O2 now blocking sites

Purple Gorilla · 01-10-2009 11:08pm

Have you actually been notified that all your posts are being modified? After 10PM on weekdays, I'm 99% positive that after 10PM on weekdays, any posts you make will have to wait till the next working day to be approved by the moderators. This is a general rule on the forums

Sponge Bob · 01-10-2009 11:12pm

Banning the likes of imageshack is an immediate breach of contract by O2 that renders their so called Broadband product not fit for the purpose .

Therefore you set up an imageshack account and demand they unblock it .

If they refuse to allow you to access your own photos the contract is void because O2 have made their own BB not fit for the purpose .

Make sure you use the O2 online Mail system to contact them and cc your unblock request to info@comreg.ie as well as O2 themselves , business@o2.ie cc an external address of yours and inform them the product is not fit for the purpose . Put the phone number and account number in the email ( naturally

)

Ensure you STATE clearly in the email that "this is a FORMAL complaint" and that O2 have until ( insert date before end of your billing period) to resolve the matter in full and to unblock the photo site you store your personal photos on .

Ensure that you inform Comreg/O2 that any effort to remove money from your account by direct debit after ( insert date before end of your billing period) will result in Comreg and O2 (both) being reported to the Garda Fraud Squad if the site is blocked on ( insert date before end of your billing period) .

The good news is that anybody who wants out of an O2 contract ......even if they do not have 'issues' with sites being blocked can simply set up an account on a legitimate site like Imageshack or Photobucket and may escape the contract because of the O2 block as long as they get the email in on the day before ( insert date before end of your billing period)

This is guaranteed because the IWF are really useless at raising blocks and O2 are pretty crap.

Once O2 start losing customers to the likes of the UPC student contracts because their silly blocking leaves them open to sudden contract termination requests they will cop their asses on ....eventually.

Furthermore O2 do not specify any rationale or reason why they use the IWF blocklist in their T&Cs , you are therefore out of the contract clean as a whistle ...but do stop using it on ( insert date before end of your billing period)

Comreg will eventually fully extricate you from this unfair contract ...but you must keep at Comreg daily for about a month.

Finally if O2 try to chase you for money afterwards you may sue them in court for defamation and fraud ..especially if they send ANY personal information of yours to a debt collector . Also complain to the data protection people if anything goes to a debt collector.

Notice periods do not apply when O2 breach a contract , they blocked it so they made it not fit for the purpose ...themselves.

HTH

Gekko · 02-10-2009 4:44pm

3 blocked me from viewing certain websites when I was using my 3Pay sim in my shiny new iPhone.

How dare they or O2 decide what I can or can't view!

jor el · 02-10-2009 5:18pm

I got a response from O2

O2 wrote:

Thank you for your email. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that has been caused.

O2 has introduced the capability to block websites that contain illegal images of child pornography on our mobile internet and mobile broadband services using a list provided by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). Our parent company Telefónica has joined the GSMA Mobile Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse. This group is an alliance of all major global mobile operators and one of its key commitments is the provision of a blocking facility to prevent access to illegal child pornography websites. By joining with the GSMA in this initiative, O2 in Ireland hopes to assist in combating the spread of illegal child pornography websites across the internet maintaining a safer mobile environment for all of our customers.

Completely unrelated to my question, as the GSMA has nothing to do with O2 breaking contracts with their customers. Their motives may be good, but there's a right way and a wrong way to go about this. Burying people's heads in the sand will not do a single thing to stop the proliferation of this material on the Internet. In fact, it may have the opposite effect, as the peados are now free to distribute such content without the fear that some passer by might inadvertently spot it, and report it to the proper authorities. Well done O2 and the IWF.

It goes on to provide an answer to my question, as follows.

O2 wrote:

With regard to the points you have raised surrounding our contractual obligations, we have queried this with our legal and regulatory team and we are satisfied that we have not breached the terms of contract.

Thank you for providing us with your feedback. I will ensure that this is passed to the relevant area so that it can be included as review our future products and services. If you have any further queries please don't hesitate to contact us at customer.first@o2.com.

PFO, in other words.

Not too happy, I've responded

me wrote:

Thank you for your response, but it has completely failed to answer my question. Simply denying what I have clearly and concisely pointed out, with reference to the areas that O2 is in breech of, simply is not good enough. Can I ask you to answer this one simple question please?

