UPC offering inconvienience compensation

richb6987

Hi /guys

I had a very nice guy over at the house today wanting to dig up a trench (by hand - no diggers etc) and place new cabeling on my house that would allow for digital upgrading of the service to my home and neighbours. Essentially the overhead cable would be removed a fibre optic underground one installed. Also they want to place a line between my home and a neighbours that will allow them to provide the service for other homes along the road.

Has anyone any experience of this. He made an offer of free basic pack (same as my basic cable at the moment) for a period of years in light of the inconvenience this will cause. I am reluctant to give them the go ahead for such little reward. Does anyone know of someone that has agreed to let them do this and if so what did they get as compensation.

In advance thanks for any responses.

ElNino

Hi Richb - if you post this in the Cable forum you will have a better chance of getting a response http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=54

Guy:Incognito

I'll go out on a limb and say you mean UPC? UPS are a parcel delivery company.:)


Dont see why you think its such a little compensation, once the hole is refilled there will be no effect on you, but you will have free tv.

kaisersose77

That happened where i am living, and because the neighbour refused to allow upc to do the upgrade none of us could get broadband in our row of houses.

Luckily a different problem developed which meant upc had to reroute the cabling from the oppsite direction and we could get broadband.

Not a fan of that neighbour anymore........

who is this

Stekelly wrote: »

you will have free tv.

Free TV for a year. But thats still better than nothing. As mentioned, once its done it'll have no effect on you, so a year is still pretty good.

I certainly wouldn't want to be known as the neighbour who stopped the whole neighbourhood from getting new services from UPC, cause I was too greedy to just take a years free telly. You could maybe try ask for a years free digital cable - it would be fitting for the cause, and also they want people to move to digital anyway, so I doubt theyd have much of an issue with that

richb6987

I can see how it might look to our neighbours if I don't agree. I am dependent on a neighbour across the road agreeing as well so nothing is set in stone yet. I defiantly do not want to be the neighbour that stops it but I have some issues.

I can see ho you would think that Free tv might be enough if there were no long term or visible affects. I should explain further. I am presently on a basic pack costing €24 Euro per month. My internet and phones are supplied by another provider which I am happy with. So with my selfish hat on it does not seem value for me for the following reasons.

My wife and I in the last two years renovated the house from top to bottom including an extension. UPC want to bring wires up the side of my house where there are none presently, Across the underside of the roof where there are none and have a wire hanging between myself and the neighbours house crossing part of our back gardens (corner houses) where there are none. No I wont see the cable under the ground but I will know about and see the other wires. A new owner wont have the same hang up but I wont be moving till I'm in a cardboard box and buried 6 foot under. From that perspective I find it harder to justify putting the cables in.

I already suggested that they may consider digital tv as part of the deal before I speak with my wife but they said no. They will only offer things they do not have to pay third parties any money for. BTW I think he said that there would only be digital TV available (require a box) from 2012.

I am not been greedy or want to stop progress but I have never had the need for digital or satellite TV. If I need to see a match on Sky I head to a friends or relatives house. To have the look of my house that I worked on and project managed affected by wires is hard for both of us to swallow at this point.

Another thought who owns the wires. If the link breakdowns between me and my neighbour or there is a fault in the wire can they come in uninvited and repair.

who is this

I didn't really mean to call you greedy, I was taking on how the neighbours will probably see it.

Given that the basic digital pack (which is still better than analogue) is cheaper at retail price, than analogue, you could maybe try holding out on that. It seems absurd that they should refuse that in the first place.

richb6987

Don't worry I know you weren't calling me greedy. I was agreeing that neighbours would see it that way and I would feel that way as well if I decide not to go ahead.

I agree they should offer something a bit more for what they are going to do. I live in an estate that has a lot of very old and set in their way individuals. It will be a hard sell for them and I could be the easiest. I really don't envy the guy I met whose job it is to try and make this happen.

cojomo2

I agree that having visible wires/cables running up and along your house for probably the next 50 yrs is a bit of a pain, and they should offer you more.

I would explain this to them and ask that they supply you with tv/phoneline/internet for 1 year(saving you a fair bit as you can cancel with your other provider), with the basic tv remaining free as long as the cables remain!

No harm asking, its a small price for them to pay as if they get a load of new customers

Hellrazer

richb6987 wrote: »

Another thought who owns the wires. If the link breakdowns between me and my neighbour or there is a fault in the wire can they come in uninvited and repair.

Posted a thread a while back about something similar--basically there was a fault on the cable on my house and the technicians came into the garden,put the ladder up at the house just as my daughter was walking into her room after a shower undressed.She flipped out although they didnt see her but it did upset her quite a bit..

I flipped at customer services and told them I was not allowing them onto my property without prior notice so now they ring me before carrying out any work.

richb6987

Hellrazer wrote: »

Posted a thread a while back about something similar--basically there was a fault on the cable on my house and the technicians came into the garden,put the ladder up at the house just as my daughter was walking into her room after a shower undressed.She flipped out although they didnt see her but it did upset her quite a bit..

I flipped at customer services and told them I was not allowing them onto my property without prior notice so now they ring me before carrying out any work.

My god, I would have gone nuts. I will defiantly address that issue with them when they come back to me.

richb6987

Just to update you. I held out and basically said they need to find alternative as the offer did not compensate for my loss of view. I was offered free cable (basic package) for as long as we were in the house and the cables were used. Also got proviso that if they stopped using cables at any stage they would remove them immediatly.

A result I would think

astrofool

when you say digital won't be available till 2012, it sounds like your area is not digital ready yet, and thus, the analogue package is the best they can offer?

richb6987

The guy was a contractor. I tried to get digital sports but he stated that UPC wont offer anything that they have to pay 3rd parties for. So no free sky sports.

I think the reference to digital was that this is all they will offer after 2012. but regardless people will still be offered teh basic package they are on now.

As a result of the deal I can now get the basic NTL digital service for free. I pay twenty something odd for the old cable system which is now going to be zero per month. This can be put against upgrading to another service. ie I don't pay basic rent any more. So if I went for sky sports at 60 euro it will only cost 40. Not doing it btw. But their basic digital pack with 70plus
channels that costs 20 euro or so a months for free I think. Regardless whatever pack I get it is less that the basic cable rent that i pay now.