OFCOM are currently refusing to deal with complaints about UK ISPs using TV
and RADIO adverts with the word "unlimited". OFCOM are referring people who
complain about misleading adverts to Trading Standards! They refuse to deal
with major UK companies although they acknowledged in a letter to me that
IPS's were misleading customers by using the word "unlimited" and they had
lots of similar complaints.

If you have been fobbed off by OFCOM and they have refused to deal with a
complaint they acknowledge exists - I suggest you send the letter with a
copy of your complaint to your local MP. Do OFCOM always refuse to take on
major companies? They suggest it is acceptable for the public to be misled
and for false advertising to continue on TV and radio.

On Mar 22, 11:23 pm, "Phil" <p...@nocompany.com> wrote:
is that possibly because complaints about advertising are the
responsibility of the Advertising Standards Authority ?

"The ASA is here to make sure all advertising, wherever it appears,
meets the high standards laid down in the advertising codes. Our
website will tell you more about the rules for advertising, let you
complain online, and explain how the ASA is working to keep UK
advertising standards as high as possible."

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/

Unfair contract terms or selling goods / services that are not as
described would be a Trading Standards issue.

Horses for courses.

Phil

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:23:13 -0000, "Phil" <phil@nocompany.com> wrote:


Naturally enough, since advertising is not within their remit.

they shouldn't be directing people to Trading Standards though,
because it is not within their remit either.

It is the Advertising Standards Authority they should be directing
people to.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Oxymoron: Safe Sex.
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

Alex Heney <me8@privacy.net> wrote:

But I'm sure I've read that the ASA has no power to enforce things. Surely
Trading Standards *are* the right place? It's them that normally force
organisations to change/withdraw misleading adverts, eg those for dodgy loan
companies.

--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Jeremy C B Nicoll wrote:

However Trading Standards are simply local entities with no broad remit to
tackle countrywide abuse.

Graham

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:23:13 -0000, "Phil" <phil@nocompany.com> wrote:

|!OFCOM are currently refusing to deal with complaints about UK ISPs using TV
|!and RADIO adverts with the word "unlimited". OFCOM are referring people who
|!complain about misleading adverts to Trading Standards! They refuse to deal
|!with major UK companies although they acknowledged in a letter to me that
|!IPS's were misleading customers by using the word "unlimited" and they had
|!lots of similar complaints.
|!
|!If you have been fobbed off by OFCOM and they have refused to deal with a
|!complaint they acknowledge exists - I suggest you send the letter with a
|!copy of your complaint to your local MP. Do OFCOM always refuse to take on
|!major companies? They suggest it is acceptable for the public to be misled
|!and for false advertising to continue on TV and radio.

A copy of complaint letters to the Advertising Standards Authority
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/ would also be useful.
--
Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.

Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

On the other other hand, the man in the street can't contact their local
TSOs very easily; you ring the national Consumer Direct (or whatever it is
called) line and they give advice and they pass local problems on to your
local TSOs if necessary. Perhaps CD should be asked who the enforcer for
this issue is.


--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

"Jeremy C B Nicoll" <jeremy@omba.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:gemini.jfcm6o0006nyg02n8@omba.demon.invalid.. .
I suppose that depends on who you call. I phone up my local council and ask
for trading standards, they put me through straight away.

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:09:11 +0000, Dave Fawthrop
<invalid@hyphenologist.co.uk.invalid> wrote:

They have had several complaints on this issue and have decided it
isn't misleading. See
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudicati...ation_id=41287
for one of them.

--
Peter Parry WPP Ltd http://www.wpp.ltd.uk
Antenna solutions for car, caravan, house, office, boat and tent.
Fixed Telephone wiring guide at :-
http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wi...telephone.html

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:34:39 +0000, Peter Parry <peter@wpp.ltd.uk> wrote:

|!On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:09:11 +0000, Dave Fawthrop
|!<invalid@hyphenologist.co.uk.invalid> wrote:
|!
|!>A copy of complaint letters to the Advertising Standards Authority
|!>http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/ would also be useful.
|!
|!They have had several complaints on this issue and have decided it
|!isn't misleading. See
|!http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudicati...ation_id=41287
|!for one of them.

