T-Mobile's fake "Unlimited" internet price plan.

spoovy

I recently signed up to a contract with T-Mobile (through the Carphone Warehouse) which explicitly stated "Unlimited" use of the internet. The handset is a smartphone, which came with several internet-using applications already installed (ie YouTube, Web Browser etc). I specifically went for this contract as I intended to use the internet to stream radio and video.

Two weeks later and I received a text message from T-Mobile telling me that I have reached my ("unlimited"!) internet usage limit. Services such as radio and video streaming are now blocked for the rest of the month.

In fact the small print of the contact (not mentioned to me by the Carphone Warehouse staff) states that I am actually subject to a "Fair Use Policy" which limits my internet use to 500MB per month! In case people don't know, a 90-minute film might be 800MB of data (roughly).

I actually might not have had a problem with being subject to a fair use policy (now I have read about them a bit), if I had been informed of it at the point of sale, and if it was actually fair! This one however sets ridiculously low usage limits, preventing me from using the phone in the way I intended to use it. I am now locked into a useless 24-month contract and I am absolutely furious, I feel like I have been mugged! Is there anything I can do about this?

PS I realise I should have scanned the small print but I didn't - an error on my part I suppose, but I thought the meaning of "Unlimited" was so clear and definate that there was no need.

macman

All 'unlimited' data contracts have an FUP applying I'm afraid.

kwikbreaks

I know my daughter just took on a T-Mobile smartphone contract with unlimited internet and wondered if she too had been stiffed.

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/deals/ shows if you go directly through T-Mobile you should be getting true unlimited so your complaint is directed at the wrong company - it isn't T-Mobile at fault it looks more like CarPhoneWarehouse - given the reputation they've made for themseleves with TalkTalk nothing about them surprises me.

Oh - going to T-Mobile through TopCashBack gave her a huge cashback deal too - £150 iirc although it's down to £120 now


http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/fairuse/
Truly unlimited internet

If you join T-Mobile before 30 September 2011 and select a 24-month price plan of £25 a month or more, the good news is that there's no fair use policy.

Annaanna_3

Yep - fair use policies on everything these days. Unlimited no longer means 'unlimited' I'm afraid.

spoovy

As I said, I do accept the principle of a fair use policy, as it would be possible for someone to abuse a truly unlimited connection by, for example, filesharing 24 hours a day seven days a week.

That isn't my issue; my issue is that the cap is set so ridiculously low that it prevents even normal, occasional use. I am allowed to use approximately two hours per month of streaming - any more than that counts as an "unreasonable" level of use, according to t-mobile.

Two hours use per month is sold as "Unlimited Use"!?!? How on earth is this legal?

kwikbreaks

spoovy wrote: »

How on earth is this legal?

Because they put a little * against the Unlimited and say Subject to FUP together with a link to that FUP at the bottom.

Unfortunately it's up to you to read contracts before signing them and 5 minutes research would have shown both that and the fact that you could get truly unlimited via T-Mobile themselves on some contracts.

They are indeed shysters but so are most providers. That's why it pays to research online and avoid impulse buys in bricks and mortar retailers where (I suspect) the sales staff get minimum wage and can only top that up with commission.

bunberry

When I go over my tmobile allowance I get a text saying "between 4pm - midnight only web browsing will be possible" so it doesn't affect my usage before 4pm.

Did you get the same message?

AFAIK the only network provider offering truly unlimited data is 3 with their One Plan.

bod1467

bunberry wrote: »

AFAIK the only network provider offering truly unlimited data is 3 with their One Plan.

GiffGaff offer truly unlimited on their SIM-only plan with their £15 goody bag. (According to their website).

useless_git_requires_wife

Just a straight-up con in my view.

c-m

I'm surprised you aren't stuck at 0.35Mbps if you bought through a third party.

You should have bought via t-mobile direct, as they are doing unlimited data with no FUP on certain contracts. Plus £150 via quidco.

Giffgaff are good, if O2 works well in your area, but beware they do not offer any data roaming, or roaming bundles, if that's important to you.

spoovy

I expected people to make the point that I should have read the contract carefully, and I accept that point, but this is still a plain and simple con in my eyes, small print or no.

It was a nice sunny day when I walked into the shop; I was happy, optimistic, my usual cynicism was temporarily reduced, and oh how I got stung for it. And people wonder why Brits are such a bunch of miserable b*stards.