UPC Ripoff Charges and lack of quality

sworderer

I am annoyed at the rip off charges of UPC and the lack of HD TV and other options.

As a comparison of Virgin Media in UK to UPC in Ireland:

VirginMedia
Broadband – 10MB line
TV – 45 digital channels
Phone – Phone Line & Unlimited Evening & Weekend National Calls
£28.45 / month (equivalent to €32/month)

UPC
Broadband – 10MB line
TV – 40 digital channels
Phone – Phone line & Unlimited Evening & Weekend National Calls
€67 / month

That is 35 Euros per month difference !
That adds upto 420 Euros per year difference !

In addition, VirginMedia offer BBC iplayer as standard, HD TV as an option and an excellent box. Virginmedia have invested wisely and want to benefit the consumer.

UPC just spend their money on new encryption systems rather than improving their offerings. How many people have new HD TV's and still not receiving HD TV from UPC.

I hope that people realise that we are being ripped off and switch to FTA or other alternatives, so causing UPC to improve their prices and offerings.

techdiver

+1

Of course we always hear the excuse that they inherited a bad network from NTL. That excuse is wearing thin now! If I wasn't renting an apartment I'd have sky in a heartbeat! The only good offering is their broadband which is quite good. TV offering is crap. Even the SD signal is full of noise on any TV's larger than 20".

This is all added to the now regular annual prise increase even in time of recession!

iMax

It's price to market also. They wouldn't be charging €67 per month if they didn't think they'd get it.

Personally, the only reason I'm still with them is I'm expecting BB to be available in Donaghmede by June, then I can dump BT & get everything through NTL for less than the price I'm currently paying with better BB.

iMax

It's price to market also. They wouldn't be charging €67 per month if they didn't think they'd get it.

Personally, the only reason I'm still with them is I'm expecting BB to be available in Donaghmede by June, then I can dump BT & get everything through NTL for less than the price I'm currently paying with better BB.

Mossy Monk

sworderer wrote: »

In addition, VirginMedia offer BBC iplayer as standard, HD TV as an option and an excellent box. Virginmedia have invested wisely and want to benefit the consumer.

Virgin Media offer just 1 HD channel and that is BBC HD.

Have you considered the possibility that the BBCi Player is not available outside the UK? If I try to view programmes with it online it doesn't work. Do I complain to my ISP about that? No.

sworderer wrote: »

UPC just spend their money on new encryption systems rather than improving their offerings. How many people have new HD TV's and still not receiving HD TV from UPC.

This is a bad thing in your view??? Imagine this. Those who stole services will now have to pay meaning a higher income stream for UPC who can then put that money into improving the service.

Freddie59

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Virgin Media offer just 1 HD channel and that is BBC HD.

Have you considered the possibility that the BBCi Player is not available outside the UK? If I try to view programmes with it online it doesn't work. Do I complain to my ISP about that? No.



This is a bad thing in your view??? Imagine this. Those who stole services will now have to pay meaning a higher income stream for UPC who can then put that money into improving the service.

That's about it Mossy. Most users only need around 1-3 Megs anyway, so a quick check on their website reveals:

Analogue+50 Digital channels: €20.

1 Meg Broadband (including phone):€20

Unlimited phone calls to land lines 24/7 €10. (I think you can knock a fiver off if you take just evening and weekend calls).

Correct me if wrong, but that comes to €50 per month for EVERYTHING?:eek:

paulm17781

Freddie59 wrote: »

That's about it Mossy. Most users only need around 1-3 Megs anyway, so a quick check on their website reveals:

The OP made a like for like comparison with 10Mb. You can't say "most people don't need that" and then say it's cheaper on UPC.

Also, I don't think they have a €20 TV package anymore. It's now €25 with the DVR as standard, I think.

techdiver

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Virgin Media offer just 1 HD channel and that is BBC HD.

Have you considered the possibility that the BBCi Player is not available outside the UK? If I try to view programmes with it online it doesn't work. Do I complain to my ISP about that? No.



This is a bad thing in your view??? Imagine this. Those who stole services will now have to pay meaning a higher income stream for UPC who can then put that money into improving the service.

Investing in a new encryption system in the long term is false economy. Not everyone who "steals" TV is going to buy it as soon as it is not available for free. That is the same argument used by the music industry regarding illegal music downloads. Also with the advent of free-view including HD, UPC will have a big problem on their hands if they don't compete with free to air HD channels. UPC should put the bulk of their money into providing a better offering that people are willing to pay for. SKY are just miles ahead at the moment.

paulm17781

techdiver wrote: »

Also with the advent of free-view including HD, UPC will have a big problem on their hands if they don't compete with free to air HD channels. UPC should put the bulk of their money into providing a better offering that people are willing to pay for.

There is no freeview in Ireland. There is Freesat but there are quite a few channels UPC offer that are not on Freesat.

techdiver

paulm17781 wrote: »

There is no freeview in Ireland. There is Freesat but there are quite a few channels UPC offer that are not on Freesat.

Sorry, I was talking long term. I know freeview is only being tested at the moment. Freesat is improving too. I suppose my main point is that especially dugin a recession less people are going to be in a position to pay circa €50+ per month for a full package of TV channels when they can use freesat and freeview (when it finally arrives).

paulm17781

techdiver wrote: »

Sorry, I was talking long term. I know freeview is only being tested at the moment. Freesat is improving too. I suppose my main point is that especially dugin a recession less people are going to be in a position to pay circa €50+ per month for a full package of TV channels when they can use freesat and freeview (when it finally arrives).

