If there is no such thing as unlimited then why do they offer unlimited usage when you sign up.

I really have no clue as to whats going on, and have just stated what i was told today on the phone that i went over my monthly limit of 60gb and my speed has been capped.

it says unlimited with usually a * at the end of it, then it will say subject to fair use policy

i dont know why you got told you went over a limit of 60GB, i have done twice that since there is 4 computers using this internet connection and no warning, check the package that you have signed up to and remember that if you signed with after feb 07 then you are subject to a different contract than those who joined before

In reply to:

---

it says unlimited with usually a * at the end of it, then it will say subject to fair use policy

---

If AOL said "Unlimited Broadband *(not really unlimited)" I doubt they would get away with it, but I fail to see the difference with what they are doing now...

Yes, they say that "downloads are unlimited, but we may limit your speed at peak time". Technically by reducing your speed they are reducing the amount that you would normally be able to download under normal circumstances, so they ARE actually placing a limit on your connection.

In reply to:

---

I was going to cancel my account in dec 06 after 4 years because of inconsistent speeds, the women offered me the platinum package and unlimited broadband for 24.99 plus a wireless router since aol was the only service i could get in my area with unlimted usage i accepted. surely that person knew aol were going to be capping there users when she offered me the new contract.

---

The T&C's changed in Feb. AOL said they emailed all customers but some like you claim they were not aware of this so you can draw your own conclusions from that.

This is why with any ISP these days you should:

a) avoid long term contracts;

b) check the forums regularly to ensure you are in the loop on any changes

In reply to:

---

And now BT have just started a new unlimted package of speeds up to 8mb for 22.99 a month, typical.

---

Its not unlimited. Its subject to a FUP and there's no way BT will allow customers to download hundreds of GB's a month for

In reply to:

---

If there is no such thing as unlimited then why do they offer unlimited usage when you sign up.

---

Because they want to sign up customers who believe it and then lock them into long term contracts so they have no escape.

Also because they know the regulators don't care about ISP's lying about unlimited. You can't blame them for pulling a fast one if the watchdog isn't bothered.

In reply to:

---

sorry your completely wrong. An ISP will only throttle during peak hours.. if they done any longer periods of time it would be suicide for them and they know that.

---

How do you know their definition of peak hours won't change? The ISP won't tell customers what the limits are so it beggars belief that you would trust them not to move the goalposts over time. The amount of traffic shaping could get worse, the peak time hours could be reduced and certain protocols could grind to a halt. They can do whatever they like due to the FUP - there's nothing you can do about it.

Anyway I can't really see the point of having broadband if you only get the speed you pay for at 3am.

Edited by deleted (Wed 18-Apr-07 09:34:31)

In reply to:

---

check the package that you have signed up to and remember that if you signed with after feb 07 then you are subject to a different contract than those who joined before

---

Not true.

The T&C's changed in Feb for everyone. You were deemed to have accepted it if you chose not to migrate.

In reply to:

---

Not true.

The T&C's changed in Feb for everyone. You were deemed to have accepted it if you chose not to migrate

---

To be fair NEARLY any ISP at anytime can do that, most including bethere have a little clause that says they can change the terms at any time.
When i was with Freeserve many moons ago they changed their terms, Pipex who i was with more recently changed their terms so many times i cant even remember lol
An ISP can be "unlimited" or whatever you want to call it one day and the next have fairuse policies and throttles coming out of their ears, it could even happen with bethere, so dont think it cant.

The real point to others is there is no point whinging, the easiest way is just move if you dont like what usage limits are being placed on your connection.

If AOL were capping on time used. This is what they told me also. Then surely everyone that used a router to connect to the internet would also be capped. My router is on 24/7. Its on all day because ADSL is an "always on" service. On Demand as it were. I asked about this when requesting a MAC code and Brian at AOL informed me that this was not the case. So why do they give away routers?.

It is possible to get out of the contract. It will take a few well worded letters and a threat of small claims court (remember you are not liable for costs at small claims). You could subscribe to a service that is bandwidth intensive (sky by broadband etc) and then claim that the service AOL is providing is "not fit for purpose". Theres many ways to approach this. A good place to start is the BBC watchdog website.

regards

m

If you're still in a contract, just quit anyway, instruct your bank not to allow any payments to them and refuse to pay. There isn't a lot they can do, they won't take legal action as it's not worth it to them.

If they claim you signed an agreement, tell them you didn't, clicking an "I Accept" button on a web form is not a legally binding contract. Even if it was, it's not worth it to them financially to take legal action, especially if you've only got a month or two to go.

I've done it, ISPs only say it to scare you.