UPC Raising their Prices on 4th Jan Again!!!!

Steviemak

UPC have the audacity to now advertise a price decrease on their 20Mb product in today's irish independent. They strangely ommitted the price increases on nearly all other products.

billbond4

You will only find that "spin" on the "price changes" in the II as they are owned by the same company, its a strange concidence

rymus

rang today to cancel the TV service but keep broadband. Was offered a significant reduction for 12 months if I keep the TV. Broadband only (15mb) would have cost me about 42 euro, existing package is now (apparently) going to cost me 41 euro a month for the next 12 months. I'll believe it when I see it.

dub45

rymus wrote: »

rang today to cancel the TV service but keep broadband. Was offered a significant reduction for 12 months if I keep the TV. Broadband only (15mb) would have cost me about 42 euro, existing package is now (apparently) going to cost me 41 euro a month for the next 12 months. I'll believe it when I see it.

With any such offers (and not just with UPC ) always request a name and confirmation of the full details in writing or email.

And remember UPC have a very strange view of what "in writing" means.

TheRedDevil10

since to UPC have a 20Mb broadband package ??? www.upc.ie/broadband

Nollog

TheRedDevil10 wrote: »

since to UPC have a 20Mb broadband package ??? www.upc.ie/broadband

Janurary.

moonboy52

I was on the following paying €80.74

• − Go Digital Max Pack
• − Fibre Power Broadband 30Mb
• − Digital Video Recording HD
• − ESPN

I phoned up and got a reduction to €59 (inclusive of the coming increase in prices).

I keep the full TV package and i reduced my BB to 15 meg.

The BB is getting an upgrade to 20Mb in January so not a major loss in speed.

So BB for €29
TV for €30

Not a bad reduction i think.

Kristopherus

Was that reduction for 12 months? I got a begging letter from Sky today offering me 12 months @ half price if I go back to them before 24th Dec. Am hoping I'll get an offer from UPC:)

moonboy52

Kristopherus wrote: »

Was that reduction for 12 months? I got a begging letter from Sky today offering me 12 months @ half price if I go back to them before 24th Dec. Am hoping I'll get an offer from UPC:)

Yep 12 months as per the norm.

fletch

Dear Mr <<snip>>,

Thank you for your recent email. Please note that all downgrades are subject to a charge of €10.00 Please confirm if you wish to proceed with the downgrade of services.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at http://support.upc.ie/app/contact . Alternatively you can freephone 1908 to speak with one of our Customer Services Representatives. All calls are recorded.

Kind regards,

coco06

moonboy52 wrote: »

I was on the following paying €80.74

• − Go Digital Max Pack
• − Fibre Power Broadband 30Mb
• − Digital Video Recording HD
• − ESPN

I phoned up and got a reduction to €59 (inclusive of the coming increase in prices).

I keep the full TV package and i reduced my BB to 15 meg.

The BB is getting an upgrade to 20Mb in January so not a major loss in speed.

So BB for €29
TV for €30

Not a bad reduction i think.

What did you say to them to get the reduction? I have rang and they didn’t offer me anything. Is it only when you threaten to leave?

moonboy52

coco06 wrote: »

What did you say to them to get the reduction? I have rang and they didn’t offer me anything. Is it only when you threaten to leave?

I just said i could not afford to pay the amount i was paying and i was going down the FreeSat Route.

fletch

fletch wrote: »

Dear Mr <<snip>>,

Thank you for your recent email. Please note that all downgrades are subject to a charge of €10.00 Please confirm if you wish to proceed with the downgrade of services.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at http://support.upc.ie/app/contact . Alternatively you can freephone 1908 to speak with one of our Customer Services Representatives. All calls are recorded.

Kind regards,

Do I have to pay this downgrade fee?

slimjimmc

fletch wrote: »

Do I have to pay this downgrade fee?

It's a term in the contract which presumably you agreed to, so yes if you want to downgrade then you are obliged to pay it as agreed unless you can somehow get UPC to agree to waive it.

cast_iron

slimjimmc wrote: »

It's a term in the contract which presumably you agreed to, so yes if you want to downgrade then you are obliged to pay it as agreed unless you can somehow get UPC to agree to waive it.

If they are increasing the prices of your package in Jan, you may downgrade without penalty.

82dgolf

cast_iron wrote: »

If they are increasing the prices of your package in Jan, you may downgrade without penalty.

UPC’s Broadband and Phone services remain excellent value, however under the terms of your contract you have the right to cancel or downgrade your service within 30 days of 3 December 2010 without penalty if you do not agree with these price changes. Continued use of the services after this date is deemed to be acceptance of the changes.

djimi

Is the small "About Us" section on their website the only place that they are announcing these price increases? I cant find it anywhere else on their site and I have not been notified of it in writing; either in a letter, email or even a message into My UPC. Ill be ringing them up about it on Monday...

dub45

djimi wrote: »

Is the small "About Us" section on their website the only place that they are announcing these price increases? I cant find it anywhere else on their site and I have not been notified of it in writing; either in a letter, email or even a message into My UPC. Ill be ringing them up about it on Monday...

http://www.upc.ie/about_us/pricenotice/

The link is on the front page but hardly jumping out at customers. It is in the bottom third and to the right under "price notice" as distinct from say "notice of price increase"

Do UPC really expect customers to visit the website regularly and hunt about for information about price increases?

thefishone

My bill is going up €1.50,but on the other hand,a neighbour is getting100 Meg on trial for one month and I get to see the on going problems from beginning (bad) to the (wait and see) end..yes I know nothing to do with the thread.

