‘Unlimited’ mobile use should do what it says on the tin

Why may the word “unlimited” be legally used when what is offered is limited? This shouldn’t have to do with honesty (pah!) but with the law saying “you may not use that word unless what you offer is unlimited”.

I think this is the next big unfair & unlawful bank charges & will be claiming back unfair mobile charges that go over the so called unlimited deals & packages 🙁 :/

Sorry about My odd ocd traits/habbits with Caps on every word 🙁 :/

I am working on it :/

I’ve e-mailed My local Labour MP to find out why The ASA allow the word ” UNLIMITED ” be used when an mobile network is not offering real unlimited deals/packages & I’ve asked Her to write to OfCom & so on.

I’ve used moth networks from Vodafone,Virgin Mobile, 3G, BT Cellnet, Orange Mobile, Tesco PAYG Mobile, & Some on contracts & some on PAYG,

All horrible & sneaky with either mobile insurance covers/pay outs, From not offering real good deals or packages & None offering real UNLIMITED deals/packages.

Since being screwed over by Tesco PAYG Mobile, I left them going to GiffGaff.Com, But I did My research & checked them in detail so I wouldn’t get fooled again about UNLIMITED deals/packages, Bee with GiffGaff.Com for a few weeks/1-2 months & I’ve never looked back 🙂

My Mum’s joined GiffGaff.Com with Her existing mobile number, After Orange PAYG kept taking away all Her mobile credit, Claiming She’d been using Her mobile to access pictures of cars on the mobile internet, My Mum can’t access the internet on an PC with out the odd help from others, Let alone on an mobile phone :/

My Mum was left out of contact with friends & family for months on end, Now with GiffGaff.Com She can text anyone unlimited for an 30 £10 GiffGaff.Com Goody Bag, Which You can change every 30 days & Alos Emerencgy credit.

My Boyfriends joined GiffGaff.Com too, His just not got His PAC Code From Orange PAYG Mobile yet.

I’ve earned around twenty pounds in GiffGaff.Com points so far 🙂

Not all the caps are imposed, though. I have a Vodafone unlimited texts and internet plan. I am such a prolific texter (what can I say, my partner works away a lot so we’re always texting) I do sometimes exceed the limit – and have never been charged for going over it.

On Virgin PAYG it allows 25mb for 30p per day as I did not notice this limit when I first used it I was charged and extra £6. My own fault. But it woud be helpfull is they texed when the limit is reached.

I am with O2 and used to have a monthly contract with 600 texts included. This meant that when overseas each text that I sent used up 4 of my allowance. I now have a supposedly better deal with unlimited texts – but have received a substantial bill for recent overseas texts! So limited is better….

I am currently on a monthly tariff with Vodafone using a Blackberry. Just thinking of upgrading to an iPhone but I have read many comments on the VF forums expressing concern about the data caps. I rely on e-mail and get a great service on a Blackberry tariff with no (apparent) cap but to replicate the service on an iPhone I would be looking to implement “push” e-mail and am concerned that I will end up surcharged for data. I cannot see any definite policy, so for the moment the Blackberry looks like winning the contest. Sorry iPhone, but as I cannot be sure that I will end up having to pay even more it looks like it will be a win for Blackberry for my needs, but it would be nice to see the mobile operators being forced to adopt a honest strategy, after all, they already make enough money from us humble users!

We better change the meaning of ‘Unlimited’ in the dictionary. Mobile companies are good at ripping off their customers using these kind of misleading keywords. Their customer services team cannot define the meaning of ‘unlimited’ as one would say it’s unlimited then someone else talks about their fair use policy which they do not emphasis when selling. OfCom is silly enough to allow these companies to over charge the innocent customers like this.

That’s great, but who knows how much 1GB is? I have a Blackberry and there is no way of finding out how much data you are using from the phone, you have to wait for the bill, which will be way too late. If four YouTube videos do it, it will be easy to go over without knowing.

I have a £178 virgin mobile charge at the moment on a £20/month tariff with “unlimited” texts and 1GB internet. I only know because they locked the phone because it hit a credit limit, no warning call or text when the fair use limit was breached(I assume it is texts, but dont know for sure, as BB does not have a text counter either) Virgin cant tell me until the bill is published

I have a new Blackberry 8520 on Virgin contract with “unlimited Blackberry email” and “unlimited Blackberry messenger” and “1GB mobile web”.
I would like to know if the “1GB mobile web” is for using BBM and BB email?
Customer servcies give different information at different times.
One said the 1GB mobile web is used for all BB data services.
Another said there is a separate BB internet which is extra to the 1GB mobile web in my contract – he said the 2 internet services are included in my contract.
Hopefully someone here can explain to me and thank you in advance for any help.

