This is Tesco’s response to the email I sent yesterday about their Unlimited tarrif being subject to a limit, as explain in the post below this one. 

Tesco replied:

I am sorry to hear that you feel our advertising for the unlimited tariff is misleading.

Unfortunately, as with every network, there is a fair usage policy on the tariff, which has been set at £500.

I have replied to that:

Regardless of what other networks do and say, the fact is that you state that the tariff includes “Unlimited calls, texts and browsing” but it is limited; it’s limited to £500.  To say it is unlimited is not true.

I’ll post what they say next.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) recently said that telecoms companies can call their plans ‘unlimited’ even though they’re limited by the companies’ “fair use” policies.  This just does not make sense.

If the regulators can’t protect the consumer against such an obviously misleading practice, we can’t trust them to protect us against other bad practices.  It’s quite simple, you just ban the use of ‘unlimited’ if there are any limits at all on the tarrif.  If they don’t take action on this, the Regulators are either in the pockets of the telecoms companies or they are impotent and need reform; there’s no other explanation.

We as consumers need some sort of campaign for fair and honest treatment from these companies.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

Hello all. I know I said I wouldn’t start posting again until the end of August, but I’m a little ahead of schedule.

I’ve been looking into a new mobile phone and contract, and mobile phone companies keep telling me that they have ‘unlimited’ internet. Tesco told me this in person last week, and T-Mobile told me this over the phone today. But these ‘Unlimited’ deals are not unlimited. Here’s an example:

Despite the big print saying “£30pm for unlimited calls, texts and browsing”, the small print says “subject to a fair use limit of £500″.  So, it’s not unlimited, it’s limited to £500.

T-Mobile said today that I (currently) have unlimited data allowance on my £15pm SIM cards.  I said “It’s limited to 3GB, so how is it unlimited?” and he replied that if I exceed 3GB, I still have unlimited data but I’ll be charged for anything above the that.  I don’t think he’s right there either, but it does illustrate how these companies are trying to mislead people.

I just sent this email to Tesco Mobile and should receive a reply within 24 hours.

Subject:  Complaint about misleading advertising

Body:  Your advertising states “£30 per month for unlimited calls, texts and browsing”, then in small print states “Unlimited calls, texts and browsing subject to a fait use limit of £500″.  How can it be unlimited, and limited, at the same time.

I’ll let you know what they say.