MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert has revealed the top ten companies to haggle with to help drive down bills.
With bills sky-rocketing, it’s more important than ever to make sure you are getting the best deal.
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And haggling with companies offering you a service is one quick way to save money.
And a poll commissioned by Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert (MSE) found there are ten companies where customers had the most success bartering down payments.
This included home services, such as TV and broadband, mobiles, breakdown cover and insurance.
The consumer website found the best company to haggle with was Virgin Media.
It found that a whopping 85% of customers managed to bag themselves a better deal.
The RAC and Sky also came out on top – with 85% and 45% of people, respectively, managing to secure cheaper prices.
Bringing up the bottom, but still performing pretty well, were O2 with a 72% success rate and Virgin Mobile with 71%.
More than 3,000 people voted in the MSE poll.
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Gary Caffell, utilities editor at MoneySavingExpert, said: “While loyalty generally doesn’t pay, this year’s poll shows once again customers can make it work for their pocket if they’re willing to give haggling a go. It never hurts to try.”
MSE’s top firms to haggle with – full list
Below is the top ten companies to haggle with and their total success rate, according to MSE.
- Virgin Media – 85%
- RAC – 85%
- Sky – 81%
- AA – 81%
- Admiral – 77%
- TalkTalk – 77%
- Three – 74%
- Sky Mobile – 73%
- O2 – 72%
- Virgin Mobile – 71%
How to haggle with providers
Do your homework
Whether it’s car insurance or a TV package, compare deals across the market then, once you’ve found the cheapest one, use this to boost your bargaining power.
Try price-comparison sites such as Moneysupermarket, GoCompare, and Compare The Market.
Know who to speak to
Companies usually have a customer retention department.
You’ll probably be put through to them if you’ve threatened to leave.
They have the power to offer the best deals and discounts.
You can even ask yourself to be put through to these people, if it is not offered.
Just explain that you have been shopping around and are willing to walk away if you’re not given the deal you want, or get particular extras thrown in such as TV channels or cashback.
Threaten to leave
Even big firms value loyalty. If you’re reaching the end of your contract, tell them you’re planning to go elsewhere.
If you’ve found a cheaper deal, use this as the reason.
Alternatively, you may be fed up with price hikes or poor customer service.
Around half of consumers threaten to move to a competitor as their top haggling tactic, according to recent research by TopCashback.
Go online
A firms chat facility can be a handy first step to successful haggling.
You can note down what you want to say, and the process may be less nerve-racking.
You may be more comfortable haggling this way, but if you find you are getting nowhere, you can always pick up the phone and speak to someone in person.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
