UTV speed issues - North Dublin

nacimroc

Just in case anyone thought UTV's admin service were as good as their broadband service...

They never got back to me about throttling but told COMREG I had left. But they plead ignorant when it comes time to charge me 176 quid in charges!

Surely blatant fraud?

lindtee

:mad::mad::mad: The saga continues. And to top it off I didn't have internet access at all for most of the day. The supervisor is supposed to ring me tomorrow as I was on to a technician who was not in a position to be able to cancel or do anything about the slow speeds in the evenings. He said the usual stuff, that speeds are slower in the evenings, blah, blah....I have been complaining about the service since about 5 days after they activated it. This has gone on far too long. I am too easily fobbed off it but no more mrs nice woman!

Can I ask what exactly people said to get to cancel without penalty? I want to be well prepared for this supervisor, if indeed they do ring me back. Didn't get around to getting onto comreg either. Is ringing them the best thing to do or emailing?

Also if anyone needs to ring them but does not want to be paying 1890 prices, 04890201555. Its a Northern Ireland number so can be skyped or called from the landline if you have free uk/ni calls included.

nacimroc

lindtee wrote: »

Can I ask what exactly people said to get to cancel without penalty? I want to be well prepared for this supervisor, if indeed they do ring me back. Didn't get around to getting onto comreg either. Is ringing them the best thing to do or emailing?

They are not providing what you contracted them for so they are in breach of contract therefore no penalty should apply. I'm sure if they pushed you far enough to bring it to a judge he would laugh them out of the room.

By reporting to COMREG, if or when you bring it further you have written proof of their breach of service and if everyone did this I'm sure COMREG would have no choice but to sanction them for a piss poor service.

lindtee

nacimroc wrote: »

They are not providing what you contracted them for so they are in breach of contract therefore no penalty should apply. I'm sure if they pushed you far enough to bring it to a judge he would laugh them out of the room.

By reporting to COMREG, if or when you bring it further you have written proof of their breach of service and if everyone did this I'm sure COMREG would have no choice but to sanction them for a piss poor service.

Thanks for that

Azhrei

We have been with UTV for nearly four years now, and have never had a problem with them. Some of the stuff I've seen in here beggars belief. Blaming UTV for a bad line is useless because it is Eircom's fault, not UTV's. As for the 75GB cap, I'm not sure how you guys aren't aware of their unlimited cap option for which they charge you an extra €5.99 - well worth it in my opinion. We hear nothing from them about how much we download (and we download a lot, there are four people living here with five desktop pc's and three laptops).

Occasionally it can be difficult to get through to technical support because they have hardly any staff. Yesterday and today we had serious issues with our 'net connection, with some sites loading but the majority not. It took me an hour to get through to them for which they apologised profusely - they had no idea what was going on but were swamped with calls. My flat-mate said that on the Star Trek Online forums someone was mentioning a 20% packet loss across America, which Blizzard also reported, so maybe that has something to do with it. Several hours later, it came back.

We've always experienced great customer support from them. When we first moved in here we signed up for their 3MB broadband package, then were upgraded to 7MB for free a few months later. Back in June when we complained of bad ping in our games, they moved us to NGB with 8MB connection and a slightly reduced upload speed, which improved our ping immeasurably. Our monthly bill has also decreased because of this. Occasionally I'll forget to put money into the bank account to pay the bill for a few days, and they never complain about it.

So I'm sorry to hear about your troubles guys, but UTV is not at fault if you have a bad line, and also to complain about a 75GB cap when an unlimited option is available is more than a little silly.

nacimroc

Azhrei wrote: »

but UTV is not at fault if you have a bad line, and also to complain about a 75GB cap when an unlimited option is available is more than a little silly.

I used to pay that for unlimited until I moved to the UNLIMITED cap on their NGB package only to be throttled at 6:00pm every single day as I downloaded 40gb/month!

Azhrei wrote: »

Blaming UTV for a bad line is useless because it is Eircom's fault, not UTV's.

Eircom don't randomly throttle some of UTV's customers at 6pm daily. They as good as admitted what they do.

And I'm the silly one????

Now stop posting here and answer our calls :D

Azhrei

Well, they're not throttling ours... high volume of people on the exchange, maybe? I don't know. We don't see any reduction in speed or quality of service around then.

And sorry man, I'm at the opposite end of the country from UTV, we had just used them for the phone before and when moving in here we didn't want to go with Eircom, but couldn't get any non-DSL service. It freaking kills me that East Cork Broadband and Nova Networks are so close to me, but I can't get either or I'd jump away from DSL as fast as my legs would take me.

lindtee

Submitted a complaint to comreg this morning. I rang UTV and got through to someone who was actually very nice compared to anyone else have spoken to :eek: But she as unable to do anything for me so I have to wait again for a supervisor to ring

Are you serious Azhrei? Have you actually read the whole thread? I had Eircom for years previously on the very same line, and never,ever did I get speeds as slow as the speeds I get in the evenings with UTV.....I was actually on a 3mb package but was getting speeds of 5-6 consistently with Eircom (at all times) Now on a 10mb package and my evening speeds average about 0 .5-1.5 maximum in the evenings and 2-4 mb during the day.