Why do you assume Freeview will arrive? Our DTT service is going to be paid for (except for 4 basic channels) and will cost more per channel than UPC. There are absolutely no plans for a Freeview like service in Ireland.

Mossy Monk

techdiver wrote: »

Not everyone who "steals" TV is going to buy it as soon as it is not available for free.

This is true but you cannot expect them to leave things as they are and have 1000's of people stealing their service. That would be stupidity.

thecornerboy

techdiver wrote: »

Investing in a new encryption system in the long term is false economy. Not everyone who "steals" TV is going to buy it as soon as it is not available for free. That is the same argument used by the music industry regarding illegal music downloads. Also with the advent of free-view including HD, UPC will have a big problem on their hands if they don't compete with free to air HD channels. UPC should put the bulk of their money into providing a better offering that people are willing to pay for. SKY are just miles ahead at the moment.

Nonsense. If the situation with the dodgy boxes continued Sky would have pulled the plug on their services on UPC, make no mistake they would have done it in a heartbeat. It had to end.

sworderer

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Virgin Media offer just 1 HD channel and that is BBC HD.

Have you considered the possibility that the BBCi Player is not available outside the UK? If I try to view programmes with it online it doesn't work. Do I complain to my ISP about that? No.



This is a bad thing in your view??? Imagine this. Those who stole services will now have to pay meaning a higher income stream for UPC who can then put that money into improving the service.

My point is that Virgin Media look at ways of adding value to their offering which UPC do not, UPC are investing into encryption systems instead which does nothing for the consumer.

This thread is NOT about the stealing of services, IT IS about the value for money and customer retention policies which should be in place. Virgin Media (in the UK) is used as a like-for-like comparison as it inherited the UK NTL company network, so it is a company working with a similar base infrastructure. So, IT IS about how they treat their customers and what they do to increase loyalty as well as value for money.

sworderer

Freddie59 wrote: »

That's about it Mossy. Most users only need around 1-3 Megs anyway, so a quick check on their website reveals:

Analogue+50 Digital channels: €20.

1 Meg Broadband (including phone):€20

Unlimited phone calls to land lines 24/7 €10. (I think you can knock a fiver off if you take just evening and weekend calls).

Correct me if wrong, but that comes to €50 per month for EVERYTHING?:eek:

I am doing a like-for-like comparison with Virgin Media (in the UK). I am not saying what people need or want, the thread is about rip-off UPC. IT IS about the value for money and customer retention policies which should be in place.

Virgin Media (in the UK) is used as a like-for-like comparison as it inherited the UK NTL company network, so it is a company working with a similar base infrastructure. So, IT IS about how they treat their customers and what they do to increase loyalty as well as value for money.

Freddie59

sworderer wrote: »

I am doing a like-for-like comparison with Virgin Media (in the UK). I am not saying what people need or want, the thread is about rip-off UPC. IT IS about the value for money and customer retention policies which should be in place.

Virgin Media (in the UK) is used as a like-for-like comparison as it inherited the UK NTL company network, so it is a company working with a similar base infrastructure. So, IT IS about how they treat their customers and what they do to increase loyalty as well as value for money.

I don't doubt what you're saying. But what I am doing is pointing out the value relative to the Irish market. Can you get a similarly priced package with as much in at anywhere else at the moment? Thought not.

And remember, it's all down to economies of scale. We have a population of 4 million. Almost 60 million live in the UK. We are Lilliputian in comparison.

paulm17781

Also, the NTL network in the UK was in a far better state than the one here, UPC have had to do major upgrade works to that but the UK one was offering broadband for many years.

I agree UPC is poor value, especially their TV service but their broadband is great (IMO). If they'd only get their TV up to standard I'd be happy.

Cupart

Most of the popular channels on UPC digital are on Freesat for nothing so I can't understand how they in their adverts can say that UPC is much cheaper.

I pay UPC EUR 38.50 pr month for the digimax pack with digital+ (which SUCK) and this gives me around 40 channels (including useless cr*p like Buzz TV, City, DCTV etc).

Sky Digital (all mixes) costs me EUR 30.50 pr month including Sky+ and the possibility to order movies at a price. Have lost count of the number of channels available.

Difference per year: EUR 96.00 in Sky's favour...

You can't tell me that UPC is better value AND they are lying in the adverts they keep bombarding us with!!!

SHAME ON YOU UPC/NTL

10000maniacs

Freddie59 wrote: »

Most users only need around 1-3 Megs anyway

What a ridiculous argument . Thats like saying that because most people only need a Renault Scenic, it should be the same price as a Golf GTI. Where do we gettem?:rolleyes:

ynotdu

It is absolutly true that sky met with upc executives and told them if they did not secure the digital signal from dodgy box,s sky would withdraw services.

lot of previous posts here have mentioned virgin media in the UK,it is owned by richard Branson and he has it up for sale!as well as a 50% share in all the uktv channels it owns living,virgin1,trouble(before it closed and became living2 recently.virgin media cabled via fibre optic cable unlike most of Ireland cabled with copper(especioly those who were under cablelink,cablelink recabled my area 9 months before they knew they were selling to ntl?

when ntl uk sold its Irish branch it was to rescue itself as ntl Ireland was lucrative then.

in my area upc can only provide digital tv,no internet or phone service.
it is said all around the net that cable companies around europe are looking at upc as a guinea pig for nagravision 3 as the new standard if our transistion goes well.

bottom line upc consist of venture capitolists who may just decide to fcuk off and cut their losses:)