UPC Surcharge Rip Off

championc

So if you don't want TV from UPC and just want Phone and BB, they hit you with an ADDITIONAL 7.75 per month on top of the standard advertised broadband amount. So if you want 8mb at 25, plus 6 for phone, plus 12 for Anytime World plus 7.75 surcharge, it makes Eircom look excellent value !!

Jonathan

You are essentially getting the basic analog tv service for €7.75 per month.

Burning Eclipse

championc wrote: »

So if you don't want TV from UPC and just want Phone and BB, they hit you with an ADDITIONAL 7.75 per month on top of the standard advertised broadband amount. So if you want 8mb at 25, plus 6 for phone, plus 12 for Anytime World plus 7.75 surcharge, it makes Eircom look excellent value !!

No it doesn't. Nothing will ever make an Eircom BB offering look like excellent value imo.

JDxtra

It's clearly stated and has been discussed many times before. The majority of UPC customers will have TV anyways - and for those that don't, this is an added incentive to move TV provider.

If you compare like with like, it's still a lot cheaper than Eircom.

jor el

championc wrote: »

So if you want 8mb at 25, plus 6 for phone, plus 12 for Anytime World plus 7.75 surcharge, it makes Eircom look excellent value !!

It's getting close to eircom's pricing, but excellent value? I don't think so.

If you want broadband only from either operator, UPC's €25 + 7.75 is €32.75 for 8Mbps, eircom can give you NGB (where the average speed will be 3Mbps with only a small percentage getting the 8Mbps max) for €39.82. It's not clear whether line rental is included in that number.

n0brain3r

Jonathan wrote: »

You are essentially getting the basic analog tv service for €7.75 per month.

Is it stealing a service if you use it though as you're not being directly billed for it?

JDxtra

This seems to be the closest match:

• eircom Next Generation Broadband Regular & eircom talktime talker = €56.75
• UPC Fibre Power Broadband 8MB + Home Phone & Anytime World = €25 + €16 + €7.75 = €48.75

UPC is cheaper, and you haven't even factored in that the UPC phone package you selected includes "free local, national and international landline calls to 21 destinations at all times".

Owen

What annoys me is that they call it a standalone charge. I read that word when signing up, and though, feck, I don't like their TV offering, I'll get a landline, it'll be handy if I ever need one. Turns out even if you get Broadband and Landline, you still get charged a standalone fee too. Standalone in UPC land translates to 'without TV'. So I just went with the basic Broadband in the end.

championc

JDxtra wrote: »

This seems to be the closest match:

• eircom Next Generation Broadband Regular & eircom talktime talker = €56.75
• UPC Fibre Power Broadband 8MB + Home Phone & Anytime World = €25 + €16 + €7.75 = €48.75

UPC is cheaper, and you haven't even factored in that the UPC phone package you selected includes "free local, national and international landline calls to 21 destinations at all times".

I've an aerial on the roof and a dish on the back so I don't need TV. My reason for moving is that my current landline has been confirmed as never being able to support more than 2mb

UPC Fibre Power Broadband 8MB + Home Phone & Anytime World = €25 + €6 + €12 + €7.75 = €50.75

Maybe it's time to follow you PaintDoctor, just get my Broadband 8MB = €25 + €7.75 = €32.75 and then get Blueface and port my landline over to them - any thoughts ?


C

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Just an FYI - it states on the UPC site in the 'Conditions':

"A standalone charge of €7.75 applies when not purchasing our TV service."

That reads pretty clear.

Based on what you're looking at getting from UPC (€50.75), it seems pretty good value compared to Eircom. I moved to UPC myself a few months ago and willl hopefully never have to move back to Eircom.

jor el

championc wrote: »

Maybe it's time to follow you PaintDoctor, just get my Broadband 8MB = €25 + €7.75 = €32.75 and then get Blueface and port my landline over to them - any thoughts ?

