Wi-max fair usage?

crazyFeet

Ok, they started texting us a month ago telling us to stop using our internet as much as we were at the time, now, ok, i get it, it is written in little tiny letters so that I can't see it on the brochure. But how can these c**ts get away with this crap by putting down LIMITLESS and then on the bottom of the page go saying stuff that completely goes against the main selling point of the add? I think it is a load of bull, one more month and i'm cutting them off, oh I'll definatly spread the word of their great service, bad word travels faster than a good one :rolleyes:

demanufactured

crazyFeet wrote: »

Ok, they started texting us a month ago telling us to stop using our internet as much as we were at the time, now, ok, i get it, it is written in little tiny letters so that I can't see it on the brochure. But how can these c**ts get away with this crap by putting down LIMITLESS and then on the bottom of the page go saying stuff that completely goes against the main selling point of the add? I think it is a load of bull, one more month and i'm cutting them off, oh I'll definatly spread the word of their great service, bad word travels faster than a good one :rolleyes:

Who are you talking about??

crazyFeet

Wi-max (sorry, minimum)

cgarvey

I assume you're talking about Imagine Wi-Max (Wi-Max is a technology, not a product/brand)? If so, they use a form of WiMax that is less suited to mass broadband roll out, and so they have to keep the caps low so that other users can get a fair crack of the whip.

Yes, it's disgraceful that the ASAI allow this "unlimited" advertising when it clearly can't be, by definition. ComReg are happy to wash their hands of this too.

You won't find many glowing references of Imagine WiMax (partly because of their poor technology roll-out, and partly because they have massively over-sold it in some areas leading to dreadful performance for many users).

Tom_Cruise

Its like the Mobile operator ads that advertise unlimited calls and texts, but include a fair usage policy to stop people exploiting it by sending millions of texts and never hanging up the phone.

I agree it is pretty much false advertising, i mean 'unlimited' means just that, but its not the case.

You must be using a nice bit of date though all the same?

crazyFeet

thank you for your replies, this cleared out a few points for me, i will call my internet provider Imagine from now on
tbh, we don't use torrents at all, i do a bit of BF3, main source is Netflix i'm pretty sure; we have no tv channels so its the only thing we have to watch on TV, but i'm not abusing the system in any mean way, i am just an average user who subscribed to imagine as i was told i have no limit so i can use netflix, but i cant, ok...

dub45

Once again this is the Comreg position:

Internet

My Service Provider has advertised an "unlimited package" - what does this mean for me?

A number of telephone and broadband packages being offered are described as ‘unlimited’. In this context the word ‘unlimited’ would normally be taken to mean that a subscriber, having agreed to pay a set price, may make as many calls or spend as much time online as he or she wishes. However, some service contracts qualify the meaning of ‘unlimited’ by stating that it is subject to an ‘acceptable’ or ‘fair’ level of use by the subscriber. This is referred to as a “fair usage policy” in some advertising.

ComReg would like to advise consumers that any provision of a contract which sets usage thresholds, or describes what constitutes ‘fair’ or ‘acceptable’ use, should be clear and unambiguous, particularly where the service is described as being ‘unlimited’.

Usage thresholds or limits should be clearly set out, as should the manner in which they may be updated or amended.

ComReg expects each service provider to implement a clear, transparent and policy for dealing with customer usage above any set thresholds. The policy should set out the rules for contract termination, including penalties, the charges that shall apply for any use above the threshold/limit, and the policy regarding migration of the customer to other packages, if applicable.

ComReg advises consumers to carefully read the terms and conditions of their contracts and to be aware of the particular limits or thresholds that apply before purchasing.

It would be very interesting to know what Comreg considers to be acceptable from an isp as being "clearly set out". I feel that there should be a requirement that price, speed and cap should all be displayed in the one place and that a customer or prospective customer should not have to go in search of such information.