking of moving from Sky tv/broadband (Sky Q box) to BT package Full Works + Fibre 1. The latter includes all the main Sky stuff we use plus sports for the same money. Any one transferred over to BT ? Just checking for any pit falls.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

Thinking of moving from Sky tv/broadband (Sky Q box) to BT package Full Works + Fibre 1. The latter includes all the main Sky stuff we use plus sports for the same money. Any one transferred over to BT ? Just checking for any pit falls.

Just been doing further research. BT tv is now EE tv. It looks mainly like a streaming service with a small box with hard disk to atleast record programmes. It doesn’t look as integrated as Sky Q. I would consider Now tv directly but seems a compatibility issue with Panasonic tvs. My strategy is to threaten to cancel with Sky, see what they offer (I’m vip status), and be 100% prepared to move to EE tv.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Just gone out of contract with Virgin Media - switched 18 months ago from Sky (Virgin product is better in every aspect providing you don’t need to speak to someone) so was on a good introductory deal. Very surprised to be able to log on, click ‘new offer’ and get another 18 months at virtually the same cost. No threatening to close or the usual dancing around.

Likewise. My fibre contract ended in September and was due to go from £52 a month for 1Gb to £67. Clicked the offer button and got it for £50 for 18 months. Such a better way to do it and treat your customers.

PS - if you want to contact VM use webchat and type agent. If you do it mid to late afternoon you often get through to their Scottish call centre.

 

[METALMICKY]

I can’t help wishing the likes of Sky would charge a fair price for their product and get everyone paying the same. I get a bit fed up hearing that we’re all paying different amounts for the same package. I’ve always considered myself reasonably good at negotiating but looking through this thread I can see people that are paying less than me. Once upon a time, threatening to leave had them offering all sorts of great deals. Nowadays they just say that’s the only offer available, take it or leave it.

Could not agree more. The ' dance ' with Sky is due end of December and I really hate it. Sadly I do like the Sky Q set up and our kids are comfortable with it. I absolutely know I can do far better on the broadband but I have the tech issue of how the multi room mini box works with non sky broadband. Thus far the most common solution seems to be Ethernet cable which sounds a pain particularly since we've just decorated and I want as little clutter as possible.

 

[Gazwag]

Thinking of moving from Sky tv/broadband (Sky Q box) to BT package Full Works + Fibre 1. The latter includes all the main Sky stuff we use plus sports for the same money. Any one transferred over to BT ? Just checking for any pit falls.

Its not BT anymore all new contracts are with EE

Edit: Ah you have found this out

I have just renewed and gone from BT to EE, been a bit of a nightmare TBF, so far had a 1 hour phone call and a 30 minutes phone call and still need to ring them again to sort out the last cock up, you can only sort one thing at a time

 

[Gazwag]

One thing to mention if you are on BT broadband and have an BT - EE hybrid box to give 4g access if the broadband goes down - EE don't offer this service until your broadband goes down so I have kept the BT EE hybrid box and linked that to the EE router but I had to get them to amend my returns slip so they dont charge me for not returning the BT hybrid box

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

Current package ; Signature / Netflix (without ads)/ Cinema (incl paramount +) / Hd / multi screen/ superfast BB. This was costing £103.50/mth. Discounts ending was going to take it to £133/mth so had to take action.

Had the dance with Sky. Used Eetv/bb as leverage. Resulted in getting current package at lower price so thought I’d add Sky Sports HD. Current package and Sky Sports now costing £110/mth 24 month contract.

There was probably a bit more slack (£1 to £10). Being rural, VM isn’t an option and our Panasonic tv has a limited app marketplace (no Now tv app) so limited options. Sky best option for wife in terms of ease of use. Just to glad to get it out of the way for another couple of years tbh.

 

[METALMICKY]

Current package ; Signature / Netflix (without ads)/ Cinema (incl paramount +) / Hd / multi screen/ superfast BB. This was costing £103.50/mth. Discounts ending was going to take it to £133/mth so had to take action.

Had the dance with Sky. Used Eetv/bb as leverage. Resulted in getting current package at lower price so thought I’d add Sky Sports HD. Current package and Sky Sports now costing £110/mth 24 month contract.

There was probably a bit more slack (£1 to £10). Being rural, VM isn’t an option and our Panasonic tv has a limited app marketplace (no Now tv app) so limited options. Sky best option for wife in terms of ease of use. Just to glad to get it out of the way for another couple of years tbh.

As mentioned in my previous post my ' dance ' is end of December and I'd love to tell them to stick just for the con they tried to pull when I moved house in June. When I phoned up to confirm some details about the move the first person I spoke to suggested that any move would require me to recontract the broadband element of my package for a further 18 months. I called bull and cut him off. Second bloke also tried the same trick and got a bit shirty. Again I cut him off as much to save my blood pressure. Third time lucky the bloke made a half hearted attempt at the same bull but then made a big show of speaking to his manager and not insisting in my case.

When I moved, the very honest Sky engineer who replaced the old dish was not surprised by my story. He confirmed that the call centre operatives are on such poor basic they are pretty aggressive with trying to get bonuses for recontracting.

The reality is that I do love the sky q product and Mrs Metal and the kids are comfortable with it. However, the battle to get value and not get ripped off grinds my gears.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

As mentioned in my previous post my ' dance ' is end of December and I'd love to tell them to stick just for the con they tried to pull when I moved house in June. When I phoned up to confirm some details about the move the first person I spoke to suggested that any move would require me to recontract the broadband element of my package for a further 18 months. I called bull and cut him off. Second bloke also tried the same trick and got a bit shirty. Again I cut him off as much to save my blood pressure. Third time lucky the bloke made a half hearted attempt at the same bull but then made a big show of speaking to his manager and not insisting in my case.

When I moved, the very honest Sky engineer who replaced the old dish was not surprised by my story. He confirmed that the call centre operatives are on such poor basic they are pretty aggressive with trying to get bonuses for recontracting.

The reality is that I do love the sky q product and Mrs Metal and the kids are comfortable with it. However, the battle to get value and not get ripped off grinds my gears.

It’s certainly one to keep an eye on. The £110 deal I agreed was not confirmed in writing and did not resemble future bill charges. There was a big overcharge. May have been a genuine over sight but I wasn’t going to take the chance. I put in a couple of complaints over the past 2 days and have finally got the future bill showing what was agreed. It really should not have been that difficult.