Does it, or does it not state, in your own Terms and Conditions, the following?

O2 does not control or select this content and is not responsible for its availability or subject matter.

And if so, are you now controlling and selecting the content that customers can access? If this is not a clear breech of the contract, then please explain why not? I have taken the time to research this information, and provide a detailed explanation to you, the least you could do is reciprocate instead of giving a stock reply that doesn't answer anything.

I will hold off escalating this matter further, to Comreg, the National Consumer Agency, the Department of Communications and the Minister, until I receive a satisfactory response.

Regards,

And will give them until Monday to provide an answer that doesn't equate to; f*ck off and stop annoying us.

Sponge Bob · 02-10-2009 7:38pm

They put the PR bunnies on the case here. As you said they are refusing to answer the questions. Let me reorganise the O2 case

Originally Posted by O2

"Thank you for your email. Please accept my smug self congratulation for any inconvenience that has been caused.

O2 has introduced the capability to block websites on a whim but have additionally added in a list of sites that allegedly contain illegal images of child pornography accessible on our mobile internet and mobile broadband services using. We did this by using a list provided by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in order to cover our tracks with some worthiness.

In order to improve our general image our parent company Telefónica has joined the GSMA Mobile Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse. This group is an alliance of all major global mobile operators and one of its key commitments is the provision of a blocking facility to prevent access to illegal child pornography websites.

We are not planning on allowing our customers to block cyberstalkers or to provide our customers with information on cyberstalking events against them . That might be seen as a principled stance to take but we would lose call termination revenue and we cannot have that can we ??

We most certainly will not screen incoming MMS or permit our customers to do so. We would rather eat our kittens than to cc these to their parents to that their parents can keep an eye on their own children if they wish.

We will not be bring in practical call cost control measures where parents can take control of any aspect of their childrens mobile telephony expenditures . We fear that would abuse our bottom line .

By joining with the GSMA in this initiative, O2 in Ireland can loudly claim it hopes to assist in combating the spread of illegal child pornography websites across the internet while we can blame the IWF for any glitches or silly site bannings that we ourselves have initiated through poisoning our own DNS .

We daily conduct our principled campaign by refusing to engage with our customers in our own fora and by email . Our PR bunnies meanwhile carry on gushing to anybody stupid enough to listen or to reprint their drivel about maintaining a safer mobile environment for all of our customers .

With regard to the points you have raised surrounding our contractual obligations, we have queried this with our legal and regulatory team and we are satisfied that we have not breached the terms of contract but we will not of course detail the points we are claiming to be compliant with because our vapid legal people will not let us as they are not sure themselves.

If anybody wants to tell us to **** off please don't hesitate to contact us at customer.first@o2.com and to shout if you wish"

jor el · 03-10-2009 12:09am

Nice one. Perhaps I should send an email to customer.last@o2.com and see what response I get?

foggy_lad · 03-10-2009 9:22am

the best thing people can do is write to o2 asking them to terminate your contract and telling them you are stopping your direct debits and do just that! no other campany blocks the internet in this manner but every other company has got real proper and working "optional" child protection software and policies in place!

cable842 · 04-10-2009 7:12pm

to bew honest for the last 2 years using 02. I cant use my broadband the weekend and the evening during the week. they said to me thats its the fact that everyones using it.

Cabaal · 04-10-2009 7:21pm

cable842 wrote: »

to bew honest for the last 2 years using 02. I cant use my broadband the weekend and the evening during the week. they said to me thats its the fact that everyones using it.

If you have a problem create a new thread, this is off-topic for this thread

Honda08 · 06-10-2009 10:20am

Bond-007 wrote: »

It appears that o2 are now blocking some sites on the basis of a list supplied by the Internet Watch Foundation.

File hosting sites are affected so far from what I can see.

Any attempt to reach these sites is greeted with a o2 screen saying that they have blocked the site on the basis of what the IWF say.

This can be avoided by not using o2's DNS settings.

Seems we are headed down a slippery slope.

any further updates?

jor el · 06-10-2009 11:29am

Honda08 wrote: »

any further updates?

Have you read the thread?

