Price rise on broadband April 2024

[BridgeBridge]

Hi all,

I "inherited" my late mother's Sky Platinum status and her Sky account at her address as I am residing there until the house is sold later this year.

I have stopped all  the TV services my late mother had and, since September 2023, have only the superfast broadband, with sky boost and the requisite Sky Talk line rental (pay-as-you-go) with voicemail. 

The price has gone from £35.50 pcm in November 2023 to £52.50 due in April 2024.  

£5.00 of this £17.00 pcm increase is the price rise effective in April 2024.  The other £12.00 must be due to the loss of discount on the broadband package (?) in January 2024.

After looking at the broadband deals on Sky's website it appears I am paying almost double  the amount a new customer would pay for the same "superfast" broadband; moreover my charges are £10.50 pcm more than the fastest "gigafast" broadband deal! 😲

Can I stop paying the £7.50 pcm for Sky boost? I really don't understand what this is meant to do!

I can stop paying the £2.00 pcm for voicemail as it is hardly used.

Cancelling these would knock £9.00 pcm off my payment, but I would still be paying £15.00 pcm more compared to a new customer.

Has anyone here any suggestions on how to reduce the broadband cost any further?  One thought I have had is to cancel my mother's account and apply as a new customer with an account fully in my own name, even if it is still at the same address?

Thank you for reading this - I look forward to receiving any replies! 😊

[Chrisee]

@BridgeBridge the account holder can normally vary the pakage and cancel things like the Boost but unless you have got authority before your mother's death its going to be difficult as Sky cannot talk to you. You can vary the packages through the My Sky app if you know the account holders log in details.

[BridgeBridge]

Hi Chrisee! 😃

Thank you very much for replying!

Yes Sky talk to me - I took over my mother's account because I lived with her as her carer and dealt with all her providers for many years (she was 96) but, as the house owner, it had to be in her name.

I can access the account online so I will try to cancel the Sky boost and voicemail.

I kept Mum's account going in order to avoid early cancellation charges, which is now irrelevant, hence why I am thinking of cancelling completely and getting new customer status!   Would I get away with this?  I could still cancel and have a new broadband provider so I don't see why not!? 

Or, they could simply reduce the bill to an amount more in line with a new customer 🙄

BTW The platinum status seems to be meaningless unless taking Sky TV services 😄 😳

Thanks again for replying! 😚

[Chrisee]

@BridgeBridge oddly Sky are aware of that risk firstly cancel too early and you get hit with extra charges. Normally you dont get to beca "newCustomer" if you had a previous cintract in the last year but you msy get around that as the account will be in your name. However the minimum contract for broadband is for 18 months which may not work for you unless it moves with you.

[BridgeBridge]

Hi Chrisee 🙂

Thanks again for your thoughts 😊

I agree about the concern over taking on a new 18 month contract - I'd rather not do this, so when I move I am free to take any provider/ services I wish.

I've looked at the Sky account online and cannot see a way to cancel just the Sky boost and voicemail - only the entire broadband subscription.   I can (of course) upgrade just fine!! 😆

Sky bot says I have to talk to an advisor to "part unsubscribe" so it looks like I'll have to make that call

(unless you know differently?) 😉

I'm going to start a new thread about Sky boost as I really don't understand what advantages it gives me; I don't work from home or do gaming or anything that relies on fast speeds - but then again there's nothing worse than the internet hanging! 😫 - surely it can't be so slow without the boost that renders it unusable? 

Thank you again for your kind replies! 🤗

[BridgeBridge]

PS.  I just re-read your first reply and saw you stated to use the Sky app -which I have - so I'll give that a try!

Thanks again! 😊

[TimmyBGood]

@BridgeBridge 

Broadband Boost does not (and cannot) actually boost broadband: it's very poorly chosen marketing name for an add-on with various alleged benefits as described here:

 https://www.sky.com/help/articles/broadband-boost 

[BridgeBridge]

Hi TimmyBGood! 😃

Thank you for your reply - interesting!!

So there is only me at home, therefore the boost may (or may not) to inprove the local wifi is probably irrelevant?!

Anyway, I cannot reduce my subscription online and must call Sky Customer Services, which I will do after the holiday weekend is over.

I will update with the outcome later on.

Enjoy the remainder of the holiday! 😎

[Daniel0210]

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@BridgeBridge wrote:

and must call Sky Customer Services, which I will do after the holiday weekend is over.

