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Fair Usage Policy scam uncovered!

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. :mad:

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! :D
 
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Found this on google

http://tiscaliprocess.tripod.com/

Q) When are the bandwidth restrictions applied on the customers?

A) When their VP is congested.



Q) Why have we decided to restrict some heavy users on our network?

A) To ensure the fair allocation of bandwidth on the Tiscali Datastream Network







Q) In the FUP graph, what does each color signify?

o The green area shows the time when the user is not over using the bandwidth and their bandwidth is not restricted.

o The orange area shows the time when the user is over using their bandwidth, but they have not had bandwidth restriction applied, because their VP is not in congestion.

o The red area shows the time when their bandwidth has been restricted.

o The blue area shows that their bandwidth has been manually unrestricted by MK Tech services.



Q) What will you explain the customer if you receive an escalation where a customer is experiencing slow speeds, and the VP graphs show that the customers bandwidth is being restricted?

A). We must advise the customer that we are escalating the issue to 3rd line who will contact them. Under no circumstances are we supposed to inform the customer of the bandwidth management.



Q) Where would you escalate the issue, if the customer is very irate and he has called in more than three times, in last ten days?

A) BB Technical Escalations
 
Where can I find the poll. I'm fed up with tiscali and can't get a blody MAC from them.
Any clue on how I can get that without commiting a crime!!
 
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Where can I find the poll. I'm fed up with tiscali and can't get a blody MAC from them.
Any clue on how I can get that without commiting a crime!!

Hi, sadly... the only thing you can do is kick of with cancellations line, advise them you are having your usage managed under the fup, and quote their exact wording in their final warning letter... "those affected by the fup can seemlessly migrate to another broadband provider".

Your alternative is to sue the pants off them, and whilst your there get them under the trade descriptions act and distance sellers regulations.

You have a right under the distance sellers regulations to have a product you are purchasing explained in clear and consise detail... non of this Tiscali 2 MB Unlimited* Broadband (*fair usage policy applies) conn.

And under trade descriptions act, you cannot even use the word "unlimited" if a product has limitations, such as only being able to use it on a "limited" capacity during peak hours (1800 - 2300 hrs).

I would sue them, but apparently I haven't got a leg to stand on (says customer services), I wouldn't want to risk another penny on tiscali at the moment... perhaps when my contract has expired I can then recover a portion of what I have payed to them through the courts.

I wouldn't expect tiscali to be able to mount a legitamate legal defense in time if I did issue the small claims court forms. As when you try to contact them for anything else, it takes them ages to respond. So, I would assume that tiscali would loose by default. By not returning the court forms in time or just not attending on the dates set by the court.

When I explain it like that, it is really tempting to sue... heh heh :laugh:
 
The thing is I'm not a heavy user. Just work, ebay and emails.
I ended by signing up with aol dial up, so I can use it when tiscali is really sucks.
 
l maybe a heavy user, but when l signed up to DSL l signed up with a company called Central point.. which had "no fair usage policy" at all shortly after signing up l was hit with it.. towards the end of Central Point l found out that l was on a resold tiscali business package and that is was a managed network.. suffice to say l was furious that ld been limited when my contract stated no fair usage, however l only stayed due to the fact l was unable to move due to the buy out l found out afterwards when fast24 bought them out... was on their network for a spell until it went down.. that's when it went to hell and lve been on the tiscali based connection and as of yet still haven't been contacted about my cease date.
 
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