Survey Claims Majority Who Haggle Get Better Broadband ISP Deal
A new survey of 1,000 UK broadband customers, which was conducted by consumer magazine Which?, has claimed that 87% of those who haggle with their ISP for a better deal were offered a discount or other incentive to stay with the provider rather than switch away, but apparently most people don’t try it.
The survey noted that the top reasons why people don’t try haggling with their broadband ISP is because 24% felt it would be too much hassle, while 18% aren’t confident enough to try it, a further 9% wouldn’t know how to do it and 6% felt it would just be too difficult. However if you’re happy with the service then it’s often worth trying to renegotiate the price before switching (see our Retention Tips guide).
Admittedly one catch here is that haggling only really works if you’re with one of the largest providers (e.g. BT, Virgin Media, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk, EE, Plusnet, Vodafone etc.), where discounts for new customers tend to change on an almost weekly basis. Such providers are often setup to renegotiate and you lose nothing by merely asking. Meanwhile smaller ISPs tend not to play the discounting game and so haggling is less likely to work.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
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It’s even more important to do it these days with costs going to for phone lines the last few years.
I’ve just got myself the Three AI cube at existing customer price! [Impressive fast speeds that are consistent too.]
Will definitely try to get the cost down come the end of the contract!
I tend to find those who haggle to get a better deal are with companies that are also guilty of increasing prices to all customers. I am still with same company after 10 years never needed to haggle over prices I payed the same amount each month even if BT retail, Sky, TalkTalk and VM put theirs up. I am also not having to agree a new 12, 18, or 24 month contract once my contract is up it automatically goes to a monthly rolling contract at the exact same price as I was in contract.
I’m useless at haggling – as it never works with me when I’m on the receiving end of a haggle attempt.
In my engineering days I used to be wheeled out in negotiations with a difficult customer by my employer.
I’d respond to all attempts to get a price reduction by just sitting there and telling them to get lost. One comedian threatened to give us no more orders – fine – see you then…..
I’ve always looked around at what was on offer elsewhere at contract renewal time, and if the existing ISP could match it I’ve switched. Its the same with electricity or car insurance.
That is not always the case. I know existing customers who are on better packages and is paying less than I am. I have tried twice going through cancellations trying to haggle and all I got was a very small reduction that it was barely any saving at all. I told them to cancel it all
Did exactly th5ay with Sky – was paying £59.80 for TV and Internet
Dropped my TV from £27.80 to £14 (same package)
My line rental and internet (fibre max) were £18.99 and £13.01 respectively and here’s where it got interesting. She could discount my fibre to £15 but she said (and no word of a lie) “In 27 months you’ve not made a single call on your landline, therefore as we’re planning to offer internet without a phone line in the future we will waive the landline charge from today”. My internet went up from £13.01 to £15, they sent out a new Sky Q modem replacing my old Openreach and SR101 modem which I’d had for 5 years with no delivery charge.
Total – Sky Entertainment, HD and Box Sets £14 – Internet £15, Phone – Free – £360 a year saving to the last time I phoned them a year ago
18 month contract
indeed, l did the same didnt even need to haggle, l could have gotten my package a little cheaper if l had some testing service on the line but given l game online and it would mean a disconnection every now and then while line tests were periodically ran it would have been detremental to my online activities on whatever or whoever l was playing with.
normal price for my package would have been in the 40s but l was already on a deal that l was already three quaters through that got my package down to 30, but recontracted at 27 for the next 18 months on the Max package, and then my price thereafter is locked into the price of my old deal rather than going up to the original so l call that a bonus.
for me however l dont haggle, l just tell them l want to get a better deal in order to keep costs down by checking every time my contract is half up.
I find the best deals are almost always only for new customers. You can save a bit by haggling but I’ve found I get a better deal by switching at the end of each contract, whilst also taking advantage of any cashback offers available through sites like topcashback, quidco or moneysavingexpert.
Using the above strategy I’ve paid £12-17/month (including line rental) for 40mbps fibre broadband every year for the last 5 years. I’ve just come to the end of paying £13.33/month with now broadband (£20/month for 12 months, £9.99 installation, £90 cashback via topcashback)
Signed up with Shell energy broadband for the coming year at £16.74/month (£22.99/month for 12 months, £75 bill credit via offer on moneysavingexpert.com)
Notable exceptions have to be mentioned, such as PlusNet and Virgin Media, who both keep their best prices for the new customers, while milking the older ones.