Cancelling Sky sub to avail of offer to new customers?

Deliberator

Apologies if this has been answered before, but I've had a reasonable look around...

I'm interested in hearing of any recent experience of people using this tact - cancelling Sky sub to avail of Sky offer to new customers?

I currently have the basic Sky box, and pay 31 euro a month for all the non-premium channels. I am interested in getting Sky+, and am not currently interested in HD. The cost to upgrade is currently set at 149 euro for the box and 50 for the install. A new customer will be charged 49 euro for the box and 50 for the install!

Now, I was resigned to paying the 100 euro difference, but I decided to investigate further. I am also interested in multi-room, which cost 15 euro a month. When I checked out the options for new users they get charged 7.50 per month for multi-room!

So...as an existing customer wanting to upgrade to Sky+ with multi-room (standard box for the 2nd room) it will cost 199 euro and 180 euro a year in additional sub.

As a new customer it will cost 99 euro and 90 euro a year added to the sub...

SO...I am considering cancelling my Sky sub of 5 years (I would rather rub glass in my eyes than pay money to UPC). If I re-subscribe at the same address after a month or so what issues might I run into here? I could say I tried UPC and they were crap. I could get my wife to order it in her name. She has a current account still in her maiden name...

Any advice? I don't feel I'm breaking laws here, just fighting the poor deal for the existing customer...

thanks
Del

redout

Go for it. I done it after being a ten year customer. They wanted €425 from me for what I wanted so I just call a contractor and got it done for €174 and saved €250 !!!! Sky really dont treat there existing customers with due respect in my opinion.

Kensington

Generally, re-subscribing using your partner's name and maiden name will work. Be warned though, the Sky T&Cs do state that it is "one offer per household" so there is a chance they may cop onto it...

watty

Deliberately lying to obtain a discount on goods or services can be construed as Fraud (criminal). A best it's breaking the T&C and thus Sky "could" persue a civil case to get difference. However sometimes if you talk about cancelling they may offer incentives to stay. Also at their discretion they can do any deal they want with you.

So technically you can't honestly get a special offer for "new" subscribers by cancelling. What part of "new" and "per household" do people not understand? This question arises regularly.

If a company makes a special discount to some potential customers and not to others or existing customers, it's not deliberate meaness but a cost of marketing as bill boards or TV ads are. Ultimately the cost of marketing goes on everyones subscription in long term as Sky has to make a profit or there will be no service at all.

redout

Everyone is entitled to there own opinion. What Sky does to existing customers is a disgrace in my eyes. A example being how would you like it if you have being using the same car dealer for the past ten years and find out that he is giving better deals to his new customers rather than his existing customers. I personally dispise this.

Fair enough they are trying to entice new customers on board but at the same time they are pushing existing ones away. They need to strike a balance for both which they obviously are failing to do at present. Loyalty to stick with a particular brand should be rewarded especially if you are a long term customer.

When they told me €425 I was on the verge of cancelling Sky until I contacted a contractor and told cancelling would be the best option. This particular contractor told me that skys practice of rewarding new customers and not existing ones is a hate that he any many of his clients also share. He informed me that at least once a week he is telling a customer to take this option.

Mossy Monk

redout wrote: »

Everyone is entitled to there own opinion. What Sky does to existing customers is a disgrace in my eyes. A example being how would you like it if you have being using the same car dealer for the past ten years and find out that he is giving better deals to his new customers rather than his existing customers. I personally dispise this.

Don't pay them if you find them to be disgraceful. It's not that hard to fix. Pay tv is not a necessity. What you have described happens with lots of companies.

redout

I solved the problem by cancelling and signing up again so I am fine now ! Easy to fix.

Deliberator

Thanks for the advice and opinions. It's all appreciated. We'll start with an amicable separation and take it from there...

Del

mondeoman

I rang sky last week about upgrading to HD (from sky+)
I was very suprised when he said Yes sir that will be €74.50 + €50 installation fee:D.i thought it was only new customers that got this deal.
im out of contract with sky for 2.5 years now,maybe that had something to do with it:)

Mossy Monk

That offer is for everyone.

Kashkai

Mossy Monk wrote: »

That offer is for everyone.

Is that true?

I cancelled my SKY 18 months ago and was thinking about re-joining but as I'm not a "new" customer, I thought I wouldn't be able to avail of the deals on offer. Going down the "using the wife's name" route is too much like trouble - I guess I'm just too honest for my own good :D

Mossy Monk

Yes it is true.

watty

I've cancelled about 3 or 4 times. It's obviously a bit like giving up smoking. The last time I renewed they gave me a free box (the one I had was very slow & dodgy being from original Irish Launch) on condition I renewed for a minimum of 3 months rather than the normal minimal 1 month.