Sounds like the right solution, but you'll need to check the prices with Blueface to see what's the best value. If you do decide on this option, you'd need an ATA to connect your home phone to the broadband, otherwise you'll need to use PC soft phones or USB phones, and have the computer on to use the phone.

I use Blueface PAYG, for which I got an 076 number (you have to pay for a geographic number), but I don't use the phone very much. The cheapest digital TV package is something like €12 or €13, but I turned it down because apart from Discovery and Sky1, all the other channels are FTA satellite channels, and I wouldn't watch Sky1 if they paid me €13 a month. Paying the €7.75 still saves me about €5 a month.

watty

UPC 8 meg €25.00 + 7.75("line rental*") + 6(Phone**) = €38.75
Eircom 8 meg NGB €29.99 + 25.36 = €55.35

But eircom have slightly misleading intro offers and bundles that go up in price after "intro period"

From http://www.techtir.ie/telecomms/8Mbps-broadband

On average (per user, not time) you get less than 1/2 the "up to" speed of Eircom quoted 8Mbps. Down to a potential 1Mbps all the time. This is why (link)

Typically on UPC you get close to quoted speed, slower at peak times and faster off peak.

Blueface isn't comparable package to UPC's own phone package.

Karmafaerie

championc wrote: »

I've an aerial on the roof and a dish on the back so I don't need TV. My reason for moving is that my current landline has been confirmed as never being able to support more than 2mb

UPC Fibre Power Broadband 8MB + Home Phone & Anytime World = €25 + €6 + €12 + €7.75 = €50.75

Maybe it's time to follow you PaintDoctor, just get my Broadband 8MB = €25 + €7.75 = €32.75 and then get Blueface and port my landline over to them - any thoughts ?


C

So you're argument is that Eircom charging you more money for 1/4 of the BB speed, and a smaller usage cap, and less free calls, while UPC offer a cheaper call rate for the other calls you make = Eircom being "Excelent Value".

ardmacha

UPC have to provide a cable for you to use the broadband. It is perfectly reasonable for them to ask you to contribute to the cost of that cable, if you haven't already done so through a TV charge. It is immature to imply that this is a rip-off, infrastructure costs money.

vibe666

it's a charge that they waive if you have all 3 services from them, what's the big deal?

you pay a monthly charge to have an eircom phone line in so you can have DSL even if you don't make a single call on it, what's the difference?

I wouldn't consider this a rip off, I don't see why TV customers should subsidise maintenance costs for broadband only subscribers. Also, in areas with analogue TV they have no way of preventing users from simply splitting the cable and hooking it to their TV - to filter out the analogue TV is infeasible and would make it incompatible with normal TVs. So they have to cover that potential loss too.

championc

My issue is the way they have portrayed their pricing. You get led along until you finally discover things. In fact, they didn't process my order until they spoke to me and confirmed that I was happy with the additional charge so what does that tell you about the number of similar orders placed.

Why not simply have the individual pricing of the Broadband as 7.75 higher and then have the all in one pricing labeled as a "Deal".

Cabaal

Think of it as "line rental", Eircom charge you 25e odd and UPC charge 7e odd....I know which I'd be going for

championc

Cabaal wrote: »

Think of it as "line rental", Eircom charge you 25e odd and UPC charge 7e odd....I know which I'd be going for

Yes but then for the Broadband part, UPC charge you 25 and Eircom (at at least Vodafone Home) charge you 10

watty

10 may be only short term, and typically that is for 1/3rd of the speed and much less cap than UPC.

Cabaal

championc wrote: »

Yes but then for the Broadband part, UPC charge you 25 and Eircom (at at least Vodafone Home) charge you 10

UPC is still a better package to go with see watty's comments

Karmafaerie

championc wrote: »

Yes but then for the Broadband part, UPC charge you 25 and Eircom (at at least Vodafone Home) charge you 10

And pinapples cost more than apples.
They also have about as much in common as UPC BB and Eircom BB.

