‘Delighted’ with €480 TV saving – but it could have been more

If you don’t want to get ripped off, you’ve got to switch. Whether for TV, broadband, phone or energy, your bills will spiral upwards if you don’t move on when your contract is up.

It’s easy to switch, but there are a few pitfalls as one Dublin reader warned after upgrading his TV/ broadband/phone package.

The reader doesn’t wish to be identified. He was with Sky but the contract had run out and the monthly bill nearly doubled. Time to switch. Good decision. However, it’s not only important to switch – but also to do it swiftly.

The four months it took to move to a new provider cost him €30 per month – €120 in all.

When he told them he was leaving, Sky offered a new deal – €66 a month instead of €90.

Most providers offer a decent deal only to newbies and wannabe leavers. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. He decided to move anyway to qualify for Virgin’s tasty €10-a-month mobile phone deal for customers only.

At the time – in May – Virgin had a €59-a-month TV/broadband/ phone package. (Now it’s €69 but another cheaper deal may come along soon.)

This was €30 less monthly than Sky’s old deal and €7 under Sky’s counter-offer when he told them he wanted to switch.

Another thing to watch out for is the timing of the changeover of services. You don’t want to pay exit fees on a contract or double up on payments to two suppliers.

‘Broadband and TV customers are usually very aware that if they cancel a contract within the minimum term they’ll be charged an early exit fee – and these can sometimes be very steep,’ said Eoin Clarke, boss of Switcher.ie

‘However, what people may not be aware of is that – even after their minimum term – their contract may specify the notice they’re required to give before cancelling.

‘This is usually one month. If you’re switching supplier, it’s important to give your current supplier the required notice and arrange an installation date with your new supplier towards the end of this notice period, so that you don’t end up double paying in the month of the switch.’

The Virgin broadband service is fine but he didn’t notice much difference compared to Sky despite Virgin’s 240Mb ‘maximum’ download speed.

You can test your broadband on Switcher.ie.

It showed his speed as 30Mb at the time. This is still in the ‘fast’

category (25Mb+) but isn’t exactly always ‘super-fast’. LESSON #1: Maximum speed isn’t the same as average speed

The Virgin package is taking a bit of getting used to but a big plus is that it features Netflix on its TV guide (if you have a Netflix account) which offers a whole new world of options without having to attach a computer or ‘TV box’ to get it.

Another tasty Virgin extra is access to a €10-a-month mobile deal (rising to €15 or €25 a month depending on data usage) which everyone in the house can avail of. LESSON #2: Extras

Extras – such as a voucher, a free telly or in this case a mobile deal – make the package worthwhile. Our reader’s latest TV deal, like most, lasts for only 12 months. After that, it will almost double to €89 per month.

So he has vowed to set a reminder for next year so he doesn’t forget and lose out. LESSON #3: Make a date

Make a note in your diary to switch in 12 months.

Our reader will save €30 monthly for the triple play TV/ broadband/phone deal, for one year, a total of €360, plus another €15 a month for six months on his mobile phone – a total of €440 in one year.

He’s a bit disappointed over losing out due to his delay in switching but as he said: ‘No point crying over spilt milk.’