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Unlimited texts are not unlimited?

rich5563
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

So I have unlimited texts on a PAYG. £10 big value bundle. on a Simply plan.

 

However when I get to 1001 and texts, no more cam be sent.

 

I have read that this 'unlimted' is limited by a 'fair usage policy' but I have also read that there is no 'fair usage policy'.

 

What's the story.

 

Do Vodafone need to rewrite the dictionary definition of 'unlimited' to mostly unlimited but under some circumstances very limited...

6 REPLIES 6

BandOfBrothers
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @rich5563

 

A very good question which I've seen highlighted about lots of networks. 

 

I agree if a tariff says 'Unlimitedthen that's what it should be !

 

In my experience a network applies the Fair usage policy to stop a person responsible for generating large volumes of traffic on the network which can impact on the network.

 

Maybe speak to Vodafone Customer service on 191 or from a computer use Live Chat to have your account checked.

 

@Annie_N do you have any insight to this question ?

Current Phone  >

Samsung Galaxy s²³ Ultra 512gb Phantom Black.

 

 

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @rich5563

 

The limit is more than likely in place to prevent misuse of unlimited texts on PAYG.  There have been cases of where the SIM is used in a computer to generate multiple texts. 

 

However, if you use live chat and confirm that the texts are being sent for your personal use, they may be able to do something to help.

63johnw
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion
Hi. I seem to remember this coming up before and if you contact live chat as advised above they can enable more texts for you at no extra cost..

Annie_N
Community Champion (Retired)
Community Champion (Retired)

The current PAYG Ts&Cs say, under General on the very last page, "Unless we tell you otherwise, all of our ‘unlimited’ offers are truly unlimited and must be used for your personal non-commercial use" - which isn't a very helpful wording.

 

Unlike some of the other networks, Vodafone doesn't give any indication of what is or isn't deemed to be covered by "personal non-commercial use", but clearly all networks have automated monitoring in place to prevent the sort of abuse described by @AnnS, and I can only think that @rich5563's pattern of use has triggered the monitors for some reason.

 

At least one of the other networks actually specifies a limit on the number of separate contacts over the course of a month which can be accepted as personal non-commercial use - not many of us have 500+ friends and relations. That sort of approach seems very useful, as it means everyone knows where they stand. Interestingly, it might also cast some light on the "I'm in the middle of organising my wedding" type of problems I've seen reported occasionally in this context.

 

Contacting Live Chat should sort the problem, and may also give rich5563 some insight into what may have triggered the monitors, and perhaps avoid a repetition of this problem in future months.

The sim is being used by a computer to send a few SMS texts an hour.

 

The texts are being sent to another computer, so always to between the same two numbers.

 

Maybe there is an M2M tariff for this type of use?

 

 

I'll see what live chat says...

 

Thanks for your help.

Annie_N
Community Champion (Retired)
Community Champion (Retired)

These "non-standard" uses for a SIM that is primarily designed for a phone can be something of a problem**. While Live Chat will be able to reactivate your texts, and perhaps put a note on your file that your use appears to be genuine, they probably won't be able to do anything to prevent the monitoring system being suspicious of your usage, which presumably isn't likely to change.

 

There isn't a Vodafone deal which does exactly what you need. Possibly you might fare better with the smallest SIM Only bundle on contract, which includes unlimited texts. You'd want to experiment with the rolling 30-day option to begin with (£11.50); if that worked out OK, you could move to a 12-month contract (£9.50 per month). Otherwise it's probably a case of looking at what the other networks offer.

 

** My favourite non-standard problem is still one that cropped up a few years back, when the PAYG disconnection time for non-usage was very short. Someone had put a PAYG SIM into a remote security camera, then went off for an extended trip to NZ, and it suddenly hit him that, if there were no intruders, his clever system would stop working after 90 days. Last I heard, he was trying to arrange for someone to go and intrude at an agreed time, so that he could immediately cancel the resulting hue and cry!