Haggle with Sky
Top tips for cutting your bills with the TV giant
Sky tends to hike TV and broadband prices every year. So if you're out of contract, or you have the right to leave penalty-free, use the price hike as leverage when wielding the powerhouse weapon you possess – haggling.
Sky is one of the easiest firms to haggle with according to our survey, with 79% of people who tried having some sort of success. If you're out of contract, here are a few quick tips to cut costs – there's a more comprehensive list in our full guide below:
1. Ditch optional extras. Paying for Sky Movies, but never watch them? Do a channel audit to work out what you don't watch and consider ditching channels you don't need.
2. Call Sky retentions team and ask for a discount. First find out what newbies are paying as this will be useful ammo when negotiating.
3. If it won't budge, consider walking away. Some of the best deals are had when you're prepared to cancel your service completely. It may help you get a better discount, or if you do cancel, they can entice you back with 'welcome back' offers.
'I haggled almost £1,500 off my Sky bill'
Our most recent haggling poll, in December 2023, found 79% of Sky TV and broadband customers who tried to haggle were successful in negotiating a better deal, showing what's possible. To see which other companies this works well on, see our list of the top service companies to haggle with.
Here are some MoneySavers who've managed to slash their Sky bills by haggling:
After reading your article on haggling for a better deal I thought that I’d give it a go with my Sky package for TV, Broadband and landline telephone. I was just out of contract so I contacted Sky and told them that I was leaving.
I hardly had to speak as the Sky Customer Service agent walked me through my contract. I changed nothing in my bundle. The final upshot was that by taking on a new contract for eighteen months I am set to save £1,470. Happy viewing!
- Alan, via email
Thanks so much for telling us to haggle. We were paying £106 per month for Sky Broadband and TV. We went through the process of leaving and were eventually offered a better TV deal and upgraded to Superfast Fibre Broadband for £64 per month. A yearly saving of £504. Thanks again.
- Cathy, via email
Hi there, my Sky fixed deal for £40 a month came to an end and was told it would rise to £58 a month. I rang to cancel and was then quoted £43 a month to which I agreed.
I rang back the next day to say I had changed my mind and still wished to cancel but was asked if I would reconsider if they reduced my multiroom subscription by a further £5.50 taking my monthly payment down to £37.50.
A no brainer I think and a result!
- K, via email
I have just haggled with Sky as my contract was coming up for renewal and I've got them to go down from £133 a month to £70 a month for TV, movies, sports and Netflix add-on. That's a saving of £756 a year! Used your haggling information. Thank you MSE.
- Luke, via email
I rang Sky to say that I was cancelling due to it being too expensive. I have Sky Signature, BT & Sky Sports, multi room & HD etc (including broadband). When prices rise in April, I would have been paying £164 per month (£1968/year).
I fiercely negotiated and got them down to £105.50 per month (£1266/year) which meant I was saving a massive £702 per year! Definitely worth haggling, thanks.
- Toni, via email
After reading your advice and forum about sky we cancelled our package, we were paying £70 a month for TV services and couldn’t warrant to continue using that price.
I had a phone call out of the blue asking me to stay. I’ve now got a full Sky package, Sky Cinema, Ultimate On Demand with Netflix, a second Sky box with Multiroom and £20 credited admin charge, all on an 18 month contract for £38 a month.
I’m happy it had saved us £384 over 18 months.
- Rob, via email
My rate was due to go up to £46.75/mth, so I rang to cancel. First, they offered a 35% discount. I wasn't satisfied and again told them to cancel. A week later, they rang me back and offered a 50% discount. Again, I told them that wasn't enough. Eventually, I accepted a 60% discount so I now pay £20/mth. Plus, it wasn't a new contract so I could cancel any time.
- Christopher, by email
Please let us know how you get on by sharing your success stories – or otherwise – via the MSE Forum, successes@moneysavingexpert.com or on X using @MoneySavingExp.
Don't settle for pricey Sky packages – make it fight to keep you, or switch
If you're fed up with price hikes or your bills are going up because your promo deal's ending, don't sit back – there's plenty you can do about it. If you want to stick with Sky, and many do, particularly given some of what it offers isn't available anywhere else – don't underestimate the power of haggling.
Now we know haggling's often seen as something you do in backstreet bazaars, but it's very much alive and kicking in the UK. There are huge savings to be made on Sky's services - in particular Sky TV, but broadband and line rental too.
In a nutshell, call up and ask for a better deal. Say you're paying too much or rivals' deals are cheaper. If that doesn't work, tell them you're leaving. Usually you'll then get put through to companies' super-powerful hidden deals departments.
Why haggling works...
Here's the key thing to understand:
Companies make their best deals only available for newbies, and they LOVE loyal customers as they stay with the firm through thick 'n' thin, paying full price and never looking for a better deal.
