O2 fair usage policy, is this fair?

lo_bush

Hi all, you'll have to excuse me as I don't really know what I'm talking about here, so please bear with me but I could do with some guidance.
I've been with O2 broadband for just over the year now and have been paying £17.50 per month (incl £5.00 discount for being an O2 mobile customer). I am on an unlimited package but had a call from them yesterday to say that according to their records we have been using 'too much' , apparently their fair usage policy is 40 ( of whatever unit they use to measure usage with, GB?) and we have been using 52. I did say that I thought our package was unlimited but the woman said that it is subject to a fair usage policy and out excessive useage could be disrupting others use and we need to reduce our usage by 20% or they will have to withdraw the service!!! Firstly can they do this? How can unlimited usage be subject to a limit? Is 52 usage a ridiculous amount? Both my boys have laptops and view some TV through BBC i player etc and both use Xbox live, and I do know that these are probably pushing that usage up but I don't know if 52 is really an excessive amount or not. I felt I couldn't really argue with them until I was a bit more 'clued up', I'm really hoping someone a bit more savvy will be able to guide me on this. Thanks in advance.

pcombo

Statements from O2 terms and conditions.

"4.2 If you are signing up or moving to our Access package from 14th July 2010 there’s a 20GB monthly usage allowance. If you use more than 20GB in any month, we may give you a written warning (by email or otherwise). In extreme circumstances, if the levels of activity don’t immediately decrease after the warning, we may terminate or suspend your Services."

"4.3 If you have signed up for our Basics package, there is a 20GB monthly usage allowance. If you use more than 20GB in any month, we’ll give you a written warning (by email or otherwise). In extreme circumstances, if the levels of activity don’t decrease in line with our instructions after the warning, we may terminate or suspend your Services."

"4.4 If you have signed up for our All Rounder or The Works packages then you can download as much as you like up to a fair usage limit of around 100GB for the All Rounder or around 250GB for The Works. If you exceed these limits or we feel that your activities are so excessive that other customers are detrimentally affected, we may give you a written warning (by email or otherwise). In extreme circumstances, if the levels of activity don’t immediately decrease in line with our instructions after the warning, we may terminate or suspend your Services. "

http://www.o2.co.uk/assets2/pdf/O2_Broadband_Fair_Use_Policy_06_09_10.pdf

So unless your on the basic package i would call and quote their terms and conditions and tell them to shut up.

lo_bush

Oooh thanks for the quick reply I'll check what our package is called but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the basics package. Can I just ask does 52 GB sound a particularly excessive amount to you, should I be getting the boys to curb it?

pcombo

well it depends on the period the of the usage. Also i checked 17.50 is the unlimited package with FUP 100GB so i would think you should be fine.

forgotmyname

The terms & conditions usually have an * next to them stating subject to fair use.

52GB is a lot 70+ decent quality films a month. What package are you on?

They only seem to list 3 on the website,

Basics £8.17 (13.28) with a 20GB limit.

All rounder £12.25 (17.36) Download as much as you want* ( Fair terms apply)

The works £20.42 (25.53) Download as much as you want* ( Fair terms apply)

My kids live on youtube and its easy to download a lot, Each visit to a video downloads it each time,
So by the time they have watched it several times then reloaded it to show everyone later its been
downloaded 20+ times. I installed a firefox plugin now so they can download the video's instead of
keep streaming them, Told them to do the same on BBC iPlayer as well.
Download and do not stream.

steveE2

Hmm I cannot work out which package you are on, it looks to be Access( which had a 40 Gb limit),did they not offer you the opportunity to upgrade?

Current packages are including mobile discount
Basics 20Gb @£8.17
All rounder 100Gb £12.25
The Works 250Gb £20.42

Access where O2 do NOT have their LLu equipment in your exchange 20 Gb limit £18.38

I dont think 52 GB is excessive but it depends on the package if you have gone over their FUP

espresso

lo_bush wrote: »

Oooh thanks for the quick reply I'll check what our package is called but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the basics package. Can I just ask does 52 GB sound a particularly excessive amount to you, should I be getting the boys to curb it?

You are on the old Access package where the download limit is 40GB for you as you joined before 14 July 2010. The info is given here.

The access package is provided when O2 do not have their own equipment in your exchange i.e. no LLU.

If you don't reduce your downloads to less than 40GB, they will terminate your contract, as no upgrade is possible on your exchange.

steveE2

Are there any LLu operstors at your exchange?
Put your number in http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_search to see whats available

lo_bush

Well I'm totally confused now! (as if I wasn't before)Just checked and it says on 'my O2' That I'm currently on the Access package and that has a set limit of 20GB but as far as I'm concerned it was 'unlimited' and that I am 'out of contract' but the woman on the phone said it was unlimited but with a fair usage policy applied of 40GB. However when I go into my account overview it says I have a 'useage' allowance of 40GB, which is different again. Help!!

lo_bush

steveE2 wrote: »

Are there any LLu operstors at your exchange?
Put your number in http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_search to see whats available

Only one on there is talktalk, is that good or bad?

lo_bush

espresso wrote: »

You are on the old Access package where the download limit is 40GB for you as you joined before 14 July 2010. The info is given here.

The access package is provided when O2 do not have their own equipment in your exchange i.e. no LLU.

If you don't reduce your downloads to less than 40GB, they will terminate your contract, as no upgrade is possible on your exchange.

Hmmm, sounds like I'm stuffed then basically!!