Bad weather on a trip
Marleen Hooremans is going on holiday to Italy a few weeks ago. Before she leaves, she decides to switch to Telenet ONE. That way she can make video calls with the grandchildren while traveling and stream in the unfortunate weather. No problem, because Telenet ONE promises unlimited internet and mobile data.
“After three days, I received a message from Telenet that the data was almost used up,” says Marleen. “It was only after the third call to customer service that I was told that there were restrictions in the fine print of the contract. And yes, if you look further, it turns out that ‘unlimited’ equates to 40 GB domestically and 20 GB abroad respectively.”
“Indeed not clear enough”
“We have looked at our site and have to admit that some extra information is missing about the subscription, especially the limit abroad is unclear,” says Isabelle Geeraerts, spokesperson at Telenet. The telecom operator will adapt its website so that customers do not have to click endlessly before they can find the contract conditions. They want to filter out the false promises and work more transparently.
They want to avoid at Telenet that Marleen only gets a correct explanation about the product with the third employee. “We will use it to train our employees and to inform them clearly about what the product actually entails.”
Unlimited remains unlimited*
When asked by “The Inspector” whether they stick to their slogan ‘unlimited’, Telenet is determined. “We will certainly continue to use it, but we will specify how it is abroad.” In the Netherlands, a data pot of 40 GB applies. Afterwards you can still surf, but at a lower speed. According to them, the lower speed still satisfies everyday use.
Not everyone agrees on the retention of that term, because there are indeed limits on the subscription. Telecom ombudsman Luc Tuerlinckx finds it misleading to use words like ‘unlimited’. “Before deciding for customers, it is important that they are fully informed and are not confronted with unexpected bills.”
New guidelines
BIPT, the telecom sector watchdog, is working on new guidelines regarding the use of the word ‘unlimited’. One of the things that will certainly be mentioned there is that access to the internet for subscribers should never be completely blocked. Not even when people go above their data limit. On the website of the BIPT Anyone can also submit comments about these new rules.
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