Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options

[passingbat]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Why?

Innocent as I'm sure it is, I object to VM changing my PC settings without informing me first and giving me the option. The default should be OFF

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by passingbat

Innocent as I'm sure it is, I object to VM changing my PC settings without informing me first and giving me the option. The default should be OFF

Technically they aren't going anywhere near your PC - it's all on Virgin's end

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by passingbat

Innocent as I'm sure it is, I object to VM changing my PC settings without informing me first and giving me the option. The default should be OFF

And as a point of principle it's fair enough, but it's not really doing any harm is it?

---------- Post added at 16:53 ---------- Previous post was at 16:52 ----------

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Technically they aren't going anywhere near your PC - it's all on Virgin's end

Another, very relevant, point

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by passingbat

Innocent as I'm sure it is, I object to VM changing my PC settings without informing me first and giving me the option. The default should be OFF

No setting are altered on your pc if you use google for instance this does not happen as it is set only on the Virgin Media home page.

[Toto]

Originally Posted by jempalmer

I was unaware of this until the thread was reopened. I checked and it seems that I am opted out. How often should one check? Presumably I'll be redirected to an ad laden page if it changes?

It's modem dependant, if you change modem, you are opted back in, so when you try a URL that should return NXDOMAIN, you'll be prompted with the VM "did you mean this?" search page. HTH

[carlwaring]

Which, surely, is actually more helpful? And, AFAIK, Google do a similar thing with search terms

I think people would like the option, rather than it being a default (if it is).

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Hugh

I think people would like the option, rather than it being a default (if it is).

It's opt out not opt in as standard.

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I had it come up out of the blue when I tried to access my banks website recently. There was nothing wrong with the URL and it accessed correctly once I disabled VM's interferance.

Sorry but I just don't believe that.

I'd rather see the raw server error...

If the URL was correct then there would have been no server error for VM's system to intercept.

...than VM's assumption of what I'm trying to access as for me it's likely to me of more use.

So you'd rather not know what was wrong?

[Sirius]

I already pay vm for my broadband, why should they then be allowed to make money from my search redirects when I was initially not told it was turned on ??. So glad I now know how to turn off the hijacking? I have never agreed with any system that automaticaly opts you in where there is a financial gain

[cookie_365]

I remember turning this off in the past, it now seems to have turned itself back on overnight.

This page claims you can turn it off by going to the advanced search settings page but all I get with that is a 503 Service Temporarily Unavailable error.

Not impressed.

[BenMcr]

The options page is working for me on my VM broadband connectiopn

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I wish they'd concentrate on making the network run fast and reliable....

Erm... they are doing

[ferretuk]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

The options page is working for me on my VM broadband connectiopn

Not working in Hitchin at 15:50 30/6

[tdadyslexia]

@ferretuk, It's working here in Middlesbrough.

Is it still not working for you?