Cancel UPC/Call my Bluff

Golden Horde

I see there's a similar thread on the Sky forum about threatening to cancel your tv subscription and seeing if you get an incentive not to, I was wondering if UPC offer similar inducements not to cancel when you threaten to.

With apologies for nicking the thread title :P

ElleEm

Oh, I'd like to know this too.

Sure give it a shot and let us know

roast

I (genuinely) wanted to cancel my TV service with them, but then they offered to give it to me for half price permanently, which I accepted.

jack presley

Golden Horde wrote: »

I see there's a similar thread on the Sky forum about threatening to cancel your tv subscription and seeing if you get an incentive not to, I was wondering if UPC offer similar inducements not to cancel when you threaten to.

With apologies for nicking the thread title :P

It worked for me about a month ago. My bi-monthly bill for tv, sports and broadband was €214 so I rang up and asked to be put through to the cancellations department. After telling him I was going to Sky he asked was there anything he could do to make stay. I said make me an offer and was put on hold for a few minutes and when he came back my bill is down to €184. So I got €15 a month off which is better than a kick up the arse. Having said that I am now locked into another 12 month contract

But the sting in the tail was about a week later I got a letter saying my broadband was going up €1 a month so my savings per bill is now down to €28

A mate of my dad tried as well after hearing of my story. I think he only has the basic digital tv package but he got €4 a month off.

It's definitely worth doing. Even the phonecall is free! What have you got to lose?

ElleEm

I just phoned there and sorted out a discount for the next 12 months!

We have the cheapest package (TV with +) and it came in at €51 every two month. They've now reduced it to €36 every 2 months month. I'm thrilled- I'm usually so bad at stuff like that.

It seems that the magic words are "I'm thinking of cancelling". The person I was speaking to immediately put me on to their "loyalty department" when I said that.

Thanks for this thread, OP

MartMax

boards cancellation threat group...

Golden Horde

Rang UPC this afternoon..mentioned I was thinking of cancelling and they put me straight through to customer loyalty dept. I explained how all the itv channels had disappeared and how real movies was the last straw.

Agreed to reduce my €45 per month bill down to €35 per month...new 12 month contract.

Saved myself €120 for the year. Now to tackle gas, electricity, phone and insurance.:pac:

StaticNoise

Digital+ Max
HD Pack
Multiroom viewing, second box (once off of €20)
25 Mb Broadband (No change)
Phone, Anytime World

€78 fixed. Can I do better? What do you think.


On a side note, I found support to be very helpful. Sales were nice, and the loyalty department were very friendly and kind indeed. Didn't mind my bargaining or questions at all.

ElleEm

StaticNoise wrote: »

Digital+ Max
HD Pack
Multiroom viewing, second box (once off of €20)
25 Mb Broadband (No change)
Phone, Anytime World

€78 fixed. Can I do better? What do you think.


On a side note, I found support to be very helpful. Sales were nice, and the loyalty department were very friendly and kind indeed. Didn't mind my bargaining or questions at all.

+1

I have always found their customer service to be very good.

littleredspot

Thanks to this thread I just got:
50mb broadband, phone with free calls off peak, basic TV channel pack, HD and two months free Sky Sports and Sky movies for 65 a month. Also everything free for 2 months as a goodwill gesture!

Thank you Boardsies

bcirl03

littleredspot wrote: »

Thanks to this thread I just got:
50mb broadband, phone with free calls off peak, basic TV channel pack, HD and two months free Sky Sports and Sky movies for 65 a month. Also everything free for 2 months as a goodwill gesture!

Thank you Boardsies

Dont forget to cancel the Sky Sports n Movies just before the 2 months are up unless you want to continue using \ paying for them of course.

Hygro

I might try this this week, hoping to get a better deal than the almost 80 euro I'm currently paying for

Digital + Select (not hd)
20mb BB
Multiroom (1)
Home Phone (Freetime World)

I think it's a disgrace how new customers can get so much more for the same price (or even less) :mad:

ted1

I think it's a disgrace how new customers can get so much more for the same price (or even less)

how is it a disgrace? your paying what you agreed to. if there is a price change and you are ouy of your 12 month contract then ring up an ask to change. they'll let you.

your clearly paying to much.

Hygro

So what you're saying is that once you've passed your 12 month contract that you can call the shots and ask to pay less?

I see where you're coming from, especially if new packs appear (like they have done since I first got connected), you've a right to say that you want to pay the same as new customers if they're getting a better deal.

littleredspot

Hygro wrote: »

So what you're saying is that once you've passed your 12 month contract that you can call the shots and ask to pay less?

Off topic, but I was advised to always do the same with your phone contract. It's saved me a good bit over the years.

macman2010

just rang them up complaining about the TV service and got €10 off my bill per month, better than nothing

hangon

macman2010 wrote: »

just rang them up complaining about the TV service and got €10 off my bill per month, better than nothing

There is no doubt that UPC are improving,but beware that what customer retention promises needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.
If you have to live on a limited budget and are paying bi-monthly in my experience your bill will change to a monthly one but charge for two.

beware of that i had mine halved due to this but if i had known they were still making such silly mistakes i would have not changed anything.

