Truevisions (A.K.A. Ubc) Deposit Refund

[MikeWill]

Hi,

Have someone get the refund after stopping (not renewing) subscription to the TrueVisions?

If so what's the process, and the sum of refund?

[worgeordie]

I was with them since they were IBC, and canceled a couple

years ago,they never refunded my 4K deposit, also know a

few friends that never got a refund, gave me all kinds of

crap excuses ,so wishing you good luck,

take care Worgeordie

[Pib]

It's 2000 baht per set top box assuming you were renting the boxes from TrueVisions versus having bought your own boxes and just paying for a subscription. TrueVisions will tell you they will issue a deposit refund via check 30-45 days after the set top boxes are turned-in.

The process is you go cancel you subscription...at that time they also give you a date for set-top box pickup by a TrueVisions rep...the date is normally a week or two after your subscription is canceled/dies (I expect you could arrange an earlier pickup if you are leaving soon), they come pickup the box and give you a receipt. In about 3 to 4 weeks you will get two pink receipt type documents in the mail (one called a receipt and one called a credit), then after that a check is suppose to show-up in the mail.

For me, a set-top box was picked up on 10 July, got the pink documents in the mail in early Aug (pink docs dated 29 July), the Thai wife and I went to a True Service Center on 6 Sep asking "where is the refund check"....they basically said it should show up soon since the pink documents have been cut/received. We made that 6 Sep after wainting to see if our next TrueVisions bill for cable TV might include a 2000 baht credit....it didn't reflect any credit. As of today/20 Sep, we have not receive the refund check. This week we'll go visit the True Service Center again and the Thai wife will not treat them so gently as the last visit.

Also, around 18 months ago we turned in "one" of our two boxes.....never got the pink docs or refund check....after several visits to the True Service Center they finally just gave a 2000 baht credit to our account....that time it took around 5 months to get the money back in form of a credit. As mentioned in the first paragraph above, the wife remembers that goat rope all too well and that is why she does not plan to be gentle in her discussions on the next visit regarding our latest box turn-in.

Summary: based on my two separate times in turning in boxes for deposit refund, TrueVisions has been an absolute pain to get the deposit money back...the refund deposit money just does not show up. I pity those who are leaving the country shortly after turning in the their boxes and their deposit money probably stays with TrueVisions.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Thai companies take your money quickly with a smile but when trying to get back money due you the company has the same smile but it's really a smile of long delays/frequent follow-ups.

[Prichard]

I was a lucky one but I think I enforced it. Before I stopped the service I went to a True service center and, even hough it was in the contract, I requested that they give me another piece of paper saying that I would definitely receive my 2k depoist back. They finally put it in writing after I stood my ground of not leaving the service window unless I got a written paper. Then I personally returned the reciever box to the dealer that installed it. The check was in my P.O. box about 8 weeks later. Cheers.

[JetsetBkk]

I stopped my UBC contract nearly 2 years ago. I had the original installation receipt but it didn't say anything about the 4,000 baht deposit, although I remembered that it was refundable.

So when I cancelled I asked about the 4,000 baht deposit and they said it would take about a month. I got a cheque after about 6 weeks.

[Sparkles]

Same experience.Its 2 months,after returning box,dish to get your 2000 baht deposit back and its in the form of a cheque.Took an extra 2 days for the bank to get the cheque cleared,they apparently don't trust TRUE.If you leaving the country soon after cancellation your stuffed they make no exceptions. Would have to be the most unethical company I have dealt with anywhere in the world and with no consumer protection here they can do as they please and do.

[jalansanitwong]

I avoided any problems with getting my 2000 baht deposit refunded by TRUE by simply not paying part of the final 2 months rental and letting them keep the deposit.

[ralphlsasser]

Could someone please tell me if True and UBC are the same company? If so, do they have the same programming? I am going to put cable in. Any suggestions about who/what company is the best with the most American stations? Thanks.

Edited September 21, 2011 by ralphlsasser

[ralphlsasser]

I avoided any problems with getting my 2000 baht deposit refunded by TRUE by simply not paying part of the final 2 months rental and letting them keep the deposit.

You my man are smart.

[darrendsd]

Have to disagree with most of the above posters.

I cancelled my UBC about 12 months ago, they actually offered to reduce my monthly bill if I didn't cancel.

The techs came round and picked up the box on the day UBC told me they would and I received a cheque for my deposit a few weeks later, cleared in the Bank within a couple of days.

