Angry UPC customer...

SanMah

I have been a customer of UPC since 2006 when I moved into my new 2 bed apt..I rang UPC about 4/5 weeks ago to Change my package and was advised by one of their customer care agents that UPC have been charging me for 4 boxes since 2007.

Considering I live in a 2 bedroom apt and clearly don't have a need for 4 boxes this is obviously a mistake and the agent agreed.

4 weeks later UPC have admitted the mistake however won't return a full refund and will only offer a refund for the last 13 months and not the last 7 years...

I've more or less been told tough take the 13 months or nothing even though they brought it to my attention then today I get another offer my bill reduced by 50% for the next 12 months to compensate for the invoicing mistake on my account.

To say I'm angry stressed is an understatement so the message here is check your bills people although probably won't get a refundðŸ˜ðŸ˜

A Dub in Glasgo

Did it not occur to you over the 7 years to check your UPC bills?

Trimm Trabb

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Did it not occur to you over the 7 years to check your UPC bills?

Did it occur to UPC to check were the billing someone for something they hadn't ordered?!

A Dub in Glasgo

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Did it not occur to you over the 7 years to check your UPC bills?

I don't understand how people do not check every bill and statement they receive. I check every transaction and charge.
OP, I doubt you will get all 7 years refunded. Accept the best offer they make.

A Dub in Glasgo

Dup

A Dub in Glasgo

Trimm Trabb wrote: »

Did it occur to UPC to check were the billing someone for something they hadn't ordered?!

Maybe they did or maybe companies leave it alone until contacted by the customer although that is absolutely no excuse for being lazy when checking your own bills

Cabaal

It may be worth following their customer charter in relation to your complaint http://www.upc.ie/pdf/154585UPCCustomerCharter%28Residential%29Jan13.pdf

What may be worth doing is requesting documents/calls for your initial signup which will of course show that you never requested the additional boxes.

I would imagine that they may have a clause in their Terms & Conditions which state something along the lines of "you have x amount of time to query bills/charges".

I would say that there is without a doubt a level of responsibility on you to check your bills, not checking bills in 7 years shows a lack of responsibility on your part. As far as UPC are concerned you actually could have had all those boxes at that address, customers make some very odd requests after all. They are only aware of the fact you don;t when you query your bill and highlight that you do not infact have more boxes.

Guy:Incognito

Trimm Trabb wrote: »

Did it occur to UPC to check were the billing someone for something they hadn't ordered?!

In fairness, the only way that's probably going to get picked up is if someone happened to manually check the op's bill and then ask them if they have 4 boxes for some reason. They have a couple of hundred thousand bills automatically going through. The op only has their own.

Batzoo

First thing the OP should do is check a couple of old bills and see if the charge for the 4 boxes is explicitly mentioned on the bill as an extra to the TV package that is supplied. Make sure it is not an ambiguously described service charge or lumped in with and "entertainment package".

If it is not clearly described as an extra charge and what it covers the OP may have a case. It would not be the first time UPC made a "mistake" with billing. Over the last couple of years I have had to contact them on 4 separate occasions regarding incorrect billing which was passed off as a computer error and a refund would be issued in the next billing period. It was only a couple of euro in each case that may not be noticed coming out of an account. It cost me a lot more in time and effort to resolve.

Its at the point now where I only contact them through email so I have records of the responses, as each representative gives different information for my account, even though I was assured by a supervisor that they all have access to the same information. If it was not for their Broadband I would be rid of them.

Slippin Jimmy

It really is up to the customer to keep track of their bills and finances. Did you not think you were paying too much for what you had? I'm not blaming you, but upc can only charge you for what they have on your account, seven years is a long time not to notice this. Try for the refund and half price.

Oryx

While I realise it is up to the customer to check bills, I fail to see why this absolves UPC from having to provide a more substantial refund. The mistake is on their side, after all, and has now been pointed out to them. It seems to me they are hoping to fob this customer off with the easiest option.

crazygeryy

Go to a solicitor and get some advice on it. What have you got to lose?

Cabaal

crazygeryy wrote: »

Go to a solicitor and get some advice on it. What have you got to lose?

money that you'll have to pay the solicitor? :pac:

Flippyfloppy

Nah, go for it OP. Send them a letter of complaint, ask for your initial sign up documents/contract in the letter. Quote the amount you were overcharged from the exact date it began. Do everything in writing from here on out. In fact contact comreg, they may help you out.

