Trying to move from UTV to BT. UTV actions illegal?

daveg

I'm trying to get broadband for my parents with EsatBT. They are currently with UTV for calls and line rental and have been for a few years. I placed the order with BT on-line and checked the status no-line to find that the broadband option was "rejected".

I rang BT and they told me that the account number with UTV was wrong and that I need to Universal Account Number (UAN). I gave them the old Eircom account number which was no good. I then checked one of the parents on-line statements to find that the only account number available was an account reference (6 digits) which I was again told was no good.

I rang UTV twice, and email to billing and to a contact given to me by esatbt so thats 4 attempts to get the number. I have been told repeatably that my parents need to send a letter cancelling their account (giving 30 days notice) and then at this time they will provide us with the UAN. I should mention I am dealing with a good sales agent in BT now who is directing me on what I should do. He has told us NOT to cancel the account as my parents will loose their number, loose service and will have to pay reconnection fees. He tells me what UTV are doing is illegal (esp the account reference on the bill which has to state the UAN) and they are trying to disrupt the change provider process which should be a smooth, seamless process and should not include all the hassle I'm having.

He has come across another customer in the same boat and is compiling a complaint against BT.

So is the info BT are providing me correct? Where should we go from here?

Why is nothing ever easy? I thought changing providers is supposed to be an easy process?

Sponge Bob

I think a UAN is 8 digits.

If UTV refuse to provide you with the UAN then go to Comreg immediately.

This is what regulators are supposed to do or clarify or help with.

The principle IMO is that the UAN belongs to teh customer after the initial contratc period and should be available on demand.

Alternatively cancel all UTV and then go with BT but you should not have to. By the same logic you cannot go back to Eirocm if you choose either.

Tell us how it goes.

eth0_

So they've never actually had broadband from UTV before? That sounds reallllyyyy dodgy. Contact comreg as suggested. Or you could just ring UTV and let them know you'll be lodging a formal complaint with Comreg if you don't receive that UAN. I'm sure they'll change their tune!

daveyjoe

I was also convinced that there was no UAN on my UTV bill.

It turns out that it is there albeit in a small font.

daveg

daveyjoe wrote:

I was also convinced that there was no UAN on my UTV bill.

It turns out that it is there albeit in a small font.

:eek:

I cannot believe I nor the BT sales guy (who checked the billing on line using my username/password missed that)!!!!!!!!!

I have lodged a complaint with comreg and UTV (UTV have 10 days to reply). How stupid do I feel.

daveyjoe

I did the same thing. It's in a strange place and the font is quite small. They don't want you to see it.

daveg

daveg wrote:

:eek:

I cannot believe I nor the BT sales guy (who checked the billing on line using my username/password missed that)!!!!!!!!!

I have lodged a complaint with comreg and UTV (UTV have 10 days to reply). How stupid do I feel.

Just rang the BT guy again. He tells me he knew about the UAN number being printed on the bill (as pointed out above) but my parents bill contains the old Eircom number which should have changed when when parents moved to UTV. It's an error that UTV have on the account but are not, as yet, willing to give us the correct number. So back to UTV

daveyjoe

Ok, well that's a different story. Send an e-mail to closemyaccount@u.tv but state that you do not want to close your account, you only want to receive a working UAN (state that the one on the UTV website is incorrect).

Give them the customary 48 hours and if you get nothing back from them then you should get onto comreg.

daveg

Sorry for the confusing story. The BT guy told me the UAN was not on our bill. Never mentioned anything about it actually being on the bill but that it was wrong.

Daveyjoe I'll try emailing closemyaccount@u.tv.

BOHSBOHS

had the exact same problem as u daveg

the UAN on your account listing is wrong /old

KEEP HASSLING UTV until they give u the correct one
try ringing the diff deptmartents customer care , tech support etc

i got it eventually , kept getting fobbed off with "ring BT, ring eircom , your UAN is the (WRONG ) number "

daveyjoe

Just gave BT a ring this morning to see how the transfer was going and he informed me that I had given them the wrong UAN as-well.

So that's 3 of us. Maybe we should draw up a quick letter to comreg and co-sign it as three individual disgruntled UTV customers. I expect that there are plenty more people out there who have received the wrong UAN from UTV.

edit: I added 'to comreg' for clarity.

Sponge Bob

daveyjoe wrote:

I expect that there are plenty more people out there who have received the wrong UAN from them.

Universal Account Number (UAN)

This is about UTV giving you the wrong UAN a/c number, and quite deliberately, to stop you leaving them ......simply because you cannot. Its nothing to do with eircom or BT so leave them out of it.

Anybody who needs their correct UAN so that they can move from UTV to another carrier of their choice should email Bobby Hannon or Dermot Nolan over in Comreg with your phone number (they are the heads of consumer stuff in Comreg) and they will either:

a) personally get the UAN for you.

or

b) get you an email address of someone in UTV who will give you a correct UAN number imediately .

Thats what Comreg are for. There is no point getting stuck in silly buggery in UTV.

daveyjoe

@Sponge Bob: Sorry my post was unclear, I meant to say that we should draw up a letter to *comreg* not UTV. At this stage it's about more than getting my UAN, I think we should try and rectify the situation. I think it's a good idea that we draw up a letter which will hopefully force comreg to act and insure that UTV doesn't do this to anymore customers.