Absolutley no problems with them.

[dddave]

Have to disagree with most of the above posters.

I cancelled my UBC about 12 months ago, they actually offered to reduce my monthly bill if I didn't cancel.

The techs came round and picked up the box on the day UBC told me they would and I received a cheque for my deposit a few weeks later, cleared in the Bank within a couple of days.

Absolutley no problems with them.

I had the same experience. They came when they said they would, sent the pink receipt within 3 weeks and the refund check 2 weeks later. No problem depositing and clearing the check; amount posted to my GF's account the next day.

Those of you who may have ended a relationship with a live-in in who's name the account was opened might have a problem as they will only issue a check to person who is named in the contract.

[thaileader]

Have to disagree with most of the above posters.

I cancelled my UBC about 12 months ago, they actually offered to reduce my monthly bill if I didn't cancel.

The techs came round and picked up the box on the day UBC told me they would and I received a cheque for my deposit a few weeks later, cleared in the Bank within a couple of days.

Absolutley no problems with them.

I had the same experience. They came when they said they would, sent the pink receipt within 3 weeks and the refund check 2 weeks later. No problem depositing and clearing the check; amount posted to my GF's account the next day.

Those of you who may have ended a relationship with a live-in in who's name the account was opened might have a problem as they will only issue a check to person who is named in the contract.

[thaileader]

Use up your deposit by not paying the last couple of monthly payments.

I knew what they were like and and did just that, they wrote 8 letters demanding payment of 4100 Baht, i returned these letters by adding a note.

Credit my deposit of 4000 Baht and i will bring the 100 Baht to your office, otherwise f--- off.

They phoned 6 times and i told them to read my comment

My wife was worried but being the former boss of a UK debt collecting company i told her there was nothing to worry about.

This was 6 years ago, 2 years ago i threw out the dish.

[JetsetBkk]

Use up your deposit by not paying the last couple of monthly payments.

I knew what they were like and and did just that, they wrote 8 letters demanding payment of 4100 Baht, i returned these letters by adding a note.

Credit my deposit of 4000 Baht and i will bring the 100 Baht to your office, otherwise f--- off.

They phoned 6 times and i told them to read my comment

My wife was worried but being the former boss of a UK debt collecting company i told her there was nothing to worry about.

This was 6 years ago, 2 years ago i threw out the dish.

For all the dozens of expats who do things the right way, there is always the one assholë who gives the rest of us a bad name. And it is people like you, thaileader, who the Thais in the office will remember, not the dozens of normal people who have no problem with them.

Keep up the good work.

[dave111223]

Use up your deposit by not paying the last couple of monthly payments.

I knew what they were like and and did just that, they wrote 8 letters demanding payment of 4100 Baht, i returned these letters by adding a note.

Credit my deposit of 4000 Baht and i will bring the 100 Baht to your office, otherwise f--- off.

They phoned 6 times and i told them to read my comment

My wife was worried but being the former boss of a UK debt collecting company i told her there was nothing to worry about.

This was 6 years ago, 2 years ago i threw out the dish.

For all the dozens of expats who do things the right way, there is always the one assholë who gives the rest of us a bad name. And it is people like you, thaileader, who the Thais in the office will remember, not the dozens of normal people who have no problem with them.

Keep up the good work.

I don't really see what he did wrong if the money he owed was equal to the amount of deposit due back? Sending them 4100 baht and then waiting several months for them to send you back 4000 doesn't really seem to make much sense?

[ukrules]

Here's my little story from March 2010. I cancelled my True account but still had to pay one months fees for the current month. She took my money and said the deposit would be mailed to me in a few weeks time.

I asked if this would be a cheque and she confirmed it will be. I said I don't have a Thai bank account so please deduct it from the money I need to pay for my final months service.

They did this and gave me my money back even though I didn't have the decoder with me at the time. I said I'd bring it in the next day. I didn't get around to bringing it in the next day and the lady I spoke to phoned me asking where it was, I promised to take it in the following day which I did.

[ozzydom]

Have been considering getting Truevisions installed until this thread pointed out that they are the old UBC.

A few years ago we had UBC installed in our Chiang Mai residence, they offered a "special "deal ,12 months payments up front for a 25% discount, I took the deal and our problems began.

They issued receipts for the installation (4K) and another for the 12 months rental.

