topic Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE! in Mobile Data

Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

MmmToast — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 12:59:24 GMT

Again, I have a FUP problem. Or have I? The most frustrating thing is I can't find out how much data I have used so far this month, because the unlimited line's page on my account always shows "you have used null of null" or some useless information.

The only way to find out is to hang on the myee app chat for at least 30 mins, to have the confirmation. Too late to do anything about it.

So now the family think I'm scrooge for allowing the internet to fail over Christmas. Thanks EE.

Please EE, this has been an issue for years. Give me the ability to see how much fuel is left in the tank, "Null" is useless.

There's no excuse, your systems can obviously provide this information because all my other SIMs on the account, which have a fixed amount of data, can show this.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

Leanne_T — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 14:42:13 GMT

Hi @MmmToast

Thanks for coming here.

Did you receive a notification from EE when you had used 80% of the giftable data from the unlimited plan?

I am sorry unlimited data will not show how much has been used in your EE account.

Leanne.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

MmmToast — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:16:50 GMT

@Leanne_T wrote:
I am sorry unlimited data will not show how much has been used in your EE account.

Yes, this is the problem. What is OFCOM's position on obscuring usage of a service?

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

Chris_B — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:31:24 GMT

@MmmToast Try texting BALANCE to 150

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

MmmToast — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:48:37 GMT

Sorry I thought I was posting in the Mobile Broadband section but I see my post is not categorised like that.

SIM is in a router. Limited capability to send SMS, but I will try. Edit.... Done - Reply is also unhelpful

Your current charges to go onto your next bill are £0.00 (this excludes line rental, VAT & any unprocessed charges). You have unlimited data. For info on our other Text Services, reply HELP or go to ee.co.uk/text150

It seems to me this is not an omission, but a deliberate business decision.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

2023tmobileuser — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 17:33:16 GMT

you should call ee and threaten to make a complaint to ofcom and the ASA for miselling of unlimited data, unlimited should mean this: not limited or restricted in terms of number, quantity, or extent. 600GB is not unlimited. a threat of a complaint will probably make EE remove the fair use policy from your account. if that does not work you should switch to vodafone or three, they do not have a fair use policy on unlimited data

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

XRaySpeX — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 04:39:51 GMT

@2023tmobileuser : "Unlimited" does mean "Unlimited". It's just that due to the FUP it is dead slow above 600 GB pm.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

MmmToast — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 13:38:01 GMT

My principles align with 2023tmobileuser

Advertising should not lie, mislead or manipulate. The word "unlimited" has a very clear definition, there are NO limits. At all. That is what it means. It's absolutely fine to have an "all you can eat" product for marketing purposes, which does have an eventually limit. But do not call it unlimited. I feel that any other interpretation is a debate over what's an acceptable degree of lying.

But I am not naive. I already know they are lying, what I truly resent is the lack of information.

The ASA will not look into individual complaints, however if enough people complain, they will. This is their rule:

https://www.asa.org.uk/static/uploaded/cb2997ec-68d6-4a7d-9d3dd0ef7c168427.pdf

“Unlimited” claims are likely to be acceptable provided that:
• The legitimate user incurs no additional charge or suspension of service as a
consequence of exceeding any usage threshold associated with an FUP, traffic
management policy or the like; and
• Provider-imposed limitations that affect the speed or usage of the service are
moderate only and are clearly explained in the marketing communication.

With a stronger clarification made in 2014: https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/internet-unlimited.html

QUOTE:

"marketers will no longer be able to use a fair-use or traffic management policy to slow down legitimate users, nor will they be able to impose an additional charge or suspend the service. A policy which does not affect the majority of customers but impacts significantly on a small number of heavy users is unlikely to be considered “moderate”. "

So EE's FUP really doesn't align to policy. However, I would be satisifed IF it is made CLEAR to me when I am approaching the "Provider-imposed limitations that affect the speed or usage" in advance.

You find out AFTER you have hit the limit.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

XRaySpeX — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 13:14:42 GMT

ASA does handle individual complaints. I have done 1 or 2 & succeeded. Just follow Make a complaint

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

2023tmobileuser — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:31:51 GMT

giffgaff definately breaks these rules, i have seen posts on their forum saying people have had their sim card completely disconnected just for going over their 650GB fair use policy on their £35 "unlimited" plan

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

Leanne_T — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 15:49:19 GMT

Hi @MmmToast

You can find full details in our Unlimited Plans, Help page.

Leanne.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

XRaySpeX — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 16:22:03 GMT

@Leanne_T : That article is rather contradictory. In the main text it says it's uncapped, unlimited, unthrottled & non-FUP'ed for personal use but below in "The legal bit" it states:

We will consider usage above 600GB/month to be non-personal use and have the right to apply traffic management controls to deprioritise your mobile traffic during busy periods or to move you to a business plan.

So even if you are personal EE will assume you are non-personal when you exceed the previously non-existent FUP 😉 !

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

MmmToast — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 16:44:53 GMT

Thank you Leanne_T, I have read extensively and the conclusion is the same. The terms are not compliant with ASA rules.

EE seem to have a standpoint that EE can deem any consumer to be a business user and this is being used as a loophole to avoid having to comply.

Yet in UK law, notification of such a non-compliance with terms is mandatory for it to be lawful. I.e. EE must tell customers that they are in breach of terms in this manner. And that's what I want, to be told BEFORE it happens.

It's also worth re-noting that the ASA clarified in 2014 that ISPs are not to prejudice heavy users.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

MmmToast — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 18:31:51 GMT

I am not a heavy user. There are copious official usage reports which show that monthly average is very close to 600Gb for home broadband.

EE support deflect any question about how much data have I actually used, only saying I have gone above the 600Gb FUP. They will reset, but such reset only lasts 24hrs and then you have to waste another hour contacting support.

I live in a very rural location. I do not have the benefit of consumer choice that most of the population enjoys, so I can't just leave in a huff if a provider is being untruthful. So, I take terms as a solid promise and I read all the T&C before committing.

--------

Another problem I have uncovered today is that EE sales people are still selling standard mobile phone SIMs as suitable for use in a whole house router. These have a 600Gb FUP.

However, a SIM offered on https://ee.co.uk/broadband/mobile-broadband is possible with a 1000Gb/month FUP. So I have signed up for one of those, and I will keep both.

However, I still need EE to tell me how much data I am consuming, so I know when to switch SIMs, without having to endure a monthly throttling.

Yes, it's within your terms (which do not conform to ASA, but what the hell), but when those questionnaire about "Would you recommend EE?" come out, it's an emphatic no from me.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

ALT2 — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 18:36:36 GMT

Hi Leanne.

I two have an unlimited data amount. I’m I to believe that over the poultry 100gb gift data I risk a fair usage policy cap?

In todays world 100gb is not a lot I send 100mb plus images all the time so use 10gb on some days. Can you please say what the fair usage, policy actually is. Thanks you.

Re: Unlimited has hit FUP over Christmas. Show usage please EE!

XRaySpeX — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 18:42:37 GMT

@ALT2 : The 100GB pm gifting limit does not affect your own use. The 600GB pm FUP is considerably above that. Once you have surpassed the potential gifting limit you may carry on using your data for your own use. You just can't gift any further data to other users.