Bitten by my ISP - 10/25/08 04:01 AM
So yesterday Qwest drops my service. Since I was two months overdue, I assumed that was the reason. So I called and paid up to current. However, by today my service was still d/c. I called in again today and the first person told me I was still being issued service so she'd send me to tech support.
Tech support told me they froze my account because they saw me downloading a movie!
"Downloading a movie? I don't think so!" I tell the woman incrediously. "I'm a student just trying to get my assignment in."
"Well, the tech department says they saw someone was downloading a movie at your place and you were using bittorrent to do it."
Instantly I muted the phone and turned to my roommate, "You don't use bittorrent do you?" Afterall, there IS a difference between BitTorrent and UTorrent, even if it's just the name. XP So I unmute the phone and procede to explain, "I have no idea where to begin to find the culprit. Afterall, I have six computers always connected in this house (didn't mention that three were mine)."
"Well sir," she replied, "we won't be able to re-activate your account until you locate the computer with the movie and remove the copywrite material as well as the program you used to download it."
And again, I replied, "What do you mean, I used to download? There are two people in my house that are gone for the next three days. I can't access their PC's without their passwords and my roommate may not be in until late this evening... listen I've got to get online now for my assignments sake. Tell you what, discontinue my service and I'll send your crap back in the box you sent me and I'll go switch ISP's so I can get this frickin assignment in sometime this week." I was looking for a good excuse to convince my wife to let me switch to Comcast anyway. Cost an assload to start up, but I'm dying at this 3.0MBS speed Qwest offers. Especially since they initially told me I'd be getting 7.0MBS then after I signed up and came back to complain told me 3.0 was the max for my area.
Well, long story short, I'm at the moment netless. I'm disgusted that they would look over my shoulder but am very grateful they weren't looking close enough to see the eighty other things on that download list. But what's really funny, I really don't remember any of them being a movie.
Anyway, hopefully it was only a close call. Was definitely funny though. I wonder what made them check since this month was no different from the past year that I've been on their service. Anyone know if Comcast violates privacy?
Tech support told me they froze my account because they saw me downloading a movie!
"Downloading a movie? I don't think so!" I tell the woman incrediously. "I'm a student just trying to get my assignment in." "Well, the tech department says they saw someone was downloading a movie at your place and you were using bittorrent to do it."
Instantly I muted the phone and turned to my roommate, "You don't use bittorrent do you?" Afterall, there IS a difference between BitTorrent and UTorrent, even if it's just the name. XP So I unmute the phone and procede to explain, "I have no idea where to begin to find the culprit. Afterall, I have six computers always connected in this house (didn't mention that three were mine)."
"Well sir," she replied, "we won't be able to re-activate your account until you locate the computer with the movie and remove the copywrite material as well as the program you used to download it."
And again, I replied, "What do you mean, I used to download? There are two people in my house that are gone for the next three days. I can't access their PC's without their passwords and my roommate may not be in until late this evening... listen I've got to get online now for my assignments sake. Tell you what, discontinue my service and I'll send your crap back in the box you sent me and I'll go switch ISP's so I can get this frickin assignment in sometime this week." I was looking for a good excuse to convince my wife to let me switch to Comcast anyway. Cost an assload to start up, but I'm dying at this 3.0MBS speed Qwest offers. Especially since they initially told me I'd be getting 7.0MBS then after I signed up and came back to complain told me 3.0 was the max for my area.
Well, long story short, I'm at the moment netless. I'm disgusted that they would look over my shoulder but am very grateful they weren't looking close enough to see the eighty other things on that download list. But what's really funny, I really don't remember any of them being a movie.
Anyway, hopefully it was only a close call. Was definitely funny though. I wonder what made them check since this month was no different from the past year that I've been on their service. Anyone know if Comcast violates privacy?