Satellite boxes from the likes of Sky and Virgin are becoming much less commonplace as people make the big switch over to digital streaming services like Netflix, Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime - as they are far cheaper and don't keep you tied down in contracts.
But if you must have your live TV but want it for cheaper, one money savvy Brit has explained how he managed to haggle his monthly Sky bill down by £30 a month.
Dennis, a fan of Martin Lewis and his Money Saving Expert website has shared exactly how he used the financial guru's tips to shave £360 off his annual TV bill.
Read more: Martin Lewis explains 1p challenge to help you save £600 in time for next Christmas
The Mirror reports that while haggling is by no means guaranteed to always work, it doesn’t cost a penny to ask and you could end up saving hundreds of pounds in the process. Dennis emailed the MSE team and said: “My Sky contract had expired and gone up to £109.50 per month, so I phoned up to challenge the increase.
"Now my bill is £79.50 a month for the next 18 months. Absolutely worth doing as the call was answered quickly and it was all sorted within 10 minutes. Thanks, MSE for reminding me to haggle."
The Money Saving Expert team recently published an article about the art of haggling, and the best companies to haggle with. The MSE team shared that the sectors most likely to offer cheaper prices, extra goods and better deals after haggling were broadband, mobile, insurance and breakdown cover.
Overall, MSE found that Virgin Media was one of the best companies to haggle with the overall haggle success rate being 85 per cent second place went to the RAC who had the same overall success score.
Sky was placed in third with an overall haggle success rate of 84 per cent and Sky Mobile also featured in the top 10 list of best companies to haggle with. Other companies which made MSE’s top 10 companies to haggle with list included the AA, Admiral, Three, TalkTalk, O2, and Virgin Mobile.
TV/broadband/home phone was the sector which had the highest success rate. Sky was placed second, after Virgin Media, as one of the top three companies to most successfully bargain with. TalkTalk took third place.
MSE has curated a guide which you can follow to help you successfully haggle and includes the tip: "Use charm, chutzpah, cheek, and a smile," alongside a plethora of others.
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