Breaking UPC Contract

bizzieebee

Hi All,

Looking for some advice re. cancelling my contract with UPC.

I have phone and broadband with them and my contract is up until December this year. If I cancel with them I will have to pay a penalty of €200.00.

Not so long ago UPC increased prices and I was made aware that I could choose to cancel my contract due to this with no penalty. Does anyone have more information on this or was there a time limit on doing this?

All information would be much appreciated so that I can decide if I want to take the hit as there is quite the difference in prices between UPC & the new provider or wait it out.

Thank

L1011

There was a 30 day period to cancel / change package without penalty if your price increased. This ran out months ago.

One thing you need to consider is that if your new provider is Eircom eFibre, that the maximum speed once TV is enabled is about a quarter of UPCs maximum speed, and you get about a quarter of the channels including some very major omissions so you need to see whether it is such a good deal after all - in reality its actually an atrocious deal for most people.

Paulw

bizzieebee wrote: »

Not so long ago UPC increased prices and I was made aware that I could choose to cancel my contract due to this with no penalty. Does anyone have more information on this or was there a time limit on doing this?

Yep, 30 days from the notice of increase, as was stated in the notices.

bizzieebee

It is with Vodafone and the new Fibre lines, Do you know much about this one to compare?

I pay €56 per month plus phone calls to UPC (usually over €100 in all)

With Vodafone Fibre Id get the broadband and all calls for €37.50 per month
(47.50 per month for the package but as I am a bill pay customer I get an additional €10 per month off)

We would be a family that use the internet a lot for normal use, Ipads, Playstation, Phones and would
watch a lot of programmes on line also using Netflix etc, so its important that its not a crap connection, I just wouldn't know enough about speeds etc. to compare..

L1011

Vodafone will give you an absolute maximum of 100mbit, but most people will be looking at around 40mbit. There will be no TV at all. UPC offer up to 200mbit and except in Cork City and some specific areas with MMDS-fed TV you get the analogue channels with that.

The nearest UPC package I can see is 200mbit+Freetime World (55.50, can get 3.50 for taking ebilling) - the equivalent UPC package to the Vodafone offer is Fibre 60 Chat which is 40.50 (so 37 after the 3.50) a month.

If you're spending a further 44 a month on calls you should really analyse where this is going - if its daytime calls and international you might actually save money by going to a higher UPC package again which has Anytime World, if its mobile you should try move these calls to being made from an actual mobile.

bizzieebee

I'm with Sky for my TV, have been for years and am happy staying with them, It is just the broadband and house phone that I was going to change too.

So would you recommend staying with UPC for better internet speeds?
I have a house of boys so it gets a lot of use, No complaints with the UPC internet at all other them I'm trying to save a few €

bizzieebee

I'm with Sky for my TV, have been for years and am happy staying with them, It is just the broadband and house phone that I was going to change too.

So would you recommend staying with UPC for better internet speeds, I'm in Dublin?
I have a house of boys so it gets a lot of use, No complaints with the UPC internet at all other them I'm trying to save a few €

L1011

bizzieebee wrote: »

I'm with Sky for my TV, have been for years and am happy staying with them, It is just the broadband and house phone that I was going to change too.

So would you recommend staying with UPC for better internet speeds, I'm in Dublin?
I have a house of boys so it gets a lot of use, No complaints with the UPC internet at all other them I'm trying to save a few €

In every circumstance where the option is UPC vs copper telephone line I'd recommend staying with UPC. Unless your house has actual fibre to the home, which is extremely rare, there's no comparison.

When your UPC contract is up you can change around the package to get to the same or lower cost than Vodafone which higher speeds.

bizzieebee

Vodafone Is doing Fibre now - That's what the sales guy said anyways

Thanks for all the advice, I think I might just stay put and have a good look into different packages between Vodafone & UPC and see how the new Vodafone Fibre goes for people and make a decision then...

You have been very helpful!!!

L1011

bizzieebee wrote: »

Vodafone Is doing Fibre now - That's what the sales guy said anyways

Thanks for all the advice, I think I might just stay put and have a good look into different packages between Vodafone & UPC and see how the new Vodafone Fibre goes for people and make a decision then...

You have been very helpful!!!

Its fibre to the cabinet - the last link to your house is still two strands of ancient copper. Depending where the cabinet is, speeds go from no faster than normal DSL to 100mbits - max.

UPC's on the other hand is coaxial cable, likely a lot newer too. They're doing 200mbits for home, 250 for business and the current gear can go to 400 if they needed it to.