Get Even Bbc
Industry watchdogs such as Oftel or the Office of Fair Trading seem unwilling - or unable - to take up the fight on behalf of net users.
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I can't believe they are treating people like this |
As one service after another is switched off, many consumers are angry and feel they have lost out.
But outside the small claims court, there seems to be little in the way of recourse available to them.
Frozen out
Net user Stephen Tann bought an unmetered access deal with French company LibertySurf in May.
The company, part-owned by UK retail giant Kingfisher, promised a year's unrestricted off-peak access for £20.
But after four months of trouble-free, off-peak surfing Mr Tann suddenly found it was taking four hours or more to connect to the service.
Unfortunately, there isn't anything we can do |
'I was read a statement, which explained the service was having problems due to unexpected levels of demand,' he said.
'I was then given the address of the Liberty Surf legal department and told that if I had read the statement that they, the helpline, would not answer any questions anymore.'
He adds: 'I couldn't believe they would treat people like this.'
Rather than drop its unmetered access package after higher than expected demand, Liberty Surf has decided to freeze out those users it believes are 'abusing' the system.
It claims 5% of customers were monopolising the network.
'We have adjusted the settings for this small group so that these people have access to the same amount of network as everyone else,' the company said in a statement.
'Those 5% can now only use 5% of the network.'
But Mr Tann feels he has had a raw deal.
'I was using the internet quite a lot. More than two hours a day.
'That was the reason I spent £20 on the Liberty Surf CD - because it was supposed to provide unmetered access.
'It didn't say anything on the packaging about withdrawing the service if demand became too great.'
So far his complaints have fallen on deaf ears.
Passing the buck
Telecom watchdog Oftel told him the problem did not fall within its remit.
An Oftel spokeswoman later told BBC News Online: 'Unfortunately, there isn't anything we can do. Oftel exists to regulate telecoms licenses.'
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is also reluctant to handle complaints about service providers' treatment of customers.
A spokesman told BBC News Online that it was Oftel's responsibility.
The ISP's own trade body, The Internet Service Providers Association, was also unwilling to get involved.
So far, only the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has taken action over unmetered access.
Broken promises
Earlier this year, it upheld complaints against a string of companies, including NTL and Freeserve, for making promises in adverts they later failed to deliver.
NTL's campaign alone attracted 167 complaints - the largest number ever received by the ASA about a factual inaccuracy.
But the advertising watchdog has little legal force. All it can do is ask advertisers not to repeat false claims.
It cannot take up the fight for compensation on behalf of individual consumers.
Ultimately, it falls to the local trading standards department in the area the ISP is based to take up the fight on the consumer's behalf.
But most web users will find it difficult to track down the office next to the ISP's headquarter.
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And the very last - but possibly too expensive - avenue is going to a small claims court.