Proving broadband usage limits

Davos

Good evening,

Just wondered if anybody knows of something or somehow to prove my broadband usage, how it's been used and what argument we have against Sky upselling to an unlimited package automatically?

To explain we've just moved house and took up the recent Sky offer that was detailed on MSE which includes the 25GB limited fibre broadband package which in the first month Sky are claiming we have exceeded that limit (25.5GB). We are not heavy users of broadband - a bit of surfing, emailing, online shopping etc. and some catch-up/on demand services (never in HD) - and didn't even have the PC connected up for the first 2 weeks of the billing period (it was still boxed up after the move)!

I contacted Sky in a bid to find out exactly what the allowance was used up on, so we could perhaps 'curb' that particular activity and prevent the automatic upsell to the unlimited package for an additional £20 per month, but they advised due to data protection stuff they are unable to give me a breakdown of our usage - all they can do is say we've used 25.5GB and gone over our allowance.

The cynical me suggested to the Sky operator that they could/were just ripping me off for another £20 per month - which he didn't deny I have to say - and there's nothing I could do to argue otherwise.

If we are using that amount of data then fair enough - i'll take them up on their half price offer of £10 for unlimited broadband but reading the typical usage descriptions 25GB should be plenty for what we use it for and any additional cost unnecessary.

I've been searching on here, looking at Ofcom, and googling generally (using works internet connection :-)) to see where we would stand if we go over our allowance again this month (twice in a 6 month period then its an automatic upgrade to the unlimited package) but without success... It seems a bit unfair Sky can just upgrade our service and charge us more just on their say so of our usage - and being a new contract we'd be tied in for the next 10 months.

Any help or advice would be appreciated

Thanks
David

kwikbreaks

Catchup and on demand video services and just plain YouTube are going to chew through 25GB pdq.

To be honest I fail to see any point in taking fibre if 25GB is sufficient unless the ADSL service is so poor video services won't run reasonably - say < 4Mpbs.

I don't know about Sky but I believe that the only reason BT offer restricted download services is a marketing ploy with all but the most parsimonious use resulting in an upgrade or over use charges.

I doubt that Sky's figures are deliberately wrong - if they were they'd get caught out for sure.

Neil_Jones

Video (in any form - YouTube, iPlayer, Sky on Demand etc) eats data like there's no tomorrow. Doesn't need to be HD, a 30 minute programme on Sky on Demand is, for ease of calculation, 500Mb. In 25Gb of allowance that alone is enough for 50 programmes + all your other online activities.

This might be of interest to you:
https://www.sky.com/help/articles/measure-your-broadband-usage

AndyPK

I recently joined a 50gb per month with virgin.

Being a low user myself and seeing sky did 25gb deals I thought I would be fine.

I'm easily going through 1gb per evening. And that is staying away from I player.

Virgin allow you to see usage on the website and are sensible if you go over your allowance £7.50.

Nilrem

AndyPK wrote: »

I recently joined a 50gb per month with virgin.

Being a low user myself and seeing sky did 25gb deals I thought I would be fine.

I'm easily going through 1gb per evening. And that is staying away from I player.

Virgin allow you to see usage on the website and are sensible if you go over your allowance £7.50.

Are you sure it's 50gb a month?
I didn't think any of their packages had a monthly limit for BB via cable (their basic package is however a 50mb connection)

Cycrow

Nilrem wrote: »

Are you sure it's 50gb a month?
I didn't think any of their packages had a monthly limit for BB via cable (their basic package is however a 50mb connection)

Its a new service they have just launched.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/06/virgin-media-uk-launches-50gb-capped-broadband-packages.html

Davos

Thanks all for your replies the summation of which is I need to upgrade to unlimited it seems...


We are 4 days into the next billing period and already we've used 2.7Gb!! That is during the working week when we are both out at work and equates to 2 soaps catch-ups by the wife, some email checking and facebook on phones, a Debenhams online order, a bit of banking and email on the PC and that's about all...


Thanks again for your help

AndyPK

If your are organised enough you could get a freeview series link video recorder to record your soaps so you don't need catchup regularly.
It's what I do.

But I guess other things will take you over the limit.

If you have 4G on your phones with large data packages you could turn off your wifi on your phones. It's s bit of a joke though.

kwikbreaks

I've always felt that limited download products were a marketing ploy designed to force any normal user into upgrades or paying excess use charges. Upgrading is your most sensible option by far rather than constantly worrying if you dare use the service.

Whenever you hunt around in future only compare unlimited products - there are probably ones cheaper than your capped service.

Nilrem

Cycrow wrote: »

Its a new service they have just launched.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/06/virgin-media-uk-launches-50gb-capped-broadband-packages.html

Cheers, that seems like a backwards move for VM given that you can burn through 50gb in a day or two with 50mb (and a few hours with 100mb), and they've always previously made a big thing about being unlimited.

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I've always felt that limited download products were a marketing ploy designed to force any normal user into upgrades or paying excess use charges. Upgrading is your most sensible option by far rather than constantly worrying if you dare use the service.

Whenever you hunt around in future only compare unlimited products - there are probably ones cheaper than your capped service.

Pretty much my view, I can't understand why anyone who actually uses the internet for more than just email/the odd shop would go with a limited package, especially when many of them are so limited that you can run through your allowance just looking at things like news sites on a daily basis (someone did a check on one of the big paper websites, and it used something like 100mb just sat on that one page for an hour as it continuously loaded new adverts).

AndyPK

Well I am personally very pleased with VM introducing this low level entry.

Having been a VM customer for 4 years I was getting sick of their price increases, having to negotiate, and then them sending something different through to what was agreed. I didn't do too badly out of it I guess. But they do try and charge a lot for their service.

My ADSL is 1 Mbps so needed something fibre and I wanted something cheap.

Nearly went with Talk Talk or SSE, until I noticed this VM package. think I had a lucky escape there!

When my promotional period ends (12m) I will be paying £14/month + LR which I think is good for a 50Mb connection.

The first month is unlimited so you can play with your new toy (excellent idea) and understand your real usage.

They will notify you 3 times when you are getting near your limit.

When you go over your limit you get a 2GB buffer free.

If you go over that you pay £7.50 and get the rest of the month unlimited.

To me paying the extra £7.50 makes that £21.50/month which is basically the cost of an unlimited VM connection (£19).

Therefore on the months I am under the limit I will save £5.
On months I go over, I will just be paying a normal VM unlimited subscription? +£2.50

I can't see what there isn't to like about it ?

Ok you could say £5 isn't a huge saving, but to me £14/month for BB sounds acceptable and £19 doesn't !