This lets big firms rake in regular, guaranteed, easy profit. So ask yourself a question: do you want to be a customer whose business is fought for, or one who's taken for granted? If you don't want to be taken for granted, take the haggle challenge.
Haggling is just one of your price cut weapons – check new deals too
Haggling can be mega powerful, but think of it as just one part of your battle to get the best deal. Sometimes 'new customer' offers from alternative providers are simply unbeatable. So by all means haggle, but always check the price you secure against the top deals from switching by comparing broadband, phone line and TV deals.
Wanna know how to cut broadband costs – and when to do it?
The MSE App has a new tool called Bill Buster – give us a few details about your bill & we’ll track it, alert you when your contract's ending, then show you the cheapest deals based on speeds you can get in your area.
Nine top Sky haggling tips
Haggling may sound straightforward, but perfecting it is an art. Here are our top tips for haggling with Sky – for more, see our full guide on Haggling with Service Companies.
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Tell 'em you're happy with Freeview – most of Sky's basic channels can be found on Freeview
Freeview costs nothing for many people and comes with loads of channels. If you mention it, it shows Sky you know what you're talking about.
It's a useful opening gambit to start your haggle with as mentioning it tells Sky your opening offer is £0. You can then take it from there, and hopefully you'll have a little more wiggle room to get a top deal. -
Do a channel audit to see if you can ditch channel packages you don't watch
Work out what you really watch on Sky TV and ditch the rest. There's no point paying for access to channels you don't watch. Here's a list of Sky packages that you might be paying for, with some of the channels they include:
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Sky Cinema - Sky Animation, Drama, Premiere, Thriller, Action, Select, Sci-fi horror, Greats, Family, Comedy and Hits.
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Sky Sports - Premier League, F1, Cricket, Football, NFL, Arena, Golf and Main Event
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Kids - Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Nicktoons, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, Boomerang and BabyTV.
'HD' and 'Multiscreen' are also optional extras, so you can save money by ditching these if you don't need or use them.
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Timing is crucial – if you're out-of-contract, or close to the end, it's easier to leave without penalty
Haggling works best when you're nearing the end of the minimum term on your contract or are beyond it. There's no harm in giving it a try earlier though – if you struggle, note in your diary when you'll be nearing the end of your contract and call back then.
Even if you do forget, don't panic as telecoms and pay-TV companies are now forced to tell you that your contract is ending. This can be via a letter, email or text between 10 and 40 days before it ends. But be careful, due to an ongoing dispute between Sky and the regulator, it might not tell you when your TV contract with it reaches the end of its minimum term.
You can give Sky notice of leaving 31 days beforehand for a TV contract, and 14 days for Sky Talk and Sky Broadband.
Furthermore, if a provider hikes broadband or line rental prices (or TV prices depending on how your contract is structured) you may be able to leave your contract penalty-free, even if you're still in the minimum term. This may also be the case if the price of additional services you frequently use is hiked, causing you "material detriment".
If this happens you'll have 30 days from receiving notification of the price hike and right to leave penalty-free to decide what to do. It's a great opportunity to haggle or move to a cheaper provider.
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Benchmark the best deal – find out what newbies are paying so you have a realistic goal
It's important to have the factual arsenal at your fingertips before you pick up the phone, so do your homework.
Research the deals, discounts and codes that Sky and its competitors offer to act as a basis for negotiation. Compare broadband, phone line and TV deals to find the best buys and sign up to our weekly email to get the latest offers. -
Check your account for existing customer offers
Sky previously ran adverts encouraging its customers to contact it and see what 'exclusive deals' are available if you stay with Sky (you can often find info on these by signing into your Sky account). It's actively encouraging you to haggle, so it would be rude not to take advantage.
Of course, if you're not satisfied with what you're offered online, you can call Sky and try to haggle via another avenue – see point 6 below for how to contact its retentions department. -
Get through to the retentions department – be nice and use the phrases that pay
Remember, if you're coming to the end of your contract, or you're already out of it, you're wielding a powerhouse weapon – customer loyalty. It's simple to use too – just tell 'em you're going to leave.
If you don't have any luck via the advertised ways of getting in touch, then it may be worth trying another route to the 'customer retentions' department – aka the Holy Grail of haggling – instead. (Note: This department might be called 'disconnections' externally, but make no mistake, customer retention's their job.)
How to contact Sky's customer service team
If you call customer services and tell them you want to leave they should put you through, but to get through as quickly as possible, call Sky cancellations on 0333 7591 018 – it starts as an automated service to find out why you're calling, but you should get put through to the right place after a couple of minutes.
Use charm, chutzpah, cheek... and a smile
Aggression or anger will just put their back up and won't get you anywhere. You're asking for a discount, and they're just as much within their right not to give it as you are to leave. Aim for polite, friendly, non-combative yet firm.
