virgin internet FFS!

[JonnyK]

I hate them!!

we currently subscribe to the 37quid a month 20 mb unlimited broadband package with virgin..

anyways.. all of a sudden my internet drops really slow, I do the relevant tests to find out it is something on Virgin's end.

So, I call virgin about to rant about not getting the speed when I am paying for when the "call centre guy" tells me my internet has been capped until 9pm to 5mb as virgin have a "rule" whereby if there is high traffic, then the top 3% of uploaders/downloaders have thier connection capped!!

now my dad has checked the webpage etc... for new customers describing thier services and it says 20mb unlimited, nothing about fair use police or anything else.. as if we knew anything about a capping system we wouldnt use them, (crap as they are anyways!)..

so my dad is looking into talking to trading standards and ofcom, surely this cant be allowed!!?

 

[Final Maxim]

it will be in the FUP somewhere

 

[john182rs]

tell them your going to trading standards as i got a 20 meg connection with urgent buisness repair for the next 12 months at the cost of there 10 meg package plus tv an phone for bugger all.

 

[Has]

I hate them!!

we currently subscribe to the 37quid a month 20 mb unlimited broadband package with virgin..

anyways.. all of a sudden my internet drops really slow, I do the relevant tests to find out it is something on Virgin's end.

So, I call virgin about to rant about not getting the speed when I am paying for when the "call centre guy" tells me my internet has been capped until 9pm to 5mb as virgin have a "rule" whereby if there is high traffic, then the top 3% of uploaders/downloaders have thier connection capped!!

now my dad has checked the webpage etc... for new customers describing thier services and it says 20mb unlimited, nothing about fair use police or anything else.. as if we knew anything about a capping system we wouldnt use them, (crap as they are anyways!)..

so my dad is looking into talking to trading standards and ofcom, surely this cant be allowed!!?

Doesnt seem to apply to only the top 3% lol

My folks internet at home gets capped aswell everyday.

It sucks....
Ive not seen there FUP anywhere yet, anyone got a copy?

 

[JonnyK]

well, on the virgin site, if you have the broadband xl package, then the acceptable usage policy applies

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/legal/oncable/acceptableuse.html

but there is nothing here about download limits!

also, it clearly states on these two pages
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/faqs/bbfaqs.html#2
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/websales/product.do?id=3246

there are no download limits at all,, no fine print,, no nothing.

now according to advertising standards there must be some small print on the page etc.. or it is misleading!

and below is the b****cks they are imposing on my household!
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html

now.. we signed up for UNLIMITED, not download 3gb in an evening and be capped policy... as i download around 8gb a day and thats not including my other pc's in the house/ps3's etc..

is this legal?

 

[McBunny]

yes its legal they arnt imposing a download limit you can still download as much as you want they are just capping your speed and thats in the fup

 

[Rob_]

id say it was legal as you accept their rules and policys when you sign up

Ring up virgin and play your mouth ask to speak to the complaints department and stress your not happy with your slow speeds etc and its not the service you expect for £37 a month.

After a few phone calls i had my bill reduced from £37 to £25 which is the price 4mb normally costs

 

[JonnyK]

we did accept the rules and polices when we signed up... but this particular policy wasnt in place then.. shouldnt I have to agree to any new rules being imposed on me!?

 

[Rob_]

No companies are free to change terms and conditions when they want

It would of said somewhere something along the lines of

"These terms and conditions are subject to change"

 

[JonnyK]

lol the bottom line... this is ghey

 

[dougproctor]

The top 3% is rubbish as my speed drops to a crawl between about 1600 and 2100, no matter what I download. Apparently, I was told when Virgin took over Telewest and Ntl, their system could not cope with the extra demand and that's why we get lower speeds. I am on 4Mb and sometimes it takes up to 2 minutes to download a 1Mb file.
Crap system!

 

[Rob_]

The exchanges are overloaded thats the problem

When NTL/Telewest were in charge the exchanges were almost at capacity.

Virgin take over and do a advertising drive to get more people signed up to broadband etc but haven't spent any money on upgrading the exchanges.

 

[Daz]

If it's "really slow" then it's not 5Mb is it?

5Mb is perfectly acceptable.. infact, 2Mb is enough for most people.

Some ISPs drop you to 256k!

If you've maxed 20Mb connection (and you get 20Mb), then it's likely to be costing them more than you're paying. No internet connection is "unlimited" - it's just not financially possible.. as someone, somewhere, has to pay.

 

[dougproctor]

The problem is we never got a say in the taking over, it just happened. They sent out flyers and promised so much - better this, better that etc. All a pile of crap as we now now!
Time to vote with our feet. Trouble is, to go to BT from cable will require a new line which costs £130 to start with. Decisions........
And Daz - if we got even 2Mb most of the time, I would be happy but it doesn't happen unless you do your work between 0001 and 0700!

 

[Barron]

If it's "really slow" then it's not 5Mb is it?

5Mb is perfectly acceptable.. infact, 2Mb is enough for most people.

Some ISPs drop you to 256k!

If you've maxed 20Mb connection (and you get 20Mb), then it's likely to be costing them more than you're paying. No internet connection is "unlimited" - it's just not financially possible.. as someone, somewhere, has to pay.

BT dropped me to 1.2 mb during november as they werent impressed with me using newsgroup downloads during october :boring:

they dropped me to around 700kbs last night for no apparent reason aswell

so if your getting 5mb, nice one!

/carl

 

[JoelDee]

You'll never come close to the 20 mb speeds anyways

 

[sneeks]

I've always found my 20mb VM connection to be perfectly good and unless I download over 3gb between those peak hours then my connection speed does not drop.

They've recently reduced the peak time period, it used to apply until midnight.

 

[Longy]

This is why the future looks bleak for downloadable digital content like xbox movies etc. I was with Virgin ADSL and they where awful (56k speed on peak). luckily my new ISP is fantastic! constant 7mb day and night.

 

[rctempire]

NTL, they have a fair usage between 9am to 10pm at night i believe. Speeds are capped during these periods to at least half your speed. Download limits DO NOT apply however between 9am to 10pm you will be limited in speed.

After 10pm to 7am speeds are uncapped and my connection peaks at 20mb on some occations, and now no download limits are observed.

*Information above is reliable as from an ntl employee, not myself, times may be off as im doing it from mind*

 

[H182]

You'll never come close to the 20 mb speeds anyways

My brother can download at over 2MB a second on his connection if the server hosting is fast enough. It wouldn't bother me if I had a 20mb connection and it was lowered to 5mb for a few hours if I was whoring the connection. Its still better than my 2mb connection im stuck with now!

 

[Floodie]

You'll never come close to the 20 mb speeds anyways

I do, well almost... 1600-2100KB/sec before 4pm and after around 10pm'ish

 

[KDF]

This is whats in their FUP !


New Virgin 20mbit UNLIMITED connection*


*Anyone found trying to use the 20mbit connection will have their entire family killed including any distant relatives and pets. We also reserve the right to burn your house down !!

 

[BRUN]

your not alone mate, ive posted about this a few weeks ago, i think its time to get on the phone myself