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@BridgeBridge 

Customer Services are open today if that's more convenient although in fairness they may have less staff than on a normal Monday. 

[BridgeBridge]

Hi 🙂 

I admit I hate to call at times when I imagine the demand is very high!

Not just because it's that time of year when prices go up - it's that Monday morning thing - when I worked on reception at a busy veterinary surgery nothing annoyed me more than the request for repeat flea treatment when all the other calls were for really poorly animals owners had sat worrying about over the weekend!

 I mean of course my enquiry isn't that urgent; also I can call Sky at times people in full time work can't 😊

I'll try tomorrow probably 😃

Have a great ( if soggy) evening!

[BridgeBridge]

@Chrisee 

@TimmyBGood 

@Daniel0210 

Hi all 🙂

Hope the tags work!? 😄

I've just spoken with a Sky advisor (150 from the landline) after several minutes of frustration with the Sky bot - it didn't understand what I meant by "what is the freephone number for Sky customer services" 😆  

Then I ended up going through the account and another bot - this time for customers needing assistance (my mother was registered as such) but they wouldn't help me because I'm not Mum 😏

Finally a real person!

Long story short - I have taken on another eighteen month contract (without Sky boost on superfast broadband) and lost the voicemail service on the Sky talk pay-as-you-go.

Paying full price without these brought the monthly bill down from £52.50 to £43.00

The contract I now have will cost me £34.50 for eighteen months for superfast broadband. 

However, the email I have just received also mentions the following:

Sky WiFi Max: £6.00 per month for 18 months, £10.00 per month thereafter

Activation Charge: £10.00

Hardware Charge: £0.00

Delivery Charge: £9.95

😮😯😲💩

  A further £20 for delivering something I already have in the house and activating it??

And what is the WiFi max all about?  Is it another version of the Sky boost I've just got rid of?

At £6.00 pcm it takes my monthly bill back up to £40.50! 🤔 

So, for taking on this contract I've saved overall £2.50pcm....🙄  and then the extra £20 I have to pay will consume eight months of that saving....😖

Please -  could someone explain what this new contract actually gives me?

If I've shot myself in the foot - can I cancel it?

Thank you again for reading this 🤗

[Chrisee]

@BridgeBridge sounds like you agreed to add the Wifi Max bundle during the call the charge is for sending you a new hub and setting it up. There will be a £7.50 per month charge for the service which is explained here https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-wifi-max. If you dont need the package or try it and don't think its worth the money you can reject it during the 31 day cooling off period.

[BridgeBridge]

Hi,

So, here is my revised April 2024 bill breakdown for Broadband and Sky Talk landline;

(removed)

I think there's no additional WiFi Max(?) but there is an admin fee of £10!  🙄

However, I received another email from Sky saying my new contract was the following:

(removed)

 So no mention of the WiFi max there either - and  the price £32.50  - not £36.00 🙁

They say that bills may vary - I think I agree!  😆

Seriously though - how do they expect any of us to understand how they calculated these figures?  I admit my maths skills aren't a strong point!!

Also,  we pay them a month in advance (?) so I suppose that's why this April bill is so messy - because I'd already paid them!?!

Anyway, I feel relatively confident that I need not worry and for some reason Sky sent me an email with the wrong information - followed by another email with the right information!?! 😄

So far I haven't noticed any reduction in "speed" of the WiFi.....

Thank you for reading this 🤗  any comments would be welcome! 

Moderator note: Removed personal/identifiable details

[BridgeBridge]

Hi all,

Well, my last post was moderated - so - here's a footnote;

At current prices (ie. including April increases) I have reduced the cost of my broadband (superfast) from £52 pcm to £43 by cancelling the boost and voicemail (£7 and £2 pcm respectively) 😊

By agreeing to an 18 month contract I have further reduced the price from £43 to £36pcm; this being subject to any future price increases in the future. 

This represents an overall saving of £16 pcm, which is £192 pa, assuming the price doesn't rise mid-year!

I think this - as an existing Sky customer of almost twenty years - is the best price I can get.

As a new customer I think it would be much cheaper, but hey, circumstances matter 😉

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread and for anyone who reads it - I hope it may help others! 🙂

[TimmyBGood]

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@BridgeBridge wrote:

assuming the price doesn't rise mid-year!

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It will be affected by the annual increase at the start of April next year: in the past that's been based on the figure for CPI announced the preceding December.