NTL "Downgrade Charge"!!!!

WithCheesePlease

Ok, I actually can't believe this. Just when I thought NTL / UPC couldn't get any worse!!!...

Just called to get my sky sports and setanta sports switched off. Was told there is now a €10 "downgrade charge" per service!!! First I heard of it, even though yer man on the phone told me it was in 3 national newspapers and somewhere in my last bill?? News to me. So €20 it cost me to have the channels switched off for the summer.

Just when I was starting to think NTL were actually ok after all - haven't had a problem with my tv service or broadband in a while. As long as I could avoid calling their "customer care" number to be placed on hold for 6 - 8 months I thought things were going fine with them. How wrong I was!!

Crazy.

Mossy Monk

How much does it cost to cancel?

WithCheesePlease

To cancel NTL outright?? I didn't even think of that!!...

paulm17781

The charge did rear it's head about a month ago and I think it was mentioned on my last bill. It's another farcical charge by them but then, irritating their customers is something they have a special knack for.

MartMax

funny now, i had requested to cancel multiroom a couple of weeks ago. no mentioning about charges or anything. we'll see how it looks like on the next bill then!

Mossy Monk

gearoid_healy wrote: »

To cancel NTL outright?? I didn't even think of that!!...

Cancelling from UPC/Sky normally gets you a better deal.

bk

Really this should be investigated by the Consumer Protection Agency.

I'm not a UPC customer any more, so it isn't up to me, but a UPC customer should really lodge a complaint with the Consumer Protection Agency.

paulm17781

I think mobile operators often do this kind of thing, normally while under contract though. They could well be in their rights.

dirtydress

I just cancelled the same service and was charged €10 for the privilige of downgrading my package. They are disgraceful, still trying to get through to their "cust. support" for another issue

WithCheesePlease

I actually really regret now not just cancelling my entire subscription. Would have saved me the €20 downgrade charge and more importantly for the satisfaction it would have given me. I pay these fvckers €108 a month for tv and broadband like and they do this to you!!

I'd say it would have been cheaper to cancel my whole subscription and then sign up again and get the introductory offers. Someone should try it and see do they offer to waive the charge...

Aggghhhh, I hate NTL

MartMax

just got my latest bill yesterday. cancelled the multiroom. gladly there's no cancellation charge. hope it will no appear in the next bill thou!

CO19

mart_max wrote: »

just got my latest bill yesterday. cancelled the multiroom. gladly there's no cancellation charge. hope it will no appear in the next bill thou!

It'll probably appear on it a few months down the line from now when it dawns on them that they didn't charge you

rubadub

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Cancelling from UPC/Sky normally gets you a better deal.

Do you mean cancelling and starting out all over again? or just the thread of cancelling. I expect if the OP rang and was told of the charge and just said "well feck ye so, I will cancel the lot" they might have waived it.

We had no UPC for ages, the letters with offers got better and better all the time. Ended up with a pretty good deal 4 points installed with no sub fee for any of the rooms, cheap install and some other freebies for a few months IIRC.

Upcboard

this is another scam that UPC have created - if you only get broadband through them then you get charged an extra 6.0 euros per month. ( have my TV thru SKY)
This is surely against all competition laws

thebman

Upcboard wrote: »

this is another scam that UPC have created - if you only get broadband through them then you get charged an extra 6.0 euros per month. ( have my TV thru SKY)
This is surely against all competition laws

I doubt it is against competition laws. Your getting a discount for signing up for multiple services from them. Lots of places seem to do this.

Its an incentive to take up their other services.

Not saying its a good thing or that I like it. I'd prefer if they didn't have this but I don't think its against the law.

G_unit

NTL didn't charge me €10 to cancel my Setanta but for some reason my bill has gone up even though I have less channels... I mean, what kind of show are they running in there!! Cancelling it shortly & heading off to Sky... what a relief!!

bk

Upcboard wrote: »

this is another scam that UPC have created - if you only get broadband through them then you get charged an extra 6.0 euros per month. ( have my TV thru SKY)
This is surely against all competition laws

Unlike the downgrade charge, I think this one is reasonable.

In the past you couldn't get BB from NTL at all unless you signed up to NTL's TV service.

Think about it this way, you have to pay Eircom €26 for line rental if you want to get BB, even if you never make a phone call. €6 is much more reasonable.

GerardKeating

gearoid_healy wrote: »

Ok, I actually can't believe this. Just when I thought NTL / UPC couldn't get any worse!!!...
.
.
.
Crazy.

Saw an ADD on RTÉ for BT internet and phone packages, it mentioned a €30 downgrade charge in the small print..

Make the UPc/NTL charge almost reasonable..

WithCheesePlease

Digging up an old thread but just curious after watching prime time last night - has anyone tried cancelling extra subscription channels lately with ntl/upc? Just wondering if they're still charging for "downgrading"...

Dodge

No idea what was on primetime last night but last week received a mail from them advertising the DVR for a fiver and some new Disney package (think I'm getting the channells already…). Bit at the back clearly mentioned the downgrade fee. First I'd heard of it. (Don't check thsi forum too often)

patrickmooney

okay I don't fully understand this. Every Christmas I upgrade the parents to Movies and Sport, around 40Euro. UPC will now charge me 10Euro to remove this from my package? This isn't very clear on their website.

I'm beginning to get very annoyed with UPC. I rang their sales line twice over the last two days, thinking of getting broadband for the partner. Twice I was quoted different prices and conditions. If the staff don't undersand, how can we?

JustMac

patrickmooney wrote: »

okay I don't fully understand this. Every Christmas I upgrade the parents to Movies and Sport, around 40Euro. UPC will now charge me 10Euro to remove this from my package? This isn't very clear on their website.

I'm beginning to get very annoyed with UPC. I rang their sales line twice over the last two days, thinking of getting broadband for the partner. Twice I was quoted different prices and conditions. If the staff don't undersand, how can we?

I could be wrong but I think they charge you €10 on upgrading and another €10 on downgrading!

Mossy Monk

They charge for an upgrade? It would be astonishing if that is true.

Fat_Fingers

Whoa, they would be the first and only company to charge for upgrade... :eek::D
Someone should confirm this..

kenco

They are truly clowns of the highest order. Like a previous poster I used to upgrade every Christmas but could not be bothered to 'hassle' them to cancel the charge for the downgrade.

Never was a problem in previous years but seems this year they are really going out of their way to piss off the customer

BostonB

bk wrote: »

Unlike the downgrade charge, I think this one is reasonable.

In the past you couldn't get BB from NTL at all unless you signed up to NTL's TV service.

Think about it this way, you have to pay Eircom €26 for line rental if you want to get BB, even if you never make a phone call. €6 is much more reasonable.

Well Eircom is a ripoff. I don't seee why you have to buy one service to get another. Or why they charge you extra on an ongoing basis to have less services.

diceyreilly

I got UPC at the start of April, and after the League play-offs are over i will be wanting to get rid of the sports channels until August..

Is this possibe in the 1st 12 months of haveing UPC..

campo

diceyreilly wrote: »

I got UPC at the start of April, and after the League play-offs are over i will be wanting to get rid of the sports channels until August..

Is this possibe in the 1st 12 months of haveing UPC..

yep they would cancel as soon as you ring them and ask to take off the sports but there would be a 15e d/g fee as far as I am aware unless you got the sports package free for the first 2 months as part of your promotion then it will be free to take off

diceyreilly

Cheers for the reply,

Yes i have the sports free for the 1st 2 months still, but i think i signed up saying i wanted the sports.

If they do charge me still end up saving a few shillings cancelling for 2 months.

Does Sky Sports News go too?

campo

Nope Sky sports News is part of what ever pack you have
regards the d/g fee no harm asking them not to charge it as you never actually ordered the sports it was just part of a promo