Virgin Media
From TotalFair
Contents |
Summary
Virgin Media: proven to lie about the speed of their broadband, practice bandwidth shaping, sell customer data, and contract unsafe/unfair/unprofessional "slave labour" companies to perfom low quality installations for their customers.
Contact Details
Virgin Media Bartley Wood Business Park Bartley Way Hook Hampshire RG27 9UP 01256 752000
Company information
- Status: Active
- Date of Incorporation: 13/03/1991
- Country of Origin: United Kingdom
- Company Type: Private Limited Company
- Nature of Business (SIC(03)): 6420 - Telecommunications
- CEO: Neil Berkett
- Previous CEO: Steve Burch
- Accounting Reference Date: 31/12
- Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/12/2006 (FULL)
- Next Accounts Due: 31/10/2008
- Last Return Made Up To: 14/03/2008
- Next Return Due: 11/04/2009
- Last Members List: 14/03/2008
- Last Bulk Shareholders List: 14/03/1997
- Previous Names:
- Date of change Previous Name
- 08/02/2007 NTL GROUP LIMITED
- 09/10/1991 159TH SHELF INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED
Why is Virgin Media on TotalFair?
Low quality Installations
Virgin media contract Avonline, Kellys, and Cobra to perform installations of Cable TV, Telephone, and Broadband, however the contracted companies have been accused of leaving technicians grossly underpaid, forcing them into completing unsafe and illegal tasks, consistantly giving them workloads which are unattainable, and forcing them to lie to customers thus leaving workers demoralized, and customers with low quality installation work.
Overly Punitive Bandwidth Throttling
A customer on the 20Mb/sec package may be able to exceed their allocated 3Gb download limit in only 20 minutes. Once the download limit is exceeded, the bandwidth throttle remains in place for 5 hours.
Net Neutrality
In April 2008 CEO Neil Berkett stated, “this net neutrality thing is a load of bollocks.” and claimed that any video content provider that refused to pay Virgin Media a premium for faster access would have to get stuck in “bus lanes,” having their content delivered to end users at much slower speeds than that of paying content providers. According to Virgin Media, the comments in the article were taken out of context and misinterpreted, but referring to the sacred concept of net neutrality as "load of bollocks" doesn't lead alot to the imagination.
Data Pimping
Virgin media has signed a deal with Spyware maker PHORM to sell customers private click stream data for advertising purposes. Virgin Media has "publicly" distanced it's self from the deal but have not yet been able to inhibit PHORM from keeping details of the deal on their website.
Playing Sheriff for Media Companies
One must take the claims of ISP's lightly when their intentions are announced but it is frightening the power they have to bully customers and play Sheriff to their own ends. Virgin Media have an agenda. The first agenda is that no ISP has the ability to provide the data transfer bandwidth or speed that a customer pays for for 100% of the time, so they resort to bully tactics to get customers using less of what they pay for. ISP's drastically oversell the amount of bandwidth each customer is able to use - if everybody decided to use the internet at the same time (such as a crisis or national emergency), the internet would fail. The ability for emergency internet connection is paramount and OFCOM has failed in ensuring this basic condition is met - until ISPs are made accountable to provide what they charge for they will continue to oversell and resort to bullying, blocking or limiting customers who use a fraction of the capacity sold to them.
The second agenda ISP's have is that they have content networks of their own which they would much rather sell information through. Virgin and Sky have big stakes in the media and content industry, and are owned by entities with larger stakes, it is only natural to protect their revenue.
The third agenda is the "3 strikes you're in" rule. What exactly this means seems open to interpretation, but if this is a covert plan to institute systematic pay-as-you-go program to charge for downloads "apparently" made by subscribers, then consumers and media outlets are in for a long and bitter war, for despite what companies would like the law to be, there is no reliable way of determining legality of downloads.
Security Flaws on Virgin Media network
There are terrible security flaws on Virgins own cable network which compromise, not only their customers data, but make any judgment on fault impossible. Most consumers don't know that every piece of information they send down a cable network is shared entirely with any community member who cares to check with relevant tool, and their personal data is piped to every cable modem and set tob box in the community. Also under the cable network architecture the MAC address of any subscribers modem or set-top-box, which Virgin Media uses to identify customers and their information on a legal level, can be and are routinely faked by community members wishing to get a faster/free connection. Any file downloaded with a fake MAC address appears to be reaching one customer, but is in fact being requested by another individual entirely. Virgin Media are powerless to stop "MAC spoofing" but it is apparent that VM are clearly playing a bully and a sheriff, blaming the customer, and holding them accountable for the security of their connection. Clearly they should look at their own network failings, and either fix them or give up all together on these insidious three strikes you're out rulings.
Official Admonition
There is no official admonition for Virgin Media but a part admonition can be found on Leaked Memo: Leaked Memo article on Virgin Media.
Undersigners and Action partners
For now, to undersign the admonition, please leave your comments on the leakedMemo article.
TotalFair Justice Action log for Virgin Media
Current status of action
Current status of action is Dorment awaiting new evidence. TotalFair Justice is investigating new claims, however we need both more undersigners and action partners. If you are affected by Virgin Media or interested in this project please email justice@totalfair.org for solidarity.
Official Admonition from TotalFair
Date: Monday January 14, 2008 Published: Open Letter to Richard Branson.
Virgin Media drops Avonline from Birmingham and midlands
Date: From the first of May 2008 Initiator: Virgin Media Cost: Unknown Virgin Media has pulled its installations contract with Avonline PLC in two areas over bad workmanship on installs amongst other things. The areas affected are Birmingham, and the Midlands.
Third Party Admonitions
Virgin Media Sucks - A site about Virgin Media by a customer.