Ceri wrote: So, mobile providers, try a little honesty and make sure your customers know their limits.

Thanks for that, but every company offering products and services be honest too.

What is the point in having the Advertising Standards Authority when dishonesty and misrepresentation are so common.

I have just had the hard sale in an orange store where they described the internet as unlimited. My son 15 and a heavy gamer wanted a gaming phone and the man steared us to the windows phone with reassuring me there was no chance of me getting any extra costs added to the bill for going over any tariffs as unlimited.

Get home and the phone kept warning about data usage and fees when testing it so i rang them to be told they legally can describe 750mb as unlimited and I feel this is wrong and playing on their own customers believing them.

Worse to come as in the head office said they were happy we left the store understanding the unlimited refered to 750mb. Nope they said unlimited no risk or incurring costs as this phone was going to a 15 year old.

Rang them and pretended to be new customer and again they played on the unlimited so I added waht is 750mb then and you could cut the silence.

Recorded call with executive office who say they can legally sell 750mb of data as unlimited, therefore I believe certain of their staff dont want to explain the limits, yet happy to right it on a contract refer to it as unlimited in tiny tiny handwriting when tell them I cant read the form due to eyesight and it being so so small, so he says this is your 600 mins, this is your texts and this is your unlimited internet pointing at what i later find is 750mb.

When ring to query why say unlimited when it is read as 750mb and told because we legally have to sell it as unlimited by their sales team over the phone.

Left me wanting them to cancel the contracts due to feeling misled and them saying nope.

They also told me on the first call my contract was invalid due to them inputting the wrong call plan and than rather than 600mins we had 300 mins, but they would not honor the contract and go back to store.

So I say if they can when suit say they will void or not honor a contract, why when feel missold can they suddenly find the contract valid again.

I want rid of the two phones and they wont take them back. Dont think I can trust them again depending of the variety of their staff quoting different scenarios, but at the end of it they expect me to stay with them and put up with their miss selling.

Why use the word unlimited or do they like playing on it, because I just cannot fathom it.

Just to add they now have admitted we have 600 mins per phone, but are not willing to move on their so called right by law she said to quote 750mb as unlimited. i need help.

They are now accepting return of phones and cancelling the contract/s. I in desperation as they were not willing to change their minds offered to put the recordings on you tube so they might take more interest and listen to what their reps said to me whilst also alerting other people, they rang me back and agreed to cancel as I knew I could prove I had been misled. They did not admit fault and said it was due to we would not agree in so many words, but in any case no matter the contract was cancelled and I feel I can breath again xx

I used to work for a phone company,and the MAJOR problem I had was that we were told how much data cost,but NOT what a Mb consisted of.People would always ask how it translated,in terms of time,but,its nothing to do with time,eg,in one minute,i could’ve clicked on 3 pages,using more data than if i had just been reading one page,so its VERY misleading when a Rep gives people ‘a time frame’,which happened a lot.
Also,different sites are not the same,data wise,eg,if its mainly a text based page,its a lot less Data than say a Photo,or Image based page and streaming even more.
Then,different phones or Web Browsers data output can be different too! I use different browsers on my phone,one compresses data so,in effect,it uses less Data.
The whole thing is an absolute minefield,which has a lot of factors to consider,none of which can seem to be explained easily. From my experience,as a Customer Service Rep on a helpline,I was given no guidelines on how to explain this to the Customer,so,thats why very often you get different answers,or they avoid a straight answer.
Maybe one way to help the Customer would be for ‘Data Intensive’ sites,like You Tube,could tell you the size of the Video you’re about watch,so you get an idea on things? than if i had just been reading one page,so its VERY misleading when a Rep gives people ‘a time frame’,which happened a lot.
Also,different sites are not the same,data wise,eg,if its mainly a text based page,its a lot less Data than say a Photo,or Image based page and streaming even more.
Then,different phones or Web Browsers data output can be different too! I use different browsers on my phone,one compresses data so,in effect,it uses less Data.
The whole thing is an absolute minefield,which has a lot of factors to consider,none of which can seem to be explained easily. From my experience,as a Customer Service Rep on a helpline,I was given no guidelines on how to explain this to the Customer,so,thats why very often you get different answers,or they avoid a straight answer.
Maybe one way to help the Customer would be for ‘Data Intensive’ sites,like You Tube,could tell you the size of the Video you’re about watch,so you get an idea on things?