And the sales person blatantly lied to me about the download allowance telling me it was 300gb not the 70gb that it actually is. I understand that sometimes salespeople need to stretch the truth to get a sale but I will not tolerate being blatantly lied to. There is no way I would sign up knowingly to a service that had a limit that low. I was missold a product and they are not providing me with the service I am paying. I fully intend to take this matter further if I am not cancelled with them by the end of the week.

lindtee

Comreg got back onto me and have raised the complaint with UTV. I have not heard anything back as of yet:mad: Have to wait until after 6 to ring UTV myself as otherwise the calls cost me a fortune:mad:

I cannot understand why they are not allowing me to cancel without penalty, as per their own terms and conditions. In most of the phonecalls I have made, when I mention there are others with the problem, they immediatley say "boards.ie, is it":rolleyes:

I have never experienced anything like this with any company/service I have used over the years.

nacimroc

Don't entertain them! Just tell them your off. If they hassle you for money we'll kick up a **** storm.

They mention here because it takes posts on here to make them reply. I'm sure COMREG follow this aswell so at least they know whats going on.

Been a week and they haven't replied to me either. Same as always. Just ignore them. Not worth the hassle.

lindtee

nacimroc wrote: »

Don't entertain them! Just tell them your off. If they hassle you for money we'll kick up a **** storm.

They mention here because it takes posts on here to make them reply. I'm sure COMREG follow this aswell so at least they know whats going on.

Been a week and they haven't replied to me either. Same as always. Just ignore them. Not worth the hassle.

Just off the phone with them and I informed the rep that I intend to change provider tomorrow. I am going to cancel direct debits tomorrow. To be fair the woman I spoke to (for the second time) was very nice but said there wasn't anything she could do to cancel my account without the supervisor getting onto the case. However, I do not expect the supervisor to ring me back.

Hope that you get your issue sorted out. What a disaster of a company.

More bad reviews on http://ratemyisp.ie/ratings/utv-broadband/

Edit 31/8 - Direct Debit for July/August (and it was a lot more than it should have been with all the phonecalls to UTV) came out this morning so I am heading out at 10 to cancel the dd. All I will owe is the price of the calls for August.(all of which were to UTV) Ringing them again today (as I do not expect them to get in touch) to let them know that I have signed back up with Eircom (better the devil you know and all that!) and that I do not require a service from them anymore, so they can cut me off. I can survive for a few days without internet. Just cannot believe the service from them and the lies from the technician guys anytime I have rang. All I flippen wanted to do this week was cancel (I repeat - which I should be able to do under their own terms and conditions )and I have been 5 days, loads of phonecalls and emails trying to do so.

I am still kicking myself for signing up to something at the door, and believing a sales persons lies about the download allowance, as I would not have signed up knowing the true "unlimited" allowance to begin with. I hope that this thread stops others signing up and that they find it within the 7 day cooling off period. If you are a heavy downloader/streamer you can forget about having a decent service. (by heavy I mean about 100gb per month not anything outlandish)

lindtee

Got a phone call this morning from UTV and they are going to allow me to cancel without penalty. I really wish that it could be sorted sooner but c'est la vie. Given that I was lied to by the sales person re the download allowance and that I was never ever going to get the estimated speed of 10mb and the unbearably slow speeds in the evenings I would have been very angry if they had tried to tie me into the contract. To UTV's credit the man I spoke to was very apologetic about the situation. Interestingly he told me that the sales people in the south were no longer employed by the UTV due to complaints....make of that what you will.

Thanks to nacimroc for all the helpful advice and I hope I never have to come onto this thread again:pac: I hope that you get your billing issues sorted. My angry email writing skills have improved immensely since all this began so its not all bad.

nacimroc

lindtee wrote: »

Got a phone call this morning from UTV and they are going to allow me.....

Whats this witchery you speak of ?? I always presumed UTV aren't allowed to make outgoing calls or emails! Glad you got sorted!

A week on and still no word from UTV about trying to rob me! Its just funny at this stage. Talk about cowboys!

lindtee

nacimroc wrote: »

Whats this witchery you speak of ?? I always presumed UTV aren't allowed to make outgoing calls or emails! Glad you got sorted!

A week on and still no word from UTV about trying to rob me! Its just funny at this stage. Talk about cowboys!

I was shocked when he rang and even more shocked that there were apologies:eek::eek: I even got a follow up email from the guy soon after the phone call.

I really hope that you can get sorted. I hate that kind of crap, especially when it can affect your credit rating when you don't pay. Good Luck. I hope that they don't try that sort of thing on me.

swampyk08

Hi - I waited it out for the last two months but the poor broadband in the evening was never fixed. The supposedly new platform didnt work (if there was one). Comreg were no help - UTV completely ignored the complaint I made with them.

What I would like from you guys - which provider is better - Vodafone or Eircom? I am based near Drogheda.

Thanks.

