Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Doctorow Tears Up ISP Contract Over Net Neutrality

Posted by kdawson on from the schedule-2-numbers-1-j-and-k dept.

Burz writes "As a reaction to Virgin Media CEO's promise to violate the concept of net neutrality, Cory Doctorow is declaring his ISP contract void, canceling the service, and calling on other Virgin customers to do the same. He isn't alone. Charlie Stross counts the ways the gang that became Virgin Media is trashing Sir Richard's brand. Myself, I am thinking of stopping my Virgin Mobile service in protest."

5 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. Do we just become numb? by abolitiontheory · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder if there will be a day when net neutrality has been usurped, despite all the protests, and we've come to accept as the status quo. And then, all of a sudden, another *unconscionable* development of corporate greed takes place, in which we have the same uproar, and the same eventual defeat. Can anyone think of examples in the past where has taken place? I'm not coming up with anything that passes a basic coherency test, but this has to be some cycle we go through on a regular basis. Do these things ever lead to positive outcomes, or are we just the man in front of the tank?

    1. Re:Do we just become numb? by retech · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I think that corporations rely on the apathy of the masses. Rallying points were important when people started unions and women got to vote. But once a society gets to a sustainable level of comfort those people will do nothing that risks that comfort.

      People stood up to corporate greed when they abolished sweats shops. In fact they just moved the sweat shops to a less noticeable location. Once rediscovered those same ppl who once fought against sweat shops just said: "meh, not my worry" and went home to their 2.5 kids and 2 car garages.

      Apathy is a wonderful way to keep the masses controlled. It works far better than any chain or enslavement could have.

    2. Re:Do we just become numb? by Bieeanda · · Score: 5, Interesting
      This is precisely right. It's also what gives them a huge kick in the ass when they go just a little too far, like Rogers Cable did over here about ten years ago. As what was usual, they added a pile of new channels that nobody really wanted and raised subscription prices accordingly. They also moved a number of popular channels further up the dial, where a vast number of older cable boxes couldn't functionally reach. Their only suggestion was to rent a new cable box, which was just adding insult to injury.

      Now, there was an alternative: We could go to the cable company and ask to have the new channels removed. There was no way to do it over the phone, you had to find out where your local cable shop was, drive down there, and hassle the girl behind the counter. Rogers clearly assumed that since we'd swallowed their shit for so long, another mouthful would go down just as smoothly.

      Hundreds of thousands of subscribers descended on their outlets, fuming mad, demanding their service be return to its previous state, or canceling cable outright. Rogers got the message, the CRTC got the message, and for once shit actually changed.

    3. Re:Do we just become numb? by Sentry21 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As what was usual, they added a pile of new channels that nobody really wanted and raised subscription prices accordingly. While this is technically accurate, it leaves out an important detail - namely that these channels weren't added to available plans, but rather they were added to everyone's bill. Rogers went to all of their customers and gave them all the channels; when people complained after getting their bill, Rogers insisted that they should have called to cancel the channels if they didn't want them.

      Unfortunately at the time, this practice wasn't illegal. Thanks to Rogers, it is now. Oh, and they lost so much goodwill in the area that they had to bail out, and swapped their BC holdings with Shaw's Ontario holdings. Now we have Shaw, and things are light years better than Rogers could ever manage.
  2. Resolving todays problem cost me £25 :( by QX-Mat · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I dont have a virgin phone service. A billing "discrepancy" from last year, an offer I bartered for, was fixed last month with Virgin claiming to shoulder the costs. What actually happened is they added the XL phone package to my discounted XL TV + XL Broadband offer. I have been a customer for 18 months, and I bartered for my previous deal of £41.50/pm only to have them add the Phone package without informing me, and charge me £70.

    I rang to cancel and let them know I intended to move to sky and and was offered my old £41.50 offer at a no-contract rate of £49pm (I'm not sure where I'll be living in 3 months, so I can't get a contract). Problem fixed, or so I believe. The debt collection team phone me this morning to inform me my direct debit had bounced - and it would do if it was in excess of £50 as the account is for bills only, and is credited with a standing order for the appropriate amount each month.

    It transpires (I guessed it instantly), that after billing me £70 and changing it back to the negotiated rate of £49, they discounted next months direct debit by £20, so that the net 2 month charge would be equal to my negotiated rate over 2 months.

    But! That doesn't mean I can pay £70 in one month for a problem they have caused, because I subject to cash flow issues. To make things worst, I have been charged by my bank for the defaulting direct debit, wasted £15 on the phone last time I called, and £10 today.

    Today was awful! I was called this morning by the debt collection team who would not let me pay £49 or change my direct debit, until I settled the £70 mistake, even tho it was obvious the real amount was £49 based on the remedied discount applied to the next bill. I'm forced to pay for their mistake!?! They told me there was nothing they could do, and that I had to phone them back and fixed the issue. I got through to India twice and was told the same thing, only that the team that called me was the team that dealt with it. In the end I gave up. I asked to be put through to the cancellation team.

    The cancellation team were great. The credit was applied to this month, and my outstanding balance returned to what I should pay/can pay. I've praised VM in the past, and will continue to do so in the future - but only their cancellation team, as they're the only ones with the power to resolve your problems.

    I am contemplating billing VM for the saga cost me £20 in phone calls (I have a mobile phone, and no one would phone me!), and the bounced direct debit penalty stemming from their inability to resolve the problem when I called them and they called me.

    Matt