Another UPC price increase

Bogjumper

As I pensioner I am costconcious so when a UPC circular arrived on my door today I read it.Just as well as it informed me that they were going to give me an unasked speed increase to 30 mb for just a 20% rise in the bill/ E72 Pa. This after a 10% rise 6 months ago. Fortunately in the same post there was circular from Sky offering a deal for the same present price and with free after hours/weekend phone calls.
Its nice to know I have an alternative if they go ahead. Its outrageous when you compare UK prices which are tight because of competition. Appreciated we have a smaller base but UPC have a big slice of it. So checks your bills ??

Regards

irishguy

If you ring Them up and as how you cancel due to the price increase they will offer you a much cheaper package, just to keep you

silvine

Just received the below from UPC. It doesn't specify if it's for broadband or TV but I reckon TV as they mention changes to their TV offerings in the email.

Changes to your monthly subscription charges
Due to rising operational costs, we find ourselves in a position where we need to apply a price increase. We understand that in these difficult times any price adjustment is unwelcome but in this case it is necessary to enable us to maintain the same great level of service.

As a result, we have to make some changes to the price of your UPC services which will come into effect from your next bill in June 2013. Below is the total increase that will be applied from your June bill onwards.


CHANGE TO YOUR BILL
YOUR PRICE CHANGE


€5.00 inc. VAT per month

General Terms & Conditions
Finally, we are making some small changes to our general terms and conditions which will come into effect on the 28th June 2013. These changes reflect TV content that you access online. Also certain TV providers require a unique identifier to be placed on some of their sports events. We have updated our terms and conditions to detail how this may be processed by UPC. To view detailed changes please click here.
Please remember that our TV, Broadband and Phone service remains excellent value. However, you have the right to cancel or downgrade your service within 30 days of receipt of this notice without penalty if you choose not to accept these changes.
At UPC we are committed to providing you with the very best entertainment services and we will continue to invest in our Fibre Power network to ensure we deliver on this for you.
As a responsible eco-friendly business, we’re conscious of reducing unnecessary wasted paper and increasing efficiency. Help us by switching to email, so you don’t miss out on news, upgrades & updates from UPC. Click here and enter in your customer number and email address.
You will receive another email with some further news from UPC.
Yours Sincerely.

Stephen Ruschitzko
Customer Care Director

GekkePrutser

silvine wrote: »

Just received the below from UPC. It doesn't specify if it's for broadband or TV but I reckon TV as they mention changes to their TV offerings in the email.

Did you get this in the post or by email?

I didn't get one of these (yet) and I have only the broadband service, nothing else so that might confirm your suspicion about it being applied to the TV service.

silvine

Email. They sent me another when detailing their various new offerings.
MOD EDIT: Removed link, the link contained your personal email address, so removing it to protect your privacy.

GekkePrutser

I just got my email now too, I got a 12 cent increase on my bill

I'm on the 30mbit package with no TV or phone service. So yes the increase must be mainly TV or phone related.

gabbo is coming

GekkePrutser wrote: »

I just got my email now too, I got a 12 cent increase on my bill

I'm on the 30mbit package with no TV or phone service. So yes the increase must be mainly TV or phone related.

I am being "upgraded" from 25Mb to 30Mb at a cost of 7.03 per month. I've replied and said "no thanks".

mine is 12c

wardy2

I'd say its for you're tv service because sky did a price increase a while back...

JOSman

Glad I dumped this horrible company.

flav0rflav

I'm on 25M going to 30M, with digital TV, no phone, they want 7.50 per month extra ???

Worth comparing to the UPC offers in Holland

http://www.upc.nl/pakketten/

Key points
basic 30/3 broadband and digital TV - 39.50 pm.
60/6 with more tv channels - 49.50 pm.

Here
basic 50/5 and digital tv 59 pm,
I'll be on an unknown package of 30/3 with tv for 64.50

Seems to me, now that UPC have a decent offering with substantial market share their pricing is now the same as DSL. DSL pricing being constrained by the line rental from our regulator.

hitbit

No they won't.
We are going to have to switch to Sky + Eircom because UPC have reneged on their original contract and price promise with us.
They are now taking a stance of like it or lump it we don't give a toss because we are cheaper than the rest.
Well they may be cheaper but their tv services fall way behind Sky particularly the recording ability of their DVRs.
I wonder are they in financial trouble or have they overextended themselves with their 100+ mb broadband which is not attracting customers in high numbers. Those who have upgraded to it seem to regret doing so stating that the modem is rubbish resulting in them suffering a downgrade rather than an upgrade. Perhaps their recent increase are an effort to recover from their customers monies they have wasted in developing / providing super high speed broadband.
It is most noticeable their cus5tomer services are not returning calls as in the past.
Don't give a toss or Being swamped with customer complaints.

Hitbit

Hitbit

bk

Actually hitbit their customer numbers are way up, they aren't losing customers.

Also if you call and threaten to leave, they are very likely to give a cheaper package.

However I do have to say I'm surprised that UPC is increasing their prices now, just as the competition is heating up with Sky entering the market and Eircom about to roll out 70mb BB and their own TV service.

I would think that UPC would do the opposite.

One thing I notice, the UPC phone packages aren't very attractive. They offer 100 minutes to mobiles or landlines. While Sky offer unlimited calls to landlines. Sure Sky's product doesn't include any minutes to landlines, I think the unlimited calls to landlines is much more attractive then just 100 minutes.

listermint

bk wrote: »

Actually hitbit their customer numbers are way up, they aren't losing customers.

Also if you call and threaten to leave, they are very likely to give a cheaper package.