O'Prez

I've been with Vodafone since leaving UTV and have had absolutely no problems with them and consistent speeds all the time.

nacimroc

Vodafone perfect with me too. 350 GB cap aswell (actual cap, not a random figure like UTV's)

swampyk08

Sounds great - did you have much down-time when the switch was being made?

nacimroc

Vodafone was active on my line the same time as UTV. It was active for about 2 weeks before i even realised and switched the username.

O'Prez

same as nacimroc so no down time really. i think there may have been a couple of hours between broadband changeover but none for the phone line.

Padraig Mor

Was scheduled to move to UTV (see other thread). However, having read this thread - and the comments at RatemyISP - I've decided to hold off changing! Currently with Vodafone ("8MB" - my arse) - were some people here saying they are doing the 24Mb package for €52?

doney84

Hi all, I've been with UTV for about 6 years now and had no problems with them until recently. They switched my package to the NGB package as it worked out cheaper but like many on this thread it has effected my download speeds after 6pm. I have phoned numerous times and was told that they needed a new "traffic management" system and this would sort out my poor speeds. This was to be done some time in August and when my speeds didn't get any better I phoned them back at the end of August only to be told that the new "traffic management" system is in place but that they needed to order more "bandwidth" and that hopefully it will be inplace for the end of September. I'm I been told lies ???

spongerobinson

any more news about this "more bandwidth" being purchased? My contract with UTV is about to end, and while speeds haven't actually been too bad as of late, I'm fed up with all the hassle I've had in the past so think it may be time to change provider!

doney84

Was away for a while so I haven't been in contact with them. I'm gonna give it another week and if there is no improvment I'm gonna leave them next week.

gerryirl

sorry to drag this thread up again. I was with eircom had 8mb line. usually got 6-8 no other. Salesman came to door from utv said they had up to 24 mb unlimited told us that we would at leat get the same as eircom and better. so it was bit cheaper and went with utv. Then about 2 weeks after saleman was here our internet went completly one evening. We ended up with no internet for 3 weeks. Must have made 40+ calls during that time. eventually it arrived back this eveing with a dreadful speed of 1-2 mb's. Its way worse than eircoms. I can get that speed cheaper with wireless provider. I will ring yet again tomorrow to see if the can do something but at this stage I'm fed up ringing.. Has this happened anyone else?

lindtee

gerryirl wrote: »

sorry to drag this thread up again. I was with eircom had 8mb line. usually got 6-8 no other. Salesman came to door from utv said they had up to 24 mb unlimited told us that we would at leat get the same as eircom and better. so it was bit cheaper and went with utv. Then about 2 weeks after saleman was here our internet went completly one evening. We ended up with no internet for 3 weeks. Must have made 40+ calls during that time. eventually it arrived back this eveing with a dreadful speed of 1-2 mb's. Its way worse than eircoms. I can get that speed cheaper with wireless provider. I will ring yet again tomorrow to see if the can do something but at this stage I'm fed up ringing.. Has this happened anyone else?

They won't do anything for you:( They will string you along until you are tearing out your hair with the slow speed in the evenings. Email them at complaints@u.tv outlining your problems. Contact comreg too. I personally think being without internet for 3 weeks is enough grounds for cancelling. Don't be fobbed off! I let them fob me off too many times and it was only when I got comreg involved and told them I wasn't backing down that they allowed me out of the contract. Am back with Eircom now and getting the speeds I was getting before, 5-6mb in the evenings, which isn't brill but its fantastic considering the 0.5 to 1.5 UTV were giving me on the same line...don't actually think the line is capable of any more than 6mb at this point in time.

gerryirl

thanks for reply.. had you any problems going back to eircom. downtime etc waiting period. How did you get out of contract

lindtee

gerryirl wrote: »

thanks for reply.. had you any problems going back to eircom. downtime etc waiting period. How did you get out of contract

Besides the awful speeds that I was getting because they were throttling my line, (which like the others here, they never admitted to doing) I had been mis-sold the package from the beginning. The salesperson told me that the download limit was 300gb. I would normally download between 100-150gb per month so that sounded fine, it turned out to be 75gb per month:mad: Between this and the on-going speed issues, I told them that I was going to take the matter beyond comreg if I wasn't allowed to leave contract without penalty. After loads of emails and phonecalls (nearly all from my side) They finally relented and I got a phonecall from a supervisor to apologise and say that I could leave without penalty.

No problems moving back to eircom, (even got refunded the €44 they charged me when I left). No down-time as UTV provided the service until the handover, although the broadband took about 10 days longer to come back. Got a new modem from them too (although its actually not very good)

swampyk08

I went back to eircom and the broadband was activated this week - I have to say its great to have a consistent steady line of 8mb again after nearly 9 months of pain with UTV. And due to the problems with line I wasnt charged the cancellation fee. However in my final UTV bill there was a WLR charge of €204 - they removed this once I queried it though, so watch your bills.

gerryirl

Just further to this . was always of the option that NGB means you get constant speeds rather than it getting slower in the evenings like before NGB came about.. Would I be right in saying NGB should not be getting any slower at peak times