Maybe a few more complaints would move ASA.
--
Dave Fawthrop <sf hyphenologist.co.uk> 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.

On 23-Mar-2007, "PhilT" <newsnet@gmail.com> wrote:

If you sign up for an ISP where there is a fair useage term in the
contract then you have no redress. Likewise "up to" means
they can give you 2 Kbps and claim they are meeting the
contract, "We do not guarantee that you will get better than".

If you are promised "unlimited" with no get out clause or
fair useage clause then pay your 30 quid and file a Small
Claims in the County Court for breach of contract, if
you win you will create a precedent, if you lose all you've
lost is the 30 quid. Before embarking on this you would
need to prove some form of "limiting" and I expect that
the ISP would claim "network congestion" outside their
control and possibly outside their network.

In article <17b70398hp69ddbi12bgtgtocbsut3o17i@4ax.com>,
Peter Parry <peter@wpp.ltd.uk> wrote:
And bear in mind that the ASA isn't an "authority" in any real terms. It
is a voluntary body set up by the advertising industry and has no powers -
though, to be fair, major advertisers often accept its censure and
sometimes drop or amend offending adverts.

--
Roger Hird
rl.hird@orpheusmail.co.uk
Website: http://roger.hird.orpheusweb.co.uk

Jeremy C B Nicoll wrote:

Really ? I have done.

Graham

On 23 Mar 2007, Dave Fawthrop wrote:

Someone has started a petition on the 10 Downing Street site against ISPs
using 'unlimited'. It probably needs widening to cover phone companies
in general terms, too, so "unlimited text messages" and "unlimited calls"
(for SMS and voice calls) cannot be included.

Was it O2 that decided "unlimited" text messages had been "over used"
by people with hearing problems? For voice calls the phone service
can decide that a "personal" user is actually a "business" user if
the person makes "lots" of calls (and then charges them for those
calls, after the decision).

"Phil" <phil@nocompany.com> wrote in message
news:46030fea$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
Yes. A friend had a major billing dispute with BT and OfCom refused to get
involved in any way. They are just a doormat for big business. Similarly
OfWat which I've rechristened OfTwat.

(kim)

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:18:22 +0000 (GMT), in uk.telecom.broadband ,
Roger Hird <rl.hird@orpheusmail.co.uk> wrote:

Not entirely true. As with all self-regulating schemes, it exists by
agreement amongst its members. A participating company is essentially
obligated to abide by its decisions, and once an adverse ruling has
been made media outlets will generally refuse to carry the advert
again. Ultimately the ASA will refer a persistent breach to the OFT.
--
Mark McIntyre

"Phil" <phil@nocompany.com> wrote:

OFCOM are essentially funded by those major companies. They're hardly
likely to upset them and put a stop to their hefty lunches.

JC

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 01:45:20 +0000, Jeremy C B Nicoll
<jeremy@omba.demon.co.uk> wrote:

TS have no power to force withdrawal of misleading adverts.

ASA have no power to take people to court over it, but they have
enough powers that if they say an advert must be withdrawn, it will
be. No reputable media will publish an advert that has been banned by
the ASA.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:56:48 +0000, Jeremy C B Nicoll
<jeremy@omba.demon.co.uk> wrote:

Why on earth do you think that?

When I have needed to contact TS, I just picked up the phone book, and
looked up their number under the local Council.

I suppose it isn't *that* easy if you are "in the street", but even
then, you only have to phone directory enquiries first :-)
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Bugs are Sons of Glitches!
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 21:59:11 +0000, in uk.telecom.broadband , Alex
Heney <me8@privacy.net> wrote:

TS can and do however initiate prosecutions if the material warrants
it. See for example

http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/Generat...0&MENU_ID=1574


--
Mark McIntyre