MWEB - Message from CEO - Acceptable Use Policy

[Chevron]

i am considering gold. just for the fact that if i have uncapped i do not want to be worried that it could be cancelled.

is your schlep because you have your line with mweb as well?

Schlep is one months cancellation notice. I'm not dumb enough to give an isp control of my line.

 

[Alestorm]

So basically Mweb release a product.
The product is advertised: shaped uncapped. NOT everything dead except HTTP.
...
I then find a way to get around this rubbish as this is not what I signed up for.

Interesting. I definitely don't have all (actually any) ports blocked, and in fact seeing as so many people are able to do hundreds of GB's even without bypassing the shaping I wonder how your connection is almost completely blocked for anything except http? Doesn't seem to be what most other people are getting. You sure you're not over exaggerating?

And completely bypassing the shaping is not getting what you signed up for, it's bypassing what you signed up for.. obviously.

 

[AntiThesis]

You are choosing not to see their answer in the response. They stated they are opposed to VPNs being used to download! It does not matter if mrudling feels it was out of peak period or not! Bottom line is that he was using a service to bypass any speed limitations imposed by MWeb. The claim of it being for privacy purposes has become the latest defence it seems....

I'm not - I see their answer, even see that it has elements of being correct. What I do see is a really ****ty attitude towards a customer who seemed to be doing his level best to learn how to comply with the AUP. Since it's changeable at all times, I presume you'd be happy with the following conversation:

Lancelot: Why have I been cut off? I've only done 5gb this month!
MWEB: STFU.
Lancelot: That doesn't answer any questions. How can I start complying and not get cut off?
MWEB: We said STFU.

Yes?

 

[Iorek]

I'm not - I see their answer, even see that it has elements of being correct. What I do see is a really ****ty attitude towards a customer who seemed to be doing his level best to learn how to comply with the AUP. Since it's changeable at all times, I presume you'd be happy with the following conversation:

Lancelot: Why have I been cut off? I've only done 5gb this month!
MWEB: STFU.
Lancelot: That doesn't answer any questions. How can I start complying and not get cut off?
MWEB: We said STFU.

Yes?

Nail on the head!

 

[milomak]

I'm not - I see their answer, even see that it has elements of being correct. What I do see is a really ****ty attitude towards a customer who seemed to be doing his level best to learn how to comply with the AUP. Since it's changeable at all times, I presume you'd be happy with the following conversation:

Lancelot: Why have I been cut off? I've only done 5gb this month!
MWEB: STFU.
Lancelot: That doesn't answer any questions. How can I start complying and not get cut off?
MWEB: We said STFU.

Yes?

exactly.

 

[LancelotSA]

I know I was not in line with their AUP. But, the way they are handling it and how they are treating the customers is wrong. Clearly they dont want me as a customer anymore and that is fine, its there right to tell me that, but I do feel that this entire thing should be handled a lot better. If its a thing of the VPN, cool, it will stop using it. If its a totla usage thing, cool, tell me what is "to much" and I will stay within those limits, or goto a nother proivder/product that will be better suited for my needs.

I dont want to start a war hear, but i do think MWEB users should be treated better. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had responces like this or if it was just me.

The thing is that I see them telling you exactly what the issue is :

First communication :

Second point was that have been using a VPN to do so.

Second response :

however the fact remains that by your own admission you have utilized a VPN Service to defeat the shaping on your account

Final response :

we have observed continuous use of an unshaping technique on your account

So what are you wanting them to say?

You probably will find that they are not interested in keeping you as a client as you have shown yourself to be a person who will seek out means by which to bypass their systems. They probably feel it is better to get rid of you.... of course that is my opinion and cannot be taken as the gospel of theirs.

 

[milomak]

ahh but they do want him as a customer. did they not advice he upgrade his package?

 

[Degaron]

You know the biggest problem here, everyone seems to be forgetting that MWEBS TV add Clearly states you can download as much as you want in any form and sizes.
So dont come with this T&C bull.
If you provide a service you must be able to cater the customers needs.

 

[marine1]

Interesting. I definitely don't have all (actually any) ports blocked, and in fact seeing as so many people are able to do hundreds of GB's even without bypassing the shaping I wonder how your connection is almost completely blocked for anything except http? Doesn't seem to be what most other people are getting. You sure you're not over exaggerating?

And completely bypassing the shaping is not getting what you signed up for, it's bypassing what you signed up for.. obviously.

