those wanting to tether on a giffgaff goodybag

HardstylerHardstyler Posts: 1,892
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For the whole of the last 12 months I've been doing it everyday and giffgaff haven't even known - they only ever knew yesterday when I actually came clean about it and got banned

On another network now so not all that bothered...

so if u wanna tether on your goodybag rather than buy a gigabag then feel free I doubt giffgaff have the resources to actually have security to stop people ;) they will no doubt make an announcement stating the have...

The gigabags are a con doubt buy just use your goodybag
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Comments

  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    Well done.......You operated your mobile against the terms and conditions you signed up for. It doesn't matter how you were caught.
    You somehow think that this thread will give you some kind of revenge. So even though you are on another network, clearly you are bothered!
  • psionicpsionic Posts: 20,188
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    What's the point of encouraging others to break the terms and conditions of their agreement with GiffGaff, because you got away with it for so long and then got caught ?
  • HardstylerHardstyler Posts: 1,892
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    I didn't actually get caught, I came clean

    I'm just stating they are adamant they can tell quite clearly they can't...

    Why have rules if there's no way of catching people? People push rules if giffgaff let people get away with it then they will push beyond the boundaries pretty simple really
  • tghe-retfordtghe-retford Posts: 26,449
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    giffgaff are currently operating a plan since the terms and conditions were changed last year to limit the unlimited mobile internet usage to an unknown amount as well as enforce the ban on tethering when disallowed. You get instantly blocked, if you contact them, you're given one last chance. Screw up again and you're given a lifetime ban.

    And don't think going to another mobile operator will resolve it, as all the mobile providers will likely follow the hard line that giffgaff and broadband ISPs have done in kicking off heavy users. Would not be surprised if the mobile phone operators got together and blacklisted individuals from all networks, leaving them with no mobile phone access. It's what giffgaff forum users would like to see, along with other suggestions like posting full personal details of T&C abusers and so forth.

    The giffgaff community, giffgaff being run as a community of users suggesting how giffgaff should operate, are very angry and sick of heavy users and want zero tolerance as said above. The company listened and 500-1000 people may find they have no mobile phone service now or soon enough.

    I just wish giffgaff would come clean, admit this usage figure they are working to and replace "unlimited" with this unpublished GB figure. Transparency and all that.

    Be warned.
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
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    Hardstyler wrote: »
    I didn't actually get caught, I came clean

    I'm just stating they are adamant they can tell quite clearly they can't...

    Why have rules if there's no way of catching people? People push rules if giffgaff let people get away with it then they will push beyond the boundaries pretty simple really

    Because you slipped through the net, you are making the assumption that it can't be detected and are encouraging others to break the T & C's.
    There are quite a few who have been banned who would disagree with you that they can't detect it.
    Best get over it and enjoy your life with 3...:)
  • tghe-retfordtghe-retford Posts: 26,449
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    call100 wrote: »
    Best get over it and enjoy your life with 3...:)
    Until 3 follow giffgaff's lead and start a similar clampdown on heavy users.
  • daleski75daleski75 Posts: 1,389
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    This kind of situation is only going to get worse once 4G finally gets off the ground a lot of people will have faster speeds through their mobile/dongle than at home so will happily download gigs and gigs of data with little or no respect for others who share the same network/mast

    Saying that all the people who do tether and download huge amounts of data are more than likely on 3 anyway so their network can take the strain.
  • HardstylerHardstyler Posts: 1,892
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    lol 3??

    No I'm with T mobile now lol
  • daleski75daleski75 Posts: 1,389
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    Hardstyler wrote: »
    lol 3??

    No I'm with T mobile now lol

    3 have no data limits thats why I mentioned them ;)
  • finbaarfinbaar Posts: 4,818
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    I tether my phone on Talk Mobile or my wifes phone on Giff Gaff occasionally when we are away with our tablet PC depending on if the Vodafone or the O2 signal is better. We have never had any problems from Giff Gaff but I suppse we are light users and I can't see how Giff Gaff could tell the difference between an Android phone and a tethered Android tablet. The fact is if there is a rule like no tethering then I will break it even if I don't need to. It is our data and we will choose how to use it when we have paid for it.
  • neo_walesneo_wales Posts: 13,625
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    Hardstyler wrote: »
    For the whole of the last 12 months I've been doing it everyday and giffgaff haven't even known - they only ever knew yesterday when I actually came clean about it and got banned

    On another network now so not all that bothered...

    so if u wanna tether on your goodybag rather than buy a gigabag then feel free I doubt giffgaff have the resources to actually have security to stop people ;) they will no doubt make an announcement stating the have...

    The gigabags are a con doubt buy just use your goodybag

    Lots of people are getting banned before 'coming clean' :rolleyes:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,828
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    Why did you get a Goodybag then if you think they're a con? Why go on to encourage tethering? It doesn't make any sense and only makes you sound spiteful.
  • myscrapbook2011myscrapbook2011 Posts: 1,319
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    finbaar wrote: »
    I tether my phone on Talk Mobile or my wifes phone on Giff Gaff occasionally when we are away with our tablet PC depending on if the Vodafone or the O2 signal is better. We have never had any problems from Giff Gaff but I suppse we are light users and I can't see how Giff Gaff could tell the difference between an Android phone and a tethered Android tablet. The fact is if there is a rule like no tethering then I will break it even if I don't need to. It is our data and we will choose how to use it when we have paid for it.

