Brakes on VM Broadband, Sunday Mail

"Virgin Media has been accused of misleading potential customers after a Financial Mail reader turned detective when his broadband download speed slowed to a crawl.
The customer from Tonbridge in Kent took action after his internet access became no faster than dial-up services.
A long exchange of emails with technical support failed to solve his problems.
After telephoning Virgin Media sales staff to cross-examine them with a series of pointed questions ,he discovered the company was deliberately choking off his service because he was a heavy internet user.
The events organiser said;" I was furious when I discovered this because the service is billed as " unlimited ".
" In order to find the " Fair use policy " you have to go to (through) nine web pages."
Virgin Media admits it slows the speed of the five per cent of its heaviest users, but the company told the customer there is a cap of five gigabytes-around eight hours of using BBCi player.
"What really infuriated me was how hard it was to dig up information." He said. " Time and again I was given false or misleading Data."
Virgin Media said some of the customers problems were due to faults.

Link?

[Berealwith]

Originally Posted by arcamalpha2004

"Virgin Media has been accused of misleading potential customers after a Financial Mail reader turned detective when his broadband download speed slowed to a crawl.
The customer from Tonbridge in Kent took action after his internet access became no faster than dial-up services.
A long exchange of emails with technical support failed to solve his problems.
After telephoning Virgin Media sales staff to cross-examine them with a series of pointed questions ,he discovered the company was deliberately choking off his service because he was a heavy internet user.
The events organiser said;" I was furious when I discovered this because the service is billed as " unlimited ".
" In order to find the " Fair use policy " you have to go to (through) nine web pages."
Virgin Media admits it slows the speed of the five per cent of its heaviest users, but the company told the customer there is a cap of five gigabytes-around eight hours of using BBCi player.
"What really infuriated me was how hard it was to dig up information." He said. " Time and again I was given false or misleading Data."
Virgin Media said some of the customers problems were due to faults.

Without seeing the link it’s a bit hard to comment. But from the way I was treated and the false information I had to go through I know how this VM customer felt. From what I experienced the whole system is geared up to treat you like a complete dunce, to slow down the information you need to get to grips with what the real problem is.

Then after that when you find out what the disruption/fault is yet another tennis match to get it sorted.

I have been on a few customer satisfaction training sessions myself. The main objective is to "Delight" your customer. In my opinion VM will never reach that.

[bonzoe]

An "events organiser", is that his business? If so why hasn't he got a business line?

[CrowmanUK]

If it slowed to dial up speeds and he was in the top 5%, it sounds like he was on ADSL, I was also told if I downloaded more than about 5 gig a week I'd get traffic managed. The cable traffic management is brilliant compared to the adsl version. I dont blame him for being hacked off

[Welshchris]

i had problems back last year when my 20mb connection was no faster than Dialup. Took Virgin From November 2007 - April 2008 to sort it as it was due to UBR over utilization

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Link?

No link, it was in yesterdays sunday mail money supplement.
If you go to the mail website it may be on their "moneymail" link, have not checked this out myself, I read and more or less word for word posted on here, the only thing I have not done is mention the persons name, I know there are likely to be some who would take issue if I mention a name even though it is in the public domain.
Have a look around for a sunday mail its in there, or take a chance and see if its on their website.

[frogstamper]

I can see it now "Exasperated from Tonbridge Wells writes in the Daily Mail".

I wouldn't even believe the obituaries in this doom laden right-wing rag, their journalistic accuracy isn't a lot better than the Sun's.

[psyfur]

Originally Posted by frogstamper

I can see it now "Exasperated from Tonbridge Wells writes in the Daily Mail".

I wouldn't even believe the obituaries in this doom laden right-wing rag, their journalistic accuracy isn't a lot better than the Sun's.

The last time I read the Mail they were spouting venom by saying pot was more dangerous than crack.... Mail is for board housewives and people that live in a bubble

Originally Posted by frogstamper

I can see it now "Exasperated from Tonbridge Wells writes in the Daily Mail".

I wouldn't even believe the obituaries in this doom laden right-wing rag, their journalistic accuracy isn't a lot better than the Sun's.

Have you actually taken the trouble to read the article? apparently not.
What you choose to believe is up to you.
I would not believe vm's response to this customers problems, that some of the issues were down to faults, but hey, its a free world

I tried to find it on-line when you originally posted, but couldn't find it in the MoneyMail section - so hard to comment.

Originally Posted by psyfur

The last time I read the Mail they were spouting venom by saying pot was more dangerous than crack.... Mail is for board housewives and people that live in a bubble

If you want to read about pot being more dangerous than crack there are more papers than the mail to choose from.
Bored Housewife? certainly not, living in a bubble? no.
It seems anything in the press highlighting vm's incompetence is greeted by some with ridicule.

---------- Post added at 19:50 ---------- Previous post was at 19:49 ----------

Originally Posted by foreverwar

I tried to find it on-line when you originally posted, but couldn't find it in the MoneyMail section - so hard to comment.

As I said, it was in the sunday mail, I dont know if it has been repeated on their website.
But atleast you have replied with some dignity.