utv clicksilver pricing

CraggyIslander

I've had a utv clicksilver account for 2 years and in august last year upgraded to their top package; clicksilver plus (was 2mb, is now 3mb) and have always paid the 39.99 rate.

Now on their site, they are advertising the clicksilver plus 3mb package (i.e. the one I have) for 34.99/month. So I kindly ask them to update my account to charge me the new rate for my package.

This was their response:

"Before I action your request, I must inform you that by migrating your
account to the new Clicksilver plus tariff at 34.99 per month, you will
automatically begin a new contract."

My question is is this legal? Can they force another 12month contract on me for the same package?

kaizersoze

UTV are well known for this. It's one of the reasons I left them. No other provider forces a new contract on customers to avail of cheaper prices.

ardmacha

The new UTV contract doesn't have a minimum term as such but will have disconnection charges with a higher disconnection charge in the first 6 months (not 12). The disconnection charge payable after 6 months would already be in your contract if it is fairly recent, but not if it is older. They are not forcing a new contract, you can just carry on with the old deal if you prefer. It is not nice, but the likes of mobile phone operators have been known to do this.

dub45

ardmacha wrote:

The new UTV contract doesn't have a minimum term as such but will have disconnection charges with a higher disconnection charge in the first 6 months (not 12). The disconnection charge payable after 6 months would already be in your contract if it is fairly recent, but not if it is older. They are not forcing a new contract, you can just carry on with the old deal if you prefer. It is not nice, but the likes of mobile phone operators have been known to do this.

Not nice? Its lousy lousy behaviour and not informing customers of the new prices is even more lousy. the fact that others in other areas may also do it is equally lousy.

Foxwood

Fred C. Dobbs wrote:

My question is is this legal? Can they force another 12month contract on me for the same package?

They're not forcing another 12 month contract on you. You're the one asking them to cancel your current contract and put you on a new contract.

dub45

Foxwood wrote:

They're not forcing another 12 month contract on you. You're the one asking them to cancel your current contract and put you on a new contract.

Not explicitly but if you want to gain advantage of the new prices which they dont seem anxious to tell their customers about for some strange reason you have to commit yourself to a new contract - now imagine what people would say if Eircom were to start doing nasty things like that and to think that UTV were once the darlings of boards:rolleyes: (Shhh for God's sake dont tell our customers that they can get lower prices lads.........)

Foxwood

dub45 wrote:

Not explicitly but if you want to gain advantage of the new prices which they dont seem anxious to tell their customers about for some strange reason you have to commit yourself to a new contract - now imagine what people would say if Eircom were to start doing nasty things like that and to think that UTV were once the darlings of boards:rolleyes: (Shhh for God's sake dont tell our customers that they can get lower prices lads.........)

The prices are clearly displayed on their website. They waive any "early termination" charges for people who want to cancel their current contract and switch to another one. Hardly the actions of a company that are trying to hide

Funny you should mention eircom.

When they introduced a new, lower price for their "starter" package, they put all of their existing customers onto a faster package at the same price. So did BT. No notification that you could save money and get the same service that you'd been satisfied with up to then. I don't remember you complaining about this practice at the time.

(Purely as a matter of interest, have you posted anything positive about any provider at any time in the last 6 months or so? I can't remember a post from you that hasn't been pissing and moaning about something, even though you aren't actually a customer of the various companies that your complaining about).

dub45

Foxwood wrote:

The prices are clearly displayed on their website. They waive any "early termination" charges for people who want to cancel their current contract and switch to another one. Hardly the actions of a company that are trying to hide

Funny you should mention eircom.

When they introduced a new, lower price for their "starter" package, they put all of their existing customers onto a faster package at the same price. So did BT. No notification that you could save money and get the same service that you'd been satisfied with up to then. I don't remember you complaining about this practice at the time.

(Purely as a matter of interest, have you posted anything positive about any provider at any time in the last 6 months or so? I can't remember a post from you that hasn't been pissing and moaning about something, even though you aren't actually a customer of the various companies that your complaining about).

''Not waiving an early termination charge when lower prices are available'' as a plus?? will you cop yourself on and get rid of your total denial in relation to UTV? Its a lousy practise and is completely and utterly indefensible.

They don't pass on lower prices to existing loyal customers unless the customers commit to a new contract. They don't inform customers that new lower prices are available albeit at the cost of a new contract.

Eircom upgraded the service at the same price (if I recall they doubled the speed and did not require anyone to commit to a new contract to get it) I don't see anything to complain about in that case - in UTV's case they are obviously not too worried about loyal customers paying an excessive price for their existing service which again I will emphasise is lousy behaviour.

I post positive when I see positive stuff - sadly there is little positive to post about the likes of BT or UTV and people should be warned about lousy customer service billing etc.

Foxwood

dub45 wrote:

' in UTV's case they are obviously not too worried about loyal customers paying an excessive price for their existing service which again I will emphasise is lousy behaviour.

They're NOT paying an excessive price for their existing service - even the older, higher price is lower than eircoms prices in most cases. UTV typically offer the lowest monthly prices precisely because they manage the "overhead" costs of disconnecting customers, with strictly enforced minimum periods and disconnection charges. If you think it would be fairer to put the monthly price up by a euro for everyone, just to suit the flitters who want to leave the service on short notice, that's fine. Maybe when you're running an ISP people will flock to your more expensive service.

Until then, put a sock in it, you're broken record is getting annoying.

ardmacha

They don't inform customers that new lower prices are available albeit at the cost of a new contract.

For the last price reduction they did state in their monthly email to me that new tariffs were available. Also this information appears if you log into your account.

We are also delighted to inform all our existing customers that you are now able to avail of our new Clicksilver pricing (no price change on Clicksilver Lite) through your online account. Terms & Conditions apply

dub45

Foxwood wrote:

They're NOT paying an excessive price for their existing service - even the older, higher price is lower than eircoms prices in most cases. UTV typically offer the lowest monthly prices precisely because they manage the "overhead" costs of disconnecting customers, with strictly enforced minimum periods and disconnection charges. If you think it would be fairer to put the monthly price up by a euro for everyone, just to suit the flitters who want to leave the service on short notice, that's fine. Maybe when you're running an ISP people will flock to your more expensive service.

Until then, put a sock in it, you're broken record is getting annoying.

You could at least stick to the basic points in your arguments - no one has mentioned people leaving or 'flitting' quite the reverse we are talking of older loyal customers not having prices cuts automatically passed on to them.

As long as UTV continue to behave as they do I will keep reminding people out there about it in spite of your instructions Sir!!!:rolleyes:

I think it would be fairer to reduce the prices people pay in line with the reductions in wholesale prices available to UTV as all other dsl isps appear to do.

If UTV base their ''competitive'' prices on leaving unwitting customers on older higher rates then I think that practise is indefensible - older loyal customers subsidising other customers lower prices for the same product??? And you condone that???

I am sure Bambi finds UTV's behaviour very competitive.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=52275477&postcount=22