When I was young I can remember going to the newsagents and asking for a ten pence mix. The shop owner would count out ten sweets (or the equivalent) and I would hand over ten pence and then have a bag full of sweets. Back then you knew what you would you get when you paid the money and would be able to sort out any problems should there be a sweet missing.
Today shouldn't be too dissimilar in that you pay for service and you either get it or you don't. There are always issues with the quality of service thus you have to look at the terms and conditions.
Now take O2 where I have been a customer of theres' for a number of years. I pay so much a month I get 600 minutes and 500 texts. If I use them the usage decreases until it gets to zero then I start paying.
I used to pay for their data bolt on called data max at 3GB a month where I knew I had up to 3GB of data allowance. Through being made redundant and reducing costs I decided to go to O2 simplicity where I was told the web bolt on was "unlimited" but subject to either a fair usage or excessive usage policy. On enquiring with the O2 customer advisor I pressed the person to try and get an actual figure explaining I use my phone for web, email and podcasts where the latter does use a lot of bandwidth. I got told you will be okay sir there is no limit. So I used this tariff for several months downloading between 2 and 4GB per month. I upgraded in May and got an E75 and pressed them again on the limit as I had changed my tariff explaining why and was told again no issue sir. So the latter months I have been using the phone to download and listen to my podcasts. Bearing in mind that I try to download out of hours because there are 10 weekly podcasts that I follow, you can understand I use a lot of bandwidth. I don't use my phone for tethering as I can do everything I need to on my handset.
Three months ago I used 3GB, the month after I used 4GB and last month I used 6GB.
I have now been sent a text that I have gone over my data allowance where I need to either cut down or get a bigger Bolt On to keep using the Internet.
Now this is where my issues start, firstly the web unlimited bolt on I have been told today is the largest they have therefore they cannot offer me an alternative.
On asking for the actual max amount I can download I am not being told a figure only that it is unlimited. However, I was then told not to download too much as I will get another text and might have my service restricted. I iterated that this is like driving down a road where there is a speed camera and then you get caught for speeding. However no one can tell me how fast I should be going.
This is an absolute joke and how they can advertise an unlimited tariff even with an excessive or fair usage policy and they cannot tell me what this is, is beyond belief. They are happy to take my money and police what I am doing but give me no clear guidance or indication on what the limit is.
When I used to pay for 60MB per month a few years ago I managed my usage to ensure I did not encure any charges. I would like to do this again but they they cannot help me.
Further as the conversation progressed it turns out because I using an HTC magic this is not an approved O2 phone so for an other reason I have been told to curb my usage. If I had either used the original E75 or had an IPhone then this would not have been an issue as O2 are aware they can potentially use a large amount of data and as such would not have said anything. I explained I like technology and will change my phone several times a year. However on this basis they could not sell me an upgrade as I was not due. I find the latter argument rubbish because @gerrymoth is on O2 and was on their Sim only deal and I know he switches the handsets he is testing and he to got a warning.
Therefore reading between the lines on this are O2 only telling me I can use the handset I have bought on their network, or are they telling me I can only use approved phones.
They could not put me onto an IPhone tariff, they cannot tell me what the cap is or the reporting levels through the month so I can manage my usage, they can only tell me it is unlimited.
Whilst I can make changes to my usage as not to engage the wrath of O2, it is about time there was a shake up in the industry and they gave clear guidelines on what unlimited means rather than advertising complete hogwash.
The gadget show ran a campaign on home broadband that was successful in getting the major ISPs to change their T&Cs and actually come clean on what they mean.
A similar shake down needs to happen in the mobile industry to all of the networks including O2 and be clear on what I am buying or at least offer a true unlimited tariff for more money of which I would glady pay for.
Just like my ten pence bag of sweets I know when the bag is empty I can either buy another bag or wait until next month. Rather than being told halfway through the bag that I am eating too much.
Today shouldn't be too dissimilar in that you pay for service and you either get it or you don't. There are always issues with the quality of service thus you have to look at the terms and conditions.
Now take O2 where I have been a customer of theres' for a number of years. I pay so much a month I get 600 minutes and 500 texts. If I use them the usage decreases until it gets to zero then I start paying.
I used to pay for their data bolt on called data max at 3GB a month where I knew I had up to 3GB of data allowance. Through being made redundant and reducing costs I decided to go to O2 simplicity where I was told the web bolt on was "unlimited" but subject to either a fair usage or excessive usage policy. On enquiring with the O2 customer advisor I pressed the person to try and get an actual figure explaining I use my phone for web, email and podcasts where the latter does use a lot of bandwidth. I got told you will be okay sir there is no limit. So I used this tariff for several months downloading between 2 and 4GB per month. I upgraded in May and got an E75 and pressed them again on the limit as I had changed my tariff explaining why and was told again no issue sir. So the latter months I have been using the phone to download and listen to my podcasts. Bearing in mind that I try to download out of hours because there are 10 weekly podcasts that I follow, you can understand I use a lot of bandwidth. I don't use my phone for tethering as I can do everything I need to on my handset.
Three months ago I used 3GB, the month after I used 4GB and last month I used 6GB.
I have now been sent a text that I have gone over my data allowance where I need to either cut down or get a bigger Bolt On to keep using the Internet.
Now this is where my issues start, firstly the web unlimited bolt on I have been told today is the largest they have therefore they cannot offer me an alternative.
On asking for the actual max amount I can download I am not being told a figure only that it is unlimited. However, I was then told not to download too much as I will get another text and might have my service restricted. I iterated that this is like driving down a road where there is a speed camera and then you get caught for speeding. However no one can tell me how fast I should be going.
This is an absolute joke and how they can advertise an unlimited tariff even with an excessive or fair usage policy and they cannot tell me what this is, is beyond belief. They are happy to take my money and police what I am doing but give me no clear guidance or indication on what the limit is.
When I used to pay for 60MB per month a few years ago I managed my usage to ensure I did not encure any charges. I would like to do this again but they they cannot help me.
Further as the conversation progressed it turns out because I using an HTC magic this is not an approved O2 phone so for an other reason I have been told to curb my usage. If I had either used the original E75 or had an IPhone then this would not have been an issue as O2 are aware they can potentially use a large amount of data and as such would not have said anything. I explained I like technology and will change my phone several times a year. However on this basis they could not sell me an upgrade as I was not due. I find the latter argument rubbish because @gerrymoth is on O2 and was on their Sim only deal and I know he switches the handsets he is testing and he to got a warning.
Therefore reading between the lines on this are O2 only telling me I can use the handset I have bought on their network, or are they telling me I can only use approved phones.
They could not put me onto an IPhone tariff, they cannot tell me what the cap is or the reporting levels through the month so I can manage my usage, they can only tell me it is unlimited.
Whilst I can make changes to my usage as not to engage the wrath of O2, it is about time there was a shake up in the industry and they gave clear guidelines on what unlimited means rather than advertising complete hogwash.
The gadget show ran a campaign on home broadband that was successful in getting the major ISPs to change their T&Cs and actually come clean on what they mean.
A similar shake down needs to happen in the mobile industry to all of the networks including O2 and be clear on what I am buying or at least offer a true unlimited tariff for more money of which I would glady pay for.
Just like my ten pence bag of sweets I know when the bag is empty I can either buy another bag or wait until next month. Rather than being told halfway through the bag that I am eating too much.
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