Oracle

Though to be fair Eircom 8mb NGB with Chatter Pack (off-peak calls) is €42 per month not €55, if you sign up online. It's €42 for the first 6 months plus an extra €29 off online, that's an average of €42 over 12 months. At least thats my understanding, see image attached.

Karmafaerie

I believe that €29 is part of the connection fees, not the monthly charge.
So you can't really deduct that from the monthly rate.

Oracle

They're offering €29 off and free connection now: http://www.eircom.net/broadband/onlineoffers?GWPage=SOBBOnlineOffer

Order Online today to save up to an extra €29
* Order online to get FREE broadband connection and money off your broadband package worth up to €29

Karmafaerie

To compare the two you have to compare like for like.

UPC
8MB
150 GB Allowance
Phone
Anytime Calls pack
400 mins of international calls to 21 countries

€50.75 per month for 12 months contract.


Eircom
Up to8MB (averaging around 3MB)
120 Allowance (AFAIK)
Phone
Anytime Calls Pack
30 mins of mobile calls to any network

€63.92 for the first 6 months and €66.71 for the second 6 months.



So Eircoms comparable pack to UPC's a lot more expensive and not as good.


You're getting a higher allowance, almost definately faster speeds, and 400 mins of internaltional calls with UPC as apposed to 30 mins of mobile calls with Eircom.


You have to compare the like with like to be fairer.

Oracle

I posted to point out the best value Eircom broadband package with calls is €42 per month, there was an impression on the thread it was €55.

Also I agree with the OP. The extra €8 per month UPC charge, for not taking TV, is a rip off. You're paying extra for something you don't want, ridiculous.

Karmafaerie

Oracle wrote: »

I posted to point out the best value Eircom broadband package with calls is €42 per month, there was an impression on the thread it was €55.

Also I agree with the OP. The extra €8 per month UPC charge, for not taking TV, is a rip off. You're paying extra for something you don't want, ridiculous.

So as I said.
You're comparing apples with pinapples.

The cheapest UPC package for BB and phone would be €38.50.
Why do you think people aer posting particular Eircom packs?
They are trying to show him one comparable to the UPC pack he's talking about!

You can't just shove up the cheapest Eircom pack and say it's the same.

As I said, the cheapest UPC pack is still better, and cheaper than the cheapest Eircom.



It is in no way a rip off.


Are you using the cable infrastructure that they spent hundreds of millions laying?

Yes.

Are they entitled to charge you rental on that?

Yes.

Are you entitled to want not to pay it?

Yes, but be prepared to pay more elsewhere for a lesser service.

Zapho

I just think its the way they phrased it. People may be happier if their standard 8mb price was €33 and then they offered you an €8 discount if you got TV with them as well.

However, UPC decided to go with advertising the lowest price instead, which probably wasn't the best move.

Anyway, I don't mind paying the extra €8. I'm using their cable to watch analogue TV.

Karmafaerie

Zapho wrote: »

I just think its the way they phrased it. People may be happier if their standard 8mb price was €33 and then they offered you an €8 discount if you got TV with them as well.

However, UPC decided to go with advertising the lowest price instead, which probably wasn't the best move.

Name a company that doesn't do things like that?

Eircom currently advertise their introductary €6 month price as their actual price.
They used to advertise the price without VAT.
Not sure if they still do.

Sky also advertise the introductary price as the actual price.

etc.

It's a common business practise.
As long as they tell you before you sign up, I don't think it's a problem.

watty

Oracle wrote: »

I posted to point out the best value Eircom broadband package with calls is €42 per month, there was an impression on the thread it was €55.

Eventually when introductory offer runs out it's €55. Or when someone finds this thread via Google it might be back to €55

I stopped using eircom for anything in November 2005. I've saved over €1,400

When I signed up to current supplier I worked out that paying for a YEAR in advance via credit card to get free install was worth it even taking credit card charges.

Never be swayed by "introduction" offers. It's awkward to change. Cost over 3 years...