ISP responds to growing complaints by broadband subscribers upset over its partnership with the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
About a month ago I discussed how Virgin Media and the British Phonographic Industry(BPI) announced a new "education campaign" that seeks to "…help Virgin Media’s broadband customers safely download music from the internet and avoid the risk of legal action."
The way plan works is that IP addresses identified by the BPI to have been sharing copyrighted music illegally will be forwarded to Virgin Media. The individuals will then receive one warning letter from Virgin Media and one from the BPI, but both letters will be distributed by Virgin Media so that customer names and addresses will not be given to the BPI.
The BPI wants all UK ISPs to enact a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy against suspected file-sharers. So far only Virgin Media has officially signed up, and to date has sent some 800 letters customers during the 10-week campaign which is to be reassessed in mid-August.
Will McGree, one of the 800 to have received a warning letter, said "It’s doomed to fail. Virgin Media will lose a lot of customers over this because people don’t like to be accused of stealing music over their morning coffee."
"It made me feel betrayed," he continued. "I was under the impression that I paid Virgin Media money to keep my internet connection protected and safe."
He noted that neither he nor any of his roommates had used a file-sharing program and that it was mostly likely someone who had used his unprotected wi-fi network.
Virgin Media, however is now backing off its threats to disconnect illegal file-sharers and calls the wording on the envelope containing the warning letter a "mistake." It stresses that it is an "education-only" campaign.
"It is important to let our customers know that their accounts have been used in a certain way but we are happy to accept it may not be the account holder that’s involved," said Asam Ahmad, a spokesperson from Virgin Media.
"It could be someone else in the family or someone living in a shared house. It could even be someone stealing wi-fi. We are not making any form of accusation."
But, by partnering with the BPI and sending customers "warning" letters forwarded to it Virgin Media certainly is making accusations even if it isn’t the one responsible for initiating them.
It’s nice to hear that Virgin Media is starting to feel the heat from customers over their "education" campaign. Now let’s see if finally realizes that allowing a third party to monitor and threaten its customers is truly bad campaign for all involved.
Related Posts
- Virgin Media: ‘We Have No Plans to Disconnect Illegal File-Sharers
- Virgin Media Will be the First UK ISP to Disconnect Illegal File-Sharers
- UK ISP, Record Industry Join Forces to Fight Illegal File-Sharing
- Virgin Media, Universal Music to Offer Unlimited MP3 Downloads
- RIAA to Quit Suing File-Sharers, Wants ISPs to Disconnect Instead
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This is one u-turn I won’t be complaining about.
i have being told by customer service before joining that i was to pay £24.00 per month and nothing for the first month.
Then this week received a bill stipulating that i paid 69.88 and now i have to pay another £25.56 When if im clear in the information that the advicer gave me when i joined in i will have to pay till now £72.00 only. I was never notifyed of the amount to be taken of my bank account and if i didnt have money in the account i was to pay £35.00 bank charges.
I called customer service today and they said that the advicer made a mistake and i have nothing to discuse.
I dont feel satisfyed with the unswer and will like to be taken into consideration because it was Virgen Media’s customer advicer who made the mistake Not me!…. Please take action and recognise that if its a mistake that someone done there what you gona do about it… i want to quit my contract with you because in fact the contract i did was with the first advicer that i had. Thank you for your attention. Hope to hear from you soon.
my num. 0794 617 8597 or in my email.