This article is lengthy so please be patient! I have been a broadband customer with tiscali for the past 10 months, and quite recently I joined their discussion forum. This forum is where existing customers can discuss problems they are having with their service. I recently set up a poll on this discussion forum to find out how many customers are affected by the fair usage policy. To my amazement, tiscali responded by pulling the broadband discussion forum and deleting all of their customers negative comments regarding their Fair Usage Policy, requests for a MAC code and any other negative comments regarding their service. The broadband discussion forum is now invisible to me and perhaps other customers who have posted negative comments.
But, in the last 6 hours before this happened, I read through other customers comments and I can now conclude that the Fair Usage Policy is possibly imposed on 60% of all the customers that posted comments, regardless of heavy usage during peak hours (1800-2300 hrs). The reason for this conclusion is because of the overwhelming comments stating "FUP imposed? Don't use broadband during peak hours." or "FUP Warning, Why?". I posted a comment which probably hit the nail on the head,
I said: Conspiracy theory! I think tiscali are imposing their Fair Usage Policy on customers randomly, because if they didn't they would have to invest in more equipment and services to meet the needs of their customers. By Imposing the Fair Usage Policy in this way is like spreading butter on bread... they have to spread out the available bandwidth thinly in order to cover their ever expanding customer base, if they didn't they would not make money. The only reason that the Fair Usage Policy does not apply during off peak hours, is because there are less users on the sytem, therefore the bandwidth does not have to be spreak thinly and you get what you pay for. Any letters or e-mails regarding this policy is met with an automatic response letter that displays the terms and conditions of your contract and the fair usage terms and conditions. So with no comeback, tiscali win hands down.
They are even cheecky enough not to divulge specific details of what they consider to be heavy usage. For example, how many kb per second you can use during peak hours. If they did that, then they would be open to all sorts of complaints, as Tiscali allow you to see how much data you are downloading through their Internet Usage Screen, which could be used as ammunition against them. I have read comments also stating that tiscali have denied people access to these records, perhaps to avoid a conflict.
If nothing that I have stated here was plausable, then why did tiscali pull the forum and delete the comments of their own customers? I beleive this was a last resort attempt to silence their hord of unhappy customers, so that the new customers that join would not be subjected to potentially harmful information that could influence whether or not they cancelled their broadband during the cooling of period. After that, the contract is binding and tiscali wins another victory, and you can complain as much as you want... you will be lied to and ignored until your 12 months is up (by personal experience that's what I've encountered). If you want a MAC code to migrate or leave, it will cost you 12 months worth of broadband charges.
I am only detailing this information as a friendly warning to others who are considering joining tiscali. DON'T DO IT! Unless you want 12 months of misery and disatisfaction. You will be pleased to hear the some customers are rallying together to make individual complaints to BBC's Watchdog regarding the way tiscali are operating their service. If you unhappy with Tiscali, you have a right to write to watchdog and add to the ever expanding evidence that tiscali is the worst Broadband Provider in history. I would not be suprised if the company goes bankrupt from their own incompetance.
I would like to envite existing customers who read this to also post their vote an a poll I've set up named "Fair Usage Policy Poll", perhaps I may be able to get an accurate reading on how many people are affected through this forum. Thanks!
But, in the last 6 hours before this happened, I read through other customers comments and I can now conclude that the Fair Usage Policy is possibly imposed on 60% of all the customers that posted comments, regardless of heavy usage during peak hours (1800-2300 hrs). The reason for this conclusion is because of the overwhelming comments stating "FUP imposed? Don't use broadband during peak hours." or "FUP Warning, Why?". I posted a comment which probably hit the nail on the head,
I said: Conspiracy theory! I think tiscali are imposing their Fair Usage Policy on customers randomly, because if they didn't they would have to invest in more equipment and services to meet the needs of their customers. By Imposing the Fair Usage Policy in this way is like spreading butter on bread... they have to spread out the available bandwidth thinly in order to cover their ever expanding customer base, if they didn't they would not make money. The only reason that the Fair Usage Policy does not apply during off peak hours, is because there are less users on the sytem, therefore the bandwidth does not have to be spreak thinly and you get what you pay for. Any letters or e-mails regarding this policy is met with an automatic response letter that displays the terms and conditions of your contract and the fair usage terms and conditions. So with no comeback, tiscali win hands down.
They are even cheecky enough not to divulge specific details of what they consider to be heavy usage. For example, how many kb per second you can use during peak hours. If they did that, then they would be open to all sorts of complaints, as Tiscali allow you to see how much data you are downloading through their Internet Usage Screen, which could be used as ammunition against them. I have read comments also stating that tiscali have denied people access to these records, perhaps to avoid a conflict.
If nothing that I have stated here was plausable, then why did tiscali pull the forum and delete the comments of their own customers? I beleive this was a last resort attempt to silence their hord of unhappy customers, so that the new customers that join would not be subjected to potentially harmful information that could influence whether or not they cancelled their broadband during the cooling of period. After that, the contract is binding and tiscali wins another victory, and you can complain as much as you want... you will be lied to and ignored until your 12 months is up (by personal experience that's what I've encountered). If you want a MAC code to migrate or leave, it will cost you 12 months worth of broadband charges.
I am only detailing this information as a friendly warning to others who are considering joining tiscali. DON'T DO IT! Unless you want 12 months of misery and disatisfaction. You will be pleased to hear the some customers are rallying together to make individual complaints to BBC's Watchdog regarding the way tiscali are operating their service. If you unhappy with Tiscali, you have a right to write to watchdog and add to the ever expanding evidence that tiscali is the worst Broadband Provider in history. I would not be suprised if the company goes bankrupt from their own incompetance.
I would like to envite existing customers who read this to also post their vote an a poll I've set up named "Fair Usage Policy Poll", perhaps I may be able to get an accurate reading on how many people are affected through this forum. Thanks!
Last edited:























