Downgrade charge - anyone managed to avoid it?

quenching

UPC have told me that if I downgrade my TV package I'll have to pay €10 as a downgrade charge. Anyone managed to not pay this, they seemed pretty adamant that there was no discretion on its implementation.

paulm17781

I would imagine telling them you'll cancel (and meaning it) is your best bet. I want to downgrade but am so annoyed at the charge I'm thinking of just canceling. I'm also working to get Sky dishes for my apartment block so I don't want to downgrade (and pay) if I will be canceling anyway.

Irishdudedave

You can get them to waive the fee depending on when you signed up for the particular service you want to downgrade.
Example:
If you signed up to Digital Max before downgrade fee was introduced then:
- You have no contract with them agreeing to this downgrade fee should you want to downgrade
-If they insist that it is part of their 'terms of service' simply inform them that you were never informed of these new terms- they would have to prove that they informed you of these new terms for them to be able to legally charge you them.

Really it comes down to threatening them with legal action (Bit much for €10 I know but its the principle more than the cash.)

-If however you signed up for the service after the charge was introduced then you must pay it as you would have agreed to it. (Threatening to cancel fully might work but Ive heard of UPC not entertaining this recently and simply cutting you off including all downgrade charges on final bill)

WithCheesePlease

Got stung by this twice last year - for both Setanta Sports and Sky Sports. Was the first I heard of it when I called to cancel the channels. Was no avoiding it for me and had to pay it even though this charge didn't exist when I subscribed to the extra channels and I wasn't notified before the charge came in. Complete scam.

quenching

Well, I wrote a snotty letter last week to the head of Complaints Dept stating that I did not agree to this charge as my contract was agreed long before the charge was introduced. I said if the charge was not removed from my account then I would file a claim in the Small Claims Court for the €10 plus €200 for every hour of my time or letter sent. I gave them 14 days to reply.

That was on April 3rd, yesterday April 15th I got a letter back saying they were entitled to apply the charge but would be crediting my account with €10 as a "goodwill gesture".

Don't care what they call it but UPC/NTL were never know for "goodwill". I assume it was easier to credit my account than argue. To be honest I was amazed I even got a reply given past experience with them.

So, anyone who has had to pay the charge should write to them and demand it removed. Mind you I'm still down the cost of a stamp!

steveon

quenching wrote: »

Well, I wrote a snotty letter last week to the head of Complaints Dept stating that I did not agree to this charge as my contract was agreed long before the charge was introduced. I said if the charge was not removed from my account then I would file a claim in the Small Claims Court for the €10 plus €200 for every hour of my time or letter sent. I gave them 14 days to reply.

That was on April 3rd, yesterday April 15th I got a letter back saying they were entitled to apply the charge but would be crediting my account with €10 as a "goodwill gesture".

Don't care what they call it but UPC/NTL were never know for "goodwill". I assume it was easier to credit my account than argue. To be honest I was amazed I even got a reply given past experience with them.

So, anyone who has had to pay the charge should write to them and demand it removed. Mind you I'm still down the cost of a stamp!

Total respect for you there mate, I love it when one small person stands up to big business, I dont understand why UPC expect customers to pay this fee to downgrade, I myself feel they would make more business from their loyal customers by encouraging them to upgrade, downgrade from time to time...but ensisting on a monthly basis, that way they would surely receive attional revenue especially where sports are involved as some people only have insterest in certain events and wouldnt bother when they know they will be in effect fined for getting rid of a service they no longer want. If UPC do ensist on charging a fee than something a little less nomical such as €2 would be a little more understandable for some1 to press a button or how about enabling people to do this by clicking a button on their website...then it wont cost them a little...after all sky dont charge these charges as far as Im aware and happily allow people to take sports on a month per month basis and I bet Setanta will be happy going forward using this model as I THINK their time is nigh....

Dtab

steveon wrote: »

...after all sky dont charge these charges as far as Im aware and happily allow people to take sports on a month per month basis and I bet Setanta will be happy going forward using this model as I THINK their time is nigh....

Sky do actually charge this downgrade fee.....it is just called something else.......a lot of companies actually charge this and actually cost a lot more....

Mossy Monk

Dtab wrote: »

Sky do actually charge this downgrade fee.....it is just called something else.......a lot of companies actually charge this and actually cost a lot more....

Eh? I have never been charged whenever I dropped channels from my subscription.

gtg60

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Eh? I have never been charged whenever I dropped channels from my subscription.

Agreed, Sky never charge for downgrading but you must give 30 days notice.

FIRE

quenching wrote: »

Well, I wrote a snotty letter last week to the head of Complaints Dept stating that I did not agree to this charge as my contract was agreed long before the charge was introduced. I said if the charge was not removed from my account then I would file a claim in the Small Claims Court for the €10 plus €200 for every hour of my time or letter sent. I gave them 14 days to reply.

That was on April 3rd, yesterday April 15th I got a letter back saying they were entitled to apply the charge but would be crediting my account with €10 as a "goodwill gesture".

Don't care what they call it but UPC/NTL were never know for "goodwill". I assume it was easier to credit my account than argue. To be honest I was amazed I even got a reply given past experience with them.

So, anyone who has had to pay the charge should write to them and demand it removed. Mind you I'm still down the cost of a stamp!

Do you have the address handy?

My father got this charge and as an old customer I feel I need to write off a letter on his behalf.

voxpop

I also complained - by email this time - and got the charge credited. now I did have a valid complaint as the downgrade wasnt a downgrade because they never upgraded me in the first place.
You have to make it past the first level of customer support.According to their customer charter you have the right to escalate a complaint at any time, if you are not happy. Persistence is key.

gtg60

voxpop wrote: »

Persistence is key.

Exactly!!!

Kurn

I am fighting them on this at the moment, been giving them 48 euro a month for the past 8 months for 20mb broadband been getting around 2 mb.

Customer "care" asked me to do a speed test - that she did not believe me, so when I went to do the test guess what? Broadband down.

It's been on and off for over 3 weeks now, and they still don't want to not charge the 10 euro cause I want to down-grade. I am not getting the 20 MB so why pay them. I am now on engineer number 3 in 2 weeks, and made 5-7 calls to them... I feel like getting rid, but but I dont fancy line rental