UPC still have not got its act together when People change packages.
I will never trust them until they get this right,we would have taken all three of their services long ago only their bills arrive more as a declaration of war than what is actually owed to them,many people paying by DD probaly do not notice UPC mistakes and the bill just gets paid.

Some twelve year olds could write better software for their bills than their current system IMO.

Yakuza

I was on to them recently, as I was looking to get an HD box while keeping my current Pace one. You can order it online (self install) for free, but that involves setting up a DD which I don't want to do (I'm a customer since before they brought in that charge, so I don't have to pay 3 extra on my bill). I currently have a triple play service from them, but I'm well out of contract on the TV side.

Anyhoo, I ring sales, and ask about getting the new HD box. The conversation went something like this (I may be paraphrasing a little):
UPC: Certainly, sir, I can order that for you. There will be a charge made to your account of €40 for the activation fee.
(it's normally €60 but you get €20 off if you do it yourself)
Me: I tried to do it online, but it wouldnt let me order without setting up a DD, which I have no interest in doing.
UPC: Sorry sir, if you don't order it online I have to charge you €40 for activation.
Me: Ok, maybe I'll just keep my broadband and phone and I'll go and get my HD/multiroom from Sky.
UPC: Ok sir, seeing as you are a longstanding customer and are keeping your original digital box, I can waive the connection fee.
Me: Great stuff!

One rattle of the "I'm off to Sky" sabre and they change their tune sharpish. *Poof*€40 charge disappears in an instant!*abracadabra*
Well worth a phone call.

Hygro

My girlfriend tried this (going the sky route) but as she lives in an apartment and cannot get sky (she already sent an email regarding sky in your apartment, but they - sky- never responded) she wouldn't really push UPC to the limit in case she ended up with no tv, best she got was:

Previous package - €79
Digital + Select (with no espn... originally the select package didn't include it and they never updated hers even though it was standard for everyone else!)
1 multiroom
20mb Broadband
Phone with Freetime world

new package - €73
Digital + Max (has espn now)
1 multiroom
25mb Broadband
Phone with Freetime world.

Technically she's only saved a fiver a month from previous bills, but she's come out with better tv and broadband, so it's not too bad I suppose.

tommyboy2222

Sorry to hijack this thread but is it possible to change your package details online ?

I've been trying to but it keeps asking me do I want a technican or courier to call out and I don't want either !!

I guess I'll have to ring them to do this ?

Kace

It doesn't look as though you can from the site.

I am looking to change my package details also, as I'm paying more now than the deal available as a new customer. But I need a new box as part of my upgrade, so actually need the courier/post to bring the box to me.

I am expecting to have to threaten to leave in order to get them to allow me to change and pay the lower amount.

panama

Is this bullet proof or has anyone not gotten anywhere by calling them and threatening to cancel?

I'm tempted to do same as our upc bill is high but not sure what to say to the customer service agent - from reading the thread it seems the best thing to do us say you want to cancel and/or switch to Sky and then wait for their response

jack presley

panama wrote: »

Is this bullet proof or has anyone not gotten anywhere by calling them and threatening to cancel?

I'm tempted to do same as our upc bill is high but not sure what to say to the customer service agent - from reading the thread it seems the best thing to do us say you want to cancel and/or switch to Sky and then wait for their response

Nothing's bullet proof but I for one can say it worked for me. Got my bi-monthly bill reduced from €215 to €185, so saved €15 a month. I thought it might be one of these urban myths until I tried it and as you can see from posts earlier in this thread, I'm not the only one. Give it a go, sure isn't the call free as well!

bob11

Kace wrote: »

It doesn't look as though you can from the site.

I am looking to change my package details also, as I'm paying more now than the deal available as a new customer. But I need a new box as part of my upgrade, so actually need the courier/post to bring the box to me.

I am expecting to have to threaten to leave in order to get them to allow me to change and pay the lower amount.

I don't think that there will be any issue getting the new customer deals,

I see from their website:

http://www.upc.ie/deals/tvbroadbandphone/

There is a section that says "existing customers, click here"

Great News! Our exclusive bundles are
now available to all UPC customers


Q. I am an existing customer, can I order one of the exclusive UPC bundles?

A.Yes, existing customers can now order all of our Broadband, TV & Home Phone bundles.

Q. How will my current contract be affected?

A.Your current contract will be replaced by a new 12 month contract.

Q. What happens to my current subscription?

A.When you place your order we will replace your current subscription with the new bundles that have been ordered. All of your additional options (i.e additional channel packages) will remain on your subscription. When placing the order, include all of the services you ultimately want, even if you already have a service (e.g if you are a Broadband customer who would like TV & Home Phone, include Broadband, TV & Home Phone in your bundle when ordering online). You won't receive or pay for anything twice.