I had an email from UPC the other day informing me of contractual changes which would also include an increase in price of 7.92 in my package.
My package already cost 85.99, negotiated after a similar letter some time last year; not absolutely certain but I think it was in the last 12 months. At that point, it transpired that although I was under the illusion I was on a package, I wasn’t, and so I was being nicely charged for separate products.
At the time, I voiced some discontent that UPC, in writing to me to tell me they were charging me more money, had not thought to provide me with the information that if I changed to one of their bundle products I could save, oh it was about 30E at the time.
So, some calculation done, it appears my monthly charge from UPC would go from 85.99 to 93.51 but I could save 3.50 if I signed up for MyUPC. I believe I already have this but it’s irrelevant.
Currently, the top price available bundle that you can buy from UPC is 80E, one of the Horizon bundles. It is – according to the literature on UPC’s website – a faster broadband product with a greater download allowance. I can’t see the upload speed but I assume it’s at least 10Mb up if we have 150 down. ACtually I can’t even see what the products are at the moment because UPC’s site is not responding and unfortunately, when I tried to call them just now, I wound up on hold for their phones ringing 20 times. I do not have time for this unfortunately.
So again, I am asking – this time publicly – why can’t UPC, when they are writing to tell me they want more money, that I can also available of different more modern less expensive products.
I’m currently a full time student and 13E a month, over the course of a year long contract is quite a bit of money. It represents almost 2 months of a 80E a month contract for one thing.
UPC are looking for comments on their customer service at the moment.
Come on though! As a student, you’re paying more per month for a luxury than I am, and I’m working on a decent wage.
Boo boo!
Eh, a couple of things.
1) I’m studying for a computer science masters. For me, unfortunately, a broadband connection does not come under the heading of a luxury. It’s a necessity. And I have cable tv because I have flatmates plus it’s practically invisible in the costs compared to what it was when I had everything coming from several different companies.
2) I’m fully funded by myself. Not by a student loan, a student grant, parents or whatever. The cost of being a full time student is coming out of my money. As such, it’s not up to you to suggest that just because I am a student, broadband is luxury and I shouldn’t have it. It’s up to me. The reason for that is that until I started university in September, I had worked all the time since I completed my primary degree in 1994. However, I don’t think this removes from me the right to complain about UPC’s price increases.
3) You need to come on. The world is not for everyone as it is for you. In my view, a decent broadband connection should be a civic right because it’s a society enabler. If you like, it fulfills a function not unlike the libraries of yesteryear. It makes far more information and knowledge available to the masses than does a daily newspaper.
4) I’m glad for you that you’ve a good job and a good wage. But that does not give to you the right to decide what is and what is not a luxury for other people. In my view, alcohol is a completely unnecessary luxury. But many people spend more on alcohol in a night, people with good jobs and good wages, than I do on my UPC contract per month I’m not saying you’re one of them but what I am saying is that people’s priorities are different. I don’t wander onto people’s websites after they’ve had a great night out and pointed out that they spent more on alcohol than a decent broadband connection or a kindle would cost them.
I’m assuming you wouldn’t argue that a college text book is a luxury for a student. You can put a decent internet connection in the same box for a comp sci student.
Thing is, broadband doesn’t cost €93 per month with UPC. Your additional cost is obviously the tv portion. Or is that essential for your studies as well
If cost was really a concern, you’d get Three broadband for a third of the price per month.
I have no idea what your experience with Three Broadband is but in my experience, it’s unworkable, unreliable, prone to drop and generally slow. I’ve also used Eircom, Vodafone and O2 in the past. None of them are as reliable to me as UPC have been in the last few years.
If I were you, I’d quit handing out advice to me because you’re clearly not adequately informed as to my needs or my experiences with the various service providers. As for broadband not costing 93E with UPC, I noted that I had a bundle and I noted that I had cable television because I also had flatmates.
The cost of living on my own would far exceed the cost of my contribution to the cable television portion of the UPC bill. I noted this above but clearly you didn’t read it properly.
You seem to think that because I’m willing to pay for high speed broadband which is reliable and comes with reduced cost cable television, I shouldn’t be interested in minimising the cost of it. That I shouldn’t have the right to complain when UPC increase their charges to me.
You’re wrong. I have every right.