Our man in Havana · 06-10-2009 11:55am

Obviously not.

jor el · 07-10-2009 5:38pm

Another reply

Thank you for your email. Please accept my apologies again for any inconvenience that has been caused. We genuinely believe that the collective goal to stem the growth of illegal child pornography on the internet is a very worthwhile thing to do and we are fully committed to this goal.

We are not simply giving you a stock reply. A member of the O2 Legal Team has reviewed your particular points and has again advised that we are not in breach of any of the Term and Condition that you highlight.

I am sorry I could not provide further assistance on this occasion.

Once again, a complete PFO.

MackDeToaster · 07-10-2009 6:46pm

Try emailing broadband.disconnections@o2.com I've done this and they've replied saying they are going to disconnect me and terminate the contract, emailing customer service etc is a complete waste of time as they'll just continue stonewalling. Put in all the facts of contract being broken and the EU regulations, etc.

I'm unsure as to whether they'll try to charge to charge me the remainder of the contract,but look forward to the court case if they do. However, I don't think they will try anything so stupid as that.

MackDeToaster · 07-10-2009 6:50pm

jor el wrote: »

Another reply

Once again, a complete PFO.

I've asked them over and over to explain just how they are not in breach but they have refused to answer. It's cowardly and disgusting behaviour on their part, so get straight through to disconnections to tell them to cancel the contract and be done with them, they're treating us like dirt and don't deserve any custom.

jor el · 08-10-2009 12:14am

I don't really want to disconnect, just yet. I'm preparing a complaint to send to Comreg and the NCA right now. Will send that tomorrow and see what happens.

Honda08 · 09-10-2009 12:42pm

MackDeToaster wrote: »

Try emailing broadband.disconnections@o2.com I've done this and they've replied saying they are going to disconnect me and terminate the contract, emailing customer service etc is a complete waste of time as they'll just continue stonewalling. Put in all the facts of contract being broken and the EU regulations, etc.

I'm unsure as to whether they'll try to charge to charge me the remainder of the contract,but look forward to the court case if they do. However, I don't think they will try anything so stupid as that.

they will most likely try and charge you for breaking the contract... best to try and get an email from broadband.disconnections@o2.com and try and get them to state in it

that no charges will be charged for contract termination.....

jor el · 09-10-2009 1:05pm

I've escalated my complaint to Comreg now. Will see what happens next. Everyone else effected by this should do the same. Contact Consumerline@comreg.ie

Purple Gorilla · 10-10-2009 4:18pm

Had the Directorate General of Communications Policy and Implementation of Regulatory Framework reply to me asking for my Home Address so they can send me an official response on this

jor el · 10-10-2009 4:22pm

As of today, I am no longer an O2 customer, for phone or mobile Internet. I emailed broadband.disconnections@o2.com there now, and told them that since they have already voided the contract, I will not be giving any more notice than this, and will not be paying any more. Happily enough, my billing period was up today, so I owe them no more, and more importantly, they don't owe me anything.

I moved my mobile phone and midband to Vodafone yesterday. Got a free modem, it's €10 a month cheaper, same usage, and only a 12 month contract (O2 are now at 18 month if you want 10Gig), and no site blocking.

If I hear anything else, I'll update it here.

jor el · 10-10-2009 4:24pm

Purple Gorilla wrote: »

Had the Directorate General of Communications Policy and Implementation of Regulatory Framework reply to me asking for my Home Address so they can send me an official response on this

Did you get a stock response from O2 as well? How did you contact the Directorate General of Communications Policy and Implementation of Regulatory Framework? Was it through Comreg?

Our man in Havana · 10-10-2009 4:40pm

jor el wrote: »

As of today, I am no longer an O2 customer, for phone or mobile Internet. I emailed broadband.disconnections@o2.com there now, and told them that since they have already voided the contract, I will not be giving any more notice than this, and will not be paying any more. Happily enough, my billing period was up today, so I owe them no more, and more importantly, they don't owe me anything.

I moved my mobile phone and midband to Vodafone yesterday. Got a free modem, it's €10 a month cheaper, same usage, and only a 12 month contract (O2 are now at 18 month if you want 10Gig), and no site blocking.

If I hear anything else, I'll update it here.