However I do have to say I'm surprised that UPC is increasing their prices now, just as the competition is heating up with Sky entering the market and Eircom about to roll out 70mb BB and their own TV service.

I would think that UPC would do the opposite.

One thing I notice, the UPC phone packages aren't very attractive. They offer 100 minutes to mobiles or landlines. While Sky offer unlimited calls to landlines. Sure Sky's product doesn't include any minutes to landlines, I think the unlimited calls to landlines is much more attractive then just 100 minutes.

I dont think that is what they are doing. They appear to be standardising their legacy packages. There are various people on obsolete 25Mb and lower packages paying vastly cheaper amounts than newer customers on the 50Mb packages. So it makes sense to streamline all the customers (from an operational and finance management perspective)

It just so happens all these cheaper legacy customers are now coming out of the word work complaining. But when they switch the Eircom or Sky Broadband they will see the actual difference in quality.

Richard Dower

What i dont get is...why does it seem to vary from person to person?....my mother was told her bill was goin up by 4.01 PM....but many others have posted to state varying prices rises?

bk

Richard Dower wrote: »

What i dont get is...why does it seem to vary from person to person?....my mother was told her bill was goin up by 4.01 PM....but many others have posted to state varying prices rises?

It looks like there were lots of customers on different packages paying different amounts who had never upgraded before. So now it looks like they might be bringing everyone up to the same standard packages. Thus different price increases.

white_westie

See UPC have posted upcoming price increases on website - link bottom left of main page
No mention of price changes for broadband packages, only phone and tv......so not sure about package standardisation for everyone!

hitbit

Why have a go at "legacy" customers. I have 25mb broadband All tv packages and 2 phone lines. I pay them 160.00 a month. I have every right to come out of the woodwork and complain especially when UPC have lied to me. I do not want 50mb broadband and don't see why I should be expected to subsidize UPC investment in faster broadband speeds which according to other posters here sucks big time.

Hitbit

bk

hitbit, why are you paying so much?

You should be able to get all of the following for €125 :

- 50mb BB
- Anywhere 100 home phone
- Digital Max TV
- Sky Sports and Movies HD

Ring them up and change to this and save yourself money.

I always recommend people to review their packages and available offers once a year, you can almost always save money.

j3nk0s

Another great one here. Was going to switch to their 50mb broad half price for 6 months offer. So I get an email back saying that they can only give me 25mb but expect me to pay the 50mb. Then they added a set up fee of 45 euros that was not included in the original order (it was free). I gave them a ring and quote "well we have to give you an older package because you can only get 25mb and that these fees are part of"
On the ball UPC.

hitbit

This increase appears to be designed with the sole aim of getting their customers to agree new contracts. They have now suggested that rather than facing an increase of € 16 I could benefit from a reduction of €3 if I signed a new contract but I don't want a new contract as I simply don't trust them as a result of their lies and broken promises.
Currently looking to drop Sky movies, Sky sports, Setanta sports, I Multipoint point and I phone line. Plan is then to drop 2 further Multipoints.
Have signed up to Netflix and looking at others.
Avail of Freesat on these 3 and keep UPC services to a minimum, I point, broadband and I phone. We will then see what Sky / Eircom can do about a combined, quality TV/ Broadband package.

Hitbit:mad::mad::mad:

TheDoc

Father got an upgrade from 50mb to 150 for free, after a few weeks of him ringing to downgrade from 150mb to 50mb after I moved out

I'd imagine they are trying to move people in line with the majority packages and the current scaling technology. Costs more money to let people remain on legacy infrastructure, which I assume is the case perhaps?

Mr. G

Yes that's exactly what their doing so they have an advantage over Sky.

I would be on UPC any day then Sky for the speeds.

LoGiE

My letter said I'd have to pay an additional €1.75 and that I'm being upgraded from 120Mb to 150mb.

Yes the television service is poor, the boxes are complete crap (I'm on my third) and the UI is slow and dated but nobody comes close on the broadband speeds.

Zaph

I must be the only person who got a letter saying that by bill is being reduced. I have 50mb broadband and some phone package (can't remember exactly which one) and it's going down by €1.88 per month. Not a lot but I'm not complaining.

OU812

I called them (€7.80 increase). Told them I'm going to sky. All of a sudden, I keep everything I had, get 50mb more & unlimited & pay €140 less than last year.

No problems with a new contract for that

rebeve

Mr. G wrote: »

Yes that's exactly what their doing so they have an advantage over Sky.

I would be on UPC any day then Sky for the speeds.

Have to agree .Sky is cheap but the speeds are crap .

hmmm

Ours is going down??!

mambo

flav0rflav wrote: »

I'm on 25M going to 30M, with digital TV, no phone, they want 7.50 per month extra ???

Same here ("complimentary" 25M - 30M increase, have digital TV too), except they want €5 a month extra. Guess I got off lightly...

Fromthetrees

mambo wrote: »

Same here ("complimentary" 25M - 30M increase, have digital TV too), except they want €5 a month extra. Guess I got off lightly...

Ring them, complain and ask for a better deal. It mightn't be the worst thing if you were actually willing to leave just to stir the pot a bit.

DECEiFER

Zaph wrote: »

I must be the only person who got a letter saying that by bill is being reduced. I have 50mb broadband and some phone package (can't remember exactly which one) and it's going down by €1.88 per month. Not a lot but I'm not complaining.

I reckon that's the standalone fee going down from €7.88 to €6.00. But you said you have a phone package. You shouldn't be paying a standalone fee at all, but the number certainly adds up (or subtracts down!).

http://www.upc.ie/phone/Price_changes_coming_soon/