End of UPC Play farewell email connection replacement of set-top boxes replacement of routers Play Box Net Play Box TV internet termination of the contract

A few days ago we informed that Play consultants are calling existing UPC Polska customers and offering them to migrate to the Play offer. This is accompanied by the replacement of equipment.

– From the beginning of September, selected customers with UPC services are offered the opportunity to switch to new Play offers on promotional terms. This is not just a replacement of devices with more modern ones, i.e. Play Box Net and Play Box TV, but a proposal to change services to Play solutions. Consent to our proposal is completely voluntary, customers can still use their services under the current unchanged conditions – informs Wirtualnemedia.pl Play press office.

So far, UPC Polska has offered the following set-top boxes: Horizon, UPC TV 4K Box and Mediabox. The advantage of Play Box TV is the Android TV operating system, which allows you to use over 10,000 application. These include YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Player, Polsat Box Go, Viaplay, TVP VOD, Canal+ online. The device supports the following formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG. It can be used to receive IPTV content, digital cable television (DVB-C) and digital terrestrial television (DVB-T, DVB-T2/HEVC).

“Proposal for customers interested in the highest parameters”

Consent to migration to Play is associated not only with faster Internet speed, but usually also with an increase in fees by several or several zlotys. People who have a contract for an indefinite period are then subject to a one-year commitment period. After 12 months, the fee increases by PLN 10 if the contract is not extended again.

Changing the router or decoder requires a visit from the installer, which costs PLN 50. – The visit of the UPC installer was, as a rule, subject to a fee – the exception were dedicated promotions – explains the Play press office. Just 3 years ago and in previous years, such a service was free. In the event of a change of apartment, a UPC Polska technician replaced the router free of charge, drilled holes for the cable in the walls and placed it on hooks.

– We have joined forces and together we take care of the development of infrastructure to make the offer of high-speed Internet available to the widest possible group of customers. This is a particularly attractive proposition for customers interested in services with the highest parameters and on the most modern devices. The terms of the new offer are particularly favorable if customers also transfer or purchase additional mobile services – explains Play.

Complaints regarding the “decrease in service quality” after the merger of Play and UPC

Not all UPC Polska customers understood the merger of this company with Play. – The Office received several consumer complaints regarding problems after the merger of Play and UPC. They concern individual problems, e.g. a decline in the quality of services or divergent information from consultants of both companies – Maciej Chmielowski from the Communication Department of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection informs Wirtualnemedia.pl.

The criticism concerns, among others: recurring failures and maintenance work on the Internet service. According to the operator, the network is working properly. – Thanks to many years of investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure, we have a broadband network that ensures reliable service quality even in the event of exceptional needs of our customers and extraordinary situations, an example of which was the pandemic. Our network works properly and planned works are carried out during the hours of lowest network traffic and we make every effort to ensure that they last as short as possible. – the Play press office recently explained.

Play has recently sent two e-mails to UPC Polska customers. He assured them that their packages were unchanged. They cannot terminate the contract with impunity if they are subject to a commitment period. – Telecommunications law, changing the name of the service provider does not constitute a change to the contract you have concluded for the provision of telecommunications services. Due to this change, your termination of the contract during the commitment period will involve the need to return a proportional part of the relief granted at the conclusion of the contract. The terms of service and customer service principles remain unchanged – explained Play.

The end of UPC Polska

A week ago, the UPC Polska website became history. Visitors to the upc.pl website are redirected to play.pl. In 2020, the French Iliad Group bought the Play mobile network for PLN 9.6 billion. In April 2022, the acquisition of UPC Polska from Liberty Global for PLN 7.013 billion was finalized. Shortly thereafter, an advertising campaign was launched under the slogan “UPC has gone to Play”. UPC Polska’s marketing expenses were significantly reduced.

At the beginning of February, UPC Polska employees moved from the Spark office building at al. Solidarności in Warsaw’s Wola district to the Neopark office building in Mokotów, where the Play operator is headquartered. In April, the Wirtualnemedia.pl portal reported that UPC Polska would eventually be rebranded to Play. – We are developing our services under both the Play and UPC brands. As a rule, we communicate business decisions through the company’s official channels – the Play press office commented on these reports.

At the end of May, UPC Polska introduced Play TV packages for new subscribers. They included 157 channels instead of the previous 189. The advantage of this offer, however, was the freedom to choose the streaming services purchased every month. In recent months, Play has added some stations that were not included in the packages, but were part of the UPC offer. Channels added: TVP Info, TVP Kultura, TVP Sport, TVP Nauka and Alfa TVP, TV Republika, and recently also Eurosport 2. Play packages still do not offer: TVP Historia, TVP ABC, TVP Seriale, TVP Rozrywka, TVP Mieszka, TVP Polonia, TVP Document, TVP World, TVP HD, Belsat, Adventure, AXN Spin, Bollywood TV, DocuBox, Fashion TV, FightBox, FightKlub, FilmBox Action, FilmBox Arthouse, FilmBox Extra, FilmBox Family, FilmBox Premium, Ginx E-sports TV, Golf Channel, Kino TV, Mezzo, Mezzo Live, Novela TV, Sky News, SportKlub and Top Kids.

In the summer, Play limited the number of UPC showrooms and sales islands in shopping centers. Some of the facilities that were in other locations renamed Play Service and Sales Showrooms. On August 31, there was a legal merger of P4 (Play network operator) and UPC Polska. – The formal merger of Play and UPC does not involve the departure of people in director positions. The company’s management board remains unchanged – explained the Play press office in an interview with Wirtualnemedia.pl.