Anyone used Sky Retentions lately?

qwerty321

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After 3 and a half years with Sky I think it might be time to call them to wrangle something out of them. Hoping to get a Free HD box (we only have Sky+ at the moment) and some months free on Sky+ HD sub.

Just wondering if anyone has encountered them lately so I can see if they want new customers, which would mean they are likely to tell us where to go, or trying to retain the old.

Haven't had any discounts in the 3 and a half years.
 
i may be wrong but i remember seeing an advert whereby if you are going for the hd package or multiroom they'd give you a hd box free.
 
HD boxes are indeed free to all customers for their first HD box. might get free install and maybe some months free HD sub or discount but don't count on it. Sky's churn is down to it's lowest level in years, HD uptake is still strong and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) has just risen over £500pa for the first time. They have little incentive to keep customers at the moment and any HD deal you accept will tie you in for a further twelve months.
 
Cancel sky and wait for the reconnection offers, that's where the big deals are now. Cancelled for just over a month and was offered free sports for 12 months, didn't take up the offer and 2 days after that offer expired I was offered half price everything for a year and a £50 tesco voucher
 
My HD box is playing up, I currently pay £76 a month for SKY.
They will ask me to pay a £65 callout fee.
I will refuse and tell them I'd rather cancel my subscription.
I don't want to cancel, but I don't want to pay a £65 callout either.
 
My HD box is playing up, I currently pay £76 a month for SKY.
They will ask me to pay a £65 callout fee.
I will refuse and tell them I'd rather cancel my subscription.
I don't want to cancel, but I don't want to pay a £65 callout either.

I have had this a number of times and pay sky about £80 a month also. I have always said that I would leave rather than pay a call out fee and they have always waived it.
 
My HD box is playing up, I currently pay £76 a month for SKY.
They will ask me to pay a £65 callout fee.
I will refuse and tell them I'd rather cancel my subscription.
I don't want to cancel, but I don't want to pay a £65 callout either.

If I was paying that much then I would certainly argue my case. Have you had it long? Try and get a replacement or something?

A friend of mine with Virgin was having issues with his box. He got a replacement and one month free!
 
Cancel sky and wait for the reconnection offers, that's where the big deals are now. Cancelled for just over a month and was offered free sports for 12 months, didn't take up the offer and 2 days after that offer expired I was offered half price everything for a year and a £50 tesco voucher

how much were you paying them per month my sky bill has dropped from 100 a month to 50 a month now down to 17 until the season starts again
 
About six months ago my Sky HD box died just outside its 1 year warranty period. Sky wanted me to pay £60 repair. I dont think so I told them and after a few calls they agreed to a free repair as I threatened to cancel my subscription.

Last month I emailed them to cancel my account with them. A few days later they called back and offered me half proce for six months.

Try it, just be prepared to follw through with your threats. I am sure they wont want to lose you as a customer! :smashin:
 
About six months ago my Sky HD box died just outside its 1 year warranty period. Sky wanted me to pay £60 repair. I dont think so I told them and after a few calls they agreed to a free repair as I threatened to cancel my subscription.

Last month I emailed them to cancel my account with them. A few days later they called back and offered me half proce for six months.

Try it, just be prepared to follw through with your threats. I am sure they wont want to lose you as a customer! :smashin:

I did this a couple of years ago and got a half price package for 6 months. I have tried it again since, adamant that I am leaving and they just say ok "noted, will be disconnected in 28 days" I wait for 27 days and then call up with my tail between my legs.

Seems like you can get away with it once but any more and they don't want to know.

I have been on their full package with everything since 1997.
 
Well we have no issue with cancelling. It's just a bit of hassle.

First it was under my Dads name for a few years and is currently under my Moms name. We can always cancel and sign up with my details this time.
 
That's what holds me back from doing it.
The fear of them saying "ok then, we accept your cancellation"
I really have zero alternative but SKY.
No virgin option available for my area, and I'm damned if I'm putting up with poxy freeview/freesat.
 
Never paid for an engineer. If they want me to watch the stuff they better make sure the equipment works. Called up a few months ago looking for a deal but they'd only offer me a free HD box (not got an HD screen but the additional capacity was nice). Phone up last month to cancel all sport, movies etc for the summer, they offered me 3 monthd at half price but I said no, so I've just got a basic £20 a month package for a couple of months to save some dosh.
 
That's what holds me back from doing it.
The fear of them saying "ok then, we accept your cancellation"
I really have zero alternative but SKY.
No virgin option available for my area, and I'm damned if I'm putting up with poxy freeview/freesat.

If you're a premium subscriber they'll never accept your cancellation, trust me. You'll get some premium channels half price for a couple of months + an HD box minimum.
 
If you're a premium subscriber they'll never accept your cancellation, trust me. You'll get some premium channels half price for a couple of months + an HD box minimum.

I agree. If you have never done it before you will definitely get something.
 
moved to SKYHD
 
i rang them up yesterday, ended up with 2 free HD boxes installed and 3 months half price HD, took an hours worth of hustling though. certainly seems a lot tighter this year. tried to get longer term cheap tv sub but rather than take money off your tv subs they seem to try and drive cheap deals moving your broadband/calls to them
 
We already have our phone line with them but there is no way we are taking the broadband. Have a relative nearby on the same phone exchange and they had Sky broadband for a year and said they were rubbish.

With Be but we have an o2 contract and gonna switch to them. Making it the same price as Sky but the same line and router we have been using for years without issue.
 
My HD box is playing up, I currently pay £76 a month for SKY.
They will ask me to pay a £65 callout fee.
I will refuse and tell them I'd rather cancel my subscription.
I don't want to cancel, but I don't want to pay a £65 callout either.

My old thomson box was playing up said they would halve the engineer call out to 32.50. Said I was not paying for a call out and I would cancel they sent an engineer for free swapped the box for a samsung with dreadfull lip sync issues. Phoned again and said I did not want a recon box so they came out again with a brand new 500gb Amstrad. Very nice little box compared to the old Thompson.I only pay 21.00 a month no HD mix or premium channels.
 
If I was paying that much then I would certainly argue my case. Have you had it long? Try and get a replacement or something?

A friend of mine with Virgin was having issues with his box. He got a replacement and one month free!

Virgin can do that sort of thing because they own the boxes whereas with Sky you own the box and only entitled to free replacement within 12 months warranty period.
 
how much were you paying them per month my sky bill has dropped from 100 a month to 50 a month now down to 17 until the season starts again

I was paying about 70 I think, 40ish for the subs, 10 for HD, 5 for BB 5 for calls and 9 for ESPN, then any mobile calls on top of the telephone package, line rental was always through BT. I was previously on a 3 month offer for a third off the package but got two bills for 70 odd notes and decided to jack it in completely.

If you're down to the bear bones package then just quit, get a digibox for less than 17 quid, use that for a month and wait for the sky offer, if you quit before the season starts they'll be biting your hand off to come back once it kicks in again, usually they'll see an upturn in sales and upgrades around that point but they'll still definitely do what they can to reconnect and old customer as it has basically no outlay, you've already got the box etc, the marketing doesn't matter to you, they don't need to replace your card or create a new account and all that tosh.
 
After 3 and a half years with Sky I think it might be time to call them to wrangle something out of them. Hoping to get a Free HD box (we only have Sky+ at the moment) and some months free on Sky+ HD sub.
Just wondering if anyone has encountered them lately so I can see if they want new customers, which would mean they are likely to tell us where to go, or trying to retain the old.
Haven't had any discounts in the 3 and a half years.


I moved from Sky+ to Sky+HD a few weeks ago. I have full package but not multi room (and don't want it) as I have RF out wired into other rooms.

With persistence (took two phone calls) I eventually got:

Free HD Box.
Free installation.
25% off my subs for 6 months.
Free HD for 6 months.

If your call is anything like mine you will be offered a free HD box straight away. The rest of the deal just takes time and being prepared to be passed from pillar to post and if needs be to go through to cancellations.
 
Been with Sky since last June. Contract up.
I phoned and cancelled at the beginning of the week and never got offered anything at all??

Do Sky actually have a retentions dept??
:(

Had skyWORLD for the duration.
 
Last edited:
Been with Sky since last June. Contract up.
I phoned and cancelled at the beginning of the week and never got offered anything at all??
Do Sky actually have a retentions dept??
:(
Had skyWORLD for the duration.

You may well get a call near your final date (30 days cancellation). You could always phone them if you do want to keep it and ask if there is any way they can get the cost down - Or just wait and see if they do call you.

Rather than calling to cancel I've found its better to call and be prepared to cancel, but always emphasise that you really want to keep the full package but its just a bit too expensive. You don't want to reduce the package as you are covered for basics with freesat (or freeview), but if they can't find a way of getting the monthly cost down you are very reluctantly going to have to cancel. Then see what they offer. Be prepared to drop the call if you aren't getting offered anything and try again as it really does depend on who you speak to.
It sounds ^^ daft to have to go through this kind of routine but it does work if you are prepared to stick at it and remain nice and calm despite being left on hold and messed about in attempts to wear you down!
 
Or wait on the re-connection letter, honestly Sky have dropped so much of their money from their retentions team and put it into the reconnection fund, if you wanted to reconnect in the past you got nothing but if you wanted to cancel you got offered the world, then they cottoned on to it and let folk cancel but as I say the cheapest customers are the ones they can get to reconnect.
 

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