O2 Access Unlimited has 40GB fair usage limit! How can I complain effectively?

planimals

As a rural user, I signed up to O2's Access package over two years ago. The package offered 'unlimited' downloads.

Today, I received my second warning from them in six months for using 'significant amounts' of their 'network capacity'.

I called them today (they were calling my home all morning but wouldn't tell my partner why). Instead of going to sales, I found myself speaking to a technical advisor. He disclosed to me that the acceptable use limit is 40GB.

I wouldn't consider myself a heavy internet user. In fact, I was actually quoted my internet usage for last month: 56GB. That's 16GB over their fair usage threshold of 40GB. For the uninformed, 40GB is a very stingy limit and I expect it was the three films I downloaded from iTunes last month that pushed me over.

This is from their Fair Usage Policy:

4.1 Unless you are a customer signing up or moving to our Access package after 14th July
2010, there is no limit on the monthly network usage. However if 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 do not
immediately decrease after the warning, we may terminate or suspend your Services.

It does not state what that 'excess' might be.

So, I've been paying £22 a month for two years for a 40GB/month connection believing I was paying for 'unlimited' downloads. Now, I'm not naive enough to actually believe 'unlimited' means 'unlimited' but 40GB is far from excessive. One would have thought they owe me something! 'Ripped off' springs to mind.

I want to complain about this. And, I want to complain effectively. It would be obviously wrong if I were sold a car that was said to travel unlimited miles per month only to find out it conks out at 40; so how come they can get away with this?

How can I complain about this with the utmost effectiveness? For the sake of myself and other O2 subscribers, how do I get them to offer what they advertise? (Before I jump ship to a better ISP, which I intend to do...)

For reference, here is the email I received:

We hope that you are enjoying your home broadband experience with us. Unfortunately, it looks like you’ve been using significant amounts of our network capacity and it’s affecting the service that our other customers get.

We need your help to make sure that all of our customers get the most from their broadband service. Here are some of the things you can do:
Be Aware - Make sure you know what’s using up a lot of bandwidth.
Peer-to-peer software - like Bittorrent. As these programs download and upload files, you might be using more than you realise.
File sharing - some programs might run continually in the background. If you turn off the ‘auto start’ setting you can stop this.
BBC iPlayer - If you’re using the old version, switch to the new version – it uses less capacity
Ask around - Someone else in your house might be using it more than you realise. Ask everyone to use a bit less
Lower your download speed - Most file sharing programs let you set a maximum download speed, please set yours to low.
Download an application that will monitor usage – There are lots available to download for free and it might help you keep an eye on how much you are downloading
And the simplest solution is to download and upload less.

Taking some or all of these steps will make sure all our customers get the most from their broadband. We’d like to help you sort this out as things unfortunately can’t carry on like this. Sadly, unless you cut down by next month, we’ll not be able to offer you a home broadband service. It’s not something we want to do, but it’s the only way to make sure all our customers get the same quality service.

And if you’ve got any questions or need some help to cut down, please call us.
Regards,

Felix Geyr

Head of O2 Home Broadband



This email is sent from Telef!nica O2 UK Limited.
Registered Office:
260 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 4DX.
Registered number: 1743099.

easyhost

planimals wrote: »

As a rural user, I signed up to O2's Access package over two years ago. The package offered 'unlimited' downloads.

Today, I received my second warning from them in six months for using 'significant amounts' of their 'network capacity'.

I called them today (they were calling my home all morning but wouldn't tell my partner why). Instead of going to sales, I found myself speaking to a technical advisor. He disclosed to me that the acceptable use limit is 40GB.

I wouldn't consider myself a heavy internet user. In fact, I was actually quoted my internet usage for last month: 56GB. That's 16GB over their fair usage threshold of 40GB. For the uninformed, 40GB is a very stingy limit and I expect it was the three films I downloaded from iTunes last month that pushed me over.

This is from their Fair Usage Policy:

4.1 Unless you are a customer signing up or moving to our Access package after 14th July
2010, there is no limit on the monthly network usage. However if 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 do not
immediately decrease after the warning, we may terminate or suspend your Services.

It does not state what that 'excess' might be.

So, I've been paying £22 a month for two years for a 40GB/month connection believing I was paying for 'unlimited' downloads. Now, I'm not naive enough to actually believe 'unlimited' means 'unlimited' but 40GB is far from excessive. One would have thought they owe me something! 'Ripped off' springs to mind.