After a month I got a bill for the next months rental,I rang their office and spoke to the girl (office manager)who had sold us the package ,her explanation was that the system was slow and the 12 month contract had not yet been processed in BKK,

OK thats sounds feasible, about a week later we got a receipt for one months rental.

The next month ,same same so I thought I would ignore it and they would get their house in order.The following month I got a notice with a nasty letter saying I was now 2 months overdue.

So armed with our receipts we go in and demand to see the boss cocky,

Well it turns out (according to him)that the office manager had pocketed my cash ,along with others and had now left town ,therefore I owed UBC the cash as they had not received it.

Of course I said I had my receipt issued by an employee, he replied that it was no good as she did not work for them anymore.HAHA

So I said hang about and I will ring the police and get them up to sort it out ,to which he relented and offered me the 2k back on the set top box with the balance to come within one month.

12 months later and numerous calls still nothing,so I called into the head office ,saw the same bloke and said to him ,I want you to wait here for 10 minutes as my solicitor is on the way to serve you with a summons regarding the non return of my money.

Result, I walked out with my total refund in cash 5 minutes later.

UBC..... never again

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I missed a monthly TrueVisions payment a month back, because the monthly bill never arrived in the mail, and I didn't realize until the next month when that bill did arrive and showed me owing two months.... which was correct, I made sure, by going back and checking my bank payment records...

So I ended up talking to TV on the phone, and one of the things they were pushing was paying either 6 months in advance or one year advance, and offering a small discount, I think 2%, for the 6 month deal, and a bigger discount, I think one month free or so, for paying a year ahead....

Even before reading the above story, which is pretty terrible, I passed on their offer and said...how about you guys manage to get me the monthly bill instead....

[Pib]

It's 2000 baht per set top box assuming you were renting the boxes from TrueVisions versus having bought your own boxes and just paying for a subscription. TrueVisions will tell you they will issue a deposit refund via check 30-45 days after the set top boxes are turned-in.

The process is you go cancel you subscription...at that time they also give you a date for set-top box pickup by a TrueVisions rep...the date is normally a week or two after your subscription is canceled/dies (I expect you could arrange an earlier pickup if you are leaving soon), they come pickup the box and give you a receipt. In about 3 to 4 weeks you will get two pink receipt type documents in the mail (one called a receipt and one called a credit), then after that a check is suppose to show-up in the mail.

For me, a set-top box was picked up on 10 July, got the pink documents in the mail in early Aug (pink docs dated 29 July), the Thai wife and I went to a True Service Center on 6 Sep asking "where is the refund check"....they basically said it should show up soon since the pink documents have been cut/received. We made that 6 Sep after wainting to see if our next TrueVisions bill for cable TV might include a 2000 baht credit....it didn't reflect any credit. As of today/20 Sep, we have not receive the refund check. This week we'll go visit the True Service Center again and the Thai wife will not treat them so gently as the last visit.

Also, around 18 months ago we turned in "one" of our two boxes.....never got the pink docs or refund check....after several visits to the True Service Center they finally just gave a 2000 baht credit to our account....that time it took around 5 months to get the money back in form of a credit. As mentioned in the first paragraph above, the wife remembers that goat rope all too well and that is why she does not plan to be gentle in her discussions on the next visit regarding our latest box turn-in.

Summary: based on my two separate times in turning in boxes for deposit refund, TrueVisions has been an absolute pain to get the deposit money back...the refund deposit money just does not show up. I pity those who are leaving the country shortly after turning in the their boxes and their deposit money probably stays with TrueVisions.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, Thai companies take your money quickly with a smile but when trying to get back money due you the company has the same smile but it's really a smile of long delays/frequent follow-ups.

Update to my post above--We finally got the deposit refund!!!!....arrived via registered mail on 20 Oct. As mentioned in my 3rd paragraph above the set-top box was turned-in/picked-up by TrueVisions on 10 Jul. We did make another True Service Center visit on 22 Sep to ask "where is the check????...it's now been 72 days since the box was turned-in." True decided to start the refund process over again. On 7 Oct we got pink credit slip in the mail again and then on 20 Oct the refund check arrived by registered mail. If I did the day count right on the calendar from 10 July when the box was first turned-in until 20 Oct when the check arrive that works out to 100 days. But if a person starts the clock from when the started the process all over again on day 72, then the check refund took 28 days (4 weeks).

For me, I will only remember it was a 100 day process, which was faster than the first time we turned-in a box about 18 months ago when it took around 5 months to get the refund. Now I just need to wait out this Bangkok flooding process as the flood waters slowly approach my home in western Bangkok/Khet Talingchan.

