Eircom's false advertising

Niall1234

Can anyone please explain how Eirom are getting away with their claims of providing Unlimited and Always On broadband to consumers. There is no unlimited package on the market at the moment without a download limit. All of this is complete tripe.

How can it always be on if there is a download limit ?

I'd ask people here to send a complaint to the ASAI regarding this. If Eircom can't advertise there service as being unlimited or always on then its a small victory.

http://www.asai.ie/complain.asp

Solair

There are unlimited packages available on the market, just not from eircom.

UTV can remove your cap if you agree to pay a slightly higher montly fee.

Capt'n Midnight

Do they cut off internet access or just charge you extra. If they don't cut you off then they can claim always on.

But they can't claim to have fixed price, unlimited / always on.

Niall1234

Solair wrote:

There are unlimited packages available on the market, just not from eircom.

UTV can remove your cap if you agree to pay a slightly higher montly fee.

I took a look at their website. They seem to have a 20 euro package for 2mb broadband which looks fairly good. Another 6 euros then to make it unlimited.

Is that completely unlimited timewise and download wise ? Any idea of its availability down here in Cork ? And do you have to sign up to UTV phone at the same time or can I still use my Eircom telephone connection ?

watty

There are also "Fair use" in the T&C.

I don't beleive any retail package that is "real" broadband is really unlimited. Try streaming 24x 7 at 1Mbps. and see how long before the ISP complains or throttles your connection.

Ripwave is really unlimited, but what you are physically able to download on it probabily wouln't breakl decent caps on 3M packages. But is Ripwave broadband?

I think only eircom sells a non-broadband, broadband, i.e. time limited.

daiixi

Depending on your usage then your net connection can always be on and not over the download limit. "Always on" does not mean "download every episode of every television show, every movie and every song you've ever seen/heard".

Exactly the same with "unlimited". Does it say what is unlimited? No, it doesn't. "unlimited" could refer to it's unlimited upload allowance.

Niall1234

daiixi wrote:

Depending on your usage then your net connection can always be on and not over the download limit. "Always on" does not mean "download every episode of every television show, every movie and every song you've ever seen/heard".

Exactly the same with "unlimited". Does it say what is unlimited? No, it doesn't. "unlimited" could refer to it's unlimited upload allowance.

If they say unlimited, then surely people take this in as being unlimited in every aspect. They should state otherwise if its not.

Again, your definition of "Always" is different to mine. Always generally means in all situations and all times. If you go over the download limit that's hardly always.

Just wondering, but does anyone have UTV broadband ?

kaizersoze

daiixi wrote:

Depending on your usage then your net connection can always be on and not over the download limit. "Always on" does not mean "download every episode of every television show, every movie and every song you've ever seen/heard".

Exactly the same with "unlimited". Does it say what is unlimited? No, it doesn't. "unlimited" could refer to it's unlimited upload allowance.

There is an upload limit of 1GB on the home starter package but it's still described as "unlimited".

You don't seem to understand the rules governing advertising. The mere fact that the ads don't state what "unlimited" is referring to is in breach of advertising code. What Eircom intend it to mean is irrelivant. It's the inference that the (potential) customer gets from the ad thats important. It should be clearly stated in the ad what is "unlimited" about the product and not left up to the target of the ad to decipher.
This is the view of the ASAI on how ads should NOT be worded:

The Code of Advertising Standards requires that an advertisement should not mislead by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise. It also requires that advertisers should not exploit the credulity, inexperience or lack of knowledge of consumers.

It's not the first time Eircom have been done for this type of advertising either.

Foxwood

kaizersoze wrote:

It's not the first time Eircom have been done for this type of advertising either.

Remind me again what happens to an advertiser that's "done" for misleading advertising?

TimTim

Foxwood wrote:

Remind me again what happens to an advertiser that's "done" for misleading advertising?

I'm guessing a nicely written letter asking them to stop...

smellslikeshoes

TimTim wrote:

I'm guessing a nicely written letter asking them to stop...

I think unlike Comreg the ASAI don't roll over for eircom and would give them a jolly good throttleing.

TimTim

smellslikeshoes wrote:

I think unlike Comreg the ASAI don't roll over for eircom and would give them a jolly good throttleing.

Not likely, they have no actual powers.

damien

smellslikeshoes wrote:

I think unlike Comreg the ASAI don't roll over for eircom and would give them a jolly good throttleing.

That's preceisely what they do. The ASAI is funded by the advertising industry, has no powers and can only say "You shouldn't do this again." Many companies repeatedly totally ignore the ASAI. Such companies include a large mobile operator.

daiixi

So really it is a case of looking into what you're getting and not assuming that the advertising is actually what you're going to get? Wow, that's new.

Liam Byrne

That's nothing new from eircom......just consider their recent ads telling "Smart Customers" (i.e. all Smart Customers) that they needed to switch - which was a blatant misrepresentation by omission.

The Advertising Standards essentially say that no advert can be misleading - there's no excuse or get-out based on over-simplification, generalisation or omission.

I've reported a few of eircom's recent ads to the ASAI.....will let you all know just how hefty that "slap on the wrist" is.....

dahamsta

It is nothing new, and it's unlikely they'll stop either, but I think people should still complain if they hear and see an ad like this.

adam

cgarvey

dahamsta wrote:

It is nothing new, and it's unlikely they'll stop either, but I think people should still complain if they hear and see an ad like this.

adam

Agreed. I do remember someone posting here that ASAI have no remit over advertising claims on a company's own website.. does that sound familiar?

