UPC need to dig driveway - what free stuff should i get?

j_lennon18

Hi, UPC are trying to put Fiber in my estate and they need use our driveway.

So far, they have offered us free basic tv.

Has anyone got/done this before? What is the max we could get from them? :cool:

EDIT: My mam told me it was free basic internet but its actually free basic TV

John_Mc

j_lennon18 wrote: »

Hi, UPC are trying to put Fiber in my estate and they need use our driveway.

So far, they have offered us free basic broadband.

Has anyone got/done this before? What is the max we could get from them? :cool:

Don't think you'll get any accurate answers here, unless someone working for UPC were to advise, but even then it's dependant on the situation.

They could probably go around your house but there's obviously a reason they've decided to go through your property. Do you know what this reason is?

I would have thought it would be reasonable to assume that you would get free access to the internet through the same fibre that's going through your property...

funk-you

If you're getting free basic and never have to pay a bill I'd take it. You could try and chance your arm for Digital+ TV but they may decide it's not worth it and just go around.

-Funk

j_lennon18

Cheers for responses... Personally I would be happy with their middle package because the 40GB cap on the basic package would not be enough.

But the end decision is down to my folks and they love to play hard ball. I just hope they don't ruin it and we get nothing.

dudara

Moved to Cable & MMDS & IPTV

JDxtra

j_lennon18 wrote: »

Cheers for responses... Personally I would be happy with their middle package because the 40GB cap on the basic package would not be enough.

But the end decision is down to my folks and they love to play hard ball. I just hope they don't ruin it and we get nothing.

My parents get €25 off their bill each month forever (or whatever amount will cover the cost of the basic TV service). Anything on top of this, they pay for themselves (e.g. broadband, Digital+ etc).

Not bad considering they didn't need to actually dig up anything in their driveway to run the cable into the street.

No need to play too much of a hardball in your case, I'm sure the neighbours might be more obliging...!

jd83

A guy in work had some sort of NTL equipment on the side of his house. He got tv and internet all for free off them for it. Be he does however get a call every few years saying that they will have to start charging him but at a reduced rate. He just says thats no problem but can you send an engineer out to remove your equipment from the side of my house. Then he never hears from them again until the next year So op get as much free as you possibly can.

Seifer

Well this is interesting. About a month ago NTL/UPC dug up the driveway outside our house and our neighbours without so much as a word of notice. (For anyone not living in the suburbs I mean the area between the road and the footpath directly infront of our house) And I mean properly dug up, i.e. you could not park in the house driveway for two days as there was a big hole in the way.

They also requested permission to access the roof of our house to extend a cable between our house and the neighbours.

There was no mention of free anything though. Will say it to my dad to see if he wants to try and get something out of them but it might be too late now that the deed is done.

JDxtra

Seifer wrote: »

For anyone not living in the suburbs I mean the area between the road and the footpath directly infront of our house.

So, it was not on your property but simply prevented access to your drive? Nada for you my friend. Besides, you are right - it's a bit late considering they've already done the work!

j_lennon18

I just got the full correct details from my mam about what they offered and updated my original post because it was basic tv instead of basic internet that they offered. She ask for free internet but they said they wouldnt do that.

@Seifer: They want to dig up our actually driveway/garden and not just the outside path. They first called asking for permission and they didnt mention anything free. We said we dont want the garden ruined but we would think about it. Then they called again with that offer.

paulm17781

j_lennon18 wrote: »

I just got the full correct details from my mam about what they offered and updated my original post because it was basic tv instead of basic internet that they offered. She ask for free internet but they said they wouldnt do that.

If the best they'll do is "free basic tv", try to get the value of their most basic TV package for free. This way, you'll always get their lowest cost package for free.

testarossa40

j_lennon18 wrote: »

I just got the full correct details from my mam about what they offered and updated my original post because it was basic tv instead of basic internet that they offered. She ask for free internet but they said they wouldnt do that.

@Seifer: They want to dig up our actually driveway/garden and not just the outside path. They first called asking for permission and they didnt mention anything free. We said we dont want the garden ruined but we would think about it. Then they called again with that offer.

That sounds like the scabbiest-ever compensation ever to me... Especially since the basic service quality is so bloody sh!te and they're planning to discontinue it to concentrate fully on digital in the not too distant future anyway. Suggest you "decline" saying only a free Digital service minimum & either broadband or multiroom would be enough compensation for having your garden destroyed and household discommoded doing them by service in saving them tens of thousands.

mgsrocks

I'm surprised to see you got free basic, they worked on my place last year and needed to run a cable from the roof of my house to the house in the road behind.

We were offered half price analouge tv, but i rang this week about upgrading to digital and they said any discounts we have now will still be carried across, so if we went for the best digital package we would still get it half price.

JimsAlterEgo

take what they offer for now (or push a little bit) and when its done or in a years time you are in a much better negotiating position to make demands

Bazzy

Just be careful and dont push them too much because if you say no and they go round your property and further down the line you opt to get UPC service

You pay to get the cable back in !

Jim_Bob_2010

Just realised how rude I was to hijack a thread - sorry!