Allyall

Comreg may be able to help you. They may be able to squeeze that bit extra out of UPC, and then maybe accept the best offer.

Del2005

Oryx wrote: »

While I realise it is up to the customer to check bills, I fail to see why this absolves UPC from having to provide a more substantial refund. The mistake is on their side, after all, and has now been pointed out to them. It seems to me they are hoping to fob this customer off with the easiest option.

A year refund would be OK but the OP has been ignoring their bills for 7 years, there has to be some responsibility on the consumer if they ignore bills for 7 years.

Flippyfloppy

It's not like the OP was getting a full movie & sports package without saying anything. They were being charged for something they hadn't requested or received. No matter what UPC have in their contracts there has to be some form of legislation governing this!

beauf

Allyall wrote: »

Comreg may be able to help you. They may be able to squeeze that bit extra out of UPC, and then maybe accept the best offer.

Have comreg actually helped anyone out on an individual basis like you are suggesting.

beauf

This is over charging. Would the small claims not deal with it?

timetogo

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

They were being charged for something they hadn't requested or received. No matter what UPC have in their contracts there has to be some form of legislation governing this!

Was it shown on their bill?
I don't know what the multiroom appears like on the bill. I have UPC internet and everything is broken down. It's complicated and I didn't understand mine but like most adults if I'm paying for something I don't understand I rang and asked them to explain it to me.

Flippyfloppy

This is overcharging and seems very similar to the whole 'Missold PPI' stuff. OP you gotta bring this further.

Comreg has helped me out before , something to do with Vodafone, can't remember the exact situation!

A Dub in Glasgo

These things will happen from time to time and it is the reason people should check what they are paying for. It not like the OP only noticed after about 6 months, it was 7 years and was only pointed out to them from the adviser from UPC. It is about time people took personal responsibility for their own affairs. I often meet people in work who have no interest in checking receipts and bills, they just pay... they are lazy

Slippin Jimmy

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

This is overcharging and seems very similar to the whole 'Missold PPI' stuff. OP you gotta bring this further.

Comreg has helped me out before , something to do with Vodafone, can't remember the exact situation!

How is it similar to ppi being missold?

Cuddlesworth

Duffff-Man wrote: »

How is it similar to ppi being missold?

I'm wondering the same. If the OP has 84 bills which all clearly state the extra charge there is a level of personal responsibility he needs to take onboard.

Slippin Jimmy

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I'm wondering the same. If the OP has 84 bills which all clearly state the extra charge there is a level of personal responsibility he needs to take onboard.

I totally agree. Overcharging can happen sometimes by mistake. I very much doubt the company did this on purpose. It is reasonable for a company to expect a customer to check their bills once in a while. Its like going back to a shop after 7 years and saying you were overcharged.

Flippyfloppy

Duffff-Man wrote: »

How is it similar to ppi being missold?

Because people had it for years and didn't realise.

timetogo

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

Because people had it for years and didn't realise.

There's a stage when people should realise they shouldn't be allowed sign up to stuff. The op had it for 7 years and didn't think to check the UPC website once to see if they had new or better plans.
After 7 years UPC offered him a years refund and a year at half price and still people tell him to get onto Comreg. I'd be telling him to get on to his bank as he's not paying sufficient attention to where his money is going.

endacl

beauf wrote: »

This is over charging. Would the small claims not deal with it?

No. You may be thinking of Judge Judy. Common misconception here.

ebbsy

Open yellow pages, and look for the solicitors section with the full page ad.

The ones that are wheelchair friendly and are open on Saturday should be the ones to look for.

Slippin Jimmy

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

Because people had it for years and didn't realise.

The two have absolutely no relation. We don't have all the facts here because the op has not updated us in a while. It really is their own fault for not checking what they had. If they could afford to let this money be taken out for 7 years then they must have too much of it on their hands.

Upc have been more than fair in their solution here. If it wasn't pointed out to the op then they would be none the wiser and still paying the full amount.

beauf

endacl wrote: »

No. You may be thinking of Judge Judy. Common misconception here.

What has a TV show got to do with it?

Who does this fall under. Banks for taking more than agreed? Civil case who?