Feel ripped off

[cleopatra]

I have Sky Q with a whole load of stuff and multi room.

i pay £185/month including internet.

i am out of contract on both my TV and internet packages.which if i accept a new 2 year deal hardly saves me anything at all.

New subscribers get much better deals than I am on despite being with Sky for around 18 years.

is it possible to cancel and start again ?

[Daniel0210 · Accepted solution]

@cleopatra 

No. You don't class as a new customer until you've been away for 18 months. 

New customers are offered good discounts as an incentive to join. Most companies do this now. You probably took advantage of such a new customer deal when you first joined Sky.

If you can't negotiate an acceptable price for renewing then perhaps consider a move to an alternative provider, but in 18/24 months you'll be in the same position with them, and will be able to rejoin Sky if you wish and take up any new customer deals available at that time.

Comcast have laid their stall out and appear to prioritise getting new customers over retaining long standing ones. As other providers do this too it seems to be a common theme.

[cleopatra]

Thanks for the answer my friend.

can I then cancel Sky and go with Now if I can find a cheaper deal ?

[Daniel0210]

@cleopatra 
To fully cancel your TV subscription, if your minimum term has ended you’ll need to give Sky the usual 31 days notice.

See the below link
https://www.sky.com/help/your-account/my-account-and-subscription/cancelling/cancel-my-subscription/...

Select ‘No, I still need help’ at the bottom of the link which will lead to contact methods.
(Make sure the flag in the bottom right corner is the correct one ie; UK or ROI).
UK customer ~ It may include a phone number, an email link and also a Message Us option (which is normally available between 9am and 7.30pm).
ROI customer ~ there’s a text option (Monday-Friday 9am to 4:30pm) otherwise it’s only by calling Sky Ireland or writing in.

If you successfully cancel you should receive an acknowledgment email from Sky.

Remember that billing continues through the notice period after which a credit for any overpayment will show on your bills and should be refunded in about 6 weeks from your last day of connection.

If you are cancelling Sky Q or Stream return packaging will be sent out near the end of your notice period for any loaned equipment Sky are expecting back. It’s important that you obtain proof of posting and keep it safe and indefinitely.

[caesarome]

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@cleopatra wrote:

can I then cancel Sky and go with Now if I can find a cheaper deal ?

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As you are out of contract with Sky @cleopatra then you can cancel by giving the required notice.

[twilight+princess]

Bear in mind Now TV only has a selection of Sky channels - Sky 1, UK Gold, Sky Sci-fi amongst others - I'd check beforehand what they offer & see if you'd miss any channels. Sports & Cinema are charged separately.
Another suggestion would be to move to Virginmedia for TV & Broadband.

[Chodley]

Which is only available if your house is cabled for VM of course

[twilight+princess]

Op would need to check that yes, should they decide to go with VM then they would check that.

[stereohaven]

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@cleopatra wrote:

...is it possible to cancel and start again ?

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It is pretty much written in stone that the only way to get a decent deal as an existing Sky Q customer is to give notice to leave, with really decent offers only usually forthcoming once your contract has expired, sometimes several months after.

There are threads on many other forums such as MoneySavingExpert, Reddit and AV Forums to name a few on this.

However, the first step I would recommend is to thoroughly audit what you watch and how you watch it.

1. Are you still recording programmes or using apps?
2. If you record, is it mainly recording the "normal" channels (e.g. your BBC1, itv1, Channel 4, the channels you can watch/record without a subscription), or do you regularly record/watch content that is Sky specific?
3. If you have Multiscreen, do you regularly use the Mini boxes to access recordings/live TV or are you just using apps?
4. Is your broadband package the right level for your household needs? Check out this page from Which? for solid advice.
5. Do the TVs that you watch Sky on have any built in apps or access to Freeview or Freesat or Freely?

A price shock like this (although some might think it is good value, each to their own! 😳 ), is the right time to work out what is really important to you.

Once you know what channels and ways of watching are important, you can price up alternatives with a clear vision of what you really need.

You might find that you are only really watching stuff on BBC/itv/Channel 4/5 and buying the upcoming Manhattan S-4R (a Freesat PVR, probably the last of it's kind), could  look after that, and then you supplement with apps on your TVs as needed, including using NOW.

You might find (much like us), that you don't need to record that much at all and most of your viewing is on demand via apps and actually a streaming platform (like Sky Stream) or just using apps might be the way to go.

This is why the audit is really important, because the outcome might be you just use it to negotiate with Sky on an informed basis. "I'm leaving for >insert decision here<, as it offers me what I really need for £x", is a much more balanced conversation. 

One final caveat that really needs thinking about and is quite personal, is the overall experience.

It is 100% the case that if you do an audit and see what you really need, you will be able to save money and still access the same content. But the value layer that is often overlooked is the way Sky brings everything together as an experience, the live TV, on demand, apps, search, multiscreen etc. 

Once you understand what is really important to you and your family in terms of content, you have to decide if you are happy to also forgo the user experience that Sky provides. Some people are not bothered, others find it really difficult, but it is a real part of the decision process.

Good luck 😁