Clearly nothing happens when an advertiser gets "done", as it's the same big advertisers (big spenders) that make the same offences over and over again. I presume they were a voluntary industry body set up to avoid legislation being introduced to do the job. A "self-police or be policed" policy used in other industries which works wonders for politicians who want to be seen to have done something (that requires little or no effort).

However, I do still think everyone should report it. Some media will briefly touch on it especially when the ASAI annual report comes out. The ODCA might start to take notice too if complaint numbers were high.

.cg

Solair

If you can get eircom DSL, you can get UTV dsl products.

The phone+internet bundle's not compulsary, but it does make the packages cheaper.

UTV do a unlimited UK/Ireland call package for quite a good price too. (Up to 60 mins per call to Irish and UK landlines. If it goes over 60 mins, hang up and dial again and it's still free)

Overall, I've found them extremely compeditive.

Niall1234

Solair. Can I just ask, Eircom obviously cover the line rental on my telephone bill so there is no extra charge for that. Overall I have to say it sounds good. Does anything have to be done to my phone line to let me get DSL. Sorry for all the questions but I'm on wireless broadband at the moment and don't know much about DSL.

Ratchet

kaizersoze wrote:

You don't seem to understand the rules governing advertising. The mere fact that the ads don't state what "unlimited" is referring to is in breach of advertising code. What Eircom intend it to mean is irrelivant. It's the inference that the (potential) customer gets from the ad thats important. It should be clearly stated in the ad what is "unlimited" about the product ......

looking at the picture that you have attached unlimited refers to ---monthly usage which in my understanding means that i can use it 24/7 without time limit and without limitation on bandwith usage


but looks like this offer has usage limits. bloody eircom

watty

Does anyone beleive eircom's Meteor ad: "Free texts and talk for life"? Totally misleading and you need a magnifiying glass to read the fine print. Obviously you need at least a monthly subscription I assume.

Ratchet

watty wrote:

Does anyone beleive eircom's Meteor ad: "Free texts and talk for life"? Totally misleading and you need a magnifiying glass to read the fine print. Obviously you need at least a monthly subscription I assume.

believing is one thing and we know there is nothing for free

but

Eircom is taking the biscuit again.

Liam Byrne

An ex-neighbour of mine (from at home, before I moved) had an eircom rep call around the other day, and lo-and-behold, the rep mentioned the dirty word: "contention" :eek:

Not as groundbreaking as it seems, as the neighbour works from home dueing the day and the rep said that "no-one will be using it during the day, so it's not an issue".

Wonder if she'd have been as forthcoming if contention WAS an issue ? And are they mentioning it solely as a result of the Smart & Magnet advertising ?

Eircom is taking the biscuit again.

I didn't think there were any biscuits left after all the events of this year!

thebman

watty wrote:

Does anyone beleive eircom's Meteor ad: "Free texts and talk for life"? Totally misleading and you need a magnifiying glass to read the fine print. Obviously you need at least a monthly subscription I assume.

You have to top up by 20 Euro every month to get free txts & talk.

watty

I spend less than that now on Pay & You Go.

Since when was €20 p.m. = €240 a year = free for Life.

So anything costing €15,000 now is such a twiddly little amount of cash that it is regarded as Free?

Capt'n Midnight

Maybe get the advertising standards on to this.

Ads can only contain the word FREE if the offer can be obtained with NO financial obligations.

Otherwise the minimum financial obligation to get the "FREE" offer must be mentioned, not just the minimum per month mind you. If you have to pay €30 per month with a contract of 12 months the ad must state the price as €360 the font to be at least half the size of any FREE/OFFER/Per Month price. Thhis especially applies to mobile phones. If you can cancel earlier for a lower price the ad may say "subject to a minimum spend of €xx again this MUST not be in the small print. This is so people can clearly see they aren't getting a free lunch.

The marketing scum that use the word FREE, in a font 4 times larger than the small print shall be judged entrapment and any minimum spend in the small print shall not appply. - only way to stop them IMHO

thebman

Well the thing is if you don't top up by 20 Euro one month you loose it for that month but if you top up by 20 Euro the next month you get them again on pay as you go so technically there is no minimum subscription period. You just only get it when you top up by 20 Euro a month. I know its a scumbag practice but they probably have some loophole where by they are allowed to use the term free.

Liam Byrne

I'm confused.....if you have to pay €20 top-up per month, but your talk and texts are free, what the hell is the €20 per month for ? I though pay-as-you-go would've meant that you'd just paid for €20 worth of talk and texts - how's that "free" ?

Is it a case that the €20 is some sort of "line rental" and then you get to use it for free or what ?

RangeR

Liam Byrne wrote:

I'm confused.....if you have to pay €20 top-up per month, but your talk and texts are free, what the hell is the €20 per month for ? I though pay-as-you-go would've meant that you'd just paid for €20 worth of talk and texts - how's that "free" ?

Is it a case that the €20 is some sort of "line rental" and then you get to use it for free or what ?

This is going a bit off topic but the free texts and phone calls are ONLY to other Metoer customers. Your €20 top up covers calls to other calls [other mobiles, landlines, international etc.]

watty

Lots of phone service providers give free calls to people on same supplier or network without any minimum spend.

long ago some meteor users had really "free texts for life" (to anyone) However taking up ANY offer or promotion or upgrade and you lose that. In the very fine print online.