Wait,there is,after reading the thread,I picked up the phone and asked them.
Sorry tired and this time of night is generally past my bedtime.

Chris_5339762

timefora_J wrote: »

I know its hassle to ring em up but If I was you Id call up and if the agent I spoke to didn't sort it and give some form of proof id be asking to speak to a supervisor.

Here is the number I was given for the loyalty team 1890940140, they might be worth a shot.

That number linked me into the House Move dept. Any other numbers out there? Got stung for €60 for an upgrade to HD, thats just gouging.

fletch

Managed to downgrade without paying a fee but only by sending a link to the price notice on the upc site. I wonder how many people will be charged for downgrading!

Mountjoy Mugger

There's an article in yesterday's Irish Times which touches on this. It makes for rather interesting reading, if you can make sense of it..

Nollog

Additional customer communications include bill inserts, e-inserts, letters, e-letters, bill message and our national call centre is open to handle incoming enquiries on freephone 1908.

I've not seen a single bill insert, e-insert, letter, e-letter or bill message from them regarding anything but trying to get me on their tv packages.
Of course, they switched me to e-bills on their own for two months when I specifically asked for letters.
We're supposed to call you to find out if our charges are going up every month?

timefora_J

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

That number linked me into the House Move dept. Any other numbers out there? Got stung for €60 for an upgrade to HD, thats just gouging.

I got the same message while on hold but that is the number for the loyality team.

GHOST MGG2

no its not the correct number..i rang it 6 times today and it is the "HOUSE RELOCATION" number..:-p

Let me be clear about one point, a spokeswoman said. There is no price increase of €7. The Fibre Power Broadband 8mb customers currently paying €25 will be going to 10mb for €25 (no price increase). In addition, the price change shown on the advert at €32 relates to broadband Light customers who will be migrated to 15mb with a small price adjustment of €2.50.

Hmm. The first part tells me my price isn't changing at all. But what is Broadband Light? A discontinued package I'd assume?

dub45

Surely it is a farce that people are on here guessing at what exactly is going on?

Any company of integrity and that treats its customers with due respect would communicate directly with each customer either by email or letter and leave them in no doubt as to what changes are being made.

(not to mention having their staff briefed fully on what is going on and how a customer can cancel or change if they wish)

It is a farce that customers are apparently expected to visit a company's website on a daily basis and hunt around (lets face it the news of the price increase doesnt exactly jump out at you on the site) on the off chance of a price increase or a change in their Terms and Conditions.

And remember the majority of UPC's customers do not have bb. And the average isp customer I would imagine has little if any reason to visit an isp site on any sort of a regular basis.

Similarly requiring peope to pore over a newpaper (and which newspaper?) on a daily basis to look for an ad is quite absurd.

Comreg are disgraceful for standing back and not requiring companies to abide by their own terms and conditions.

16. Changing the Terms and Conditions
We retain the right to amend, modify or substitute these Terms and Conditions at any
time and we will notify you in writing 30 days in advance of doing so

Lies pure and simple.


UPC (or any company for that matter) would not accept notice of a cancellation via a personal website so a customer should not have to accept notification in this nonsensicall way.

alfaz

This is great news for me, i want rid asap. I have to find out if i can. I've got the sports and movies on the regular tv:rolleyes: package, if it is being increased i can cancel it yea?

dub45

alfaz wrote: »

This is great news for me, i want rid asap. I have to find out if i can. I've got the sports and movies on the regular tv:rolleyes: package, if it is being increased i can cancel it yea?

http://www.upc.ie/about_us/pricenotice/

They seem to have a very strong aversion to use of the word "increase".

UPC’s Broadband and Phone services remain excellent value, however under the terms of your contract you have the right to cancel or downgrade your service within 30 days of 3 December 2010 without penalty if you do not agree with these price changes. Continued use of the services after this date is deemed to be acceptance of the changes.

Note a significant amount of their staff seem unaware of the above according to various posters.

jeckle

timefora_J wrote: »

I got the same message while on hold but that is the number for the loyality team.

As far as I am aware there is no direct number for the loyalty team - you have to be transferred to them by another section.

The loyalty section is the same as the cancellations section & the retention section.

You can dial 1908 & press the accounts option or the sales option & ask to be put through to the customer loyalty team, but I have found that you are better off selecting accounts, then outline the purpose of your call. Usually accounts will try & fob you off, so it's best to then ask about the procedure to cancel. They will give you an address to write to. Then ask for an email address.

At this stage they will more than likely tell you to hold on, & will transfer you directly to the retentions/loyalty section anyway. There will now be notes up against your account, so when the next person read the notes they will be aware that you are considering cancelling all services. You will more than likely be told at first that there are no offers available in your area.

They may then offer you an increase in speed, but if you say that you are more interested in saving money than increasing speed they might then offer you a discount for 12 months, or a credit of an activation charge, or whatever your particular complaint is. If they don't offer you anything, just say that you will have to seriously consider cancelling, hang up & go through the entire process again & again until you speak to someone who will offer you what you want.

It pays to persevere where UPC are concerned.

I have done the above for three different waivers/discounts on my account over the past month - the first two were for upgrading & adding services, & last week because of the upcoming price increases. My package is due to go up by €3 per month, but ended up getting a €5 discount for 12 months, which meant entering a new contract, but seeing as I only entered into a new one last month anyway I didn't care.

Incidentally, the first agent I spoke to told me that there would be a cancellation fee even after directing her to the part on the website that said there wouldn't be. I asked her to consult her supervisor & she returned to say that there would be no charge.