I want to complain about this. And, I want to complain effectively. It would be obviously wrong if I were sold a car that was said to travel unlimited miles per month only to find out it conks out at 40; so how come they can get away with this?

How can I complain about this with the utmost effectiveness? For the sake of myself and other O2 subscribers, how do I get them to offer what they advertise? (Before I jump ship to a better ISP, which I intend to do...)

For reference, here is the email I received:

We hope that you are enjoying your home broadband experience with us. Unfortunately, it looks like you’ve been using significant amounts of our network capacity and it’s affecting the service that our other customers get.

We need your help to make sure that all of our customers get the most from their broadband service. Here are some of the things you can do:
Be Aware - Make sure you know what’s using up a lot of bandwidth.
Peer-to-peer software - like Bittorrent. As these programs download and upload files, you might be using more than you realise.
File sharing - some programs might run continually in the background. If you turn off the ‘auto start’ setting you can stop this.
BBC iPlayer - If you’re using the old version, switch to the new version – it uses less capacity
Ask around - Someone else in your house might be using it more than you realise. Ask everyone to use a bit less
Lower your download speed - Most file sharing programs let you set a maximum download speed, please set yours to low.
Download an application that will monitor usage – There are lots available to download for free and it might help you keep an eye on how much you are downloading
And the simplest solution is to download and upload less.

Taking some or all of these steps will make sure all our customers get the most from their broadband. We’d like to help you sort this out as things unfortunately can’t carry on like this. Sadly, unless you cut down by next month, we’ll not be able to offer you a home broadband service. It’s not something we want to do, but it’s the only way to make sure all our customers get the same quality service.

And if you’ve got any questions or need some help to cut down, please call us.
Regards,

Felix Geyr

Head of O2 Home Broadband



This email is sent from Telef!nica O2 UK Limited.
Registered Office:
260 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 4DX.
Registered number: 1743099.

try the below


Chris.Kelly2@O2.COM
Chris Kelly | Telef!nica UK Limited
Executive Relations
T 0845 330 0683

ruggedtoast

You can complain but theres not much point. No ISP will offer real unlimited internet and in o2s case the worst that will happen to you is they will call it quits and send you off to find another ISP, releasing you from any contract you have.

O2 are trying quite hard to offload their old customers who are on unlimited legacy products. I was very happy with o2 for a couple of years, but when I moved house and tried to port my legacy LLU home broadband over they couldnt get rid of me fast enough. I doubt I averages more than 10 gig a month either.

coolsteel

I wasn't happy when O2 ditched me but went with plusnet with a generous 60 gig limit and unlimited midnight to 8am, O2 have done me a favour as plusnet is far faster and cheaper per month. I can actually stream video now!!

macman

Most people on O2 Access would dream of being able to use 40GB per month, such is the direness of the product (unlike O2 LLU).
Take your broadband contract elsewhere.

stilltheone

O2 Access is a BT product. It is offered where O2/Be have not installed their own equipment at the exchange. As macman has written, it is not related to their LLU product. If you think that they won't enforce a Fair Use Policy on the Access/BT product, you should think again.
If you are not happy, 'jump ship' to an ISP who offers you a higher limit. Why complain if they are not charging you or threatening to charge you extra? Just move.

bluffer

coolsteel wrote: »

I wasn't happy when O2 ditched me but went with plusnet with a generous 60 gig limit and unlimited midnight to 8am, O2 have done me a favour as plusnet is far faster and cheaper per month. I can actually stream video now!!

what amazes me is that o2 dont tell you on their website what you use month by month. i mean they are supposed to be a communications technology company, right?

i am somehow on a month to month contract with them even though i agreed on a sales call about 9mths ago to a new 18mth contract - i got my free 3 months but they didnt register the deal! :T

when i phoned a couple of days ago they said any new deal with them would have a cap will call them up again and play them against plusnet. both give cashback on topcashback

stilltheone

bluffer wrote: »

what amazes me is that o2 dont tell you on their website what you use month by month. i mean they are supposed to be a communications technology company, right?

i am somehow on a month to month contract with them even though i agreed on a sales call about 9mths ago to a new 18mth contract - i got my free 3 months but they didnt register the deal! :T

when i phoned a couple of days ago they said any new deal with them would have a cap will call them up again and play them against plusnet. both give cashback on topcashback

If you don't have a cap now, it could be that you are on LLU. Think about that before you consider about moving to a BT product.

macman

If you're LLU, you'll have to go back via BT line rental anyway.