Sponge Bob

Absolutely, the UAN should be a standard and legible feature of all bills .

daveyjoe

I sent an e-mail to Bobby Hannon around mid-day and he hasn't got back to me yet.

Looks like I'll have to wait until next week to get this sorted!

pissed

I too have just started the process of switching from utv to bt. I tried the bt online form but got bogged down when it looked for a second number so I just rang them and completed the order over the phone. My uan number on my utv bill was correct (according to the bt guy) so fingers crossed it will go well. i just went for the €45 package (1mb - phone - line rental - 10gb cap) as I only want it to surf and download the odd bit, most of my downloading is done in work. I had a look at the imagine package but decided in the end to try the bt one, the guy from imagine that I spoke to on the phone said the modem I have from utv at the moment should now belong to me , but the bt guy said no that i would have to return it to utv, so i had to take one from bt at a cost of €40 (wireless modem), will keep you posted on how things go.

daveyjoe

the bt guy said no that i would have to return it to utv

From what I've heard UTV don't ask for it back. They are entitled to ask for it though because you are only renting it from them.

ardmacha

but the bt guy said no that i would have to return it to utv, so i had to take one from bt at a cost of €40 (wireless modem),

I've recently joined UTV broadband (had UTV phone, and couldn't face the whole BT billing merry go round). The T&C said that you must return the modem or pay something (maybe €60). If you keep the modem than you wouldn't have to pay the €40 connection charge to BT and it might be less trouble. At some point in the future I may well change to BT and try and do this.

parsi

When I was moving to BT UTV gave my my UAN over the phone immediately (nice sounding Northern lass she was ..) and it was BT who then spent the next three months fouling things up...

You have to return the modem to UTv but your terms will dictate when it shoudl be done - the latest batch say the modem has to go back before they release the line.

pissed

Cheers parsi, BT told me not to inform UTV that I was migrating over just in case they cancelled my line or something like that. Anyways I still have the box etc for the modem but have to wait for the crossover lol, as a matter of curiousity how long did it take for your broadband and calls to switch, I was told the broadband would change over first in approx two weeks and the calls another two weeks or so after that. I might have been mistaken but I think the sales rep said they would not charge me for the use of the broadband until the calls switched over too...... sounds too good to be true

dub45

daveyjoe wrote:

From what I've heard UTV don't ask for it back. They are entitled to ask for it though because you are only renting it from them.

I cannot understand why people with questions about subjects like return of modems that are easily answered by the isp concerned dont simply ring them rather than risking all sorts of speculative answers on here.

On the other hand you could look up the terms and conditions on line and you will easily find this:

16.4 Upon termination for any reason, you will be responsible for returning the Creative modem and microfilters back to UTV Internet at the following address: UTV Internet, Unit 5, Portmarnock Shopping Mall, Strand Road, Portmarnock, Co Dublin 4 at your expense. A Voyager Modem shall be returned to TNS Distribution Ltd., Unit 5 Keypoint Business Park, Rosemount, Ballycoolin Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 11, Ireland at your expense.

And most importantly the following:

Failure to return the modem and microfilters within 14 days of the effective date of termination shall result in UTV Internet debiting €40.00 from your Bank Account/Credit Card for the equipment and you hereby expressly consent to such debit. The line will not be ceased until the modem is returned to the appropriate destination. Upon receipt of your modem, UTV Internet will cease your service with our supplier.

They are the latest terms and conditions and may not apply in your particular case - they have got stricter e.g. the line issue - as the Terms and Conditions have evolved.

Sponge Bob

any news from Comreg ??

parsi

pissed wrote:

Cheers parsi, BT told me not to inform UTV that I was migrating over just in case they cancelled my line or something like that. Anyways I still have the box etc for the modem but have to wait for the crossover lol, as a matter of curiousity how long did it take for your broadband and calls to switch

My broadband took around a month (BT lost the form twice i.e. they had it, lost it, found it, lost it, found it). The calls went over around the same time _but_ the line rental took over three months to changeover. At all times I had to ring them for updates etc. In the end I was getting updates from UTV rather than from BT regarding the rental issues.

There is no problem telling UTV you're migrating - what you shouldn't do (and this applies to all) is to tell them you're cancelling.

Rob_T

UTV tried the same junk with me, wouldn't answer the phone, ignored my emails, eventually acknowledged my requests and then sent me the wrong number i.e. the number they list on the online bill, BT rejected the order because the UAN was bogus and I had to call UTV again. Then surprise surprise when I rang them again they were able to give me the UAN over the phone, shocking customer service if you ask me.

daveyjoe

No word back from comreg, I'm going to e-mail Bobby Hannon again tomorrow but I'll CC Dermot Nolan this time.

I got an e-mail back from UTV though:

The UAN 12345678 is the one showing on our suppliers system so I have
chased it up with them to check it out and update me with the correct
one. As soon as they send me this information I will pass it on to you.

and 20 minutes later

I can confirm that the number: 12345678 is indeed correct.

Our supplier has checked this out with Eircom.

What's going on? BT have assured me that the UAN is incorrect.

Sponge Bob

<sigh>
over to Comreg for resolution and clarification
</SIGH>