I am over exageratting but then lets say that you manage to have a work around for downloading via HTTP, you are not breaking the rules.
Mweb have amended the rules now that they see people are actually using the service for what it was intended for and for what it was promised to do.

 

[LancelotSA]

ahh but they do want him as a customer. did they not advice he upgrade his package?

Yes, they want him as a client that they make a profit from... this is the point of being in business!

 

[LancelotSA]

Mweb have amended the rules now that they see people are actually using the service for what it was intended for and for what it was promised to do.

.....

12.6 We reserve the right to establish policies, rules and limitations, from time to time, concerning the use of the ADSL Service. You must comply with any bandwidth, data storage and other limitations we may impose, in our sole discretion. Failure to comply with these rules will result in your service being restricted, suspended or terminated, in our sole discretion.

You are the consumer. You have the power to move on and buy a product that suits you from a competitor....

 

[Iorek]

The thing is that I see them telling you exactly what the issue is :

First communication :



Second response :



Final response :



So what are you wanting them to say?

You probably will find that they are not interested in keeping you as a client as you have shown yourself to be a person who will seek out means by which to bypass their systems. They probably feel it is better to get rid of you.... of course that is my opinion and cannot be taken as the gospel of theirs.

So there should be no warning whatsoever?

Don't you think it would make more sense to warn someone after the first month and avoid forcing them to cancel/upgrade their account after three months?

 

[milomak]

Yes, they want him as a client that they make a profit from... this is the point of being in business!

and by being snotty in their response their are achieving this end goal?

 

[Kosmik]

It's normally the kids that don't play nice with others that get booted.

 

[AntiThesis]

The problem with saying that Mweb did right by mrudling by their responses is that all of his communications were approaching them to try and find a way to a) give them money and b) comply with their rules or at least c) get an exact idea of what is allowed and what is not. He showed a decrease in download amounts through the period so therefore the amount of data over the VPN means nothing. It would be just as easy for the consultant from the Abuse team to nail absolutely anyone who connects to any VPN and transmits 5mb across the connection. After all, you've clearly used an anti-shaping device.

The STFU approach of companies isn't something that's the norm anymore and it certainly shouldn't be when you're in such a very customer centric business. Word of mouth is a bitch and you can imagine that through disconnecting mrudling, jackbauer (who was actually using something deliberately to bypass shaping) and king_kraig, mweb have potentially alienated a few hundred other people. If they'd simply been approached, educated on the errors of their ways (or in the case of mrudling, told what his error actually was) it might well have had a different outcome. Instead, STFU and GTFO were employed and now they have three pissed off ex customers.

 

[LancelotSA]

So there should be no warning whatsoever?

Yeah, it is so unfair that you don't get warned first when you deliberately contravene the terms and conditions of a contract

 

[marine1]

.....





You are the consumer. You have the power to move on and buy a product that suits you from a competitor....

Lancelot, from whom exactly?
I tried Afrihost, tried Mweb.
I have not had any issues yet from Mweb to be honest but I see where this is heading.

 

[marine1]

Yeah, it is so unfair that you don't get warned first when you deliberately contravene the terms and conditions of a contract

Not the original T's and C's
Thats my point, it is easy to keep changing the rules

 

[LancelotSA]

It would be just as easy for the consultant from the Abuse team to nail absolutely anyone who connects to any VPN and transmits 5mb across the connection. After all, you've clearly used an anti-shaping device.

Feel free to try and get MWEB to post the evidence of mrudlings use over VPN. They clearly are not obligated to do so, however, I think from mrudling's own words you will find he used it extensively.....

WRT to the VPN, this was used to protect my privacy. I believe I have a right to do so. Understandably if large amounts of data are being transmitted over this protocol it could become an issue for you. However, if you look at the times of the data usage over this protocol you will notice that it is primarily after hours when it will not be at a determent to the MWEB network.

So if he felt there was no shaping after hours then why did he feel the need to use this service after hours? Because he wanted to max his speeds and not be limited to what MWEB felt.... in contravention of the terms!

Do you guys argue like this whenever someone contravenes a contract or is it only with ISPs?

 

[Iorek]

Yeah, it is so unfair that you don't get warned first when you deliberately contravene the terms and conditions of a contract

In no way did I say it was "unfair". But in terms of customer service, if he was warned after the first month:

a) He would have stopped using the VPN, kept his account, Mweb would have kept him as a customer and saved on two months of someone bypassing their shaping.

b) He would have ignored the warning and they would have forced him to cancel/upgrade after three months anyway.

Would that not have been more sensible?