[bikerjoy]

I cancelled the contract and I brought the box to the office, got a receipt and was told they would come one day and get the dish. but they never showed up.

can I get an other dreambox on the market (handong shop) and use the dish? or its it just useless rubbish?

thks.

[Pib]

Regarding the TrueVisions dish, when they came to pickup the set-top box at my house they only wanted the box and subscription card....they could care less about the dish, cabling, etc....too much effort/manpower/cost to deinstall. In fact, the guy who picked up the box and card was on a motorcycle; no truck with ladder, tools, etc., to do any de-installation work. So, the TrueVisions 75cm dish with LNB and cabling is still on my house....now I just need to decide if I want to point it at some KU band satellite and hook it into my multiswitch feeding my C/KU band set-top boxes in the house. My "cable" TrueVisions system is on a separate system.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Those crazy MoFo's at TrueVisions...

As I previously reported, in the wake of the ASN debacle, I finally dumped TrueVisions and switched to Happy Home Cable in BKK for less than 300 baht per month for two service points.

When I called to cancel True, I wanted to know which True shop I could return the two cable boxes and cards to. They didn't want me to do that, and instead said they'd send someone to my house within a week to pick up the boxes/cards... So I said OK...

Then two weeks passed and no one from True contacted me... So I called them back to complain, and a couple days later (this past weekend), I got a call saying they would come to my house this week on Tuesday (yesterday). They also said they were short of staff because of the flooding.

So I had an appointment yesterday supposedly from 10 am to 11 am.... It's now noontime and no one has showed up, so I call TrueVisions, get an English speaking CSR, and he tells me my appointment has been changed to Nov. 18 (of course without anyone telling me about that).

Then, as I'm starting to complain to the CSR about my appointment being changed without any notice to me, two True subcontractors on a motorcycle show up at my door, reading to pick up the boxes, a bit after noon time.

The guy checks the boxes and cards, fills out a bunch of paperwork and then has me sign it, and they're out the door in about a half hour...

Last piece of business... I have a half month bill owing with TrueVisions that I haven't paid as yet and don't intend to... I'm planning to wait for the return of my original equipment deposit before settling the bill and/or they're welcome to take my final month bill out of my deposit before returning the remainder to me...

I mention all this because the whole botch-up is so typically True(Visions). Bless their souls.

[Pib]

Last piece of business... I have a half month bill owing with TrueVisions that I haven't paid as yet and don't intend to... I'm planning to wait for the return of my original equipment deposit before settling the bill and/or they're welcome to take my final month bill out of my deposit before returning the remainder to me...

Be your luck they can't or won't issue the deposit refund until any outstanding bill is paid. But I hope you do get the refund promptly....I wish I had got my refunds promptly but I didn't...it was like pulling teeth on both occassions....first time took 5 to 6 months and the most recent time took 100 days and both occassions required numerous followups with TrueVisions and listening to all their excuses. But once again, I hope your refund arrives promptly....for some people it does. Cheers.

[bikerjoy]

Regarding the TrueVisions dish, when they came to pickup the set-top box at my house they only wanted the box and subscription card....they could care less about the dish, cabling, etc....too much effort/manpower/cost to deinstall. In fact, the guy who picked up the box and card was on a motorcycle; no truck with ladder, tools, etc., to do any de-installation work. So, the TrueVisions 75cm dish with LNB and cabling is still on my house....now I just need to decide if I want to point it at some KU band satellite and hook it into my multiswitch feeding my C/KU band set-top boxes in the house. My "cable" TrueVisions system is on a separate system.

Thanks Pib; can you PM me about C/KU band set-top boxes.?

thanks

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Be your luck they can't or won't issue the deposit refund until any outstanding bill is paid. But I hope you do get the refund promptly....I wish I had got my refunds promptly but I didn't...it was like pulling teeth on both occassions....first time took 5 to 6 months and the most recent time took 100 days and both occassions required numerous followups with TrueVisions and listening to all their excuses.

Well, I now have my TrueVisions deposit refund experience to recount...

First of all, for starters, just as my boxes were being picked up by the True service person at my home a bit past mid November, I called TrueVisions and spoke with a CSR about their process for such things... with Pib's horrible experience ringing in my ears...

The answer I got from TrueVisions at that point was their policy was to return deposits within 45 days from the time the box(es) are returned. Obviously, they really focus on getting these things handled in an expeditious manner.

