1. Trials and Tribulations of Internet Consumers Over the Last 3 Years
Trials and Tribulations of Internet Consumers Over the Last 3 Years
Another consumer rip-off?
Iain Begg
Founder & Treasurer
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

2. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
Overview
The simple Internet users (Consumers)
The Internet connection (Telco)
The Internet itself and its provision of facilities (ISP)
The start of CUT
Definitions
Issues
Problems, with examples
Possible resolutions
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

3. The Internet Consumers
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

4. The Internet – the elements
Consumers
Connection
Internet
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

5. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
The Consumers
Want the facilities
Pay the money
Want value for money
They want no hassle
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

6. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
The Internet
Browsing
Newsgroups
Web hosting
Chat
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

7. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
The Connection
Good and reliable access
(Speed)
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

8. The Consumers therefore:
Want the Internet facilities
Need the connection
Pay their money
Want value for money
Want reliability and assurances of a good service
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

9. The Connection Development with the Internet Ordinary call (metered)
0845 (local)
‘Free’ Off-peak
24 / 7
Always on
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

10. The Connection - Issues
What type of phone call and rate?
Included with the ISP cost?
Is there an unmetered element?
Are public holidays cheap rate?
Is it a special Internet deal?
Is it restricted to any particular ISP?
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

11. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
How CUT started
Pre-CUT
First BT bill over £300 – over 6x (1996)
Videotron / Direct Connection (1996)
‘Free’ off peak cable  cable connections
Cable & Wireless Communications (1998)
Attempts to remove unmetered service
Internet used for organising campaign
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

12. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
CWC Issues
Removing key unmetered service
Increasing call charges
Discriminating against Internet calls
Misleading advertising & information
Making things difficult with ISP
Complicated and dubious contractual issues
e.g. Insufficient notice
Badly informed Customer Services
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

13. Organisations involved
ASA (Advertising Standards Authority)
Oftel
The press (The Times)
Office of Fair Trading
Consumer Association
BBC ‘Watchdog’
CUT
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

14. Monthly Internet Costs
Using Direct Connection
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

15. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
The Internet - Issues
What facilities are wanted?
Are they clearly defined?
Are the limitations clearly defined?
Are there alternatives?
Are the facilities / conditions changing?
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

16. The Internet - Problems
What is free, and what is extra?
Are there cut-off times?
What actually is 24 / 7 ?
What is ‘unlimited’?
What is ‘net abuse’?
How are the consumers protected? ……
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

17. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
Industry-wide issues
Consumer-level standards
Better consumer protection
Better control (licensing?)
Data Universal Service Obligation
Price control (cost-based)
Non-discrimination
Co-ordination of development
Frequent reviews and up-dates
Pro-active regulation & legislation
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

18. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
Possible Resolutions
Leave it as it is
Self-regulation (informal)
Formal regulation
National or Europe-wide
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

19. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
Summary
3 elements – consumer, connection, Internet
Lack of consumer orientation
Issues and problems
Possible resolutions
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001

20. Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001
Thank you
Iain Begg
Founder & Treasurer
Oftel Internet Forum – 23rd March 2001