THE UK’S self-declared biggest complainer has revealed how he shaved £100 a year off a vital household bill in just 20 minutes.
Thousands are facing rising broadband costs within days, with some firms hiking prices by as much as 8.8%.
But consumer expert Scott Dixon managed to save £100 a year on his internet package with Sky in a matter of minutes.
The 53-year-old, regarded as the UK’s biggest complainer, received an email from Sky earlier this month telling him his Ultrafast broadband package would be hiked by £3 a month to £36 from April 1.
But using his knowledge of consumer law, Scott, from Edinburgh, managed to get Sky to offer him a new 18-month contract at £30 a month after he called to complain.
That means he’ll pay £6 less a month than he would have if he hadn’t kicked up a fuss, saving £108 overall.
Not only that, but Sky also offered him £30 in cash as a goodwill gesture.
“Consumers need to be ‘proactive, not reactive’ – don’t just think I have to pay it [price hikes],” Scott said. “You don’t have to pay it.”
“I could have accepted the price hike without paying it, but firms just rely on people not knowing their rights and inertia.”
Broadband providers usually hike the price of their packages once a year to keep up with inflation and combat rising business costs.
These are called mid-contract price hikes, because they typically rise each March or April in line with inflation figures from a few months earlier, plus a few extra percentage points.
In most cases, mid-contract rises are baked into customers’ contracts, which means they’re forced to pay more or face hefty exit penalties for getting out the contract.
But Scott managed to get Sky to drop the price of his package after citing section 68 of the Consumer Rights Act (CRA) 2015 when he called Sky on March 12, the day after receiving the email telling him his contract would rise in price.
This states that a written term in a consumer contract, like a broadband package, has to be transparent.
Scott took out the package in August 2023 on an 18-month contract and Sky claimed it had told him verbally at the time there would be scope for a mid-contract price rise.
It also told him notification of the hike was mentioned in the terms and conditions of his My Sky app.
But Scott told the firm it had not mentioned potential rises in the Contract Summary and Information document it issued him when he first signed up for the deal.
Scott called up the provider’s Retention’s Team on March 12 and cited the CRA, and within 20 minutes they had offered him the new cheaper 18-month broadband package at the same speed.
However, Scott warned that anyone considering doing something similar should make sure they’ve got all their correspondence with their provider to hand.
That means having any emails ready to use as evidence when calling up your provider to dispute a price hike.
Scott said this allowed him to prove Sky had not made his mid-contract price rise “transparent” when he signed up for the deal.
The Sun asked Sky to comment.
Beyond totting up on consumer law, there are other ways to save money on your broadband, Scott said.
If you’re coming up to the end of your contract, don’t just wait for the current one to roll over.
Instead, shop around on a price comparison site such as Go Compare or Compare the Market to see if you can get a better deal.
Once you’re armed with a better deal, you can go with it to your current provider as evidence you should be paying less.
Scott said: “Do you homework in advance with other broadband providers and go straight to the retention team [of your current provider] and haggle – hard.”
If you decide to stick with your current provider, another way to haggle the price down is by drawing on your customer loyalty.
For example, Scott mentioned the fact he had been with Sky for 10 years when he bartered the price of his new contract down – and it worked.
Scott added: “Be polite but assertive – you are dealing with real people who reserve the right to cut you off if you are rude and abusive.”
Many of us are still struggling with the high cost of living - but there's help you can get.
New or expectant parents can get up to £442 a year to spend on food through Healthy Start scheme.
Some new parents can get £500 via the Sure Start Maternity Grant. The money is designed to help you cover the costs of having a child.
Councils also offer support through the welfare assistance schemes, to help cover the costs of essentials, from buying new furniture to food vouchers.
The amount you can get varies but an investigation by The Sun found that hard-up Brits can apply for help worth up to £1,000.
Discretionary Housing Payment is a pot of money handed out by councils to those struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
A scheme is available for those who find themselves unable to cover housing costs, though the exact amount varies as each local authority dishes out the cash on a case-by-case basis.
Many energy forms offer grants to help cash-tight customers. The exact amount varies depending on your supplier and you circumstances, but could be as much a £2,000.
It’s also worth checking if your broadband speed is the one your provider said it would provide, as you might find it’s a bit lower.
If not, it could be classed as a breach of contract under the CRA, which states that goods and services have to be fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality.
Search “broadband speed checker” on Google and use one of the websites listed at the top to do a quick check of your speed.
Scott said you might also be able to avoid paying an early exit fee if your provider has breached your contract by not offering you the broadband speed it said it would.
If you’re on Universal Credit or other benefits, you might qualify for a social broadband tariff too.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing squeezeteam@thesun.co.uk.
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