How unlimited is unlimited?
 

As title says really. I had to call Virgin the other day as they tried charging me for a phone call that is covered by my 0845 and 0870 numbers being free for the first 250 minutes. This was the first time I had called one and they tried charging me for it. So that got sorted, and then they asked me if I wanted to upgrade the BB from 30MB to 60MB. I said no, and said that I had only literally 3 months ago upraded my BB package.

Then I got told that I was classed as a heavy user of the BB service, and they could see that between August 1 and when I called the other day I had downloaded over 54GB of stuff, and would I mind telling them what I used my BB for. I said yes I do mind telling you what I do online. I then said that I thought that it was unlimited usage each month, and the woman said oh it is. Until you go over 50GB in a month. So I said that's not unlimited usage each month then, from what you say there is a 50GB cap on the 30MB BB package.

This went round in circles for half an hour before I got fed up and hung up the phone. So is there really a cap per month, or is she just trying to talk me into upgrading and earning a bit of commission for the sale of a BB upgrade?

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

If you are using Newsgroups or P2P connections to do your downloading, then you'd be traffic managed if you exceeded the limits set out here.

So it's unlimited by data volume but limited by volume rate. I suppose semantically that does limit your download volume and it is not unlimited usage per month.

I find it distatseful that every tome one calls them they try to upsell; indeed I had a call from them the other day which was a hard, unnecessary upsell attempt to get me to take another Tivo box that I need like a hole in the head.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Confused as posted on another thread I phoned CS to give notice that I was going to another ISP. The guy I spoke to informed me that I was using 59Gb and other ISPs would charge quite a lot and went on to say " Virgin is the only true unlimited service so think long and hard before leaving" so I retracted my notice and I'm still looking.

The CS rep said he was going to send me an email confirming the data used, but it never arrived.

Then the information on this thread...so confused :confused:

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Thanks, that is what I thought. I very rarely use torrent sites, maybe like once or twice a year.

It's mainly the fact that I have to download all the WWE stuff for my brother, which comes to about 3 to 4GB a week.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

cough SKY cough Infinity cough

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

This is what they say on their site for the 60 meg service:

Fantastic for a few of you who have got lots to do online, fast.

Download music and HD movies quickly, seamlessly and often.


Totally at odds with what the OP has reported and what Taf says above.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Have they stopped him downloading anything? No.
Has his internet been completely cut off? No.
Or can he still download what he wants when he wants to? Yes.

So where's the problem, apart from a few words?

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

That has nothing to do with the OP's question, which was:

"So is there really a cap per month, or is she just trying to talk me into upgrading and earning a bit of commission for the sale of a BB upgrade? "

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

cough BE*There cough

Download as much as you like whenever you like. If they (try to) stop you, then they're breaking their own contract. Remember, they put STM in place to negate the need to cut people off due to excessive use and protect the network from overload.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Neither was your post; the one I was replying to :)

To answer the OP's question then... no and yes, probably.

---------- Post added at 13:26 ---------- Previous post was at 13:25 ----------

Of course, they haven't actually tried to stop him, or anyone else.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

It seems I have to speak to Taf's and the OP's points again.

In other words, if the fanfare VM advertising says that if you've got "lots to do online, fast" and download "...HD movies quickly, ... and often" but the various STM/usage policies limit the meaning of the words "lots" and "quickly" then the OP has the answer to his question about what "unlimited" means in terms of Virgin Media speak.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

59GB a month or a day? That's barely above the light user tariffs of most ISPs.

And yes, there are plenty of other totally unlimited providers (including fibre ones) and at least one unlimited and unshaped provider.

---------- Post added at 14:00 ---------- Previous post was at 13:57 ----------

I would expect VM (and all ISPs) abide by ASA's guidelines on use of the term "Unlimited" rather than making up their own definition ("Virgin Media speak"):

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

As I pointed out on another thread, Virgin Media don't use the term 'unlimited' for cable broadband. Haven't done for months now.

They do however say:

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

What annoys me is that many times i and others have asked for the tools to be able to check what we have downloaded and we never get them, its fine someone saying download this tool on to EACH pc and then you will know. Why not just give us the tool to be able to see the total used on the connection as a whole. They have never given us this ability then we find out that customer service staff can see what we have downloaded at the drop of a hat. WHY then can we not see that data as well. ?????

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

For the current tools, I believe it's down to load. It's one thing to have an agent check the system when someone asks. It's a different thing to rollout that access to millions of customers and have it work reliably.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Ben

There is a limit on what you can download each month. The first limit is your up to speed; the second limit, which is a cap, is the throttle.

Whilst the first limit is an obvious one, the second is a limitation imposed by VM that prevents you achieving the first. I'm not against that because it helps me. But the word "unlimted" has no semantic difference from "no limit".

I suspect that the OP may have bought his service when, in the midst of all the "Broadband Con" furore, VM were using the word "unlimited" (now "no limit").

Anyway, I think the OP has been thoroughly answered by now and for some it might just be grumble time!

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

No you don't. The answers have clearly been given.

There is no cap on any of VM's cable broadband services.

---------- Post added at 14:22 ---------- Previous post was at 14:21 ----------

Which, of course, clearly they do.

---------- Post added at 14:23 ---------- Previous post was at 14:22 ----------

I'm sure there are plenty available on the internet :) I'm sure if VM supplied one for its customers it would be derided for... I don't know... fudging the figures or something :D So just use an ISP-independant product.

---------- Post added at 14:28 ---------- Previous post was at 14:23 ----------

Erm... okay.

Of course the third limit is the number of days in a month :rolleyes:

Re BIB. WRONG! If you cap something it stops dead completely. None of VM's cable broadband services stop completely dead; ever.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Seems to me that, despite claims to the contrary, someone here has way too much time on his hands...

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Thanks for all the answers, wish I hadn't asked now.

So I can download as much as I want, within reason I think is the ultimate answer.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

BT has more customers and manages it just fine...

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

And that proves what? Apart from they've built their current tools to be customer facing and to cope with that level of access.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Thanks for editing my post to change its meaning and being fallacious as you usually do.

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

That's about it. Remember that it is a consumer, contended, service so the more you hog your connection may degrade the service for those who share your connection in the local green cabinet :)

---------- Post added at 15:13 ---------- Previous post was at 15:10 ----------

Nonsense. Firstly, no-one but you can edit your posts. But I know what you meant ;)

The original quote was
All I did was take out the reference to "all ISPs". Oh yes, and add in a word you missed out.

So I can't see how that changed anything of the meaning of your post :confused:

Re: How unlimited is unlimited?
 

Thread closed at request of thread starter.

Oh look, a little argument stems out of nowhere. Only one person I know around here is capable of achieving this. Hello Carlwaring. :wavey: