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Are you paying too much for Sky?
I found out by accident a few weeks ago that I had been unnecessarily been paying about £5 a month too much for Sky.
As a long term Sky customer I had been on the Variety Pack with the addition over the last few years of the HD pack. With the last price rise in May/June of this year my subscription had gone up from £37.75 to £40.75. I had thought that a £3 price rise was larger than in previous years but I hadn't really questioned it.
I was in my local shopping centre a few weeks ago and noticed a Sky promotional stand. I had a look at the prices and noticed the Family Bundle, which seemed to have identical content to what I had including HD was only £36 a month. I chatted to a very helpful lady on the stand and she looked up my details and she said that being a long term customer I was still on an old pack and paying for my HD separately, which I had to do at the time, and this was now working out at £5 a month extra. That's what Sky do to you for being a long term customer with loyalty!
She did point out to me that for £5 less the only difference would be that I would lose the f1 channel which wouldn't be included in the Family Bundle. I've never watched the f1 channel and I didn't even know that could receive it! She wrote down for me what I needed to do ie. cancel HD pack and Variety Pack and change to the Family Bundle. I rang Sky and did this with no problems. The man at Sky agreed it was the sensible thing to do and said that they had recently had quite a few customers who had done this. I wonder how many thousands of customers are still on the old bundle but do not realise that they could be paying £5 a month less for almost identical content. Also, I know it's only 50p, but for some reason he was giving me some kind of discount and I am now getting the Family Bundle at £35.50 a month instead of £36.
What annoys me is, that as long term loyal customer, having been with Sky since before digital days, they had left me on an old outdated, overpriced packaged, charging me £5 extra a month, but hadn't informed me giving me the option of changing. I asked why this hadn't been done automatically and was told because of losing the f1 channel.
As a long term Sky customer I had been on the Variety Pack with the addition over the last few years of the HD pack. With the last price rise in May/June of this year my subscription had gone up from £37.75 to £40.75. I had thought that a £3 price rise was larger than in previous years but I hadn't really questioned it.
I was in my local shopping centre a few weeks ago and noticed a Sky promotional stand. I had a look at the prices and noticed the Family Bundle, which seemed to have identical content to what I had including HD was only £36 a month. I chatted to a very helpful lady on the stand and she looked up my details and she said that being a long term customer I was still on an old pack and paying for my HD separately, which I had to do at the time, and this was now working out at £5 a month extra. That's what Sky do to you for being a long term customer with loyalty!
She did point out to me that for £5 less the only difference would be that I would lose the f1 channel which wouldn't be included in the Family Bundle. I've never watched the f1 channel and I didn't even know that could receive it! She wrote down for me what I needed to do ie. cancel HD pack and Variety Pack and change to the Family Bundle. I rang Sky and did this with no problems. The man at Sky agreed it was the sensible thing to do and said that they had recently had quite a few customers who had done this. I wonder how many thousands of customers are still on the old bundle but do not realise that they could be paying £5 a month less for almost identical content. Also, I know it's only 50p, but for some reason he was giving me some kind of discount and I am now getting the Family Bundle at £35.50 a month instead of £36.
What annoys me is, that as long term loyal customer, having been with Sky since before digital days, they had left me on an old outdated, overpriced packaged, charging me £5 extra a month, but hadn't informed me giving me the option of changing. I asked why this hadn't been done automatically and was told because of losing the f1 channel.
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Comments
They knocked £5 off the HD pack for 6 months anyway.
Yes, you can download box sets on the old Variety Bundle but you can do exactly the same on the newer Family Bundle for £36 but the HD pack is included without having to pay what is now £11.25 extra a month for HD on top of the £30 for the Variety Bundle. The only thing you loose is the Formula 1 Channel.
I'm not sure how HD charges work with Films and Sport as I don't have those. I'm just happy that I'm now paying £60 a year less for exactly the same as I had before. I just wonder for how long I have been paying too much.
Come the new year another call is in order.
Cheers all the same Cookie.
went through to cancellations - 7 minute wait - and they told me it will cost me £5 per month more. Then I asked for hd to be cancelled and they cut me off!.
Went through to upgrades - 3 minute wait - asked to upgrade to family pack and cease hd - low and behold a saving of £5 per month.
Thanks!
That's the annoying thing that Sky hasn't informed us about. You can cancel HD and upgrade to the Family Bundle and save £5 per month. As I said earlier how many thousands of people are paying £5 each month too much! I only found out by accident by looking at a display of bundles and prices in a shopping centre.
That's your good deed done for today and tomorrow
It really is a disgrace, they're just ripping us off.
Don't blame Sky or other companies, blame yourself for not keeping up to date
Everyone one way told!
I suppose you are going to claim that I was a special when I received my letter!
Perhaps it is just I read the letters I receive while YOU CAN NOT BE BOTHERED.
If Sky had automatically down graded everyone many who wanted F1 would have lost it!
Sky informed everyone in writing about the consequences of downgrading!
Or if you want the cheapest way of getting HD SPorts or Movies;
Original + Old HD Pack + Sports/Movies is much cheaper than Family + New HD Pack + Sports and Movies.
Family is £16 more than original and new HD pack only £6 cheaper than old one so HD Sports/Movies £10 more with new system, so it's actually a nice little earner for Sky.
I'm only paying £20, you just need to commit to another 12 month contract.
Original Bundle - £20
Variety Bundle - £30
Family Bundle - £36
Main Difference between Variety and Family Bundles is that Family has more HD channels, Sky box sets and 3D programmes.
Have to take a 12 month subscription, which may not allow you to upgrade to SKY Q (if or when it becomes available) during this 12 months period.
I'm paying £38.75 / month for HD pack. However my Pace box is needing to be booted every week, so may not last much longer, so don't want to be in a 12 month contract if it breaks down.