    We can find out how much by submitting a Freedom of Information request. They can't refuse by law.
  • Aye UpAye Up Posts: 7,053
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    We can find out how much by submitting a Freedom of Information request. They can't refuse by law.

    OH Bull! FOI requests are only applicable to public bodies and institutions....not private companies legitimately making a profit!
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    Agreed absolute rubbish FOI requests only apply to government and public bodies. What private companies do within the law is their business.

    The OP signed up, agreed to the terms and then broke them by tethering. You can only tether on 3's £25 contract, you don't really expect unlimited and tethering for a tenner from Giffgaff do you, that's not going to happen on any network.

    They can tell if you are tethering, but they have to go and investigate, investigations are triggered by high usage alerts, on GG this is about 5-10GB when the team start investigating why you are using so much data on a handset.

    T-mobile is unlimited browsing, not unlimited downloads as I understand, after 500MB you cannot download or stream you can just browse, although I don't know if you are on another truly unlimited plan or even if they do truly unlimited I don't think they do.
  • wavejockglwwavejockglw Posts: 10,596
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    Bottom line with GiffGaff and any other network that forbids tethering or offers it as a separate option is to tread carefully. I tether with Vodafone on a contract handset occasionally to demonstrate the mobile access point facility on Android at work. This type of use probably only consumes a few MB of data and as yet I have heard nothing about it. The networks can't tell whether you tether or browse on a handset now because most smartphones display exactly the same webpages and stream the same volume of data as a tethered phone would with a laptop or tablet. In years gone by phones displayed minimal websites specially designed for slow GSM called WAP.

    When I go on holiday I use 3G (HSPA+) for browsing the Internet in my hotel and for the occasional download. It's a £2.60 monthly web browsing add on I buy on Vodafone and I tether that and use about 3GB a month with no penalty.

    The GiffGaff proposition is good but those buying it should accept the terms when they pay their money. There is no point in moaning about being disconnected for doing something that has been clearly stated is not permitted and has already been stated excessive use will trigger investigation and action as of course will boasting about how long one may have got away with flouting the rules.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 996
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    Hey you were Wiliky on the giffgaff community weren't you? I am in a giffgaff huddle on Google+ and everyone was talking about you getting banned saying you were tethering, someone also said you posted on Digital Spy but I thought nothing of it... Then I come on here 1 hour later and see this post!
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    The networks can't tell whether you tether or browse on a handset now because most smartphones display exactly the same webpages and stream the same volume of data as a tethered phone would with a laptop or tablet.

    They can tell, the user agent string that the browser submits it's different, your browser announces it's OS, browser and a whole string with every GET request, the network can easily see this, also certain traffic is generated on a PC or Mac that doesn't get generated on a phone, such as polls home to Windows, NTP to time.windows.com, windows update checks, even carrier IQ.

    These are other ways they can tell as well, network branded firmware may report tethering, the mac address, even TCP packet TTLs can give it away as each hop should reduce the TTL by 1, well they know you should be directly connected to the tower so they know what the TTL should be, if they see an extra hop then that can indicate tethering too.

    The main thing is that they only investigate when usage is more than you would expect from a handset, when GG see 5GB or more usage they look at data to see if they suspect the phone has been tethered, if they do have cause to suspect it then they will suspend the account and force the user to re-agree to terms before it's re-enabled, then if they do it again they are suspended for good on that account.
  • HardstylerHardstyler Posts: 1,892
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    Yes wilky on gg lol
  • orchoverorchover Posts: 1,443
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    I used to tether when I was with O2 and they most definitely could tell as it showed up differently on my bill. It showed on my bill as something like "wap.o2.co.uk" when I was using internet on my N97 mini, and "mobile.o2.co.uk" when I was tethering. They never did anything about it though.
  • The Alpha GamerThe Alpha Gamer Posts: 3,122
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    If you were getting away with it, why'd you drop yourself in it?
  • HardstylerHardstyler Posts: 1,892
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    If you were getting away with it, why'd you drop yourself in it?

    didn't drop myself in it.. it was my last day on the network and decided to come clean...

    I'm one if many they don't know about and will probably never know
  • The Alpha GamerThe Alpha Gamer Posts: 3,122
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    Hardstyler wrote: »
    didn't drop myself in it.. it was my last day on the network and decided to come clean...

    I'm one if many they don't know about and will probably never know

    Oh, I thought you meant you HAD to switch networks, not that you were then switching anyway
  • HardstylerHardstyler Posts: 1,892
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    no no i got away with it for 12 months and could of gone a lot longer if I didn't get my iPhone 4 on contract... people can say its easy to detect, maybe it is but not for giffgaff
  • Thine WonkThine Wonk Posts: 17,190
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    Hardstyler wrote: »
    no no i got away with it for 12 months and could of gone a lot longer if I didn't get my iPhone 4 on contract... people can say its easy to detect, maybe it is but not for giffgaff

    How much data did you use?, they only investigate if you download large amounts like 5-10 gigs.
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