OK, so time passes... and nothing happens...and then suddenly about middle December, I get a thick envelope from TrueVisions with a bunch of red paperwork titled as statement credits... And I'm trying to figure out, are those some kind of weird check or what, because they don't look like any check. So I call TrueVisions again, explain what I've got, and the CSR tells me, No, those are just accounting papers and statements, and your check will follow those....

OK, wait another week until a few days ago and suddenly an actual TrueVisions check, drawn on CitiBank at Interchange Tower in Asoke, shows up in my mailbox for MOST BUT NOT ALL of my deposit...

Turns out, after mulling Pib's advice above, I began to fret that NOT paying my ending TV bill might cause TrueVisions in their infinite wisdom to withhold returning any of my deposit... And since the deposit amount was far larger than the closing bill amount, I actually paid my closing bill amount directly by the due date for that bill.

But apparently, that was after True had begun processing my refund paperwork, so their original request only included my refund deposit amount MINUS the last month's bill (which by that point I had already paid myself.) So then another call to TrueVisions, they confirmed that yes they had received my last bill payment, and so now they'd probably be sending me two checks, one for the original majority amount, and a smaller second one for the ending bill amount that they had wrongly deducted.

So in the end, they managed to get me the first check within their 45 day policy period... But New Year's rapidly approaching, and I still haven't received the second smaller check as yet.

Obviously, as I've now learned, TrueVisions will process deposit refunds even if there is a smaller amount owing for a person's closing bill. They'll just deduct that off the deposit refund. So if I had it to do over again, now that I know, I simply wouldn't have paid the last month's bill and kept the money in my hands rather than theirs while waiting their 45 days.

PS - I've also never tried to cash a paper check in Thailand. Heck, I've never seen a paper check used in Thailand in my years of living here... Thus I don't have experience in trying to cash them here. So while out and around today, since we live in the area, we stopped by the CitiBank-Asoke office, showed them the TrueVisions check drawn on their branch, and asked if we could cash it there.. Answer of course was NOPE... You can only cash it at a Thai bank where you have an account (and I didn't have an account at CitiBank).

So off we went to Bangkok Bank, where I do have an account and had some other business to do, and I discover that "cashing" the check is the wrong term to be using here.... Since even my own bank (BKK Bank) won't "cash" the check for me.. All they'll do is an accept the deposit of the check into my account, and make the funds available to me two days later (instead of next day, apparently, because we were at the branch close to its 3 pm or so closing time). Thanks so much, BKKB... Really appreciate the service.

[Pib]

John,

Glad it worked out. In my two times in turning in boxes I always got that "pink" receipt (some of their accounting work) about three weeks after turning in the boxes, but the check would just never show-up until the Thai wife and I kept bothering True Customer Service about every one to two weeks after the 60 day point. And the account is in the wife's name. The first refund of sorts ended up being a credit to my account because it was approaching 6 months since box pickup...the True CSR rep we had been dealing with somehow pushed through a credit and gave up in trying to get us the refund via check. Then on the recent box turn-in in took us 100 days from box turn-in to check arrival with several visits to a True Service Center to follow-up. Took the check to Bangkok Bank and deposited it....didn't even have to endorse the check...and the funds were available the next day.

Based on my two bad experiences in fighting for the refund, if I was to close my TrueVisions account I think I would just not pay my last month's bill if possible, turn in the box(es) and let TrueVisions reduce my deposit amount by the amount of bill due. I would only do this because TrueVisions has made it a real job to get the refund in my two particular cases. And if a person was closing their account "and" leaving Thailand they wouldn't be around to fight for (I mean follow-up on) the refund....can you just see True mailing a check to a foreign address...and if they did, trying/waiting for the check to clear by your home country bank.

Based on my experience, I'm not impressed at all with True's deposit refund process. But I'm sure other folks have probably got prompt refunds. Oh well, TIT.

Cheers,

Pib

Edited December 27, 2011 by Pib

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

At least now we know for sure, TrueVisions has no problem in closing out accounts by automatically deducting the last month's unpaid bill from the customer's box deposit and then returning the remainder as a check.

Clearly, you never want to have TrueVisions holding any more of your money than is absolutely necessary.

[OLDAUSSIE]

TRU UBC what ever they call them self is the worst company I have ever had to deal with in Thailand. I got out of their clutches five years ago & I would never go back...........Its just a Total rip off company.