I have been a customer of UPC for over ten years.

I only need basic internet and landline, I have no interest in any other offerings (I don't have a TV!)

Back in May they sent me a bill for "3-in-1 kabelanchluss" for 6 months for 319.15 CHF, this was a paper document, odd that they normally send all correspondence via e bills.

I never asked for this, I phoned them up to tell them I didn't need and already had internet with them, I didn't really understand his explanation in german so he said that someone would call back in english....that never happened.

Now they sent me a mahnung for this.

What should I do?

According to this you can ignore it
https://www.ktipp.ch/artikel/artikel...abelanschluss/

I have had 'invoices' before for things that can be ignored e.g charities, it's purely optional. But to get a mahnung is a bit worrying.

Has anyone else had this same bill?

Unlike you, the lady in K-tipp story was never a UPC customer.

Are you sure this is not the bill for the basic cable connection by UPC which might in the past have been part of your auxiliary bill? An active UPC connection currently costs CHF 39.90 per month. Either billed directly to the costumer, or through landlord/auxiliary bill.

so I called them back and had to wait a long time to get through, persevered in german and they said it was usually included in the nebenkosten but sometimes not...whatever, sounded suspect

anyway I said that if I had to pay it I would move to another provider, this got me transferred to another department

end result, they are switching me to a lower internet speed (not a problem anyway) and giving me a discount for one year but also that means I have to sign a one year contract (also that the bill for 319chf has been cancelled)

Pretty poor way to do business if you ask me, but I can only suggest to others who receive this to try the same approach

Not at all suspect, but normal.

Ours was also recently changed from included to not-included.

Tom

As a private house owner, I pay UPC CHF478.70 yearly on top of any monthly contract deal - which incidentally they are forcing up by CHF15/month at the end of August whether I like it or not (suppling a new UPC TV Box)...

This fairly typical of UPC. They try to tie you to a one year contract and if you don't give notice in due time, you're locked in again for another year. I would resist the new contract and firmly tell them you want to stay as you were, failing which you will transfer to Swisscom (or other provider).

Phone communication with provider is usually useless, you really need a record of written communication in order to object the incorrect bills. Remember, after 2 reminders they may send your bill to Inkasso or Betreibungsamt, charging another CHF 100-200 on top
What language is your original contract in? I had a UPC contract in English 3 years ago.
Write them an registered letter in English, asking for a clear explanation why they are billing you for a service which you never requested nor consumed. Wait 1 week for an answer, and then call asking for a status of your request.
All big providers are supposed to have an English speaking helpdesk.

Reviving this old thread because I ran to the same situation.


I got an unrequested bill from UPC after 4 years as their customer for Kabelanschluss (120 CHF for January till March), claiming this was previously included in the Nebenkosten and should be deducted from my rent. I contacted my landlord and he said that he never paid such a fee (therefore UPC is lying). He also said there was a dispute between UPC and an association of landlords about this, where the landlords stronghanded UPC by threatening them to cut all their connections and UPC simply postponed that for three years. He strongly suggested to terminate my subscription ASAP.



What should I do? Of course I'm not going to pay effectively double the CHF for internet overnight because UPC is trying to scam me. I am already pretty pissed off about their lies, but how can I also avoid this bill? I think the notice period is 2 months so it's unavoidable that this bill comes into effect.

Have a look at their different offers.
This happened to me, but I changed to some deal they had and it included the 'line rental'.
I think it was just a higher speed connection.

Yes check your current subscription to see if it has the cable fee included or not. Someone on another thread said that this fee is all done and forgotten about these days but clearly not. This fee I think was an embarrassment for Switzerland.



I seem to recall that the cable fee includes a basic offering of TV and internet but I'm not sure about a phone line. I guess it does if it's 3-in-1 or maybe radio counts as one.

I would pretty much like to know how to get an internet through the cable without paying the silly socket activation monthly fee. I don't use TV so the value of unlocked 3-in-1 socket is exactly zero to me.

I'm not sure anyone wrote that. They did write that routinely the socket is not physically sealed anymore as there is no need for that with modern technology.


Some subscriptions include the fee. Others don't. The basic service does not so I suspect people who have the basic service and then an add-on of some sort are paying for the 3 in 1 connection, and are getting billed as well for the add-on.

The answer, as others have said, is to change your subscription to one where the basic 3-1 connection is included in the service.

UPC still offers FM radio and also unencrypted DVB-C on their cable. https://www.upc.ch/en/television/analog-channel/
Sealing is still needed and done. https://www.upc.ch/de/netzwerkverbindung/plombierung/

You want your cake and eat it too? The Foifer and the Weggli? Not possible. If you get your internet through your tv cable you will have to pay the connection fee somehow (Either explicitly, or implicitly as part of the offer). Only option is to switch to internet through the phone line, internet through the air (crappy connection), or internet through fiber (if available).

Apologies. I was wrong. For no service at all, sealing is required.

You should immeditely change your provider. Why do yot think they used to be called“cablecon“!

Hello, I have just been researching my options for fixed internet line. I found:
1. UPC - max download/upload = ??/??
2. Swisscom - max download/upload = 475Mbps/120Mbps
3. Sunrise - max download/upload = 475Mbps/120Mbps


2 and 3 seems to utilize the telephone socket. Sunrise promise waving the 79 CHF activation fee for online subscription, however in the details I have found another hefty fee 199CHF for home installation (phone line checkup, etc)


UPC seems the best of all three, but without any hidden additional fee for "maintaining the socket" which someone mentioned above. My TV socket it sealed with a TVT services sticker (another local "proxy" provider which has the same options as UPC but without any discounts).


I'm going to call UPC tomorrow to get more info. I would like to get the 1 Gigabit plan provided that there's also 1Gbps upload, not something mediocre like 100Mbps.


Hence my question, any suggestion how to deal with UPC to avid the (39CHF ??) TV socket maintenance fee for sure. Also, I just wonder, they advertise waving the 99CHF activation fee for online subscriptions but is the total activation free, i.e. no more hidden fees like for checking the TV socket, etc.?


Many thanks for suggestions!

Oh, I actually found out the info


https://www.upc.ch/en/support/cable-...ableConnection

It says you get a "connect" box but does that make it a "connect" subscription? Nowhere else is the word "connect" mentioned.

Unlike the phone line or fiber, cable TV is not open access. Be prepared that you might be stuck with TVT.