Regarding the Virgin position, A week or so ago, I received a call from a Virgin mobile sales rep who offered me an alternative (and much better) tariff. I’m delighted with the deal, which actually halves my bills and provides a better package, but I noted that I was offered ‘unlimited’ texts and data.

On looking at my account online I see that this translates into 3000 texts and 1Gb of data. So while Virgin do publish the limits online, their sales people are still quoting ‘unlimited’ with no explanation of what this means, which I think is wrong.

Finally, I note an earlier comment with regard to 3,000 texts/month being a sizeable amount, and to ordinary mortals like myself that’s absolutely true. However, hand the phone to a teenager and 3,000 texts are but a trifle!

My problem is that I love 3UK. I have the one plan and I have used 50GB in a month and they have told me that as long as I don’t use it for illegal activities that’s fine.,

The problem I have is that I have just bought a Balckberry and added the bolt on to my account – but now ALL my internet usage comes out of my BB service bolt on. SO when I get to the bottom of the 2GB monthly limit I don’t think my e-mails etc will work!. Unfortuntely this is needed for things like FB and e-mail to work. ALso mean s you can get app world without it. Now it’s like £5 a month so no problem. BUT it makes me all you can eat data useless now.

I doubt I will get through 2GB in a month. I only did 1GB last month but I have just found my free spotify subscription ( which I was paying for with them directly) and now I don’t want to hit my 2GB limit!

Do these execs think it’s still the 90’s or what? As an IT professional, gamer and heavy internet user (I wach lots of stuff online) with no choice of a landline, I find the download caps to be woefully inadequate for anyone with half an ounce of technical know-how and computer literacy. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the missus has her own laptop and uses the ‘net as well. I used my dongle in in a home router once, and raped a month’s allowance in 3 days, and racked up a £50 bill and was completely cut off for 28 days. Shocking.

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T-Mobile did not advertise their policy as ‘unlimited.’ I do not believe that any I.S.P can mislead their customers in this way (anymore.) It was sold to me as £15 for 5GB per month. I had read their website and learned that I could still use the web for ‘free’ after I had reached my limit as long as I did not surf the web in a data heavy way (watch or download videos etc), They say that I can still perform text and image based browsing. I knew that I would probably reach my limit early as I could reliably consume 1GB within a few days if I watched videos online. Whilst not ideal, I was prepared to accept the restriction in exchange for the no excess data charges. The problems have arisen because I had not been given the information needed for me to make an informed descision ie, a real time bill increase. Added to this is the fact that the data counter on the log in page is different from the one shown on the MyT-Mobile website.

I was expecting a bill of £15 at the end of the month. Today I was told the final tally would be closer to £50 even though we could all agree that the bill shown on the MyT-Mobile site is currently reading £27.50!

See, they’re crystal clear and totally upfront!

I have phoned T-Mobile today and (after speaking with three seperate reps) they have agreed to wave the data charges and take the agreed £15 from my account instead. Fine, but what happens now? Will I be charged the day rate (£3) for writing this post? They told me that I had reached my day rate today and all I’ve done is visit their website! How can I keep tabs on my usage after I’ve reached my limit? I cannot use their website since it’s not updated in real time. Incidently, my bill STILL reads £27.50 even though the rep told me she had ‘refreshed the system.’

It used to be the case that we were charged for the speed of our connection and not for our data consumtion. We paid a fixed fee and we got the Internet. Nice and simple. Today we’re fed moronic stories and lies about ‘peak times’ and ‘too many users clogging up the system’ or ‘heavy users will negatively affect all customers.’ This kind of brainwashing works too. Not on me, I am too smart to buy into their ‘philosophy.’

“…and not fair if people who have more modest requirements subsidise you.”

Of course you believe that. Why wouldn’t you? I guess me having more than one TV channel to choose from affetcs you in some way too?

For alot of you who are worryinf with dafa usage all andriod phones have an option on your phone and can limit how much Internet you can use

Tesco no longer offers unlimited data tariffs – seeing as they’re the only network to cap minutes texts and internet it seems ludicrous to offer unlimited.

BT sent me a 12 months unlimited reward , I read the “small print and it stated 12 gb limit . so I enquired
was this accurate ? The helpful guys in Scotland replied in a manner that lead me to conclude that it was
ok to do this if they offered Hot Spots for broad band but not to my home . I declined the reward and asked about complaint procedure as the unsolicited reward was sent to me as a BT user for 40 years and
was not an accurate offer that I interpreted as available to my home. They wasted my time.