Giffgaff finds 1% of it's user using 33% of it's total data capacity

[hecatae]

more here: http://www.ispreview.co.uk/story/2012/01/12/giffgaff-clamps-down-hard-on-heavy-uk-mobile-broadband-abusers.html

so they are disconnecting users from an unlimited service :eek:

glad I've not joined them

[Ben]

I love how it always seems to come as a surprise that x% of customers are using xx% of total data transfer!

I'm much more in favour of transparently laid out tariffs where the customer knows exactly where they stand. This mirky attitude of picking off the highest-consuming customers is just bizarre.

[Hands0n]

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) warned in September 2011 (here) that, effective from 1st April 2012, "the term "unlimited" can only be used if the customer incurs no additional charge or suspension of service as a consequence of exceeding a usage threshold associated with a Fair Usage Policy (FUP), a traffic management policy or similar." Any limits that are imposed must also be "moderate only and clearly explained".

It seems that giffgaff are being quite a bit specious here by not actually defining any such FUP or policy they seem to have neatly side stepped the ASA's requirements. They can hand on heart state that they "do not have any of the above" and so the ASA's conditions do not apply to them.

I hope that the ASA gives them a good hearty slap for this. It is outrageous and I am sick and tired of this abuse of the English language purely for marketing purposes that is nothing more than a cynical cheat against the customer.

[Ben]

I am sick and tired of this abuse of the English language purely for marketing purposes that is nothing more than a cynical cheat against the customer.
Hear, hear!

[3GScottishUser]

GiffGaff are pretty straightforward really.

They offer some goodybags that provide unlimited Internet on a mobile phone. That is quite straightforward.

They also offer goodybags for data with specific allowances for users who want to use dongles or tethering and those are available at various prices.

Where the confusion appears to be is the usual nonsense when idiots ignore the rules they sign up to and tether a handset or use a SIM in a dongle and try to rip GiffGaff off by downloading excessive amounts of data without a specific data plan. They get caught using their mobile phone goodybag unlimited Internet handset browsing allowance attempting to replace fixed line facilities. The limit that apparently triggers action from GiffGaff is 25GB a month! Not really possible using a mobile phone for browsing the Internet, unlimited or otherwise on a mobile phone!

Sadly it's just a few clowns trying to buy something that they know full well is not the product that suits their needs that has led to the negative feedback seen about GiffGaff lately.

People should not be crying foul when they get caught breaking the rules they signed up to.

[Hands0n]

People should not be crying foul when they get caught breaking the rules they signed up to.

I agree entirely. But that is no excuse for firms claiming their packages are Unlimited when they are nothing of the sort. giffgaff's own rules are 100% clear that tethering is not allowed and that the Unlimited use is for the smartphone only.