Is there any way of getting around this if you don't have a credit card?


Every other web site I try to access, I get the Vodafone content control page (the "temporary fault" has been there since I got the dongle). I've worked in primary schools where the internet isn't as restricted. But I don't have a credit card to remove the block.

It's not even as if I'm trying to get on porn websites; I was just trying to log on to Google Talk and check my email - but it's blocked!

I'm going to unlock the dongle and stick it on a less silly network when I get home, but for now it's immensely annoying...

I know with mobile phones on voafone you can have the content control taken off by going into a shop with proof of age. Maybe they will be able to do the same thing with a dongle?

Is content lock applied on the pay and go mobile broadband dongles too?

That's what I'm on - a "top up and go" dongle. I don't use it enough to justify a contract, but it's very handy for the times I'm away for a little while. It pretty much has to be Vodafone's network, because coverage for the others isn't anywhere near.

Anything remotely related to instant messaging or chat is blocked by Vodafone. I'm guessing it's ostensibly something to do with "protecting" kids from chat rooms, but the real reason will be that they want you to converse by sending 10p text messages back and forth rather than almost for free via the mobile internet.

I think that just about sums up what I was thinking

Er no its not.

Content Control does what it says on the tin, being a responsible network Vodafone try to ensure that minors are protected while using their services

It's nothing about being responsible (well maybe a little bit) - and all about not getting bad press and a fine from the regulator. Do you think they'd deprive themselves of cash if they didn't have to?

We'll agree to disagree but i know your wrong.

Your devotion to Vodafone to the point where you leap to their defence at every opportunity is quite cute.

What would be a danger to children from Google Talk? It's not a public chat room, it's a service which lets two people who already know one another communicate online privately. They may as well block email - even this forum is more "dangerous" than Google Talk.

If they're going to take this to its logical conclusion, all we'll eventually be able to access is the weather forecast. It's little to do with child protection and more to do with revenue protection - they'd much rather we used their voice and text services than competing services from the likes of Google.

That's true, but there is no conspiracy that they are blocking google talk for this reason.

I've been using google talk all day on my magic and i use it at home on my USB dongle. All you have to do is go to store and ask to have the content bar lifted.

Erm of course i'll defend Voda, i work for them as stated on here many times. Beisdes that having been a customer of all the networks they have been the best. There are things Voda get wrong, but content control is not one of them imo

rubbish.

you see conspiracy where there is none.

if you were in charge of deciding which services are filtered and which are not i'm sure you would get it completely right and there would be nothing that anyone could dispute.

but the decision at the end of the day has to be made by a regular person who is fallible, and p2p is reasonably blocked by default, as is a voice service over which voda have no control, no records, no ability to investigate nuisance calls etc.

that having been said i've been getting the temporary fault an awful lot recently and it really jerks me off.

i have a sneaky feeling they are using it to reduce server load.

Why is there filtering at all? My home ISP would allow me to visit any website or use any service I wanted. Any landline ISP which even contemplates the use of filtering attracts the ire of half the internet.

In this case, Vodafone are an ISP. I've paid for a certain amount of bandwidth and I should be able to use it how I want, without jumping through arbitrary hoops or handing over credit card details I don't have. If I want to check my email, use instant messengers or fritter it all away on VOIP, that should be my choice.

In return, I don't see Vodafone as responsible for every piece of content on the internet. If I got a nuisance call over Google Talk, I wouldn't be idiotic enough to call Vodafone about it - just like if I was offended by a page on the web, I wouldn't bother my home ISP about it.

Why do Vodafone see themselves in the role of internet watchdog in this way? If a child is using the internet, they need to be properly supervised, whatever sort of connection they're on. For the rest of us, just leave us alone and let us go online without these silly rules!

you have to be over 18 to sign up to home broadband. I would have thought all this was pretty clear to be homest.

Thats exactly what VF do, they chose to have the content control as default but its easy to remove and you dont need a credit card to do it.

And you cant compare mobile comms to fixed comms, a child does not own/rent property so the chances of the wanting a home broadband connection are zilch. Plenty of children though are given mobiles, and whereas PC's have filtering software, mobiles dont.

Your loyalty knows no bounds, however, to them you are just a dispensible 'number' who they'd remove in a cost cutting excercise at the drop of a hat. Sure, have an opinion, but don't defend a company purely because you work for them - the loyalty most definitely isn't mutual.

Hi there!

Wow! This is a bit of a heated debate.

I just wanted to hop on and to offer my help to belleville1.

If you are still having problems - send me a quick email from our Contact Us page with a a link to this thread and WRT135 in the body of the text and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Cheers

Kirsty
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK
Last edited by Kirsty_Vodafone : 18-08-2009 at 17:06

I think the reason it got heated is that, currently, the My Account section of the Vodafone website is basically non-working for top up and go Mobile Broadband customers (due to the "temporary" error, which has been there for a while.)

All the information should be there at your fingertips, it shouldn't be necessary to contact Vodafone or go into a Vodafone store or search the Vodafone site to remove the restriction. (whether one believes the restriction is valid or not)

Sorry to bump this old thread but I am having the same problem.

You cannot remove it online as its currently down, I am guessing its been down since this thread started which to me says vodafone should put there god damn finger out and bloody sort it. On the phone they are about as helpful and a glass hammer being uses to build a glass cabinet and there is only a carphone warehouse store in town.

Why is the content manager there? It shouldnt be on the dongle or vodafone should mention it before hand and give people the option of removing it at the store it is bought from.

What a useless, stupid, idiotic and rubbish network.

Will have to use a proxy for now and lower the already mundane speeds some more.

you could go in to the store and ask them to do it for you.

I just called them and had them removed the content control from my account ... felt like I was Alan Partridge asking them to make porn come on my TV, felt all dirty. In reality it was one particular jokey website that they were blocking, not actual porn that I wanted!

You have to call them for this, the online thing still doesn't work, despite the instructions on their website (here) referring to doing it in My Vodafone. Hopeless company!

Hi gogleking,

I’m disappointed to see the problems you had here.

Has this now been resolved or are you still having difficulty in viewing some websites?

If you’re still experiencing problems fee free to email us here. (When contacting, please quote the code WRT135 in the subject line. In the main message body, please include a link to this thread and your user name. This will ensure that your message comes directly through to my team).

Kind regards,

Jenny
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK