Why you shouldn’t take the first broadband deal you’re offered

There’s been a lot of debate recently about what it means to be British, but one obvious sign of Britishness is an aversion to haggling.

It’s not in our nature to query pricing or argue with salespeople, which is why car dealerships often sell vehicles at full list price and street markets tend to be very polite affairs.

However, when it comes to home broadband, our internal resistance to negotiating is costing us dearly.

If you’re the sort of person who’s likely to accept the first broadband deal you’re offered, your reticence could be costing you hundreds of pounds a year.

What’s wrong with accepting the first broadband deal you’re offered?

A loyalty penalty is often imposed on long-standing broadband customers.

Cut-price deals are advertised to ensnare new customers, which then increase significantly once a fixed-term introductory period expires.

Many consumers subsequently fail to renegotiate a new contract, through any combination of inertia, a lack of confidence, complacency or insufficient time.

Even if consumers ask for a better deal, it’s often a meek enquiry about whether the ISP could do anything to bring bills down. They often will, but by less than they could.

The first broadband deal you’re offered rarely represents the company’s best and final position, even if they claim it does.

There’s a mug in every deal, and if you’re not sure who it is, it’s probably you.

Providing you’re not already locked into a fixed term contract, these are our tips to negotiate a better deal…

How to ensure your next broadband deal is truly competitive

Firstly, enter your postcode into our search tool above, to see indicative line speeds and package prices in your area.

Note down the details of one or two offers – not just the line speed or monthly fees but also setup costs, any extras or incentives, the contract length and suchlike.

Compare this to your existing contract (or an end-of-contract notification offer) and highlight any points of difference.

Phone calls are generally more effective than web chat or email when negotiating, so ring your ISP and tell them you’d like to leave.

This will immediately put you in a stronger negotiating stance. When they ask why, explain the package you’re on/being offered is too expensive.

When ISP staff ask what it’d take to retain your custom, be vague. Let them show their hand first.

Compare their initial offer to the best deal on our site and see if you can negotiate anything better.

You might even be able to reduce your package. Do you really need mobile SIM cards, hotspot access, a landline or full fibre broadband?

This is a no-lose situation, since our advertised deals are guaranteed and transparent, giving you a ceiling price you shouldn’t need to exceed.

Many ISPs won’t negotiate that far, but since you know BroadbandDeals can supply you with a competitive package, you don’t need to negotiate as if your life depends on it.

In some instances, ISPs will match (or get close to) a competitor offer, which may enable you to retain your existing provider.

If they don’t, the deal you’ve found right here provides a strong fallback position.

Changing provider is simple in today’s one-touch switching era, and one broadband router will do a very similar job to another.

It might even perform better in terms of WiFi range, reliability or throughput speed.