Comments on: Fair usage policy = false advertising http://niquimerret.com/?p=38 Changing tracks... Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:14:17 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: anonymous http://niquimerret.com/?p=38&cpage=1#comment-24070 anonymous Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:16:42 +0000 http://niquimerret.com/?p=38#comment-24070 I recently carried out a simple test, to find out a bit more about what kind of internet usage to expect against some new mobile broadband services advertised, I basically spend about 5 hours viewing youtube videos via a 1MB internet connection and monitoring the usage, and after 5 hours the combined usage (download/upload) had exceeded 14GB. OK, I must admit 5 hours of youtube is a lot for one day, but even so, outside of these mobile phone services agreements such usage has never been an issue for other broadband providers. I work in this industry and understand how service level agreements work, and while I can understand the impact on the overall service if some users were to leave a p2p application running 24/7, but stating that 1/2/3/5/10/15 or 40GB is a fair usage, for any normal broadband user, it surely has to be some kind of bad joke, who dictates that such levels of data should be the basis for a fair usage level agreements, the faster the internet pipe(or service provided) the quicker the user reaches the limit set by the provider. Are these companies saying that they not able to provide the services speeds which they are offering or claiming to provide and need to cap all users traffic in order for service to not to be affected? Ofcom or some other relevant consumer/government body, should/needs to intervene and define proper broadband fair usage rules based on speed of services provided of what should consist to be fair usage, then force service providers to play fair, if necessary give out big fines and force providers to refund large sums of money which they have unfairly stolen from their customers, and annulled all long term contracts where users are locked into such misleading fair usage and limited services which customers do not need or want. I recently carried out a simple test, to find out a bit more about what kind of internet usage to expect against some new mobile broadband services advertised, I basically spend about 5 hours viewing youtube videos via a 1MB internet connection and monitoring the usage, and after 5 hours the combined usage (download/upload) had exceeded 14GB.

OK, I must admit 5 hours of youtube is a lot for one day, but even so, outside of these mobile phone services agreements such usage has never been an issue for other broadband providers.

I work in this industry and understand how service level agreements work, and while I can understand the impact on the overall service if some users were to leave a p2p application running 24/7, but stating that 1/2/3/5/10/15 or 40GB is a fair usage, for any normal broadband user, it surely has to be some kind of bad joke, who dictates that such levels of data should be the basis for a fair usage level agreements, the faster the internet pipe(or service provided) the quicker the user reaches the limit set by the provider. Are these companies saying that they not able to provide the services speeds which they are offering or claiming to provide and need to cap all users traffic in order for service to not to be affected?

Ofcom or some other relevant consumer/government body, should/needs to intervene and define proper broadband fair usage rules based on speed of services provided of what should consist to be fair usage, then force service providers to play fair, if necessary give out big fines and force providers to refund large sums of money which they have unfairly stolen from their customers, and annulled all long term contracts where users are locked into such misleading fair usage and limited services which customers do not need or want.

]]> By: Pete http://niquimerret.com/?p=38&cpage=1#comment-3113 Pete Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:45:29 +0000 http://niquimerret.com/?p=38#comment-3113 Same thing happening to me, just like Lewis, i'm with TalkTalk for my broadband and phone package including line rental, i signed up for 2 yrs expecting to have a 40GB download limit per month, they never mentioned any p2p limits, i used P2P software ok for several months then they just cut it dead, i read there terms and the 40GB monthy limit turns out to not only be a download limit but upload+download combined, i'm now stuck in this contract with them but i can't use p2p which is why i went with talktalk in the first place for there 40GB limit, this is false advertising, they need to make this clear when selling the product and not just by using a little *STAR +TalkTalks customer service really is non-existent, i give up on them........ Same thing happening to me, just like Lewis, i’m with TalkTalk for my broadband and phone package including line rental, i signed up for 2 yrs expecting to have a 40GB download limit per month, they never mentioned any p2p limits, i used P2P software ok for several months then they just cut it dead, i read there terms and the 40GB monthy limit turns out to not only be a download limit but upload+download combined, i’m now stuck in this contract with them but i can’t use p2p which is why i went with talktalk in the first place for there 40GB limit, this is false advertising, they need to make this clear when selling the product and not just by using a little *STAR
+TalkTalks customer service really is non-existent, i give up on them……..