Petetheroadie

Watty, so do you just phone up and say, I want to cancel, and wait for them to say, oh no, please stay! If you stay, we'll give you X, Y, Z?

What happens if they just say, OK, we'll turn off your telly in 30 days time?

I have just the basic €21 per month sub, but buy the odd box office flick, so I'm not exactly a top tier customer of theirs...

Also, do you then sign up again in your own name?

Pete

Tony

Petetheroadie wrote: »

What happens if they just say, OK, we'll turn off your telly in 30 days time?

Usually they dont do this and will offer you something.

Fat_Fingers

When i called to cancel they offered half price Sky+ box and half price 3 months but i wasn't interested so i said no thanks and next thing they had manager on the phone asking me what can he do to keep me... i mean seriously!!! Previously when i called to complain it was all "sorry sir, there is nothing we can do" but as soon as i go to cancel they go and nearly fetch Rupert Murdoch.

muffler

Deliberator wrote: »

I could get my wife to order it in her name. She has a current account still in her maiden name...

Been there, done that and had no problems.

What happened in my case was that the 4 year old box was knackered and I asked them for a new one (premium channel subscriber for 4 years) but they said they could send an egineer out (at a cost) to check the box and if it could be repaired they would do that and if not they would replace it. I refused and cancelled.

Waited a couple of weeks and got the the whole thing - new dish, 2 boxes (1 sky+) and multi room all installed in the wifes name.

Deliberator

That's good to hear FF. Was this a recent experience?

Del

Fat_Fingers wrote: »

When i called to cancel they offered half price Sky+ box and half price 3 months but i wasn't interested so i said no thanks and next thing they had manager on the phone asking me what can he do to keep me... i mean seriously!!! Previously when i called to complain it was all "sorry sir, there is nothing we can do" but as soon as i go to cancel they go and nearly fetch Rupert Murdoch.

Fat_Fingers

well, not really recent .. about year ago. Mind you, they still call me once a month to tell me about new great offers and savings i can have.
Rep got a bit stuck when i asked to hear what saving would that be since i'm paying nothing now.

leex

muffler wrote: »

Been there, done that and had no problems.

What happened in my case was that the 4 year old box was knackered and I asked them for a new one (premium channel subscriber for 4 years) but they said they could send an egineer out (at a cost) to check the box and if it could be repaired they would do that and if not they would replace it. I refused and cancelled.

Waited a couple of weeks and got the the whole thing - new dish, 2 boxes (1 sky+) and multi room all installed in the wifes name.

I assume the same phone number was used on both accounts??

muffler

leex wrote: »

I assume the same phone number was used on both accounts??

It was. Different bank account used although I dont think they would even notice that.

The guy who installed it said he had done lots of them this way.

Deliberator

Was offered Sky+ for 49 euro with free installation (save 50 euro). Also, offered multiroom at the normal 15 euro per month, but with free installation (save 50 euro).

Decided to go with it... Before the discounts it was going to be 149 euro for the box + 100 euro for total installation, 249 euro total!

redout

About six weeks ago they were giving free multiroom for a year with new installation. Happy to say I got it just before the offer ended.

Petetheroadie

Deliberator wrote: »

Was offered Sky+ for 49 euro with free installation (save 50 euro). Also, offered multiroom at the normal 15 euro per month, but with free installation (save 50 euro).

Decided to go with it... Before the discounts it was going to be 149 euro for the box + 100 euro for total installation, 249 euro total!

I just phoned up to cancel and got the same offer as Deliberator, but including relocation of my old sky box to the bedroom to get the FTA channels. Sweet

Deliberator, what was the lead time for installation for you?

Deliberator

Good for you Pete!

They offered me dates at the end of this week, so I went for Friday the 24th. Saturday wasn't available until a future date, but as I wasn't needing it, so I didn't listen....

Del

Petetheroadie

OK, cool. The 4th of November was the next available date for me :-(

Deliberator

Got the Sky+ in today. The job details were not processed properly, so the installer did not know anything about the multiroom install, and wouldn't do it. Had to ring Sky and the best they could do was to arrange another date for the multiroom. I plumpled for the next available Saturday, November 8th...I've told them I'm not happy that the job wasn't done in the one day, and that I want something in the way of further discount...