Most subscription-based services will offer you a huge discount if you just threaten to leave.
Streaming services, software, phone and WiFi companies all run HUGE profit margins.
Even when they slash their prices, they're still making money off you.
So when you threaten to walk away, they suddenly discover 'magical discounts' they never mentioned before.
Here's where you can 'cut to the chase', threaten to cancel, and enjoy a "baby please don't go" price.
Streaming Services
1
Amazon Prime Video
You can get a free month extension by signing up for a trial and cancelling immediately, or 7 days of Prime for £1.99 when cancelling a subscription.
Can rinse and repeat with new email accounts
2
NOW TV
Get up to 50% off all packages (Entertainment, Movies, Sports).
Sports can drop to £19.99/month from £35, while some people report Entertainment at just £1-£1.99/month (down from £6.99).
Discounts typically last 6 months.
3
ITV X
Click the cancel option in your account settings to automatically receive a 50% discount offer for 3 months.
4
HBO Max
Start cancellation to receive a discounted annual subscription, usually around 30%
5
DAZN
Cancel your subscription and log back in via web browser (not the app) to see discount offers of 10-30% off.
And better offers (40-50% off) can come over email after waiting longer.
6
Disney+
Start the cancellation process for a 39% discount for 3 months.
Can also wait for Black Friday to get 12 months of £3/month..
7
Paramount+
Start the cancellation process to get offered 4 months completely free.
8
Lionsgate+ UK
Start the cancellation process to receive an initial offer of £2.99/month, then continue with cancellation to get an even better offer of £0.99/month (down from ~£10/month).
Software
Adobe Creative Cloud
Go through the cancellation process to get 25% off for a year or completely free periods (60 days to 3 months).
Avoid early cancellation fees by switching plans first (creates a grace period), then cancelling.
Audible
Start the cancellation process to receive offers like ~£3/month for 2-4 months.
Or half-price subscription for a year when cancelling free trials.
Kindle Unlimited
Cancel your current subscription and wait for promotional emails offering free trials (typically 3 months).
Free trials are available even for past subscribers.
Grammarly
Cancel your subscription or contact support to express intent not to renew due to cost.
Can get up to 50% off like this.
Phone and WiFi
1
Virgin Media
Two effective strategies:
Call retentions/cancellations (ideally the Scottish call center) and negotiate, or cancel and have another household member sign up as a new customer.
Initial offers are modest (£68-45/month), but better deals come later.
We've seen drops from £100 to £17/month for high-speed internet.
2
Sky TV/Broadband
Three approaches work:
Call Retentions (minimal discounts), transfer to Cancellations (better offers), or cancel and wait for Winback team (best offers).
Mention competitor offers and be firm about leaving for up to 40%+ off monthly bills.
3
TalkTalk
Call customer retentions near contract end and mention reducing monthly outgoings and considering cancellation.
It's usually modest discounts on renewal (£1-3 off monthly rate), but with temporary extra discounts for the first few months.
4
Vodafone Broadband
Research competitive offers, then call Vodafone with this information.
Show the best competing offer for your address and mention Sky or other prices as leverage.
We've seen significant discounts like 200Mbps for £22/month or 900Mbps for £25/month.
5
EE
For mobile, call and request PAC codes or text "PAC" to 65075; for broadband, ask for retentions.
Stay silent during negotiation, and wait for retentions call-back.
Mobile plans can be reduced from £55 to £27/month for 4 SIMs.
Fitness/Health
PureGym
Cancel membership, then wait for promotional email (usually within a month) offering half off first month and/or £0 joining fee.
This applies to rejoining, not continuing existing membership.
Dermatica (Skincare)
Go to subscription settings, select "Edit products in subscription," then "Cancel my subscription" and choose "Cutting down on my expenses" to trigger a 50% discount offer on your next delivery.
Accept the discount for one month, then cancel the next - rinse and repea.t
Strava (Running)
Cancel your subscription and wait for promotional offers via email or notifications within 1-6 months.
Offers include 25% off annual subscription, 2 months free, 60-day free trials, or 14 months for the price of 12. Offers are more common November-January.
Curology (Skincare)
Cancel and you're likely to get offered around £20 off your next order.
Insurance, News, and More
Insurance
Admiral Insurance: Call and say renewal is too high, or find better quotes on comparison sites and ask Admiral to match. Reductions of £100-300 are possible.
QuoteMeHappy (Aviva): Find a cheaper quote elsewhere and call to cancel auto-renewal. They often match competitor quotes.
News
New York Times: Cancel to receive a renewal discount of ~80% off for 12 months.
The Telegraph: Call to cancel, decline initial offers (~£5/month), then watch for "exclusive" pop-up offers in the days following. Discounts from £30/month to 50-75p/month for 4-6 months are possible.
Credit and Food
Amex: Contact Amex via phone or live chat before your renewal date, say you're considering cancellation due to the annual fee. You'll get bonus points (12,000 to 50,000) for staying.
HelloFresh: Cancel after receiving your box, then wait for promo emails with new signup offers (up to 75% off you 'first' box).
Tips for Successful Negotiation
Act The Part
The best offers come when you genuinely sound like you're ready to leave.
Be Patient
Sometimes the best offers come days or weeks after cancellation. Watch your email for "we miss you" promotions with steep discounts.
Mention Money
If you're asked why you're cancelling, mentioning "cost" as your primary concern will trigger the discount offers.
Push Back
The first discount offered is rarely the best. If you continue with cancellation, they may offer more - if not, you can change your mind and take that first offer.