I would cancel myself, but sadly o2 are the only ones able to provide a 3G service here they have me over a barrel.

Purple Gorilla · 10-10-2009 5:02pm

jor el wrote: »

Did you get a stock response from O2 as well? How did you contact the Directorate General of Communications Policy and Implementation of Regulatory Framework? Was it through Comreg?

Lol I'm not even with O2 Broadband but O2 have been annoying me lately with all this anti-consumer crap so I e-mailed Viviane Reding (EU Commissioner for Communications) and I guess it was forwarded to the Directorate General. I linked to the thread on the O2 forums in it and I just quoted some of the EU Regulations that O2 was breaking

Honda08 · 11-10-2009 12:58pm

jor el wrote: »

As of today, I am no longer an O2 customer, for phone or mobile Internet. I emailed broadband.disconnections@o2.com there now, and told them that since they have already voided the contract, I will not be giving any more notice than this, and will not be paying any more. Happily enough, my billing period was up today, so I owe them no more, and more importantly, they don't owe me anything.

I moved my mobile phone and midband to Vodafone yesterday. Got a free modem, it's €10 a month cheaper, same usage, and only a 12 month contract (O2 are now at 18 month if you want 10Gig), and no site blocking.

If I hear anything else, I'll update it here.

hi there, were you still in contract with 02? how far in to the contract?

how is the voda broadband working? i tested it before and it was pretty crap.. has it improved.?

Honda08 · 11-10-2009 1:00pm

Bond-007 wrote: »

I would cancel myself, but sadly o2 are the only ones able to provide a 3G service here they have me over a barrel.

a mate of mine wants to cancel , any advice on what he should put in the cancellation notice for best effect?

cheers

jor el · 11-10-2009 10:44pm

I said this

Given the complete lack of response on this issue, and O2's insistence of no wrong doing, I have no choice but to terminate the service, effective immediately. I have canceled the direct debit and will not be making any further payments. I take O2's alteration of the contract as voiding it, and hence will not be giving any more notice than this.

In reply to their last email, and sent it to broadband.disconnections@o2.com and copied Customer.First@o2.com on it too. I left the history of my conversation with them in the email, so disconnections can see why I canceled.

MackDeToaster · 12-10-2009 10:07am

I'm cancelled. Just received this after querying about a penalty...

I can confirm that there are no charges on your account for cancelling early. This was removed as a goodwill gesture on behalf of O2. I can confirm that the site you were experiencing difficulties with has been blacklisted by the Internet Watch Foundation - further information on this is available from www.iwf.org.uk. The site was blocked for legal reasons and we were not in breach of our contract however as a goodwill gesture on behalf of O2 we have removed the commitment period and not charged you for leaving the contract early.

Goodwill eh :pac: And still denying breach of contract and refusing to explain how they aren't.

jor el · 12-10-2009 11:09am

MackDeToaster wrote: »

The site was blocked for legal reasons and we were not in breach of our contract

There's nothing in any law that requires them to block access to web sites. Legally, the hosting site may be required to remove such content, depending on what jurisdiction they reside in, but nothing requires O2 to block it. They are so full of lies.

I guess I should await a similar reply.

Our man in Havana · 12-10-2009 11:39am

At least they are releasing people from contracts without penalty.

RangeR · 13-10-2009 12:09pm

Bond-007 wrote: »

At least they are releasing people from contracts without penalty.

Well, as was discussed, they are not releasing people from their contracts. The contract became null and void when they breached it, I believe.

Looking for some midband product in the coming week so started researching.

I will NOT be considering O2 at all. In fact, I'll be switching my company's phones from O2 to another provider this month because of their practices. They are showing total disregard.

Cheers for the heads up

Honda08 · 13-10-2009 4:44pm

Bond-007 wrote: »

At least they are releasing people from contracts without penalty.

my mate emailed to cancel

and got this back

my mate got this from o2

"
No Contractual changes have taken place or are immediately due to take place.
Would you be able to provide me with exact details of where you feel O2 is in breach of this contract?"

any suggestions what does he go back with??