]]> By: Alex http://niquimerret.com/?p=38&cpage=1#comment-1592 Alex Tue, 08 May 2007 19:49:49 +0000 http://niquimerret.com/?p=38#comment-1592 In response to Stefan Richter Your quote;- =============================================== "I see where you are coming from but you seem a little naive to think that this really would be unlimited - it never is and never has been, be it broadband, phone calls or anything else." =============================================== You are completely WRONG! I had my broadband through Pipex for years with NO "Fair Usage Policy" (FUP), it WAS completely unlimited. Originally Pipex started off with no FUP with any of their accounts, then they started implementing FUP with their "cheaper" accounts. I got around this by opting for either a "Business" account when I had my business, (which they also eventually implemented FUP) and then by opting for a more expensive "MAX" service with no FUP. Unfortunately, it now seems that even the most expensive Pipex accounts have a FUP & my connection is now languishing in the sludge of a Fair Usage Policy! This is such a rip off! I can't believe I have been such a good customer of Pipex for years and for years have paid a premium for my broadband, and yet my service has got WORSE & WORSE! I am APPALLED that good customers can be treated this way! It's like going into a garage, asking them to "Fill 'Er Up", only to be told "Yes sir we can fill you up, but we'll have to do it in stages, you'll need to come back every hour for top-ups, so you don't go using all the fuel before everyone else". How ludicrous is that? But that's what it amounts to! In response to Stefan Richter

Your quote;-
===============================================
“I see where you are coming from but you seem a little naive to think that this really would be unlimited – it never is and never has been, be it broadband, phone calls or anything else.”
===============================================
You are completely WRONG! I had my broadband through Pipex for years with NO “Fair Usage Policy” (FUP), it WAS completely unlimited. Originally Pipex started off with no FUP with any of their accounts, then they started implementing FUP with their “cheaper” accounts. I got around this by opting for either a “Business” account when I had my business, (which they also eventually implemented FUP) and then by opting for a more expensive “MAX” service with no FUP.

Unfortunately, it now seems that even the most expensive Pipex accounts have a FUP & my connection is now languishing in the sludge of a Fair Usage Policy!

This is such a rip off! I can’t believe I have been such a good customer of Pipex for years and for years have paid a premium for my broadband, and yet my service has got WORSE & WORSE!

I am APPALLED that good customers can be treated this way! It’s like going into a garage, asking them to “Fill ‘Er Up”, only to be told “Yes sir we can fill you up, but we’ll have to do it in stages, you’ll need to come back every hour for top-ups, so you don’t go using all the fuel before everyone else”.

How ludicrous is that? But that’s what it amounts to!

]]> By: Brett http://niquimerret.com/?p=38&cpage=1#comment-1405 Brett Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:23:33 +0000 http://niquimerret.com/?p=38#comment-1405 On a similar note, T-Mobile UK offers 'Equivalent of £180' for £52... How can that even make sense. If you can buy something for £52, how can it be worth £180? Isnt that self-announced false advertising? On a similar note, T-Mobile UK offers ‘Equivalent of £180′ for £52… How can that even make sense. If you can buy something for £52, how can it be worth £180? Isnt that self-announced false advertising?

]]> By: Ciaran http://niquimerret.com/?p=38&cpage=1#comment-808 Ciaran Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:33:48 +0000 http://niquimerret.com/?p=38#comment-808 Sky does the same thing, but someone must have got onto them about it, because it now says "almost unlimited" on their broadband info pages. http://check.skybroadband.com/onnet.aspx Subject to fair use polocy ovcourse... :) Sky does the same thing, but someone must have got onto them about it, because it now says “almost unlimited” on their broadband info pages.

http://check.skybroadband.com/onnet.aspx

Subject to fair use polocy ovcourse… :)

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