UPC reviews

1

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Robs and harasses the customer and disregards his complaints

My situation and services Dublin, 19th October 2011

I ordered UPC broadband (and a landline phone which I was not interested in at all, but a crazy pricing system made it cheaper to have both instead of just having the broadband, but I never used the phone) at the Carphone Warehouse in Grafton Street at the end of June 2011. I asked the salesman to explain to me the different subscriptions and as we were 4 people sharing a rented house and we needed a good wireless connection, UPC seemed like the best option. He did, however, not mention anything about cancellation charges during my decision making process and I did not know anything about cancellation charge until the 6th of October 2011.

Then on the 30th of August our landlady gave us notice that she wanted her house back by the end of September and I called UPC on the 1st of September to cancel the subscription as I could not afford it on my own and was in a situation where I didn't know what was going to happen.

However, the lady I talked to in Customer Service refused to cancel the subscription over the phone but only advised me to call again the next day which I duly did, but as they are notoriously difficult to get hold of and the line was bad I could not have a proper conversation with someone there. I called several times the following days, but it was the same problem.

Then on the 7th of September I gave up calling them and instead wrote them an e-mail to an e-mail address from which they had written to me. They never acknowledged it or responded to it but I did write and send it.

Then on the 6th of October I walked from my new home out to their head office in East Point Business Park to hand in their equipment. The lady at reception then got me on the phone to their resolutionsteam in Galway where a lady, after a long palaver, informed me there would be a 100 euro cancellation charge (I knew nothing about it before), and that they did not accept cancellations over the phone.but I had to write to a specific e-mail address, which she then finally gave me.

I told her (and got the impression she accepted it) that I would hand in the equipment there and then at UPC headquarters and gave it to the receptionist who wrote my name and I think also my account number down and accepted the equipment.

Then I went home to write another e-mail which I sent on the 6th of October 2011 to tell UPC for the 4th time that I wanted to cancel the subscription.

I also protested against the cancellation fee, but they didn't even acknowledge my protest. They only accepted the cancellation from the 6th of October and therefore with effect from the 6th of November and I have protested repeatedly in e-mails, and 3 times I have forwarded the e-mail I sent on the 7th of September, but they don't acknowledge it.

In fact they don't even acknowledge receiving my forwarded copy, but in response to my protests they keep asking me to forward the e-mail from the 7th of September, and it s deeply frustrating as I have sent it 3 times already. I have sent many protest e-mails, but they only respond that my subscription will be terminated on the 6th of November and that there will be a 100 euro cancellation fee. I even wrote to their billing department, but they never responded either.

Concerning the equipment I first got a text to say they would call me to arrange collection. Then I wrote another e-mail to point out I had already handed it in. Then the phone rang anyway, someone who wanted to arrange collection of the equipment. I explained to her that I had already handed it in as agreed with the lady in the resolutionsteam on the 6th of October. She said she'd look into it, but a few days later there was a message on my phone about making an appointment to collect the equipment and then a few days later the phone rang again about making an appointment. This time I was angry, because this borders on harassment.

To sum up,

I do not acknowledge that they have a right to charge a 100 euro cancellation fee as I wasn't told about it in my decision making process and knew nothing about it until the 6th of October, when I called to confirm the cancellation I had requested on the 1st of September and told them in writing on the 7th of September. I come from Denmark and I am not used to such outrageous and totally unreasonable charges and therefore had no idea that companies treat their customers like dirt here in Ireland by making such charges and I could not be expected to look for it.

Yes, I find it outrageous if they can charge a fee that represents 2½ months of their services when people want to cancel. I find it totally unreasonable. Robbery and theft are more fitting words than a cancellation charge.

I am angry they don't even acknowledge the e-mail from the 7th of September, but just keep asking me to forward it even though I have already forwarded it to them 3 times.

I am angry the lady I talked to on the 1st of September didn't give me the correct information about how to cancel the subscription, because then they would have had an e-mail at the right address that same day. Therefore I refuse to pay for the subscription beyond the 6th of October 2011 when I handed in their equipment.

The continous calls about making an appointment to pick up the equipment has bordered on harassment and clearly shows there is no communication between UPC departments. They don't read their e-mails and they don't write down important information from the conversations and they generally don't care how rotten they treat their customers. Instead they (the lady on the resolutionsteam on the 6th of October) imply that the customer is lying (regarding the 1st of September call, but their customer service representative didn't make a note of the phone call, and the 7th of September e-mail).

I even wrote a formal complaint, but that didn't change anything either. They don't accept or acknowledge anything I write.

Therefore I encourage everybody: Stay away from UPC!