Our man in Havana · 13-10-2009 4:55pm

Section 10.3 of o2's Terms and Conditions states:
"10.3 O2 Mobile Broadband will allow you to access websites offered by third parties. O2 has no control over these sites and is not responsible for their availability, content or subject matter. O2 does not control or select this content and is not responsible for its availability or subject matter. O2's inclusion of this content does not imply any endorsement of the content and O2 accepts no liability whatsoever for this content."

O2 does not control or select this content and is not responsible for its availability or subject matter.

Try that.

They have breached the contract by censoring the internet.

Honda08 · 13-10-2009 6:14pm

Bond-007 wrote: »

Try that.

They have breached the contract by censoring the internet.

no joy.
they keep asking to provide details of problems that he is having.

quote

Thank you for your email
You have not provided me with any information of the difficulties you are experiecing so I am unable to dertmine if the terms of the contract have indeed changed. Without providing O2 with a full description of the difficulty you are experiencing and allowing us the opportunity to rectify these difficulties for you then you will not be eligible to cancel your account without paying a cancellation of contract fee.

If you are willing to provide full detailed information of your difficulties I will investigate this for you,

mate replied
Dear O2
you voided the contract when you changed its contents without notification or agreement.

namely section 10.3.

what now... what sites are currently blocked by o2?

foggy_lad · 13-10-2009 9:39pm

Honda08 wrote: »

no joy.
they keep asking to provide details of problems that he is having.

quote

Thank you for your email
You have not provided me with any information of the difficulties you are experiecing so I am unable to dertmine if the terms of the contract have indeed changed. Without providing O2 with a full description of the difficulty you are experiencing and allowing us the opportunity to rectify these difficulties for you then you will not be eligible to cancel your account without paying a cancellation of contract fee.

If you are willing to provide full detailed information of your difficulties I will investigate this for you,

mate replied
Dear O2
you voided the contract when you changed its contents without notification or agreement.

namely section 10.3.

what now... what sites are currently blocked by o2?

lol they are just like spoiled children now repeating the same lies over and over

jor el · 13-10-2009 10:16pm

Honda08 wrote: »

what now... what sites are currently blocked by o2?

Copy the emails I quoted previously, these detail exactly where O2 have broken the contract. It doesn't matter which sites they block, the fact that they block any is enough. Last I heard, hotfile.com was still blocked.

I got a reply from Comreg on my complaint, they wanted contact details before following it up with O2. Will keep you posted. I got no reply from the cancellations department yet. My direct debit has been stopped though, I've stopped using the service, and I've no intention of talking to them again. Changed my phone to Vodafone at the weekend as well.

I didn't have a problem with them blocking sites, as it was very easy to get around anyway, but I did have a problem with them not telling anyone, and even more with their attitude and response to my queries.

Honda08 · 13-10-2009 11:11pm

jor el wrote: »

Copy the emails I quoted previously, these detail exactly where O2 have broken the contract. It doesn't matter which sites they block, the fact that they block any is enough. Last I heard, hotfile.com was still blocked.

I got a reply from Comreg on my complaint, they wanted contact details before following it up with O2. Will keep you posted. I got no reply from the cancellations department yet. My direct debit has been stopped though, I've stopped using the service, and I've no intention of talking to them again. Changed my phone to Vodafone at the weekend as well.

I didn't have a problem with them blocking sites, as it was very easy to get around anyway, but I did have a problem with them not telling anyone, and even more with their attitude and response to my queries.

I have since recommended people to go with vodafone instead of o2 whom i used to recommend to people.
they have lost out big time.. what a shambles ... btw hotfile.com works with the o2 modem

vodafone are selling the 10gb broadband 12mth contract for 14.99 with free modem... when i was porting some voice numbers over to voda, the girl in the store said it was available, for €14.99 ( discount to existing voda customers)

Honda08 · 13-10-2009 11:42pm

jor el wrote: »

Copy the emails I quoted previously, these detail exactly where O2 have broken the contract. It doesn't matter which sites they block, the fact that they block any is enough. Last I heard, hotfile.com was still blocked.

I got a reply from Comreg on my complaint, they wanted contact details before following it up with O2. Will keep you posted. I got no reply from the cancellations department yet. My direct debit has been stopped though, I've stopped using the service, and I've no intention of talking to them again. Changed my phone to Vodafone at the weekend as well.

