# Eircom Broadband upgrade - Is this acceptable practice?



## Markjbloggs (21 Oct 2010)

or : When is an Upgrade not an Upgrade?

Has anyone here been "upgraded" to the latest and greatest Eircom broadband package?
If so, have you checked your download speed versus what you had prior to your upgrade?

I did - it is slightly worse. My upload speed has deteriorated even more.

Now, I get a bill where I have been charged for excess usage. I have to ask the question - "Was this upgrade just a subterfuge for Eircom charging for excess usage?" The amount involved is not large, but it is the sneaky way it was implemented that has annoyed me. They never charged before because their billing system was not set up for it (if I am not mistaken). Also, the "upgrade" took place in July, but I was not informed until Sep - needless to say they applied the excess usage charges without my knowledge.

Question : Is this kind of marketing allowed?

The inevitable follow-on question : has anyone here ever gotten rid of their landline completely and gone with UPC or WiMax for broadband?


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## vandriver (21 Oct 2010)

I do exactly that,I haven't had a landline for 6 years and use a upc / mobile combination.


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## ardmacha (21 Oct 2010)

If you agreed to a contract with certain download limits, and have been getting away with downloading more, you can't really blame Eircom for implementing a billing system that bills you according to the agreed terms. 

The ugrade is generally benefical to speeds, but lines vary and they may need to tweak things. 

UPC is a  good deal if you can get it.


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## Markjbloggs (22 Oct 2010)

ardmacha said:


> If you agreed to a contract with certain download limits, and have been getting away with downloading more, you can't really blame Eircom for implementing a billing system that bills you according to the agreed terms.
> 
> The ugrade is generally benefical to speeds, but lines vary and they may need to tweak things.
> 
> UPC is a  good deal if you can get it.



You are missing my point - I have no objections to them enforcing their limit.  But for them to implement that enforcement, call it an "upgrade" and then not tell me about it and charge me retro-actively  - that is what I find objectionable.

Thanks for your feedback on UPC btw.


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## irishmoss (22 Oct 2010)

The exact same thing happened to me. They called to say I was exceeding the download usage and would I go onto a higher package. They said in the call they had not being charging people in the past for excess usage but they would be now. So I agreed to go onto the higher cost package.

Lo and behold the bill came through the door and not only was I was paying for a hgher package I was charged arrears going back to June I think.

It was a sneaky thing to do imo.

I left Eircom in September and went to UPC but their service was crap. Phone is useless and broadband freezes regularly.

As the service was so bad they let me out of the contract and I'm back with Eircom with an unlimited download allowance


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## ripsaw (22 Oct 2010)

Markjbloggs said:


> or : When is an Upgrade not an Upgrade?
> 
> Has anyone here been "upgraded" to the latest and greatest Eircom broadband package?
> If so, have you checked your download speed versus what you had prior to your upgrade?
> ...



Have to ask- What package were you on and what were you upgraded to?


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## Markjbloggs (25 Oct 2010)

ripsaw said:


> Have to ask- What package were you on and what were you upgraded to?



Home Plus to Next Gen BB Regular.  

Note that if someone was on Home Professional, after the "upgrade" their download speed would have gone from 8192 kbps to 8192 kbps and their upload would have gone from 800 kbps to 512 kbps.

So, after the upgrade, the "home professional" has seen no increase in download speed and a reduction in upload speed.  We have to take them at their word that contention has decreased, but I have seen no evidence whatsoever.  This company is a joke, plain and simple


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