Use the phrases that pay
You may find that your Sky customer service rep will only offer a small discount at first, but if you don't agree with the price, try phrases like:
- "I've worked out my budget, and my absolute max is £[insert price here]/mth."
- "[BT/Plusnet/TalkTalk/Virgin Media] can do it for less."
- "I need to think about it."
- "I think my other half will go bonkers if I pay that."
- "It's still a lot of money."
- "What's the very best you can do?"Don't panic if they call your bluff and say they'll disconnect you
Some people worry and get nervous to try this in case they're disconnected. Martin's easy 'get out of jail free' card on this is the phrase: "Hold on, I'll call you back on that. I'd like to check with my wife/husband/dog/goldfish first."
Problems mean discounts
If you've had issues with Sky in the past, such as slow broadband or long customer service call waiting times, politely tell them when you haggle. It's useful ammunition – they should want to try and make it up to you.
Don't say yes to the first offer they give
You should never go with the first offer. Chances are, it's not the best deal they can do. Remember, be firm.
Don't fill the silence
They may push you to agree because it's a "limited-time offer", but don't feel pressured into agreeing to the new price or deal unless you're certain.
As negotiations come to a close, a classic sales technique is to stay silent. They want you to feel awkward and fill the silence. Make them fill it with a cheaper offer.
Ask if they can throw in extras
If they won't slash the price, ask them if they can at least include any extras, such as a faster connection. free calls or extra channels.
If you fail – try, try and try again
While unconfirmed, we hear rumours that at some companies different staff members have different quotas of how many deals they can do.
Even if that's not true, it certainly feels like that to many. So you may have called the wrong person at the wrong time. Calling back a few days later and speaking to someone else may pay dividends.
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The high-stakes option – cancel and see if you're offered up to 50% off
Some MoneySavers have reported that they cancelled Sky TV and were then given a voucher for up to 50% off shortly after, either on their TV, in their Sky online account or through the post.
This is a risky option, as there are absolutely no guarantees you will be sent an offer, but if you've tried all the other haggling avenues and are thinking of leaving anyway it might be worth a try.
After you receive email confirmation to say you're leaving, check your account via your TV to see if you've been sent an offer, or sign into your online Sky account. Some have reported receiving a voucher for a lower amount in their online account than via TV, while others have successfully asked for between £50 and £100 bill credit on top via its live chat.
Always check the full details off the offer to ensure you know exactly what you're getting and which parts of your bill the discount would apply to. Here's some inspiration from those who've bagged a discount:
Took the leap of faith and cancelled. Had the 50% offer on my homepage within five minutes. Accepted that offer, and also negotiated a new box as one of ours was faulty. Both daughters also took the leap of faith, both had the 50% offer within minutes. One managed 60% off everything, the other 50% plus £50 credit in account.
- Forumite Janeway224
I talked to Sky about my package and was offered 10% discount. I cancelled and a few minutes later had a 35% offer in my online account and 50% via interactive. Called them, accepted 50% and after a chat was also given £50 credit.
- Forumite DropInTheNorthSea
My account online gives me an offer of 35% off but my Sky app offers me the 50% discount. I'm going to leave it until the last minute to 'rejoin' so we don't lose any service. By then I might get the credit offer as well.
- Forumite tarkytarks
If you do actually leave, Sky's 'win back team' may contact you out of the blue with a special offer to well, win you back.
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What is the number for Sky's win back team?
Call Sky's win back team on 0333 759 4451 – it starts as an automated service to find out why you're calling, but you should get put through to the right place after a couple of minutes.
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Finally, if Sky really won't play ball, vote with your feet
If you don't get what you want, you should seriously consider leaving. Remember, new customers usually have the pick of the best deals and there are plenty of other providers out there. Compare broadband, phone line and TV deals using our Broadband comparison tool tool to find the best package for you – you could save £100s.
What is Sky's retention team and what does it do?
Sky's retention team is key to its business. It works to keep existing customers by offering deals and discounts when their fixed term contracts are ending or when customers let them know they want to leave Sky.
As you're an existing Sky customer, the retention team is able to tailor offers specifically for you to entice you to stay. This can sometimes include promotions that may not be available to new customers.
How to contact Sky's retention team
You can contact Sky on 0333 7591 018 or via its online chat service to see what it'll give you, then compare it to the latest offers for new and existing customers. You can also use our Forum to see others tactics and success stories.
If Sky is too expensive, what are the alternatives?
If you've decided to leave Sky, you'll need an alternative. For broadband, you can check the latest hot promo deals from other providers – including full fibre and superfast – using our Broadband comparison tool tool.
If you have TV with Sky, you can check what TV packages are available from other providers. You can also check the best options for free internet based services such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4, where you can also watch live TV, or paid-for streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+ offer exclusive TV shows and films.
Just looking to stream TV or movies? There are also several sites where you can pay to stream or download online movies or TV shows – including Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube. See top services to buy or rent new releases.
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