I didn't have a problem with them blocking sites, as it was very easy to get around anyway, but I did have a problem with them not telling anyone, and even more with their attitude and response to my queries.

but sure your out of contract with your modem?

jor el · 14-10-2009 12:55am

Honda08 wrote: »

but sure your out of contract with your modem?

You'd still have to give 1 month's notice, normally.

seeker099 · 14-10-2009 10:19am

I recently terminated my Voda BB for an O2 BB and Vodafone initially said i had to pay 1 month extra as i had signed in my contract, i told the girl i did not except this at all and as she held the contract i was legally intitled to a copy of it and to highlight the area where i was liable for 1 month extra without receiving a service during that month. They dropped the charge.

As far as i can see the O2 contract is indeed in breech and they know this. But they also know that none of us here will legally challange them so they just persist. I suggest you each send a nice well composed email to your local or national paper and some journalist somewhere will write a artical or atleast enquire with O2, this WILL make them consider there actions as its bad press. Potential customers with a choice will now see O2 as a big brother figure something not mentioned by sean bean in the bubble adverts.

I know this is sort off off topic but earlier in this thread somebody mentioned changing the DNS settings but in the new O2 software this is read only, any ideas?

jor el · 14-10-2009 11:18am

To change the DNS will depend on the software in question. I couldn't change mine, but if you go into the connection settings, it should allow you to create a new connection. Use the settings that you can read from the existing O2 connection, or see the FAQ sticky at the top of this forum. You should be able to set DNS servers on this new connection. This worked for me.

Our man in Havana · 14-10-2009 11:20am

any ideas?

They are not read only. Even if they were just create a new connection using the open DNS settings.

foggy_lad · 14-10-2009 8:14pm

Bond-007 wrote: »

They are not read only. Even if they were just create a new connection using the open DNS settings.

true! afaik you can only edit the connection only when not connected

Honda08 · 15-10-2009 10:01am

are o2 currently blocking sites?

jor el · 15-10-2009 11:09am

Yes, and they will continue to block sites at a whim.

Honda08 · 15-10-2009 11:14am

jor el wrote: »

Yes, and they will continue to block sites at a whim.

they told me this morning that they were not blocking sites.
i need to find examples of genuine sites that they are blocking

MackDeToaster · 15-10-2009 2:22pm

Honda08 wrote: »

they told me this morning that they were not blocking sites.
i need to find examples of genuine sites that they are blocking

They told you they're not blocking ? Have a look at the O2 forum thread where they admit it themselves, post no 17..

http://forums.o2online.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=6034&page=2

I'm no longer with them but they were blocking imageshack, hotfile.com, etc. Also, when I first found out I rang up to complain and they denied it. I got the rep to find an O2 modem and try it for himself, and he was amazed to find he was also being blocked. What does that tell you about them :pac:

Honda08 · 15-10-2009 3:12pm

MackDeToaster wrote: »

They told you they're not blocking ? Have a look at the O2 forum thread where they admit it themselves, post no 17..

http://forums.o2online.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=6034&page=2

I'm no longer with them but they were blocking imageshack, hotfile.com, etc. Also, when I first found out I rang up to complain and they denied it. I got the rep to find an O2 modem and try it for himself, and he was amazed to find he was also being blocked. What does that tell you about them :pac:

can you give me a list , pm if u wish, of sites blocked, by o2, ie genuine ones
cheers

Owen · 15-10-2009 3:19pm

I'm an o2 customer also, but I've been using the Dovado UMR router and Open DNS for a long while, so I haven't seen these issues - but I disagree on principle with what o2 are doing here. Has anyone pointed this thread out to talk2o2Daryll?

Honda08 · 15-10-2009 3:20pm

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I'm an o2 customer also, but I've been using the Dovado UMR router and Open DNS for a long while, so I haven't seen these issues - but I disagree on principle with what o2 are doing here. Has anyone pointed this thread out to talk2o2Daryll?

o2 - one hand doesent know what the others doing.

ie here they admit blocking

http://forums.o2online.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=6034

yet their disconnection dept deny blocking is taking place.

Owen · 15-10-2009 3:38pm

To be fair to Daryll, he's normally on the ball. Enough noise here, and it might be enough to force a u turn?

O2 now blocking sites

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