There are a lot of people who wait for BT, Virgin Media and Sky offers before they start a package contract. This is due to the BT, Virgin Media and Sky offers promising a lower rate for the services that you are getting. However, you have to consider whether or not you are actually getting the better deal. Before you take the BT, Virgin Media or Sky offers you have to consider what the package is really going to cost you. To do this you have to look at the extra costs and incentives that you are getting.
What Do Sky Offers Have?
Before you look at the cost of your package you should consider what makes up the package. There are a number of sections which make Sky package deals what they are and you need to determine what you need and want:
The broadband is perhaps one of the most important parts of package deals. The broadband you can get with these deals will range from limited to unlimited. The data amount will have an effect on the price in a number of cases. You should not only look at the data allowance you will have but the speed as well. The speed you actually get might not be the speed advertised as only 10% of consumers will get those speeds. It is generally considered better to have a faster speed because this increases the level of your overall broadband experience.
The TV package should be looked at next. Sky has a wide range of TV products and you should consider what you like to watch the most. Are you a movie fan or do you prefer to watch sitcoms? What you like to watch will determine what TV package you should get. The more TV packages you have in your deal the more the deal is likely to cost. Sky has split their TV packages into movies, sports and entertainment. It is possible to get one or all of these as part of your Sky package.
The phone line is possibly the least looked at aspect of the packages. The majority of people will not use their home phone as much as they used to. This is due to the increase in mobile minutes offered by mobile phone providers. As these minutes are free it is a better idea to use them for your daily phone needs. Of course, you will need a phone to run your ADSL broadband connection. The phone line aspect of the package will generally include free calls during certain times of the day or week. You need to check if the calls are completely free or just inclusive. There is a difference between these two things and you need to find out what that will mean for you.
Once you have identified all the parts of the package you want you need to look at the prices. Pricing for the package deals will vary depending on what the deal has and the added incentives.
What is the Cost Overall
The overall cost of your package will be determined by what is included in the package. If you have unlimited broadband, all the TV on offer and a phone deal then you will be paying the most. The reason for this is that you have the most in your package. If you were to remove certain aspects of your package the overall price will be less.
The Hidden Costs You Need to Look For
As with everything in life you need to look out for hidden costs. These hidden costs will vary depending on what package you are going to be getting.
Installation fees are another hidden cost you will have to look for. Most packages will have an installation cost because there is always something that need to be installed. For packages with broadband the installation cost may be to cover the technician coming out to set up your connection. For packages with TV services the installation cost will be for the technician coming to install the dish and ensure that everything is working correctly. The cost of installation will vary depending on the package you are getting. There are certain packages that do not have an installation fee and this will be outlined in the terms and conditions.
The one hidden cost you should look at is the line rental amount you have to pay. You may think that if you are not getting a phone service then you do not have to worry about this. However, if you are getting ADSL broadband you will need to have a phone line. Line rental can be paid to your provider or to BT directly. If you are paying through your provider you may be given a special rate. However, these special rates are generally subject to upfront payment. You will need to pay the special rate for the phone line for 12 months upfront and all at once. If you are unable to do this then you will have to pay the normal rate monthly. The line rental cost will not be included in the advertised price so you need to add this on to your monthly cost.
Are You Getting Incentives?
In order to get you business most providers will offer some form of incentive and Sky is no different. The incentive you get will vary on the package you are getting. You should also note that these are special incentives for people who are already Sky customers.
The most common incentive you will find is a certain number of months for free. These deals will generally have you not pay anything for the first 3 to 6 months of the contract.
Vouchers are another common incentive. These vouchers will generally be for a store and the amount will vary depending on the deal and the provider.
Another incentive much like the last is a half price cost. These incentives will have you pay only half the normal cost for a set number of months. In some cases, for existing Sky customers the half price deal may cover the entire length of the contract.
Sky offers were always around and Sam Jones had worked out an easy way to narrow down his options. uSwitch and similar sites were ideal for working out exactly what he wanted from the offers.
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