Confounded Shaw Part Deux

When the issue of UBB first hit the fan, I nearly lost it. When it looked like it was going to go through, I started actually reading CRTC rulings. And then it quietly went away.

But, I know Shaw better, and knew it would be back. And now it is. Last month, I logged into my Shaw Customer Care and checked my usage. It was all over the map and there was a large gap with no information from 09Dec10 to 07Jan11 but without that gap, our usage ranged from a low of 17.63 GB in Sept/Oct to a high of 63.85 GB in Feb/Mar — nearly 4 GB over our cap.

So today, when the story broke that Shaw is dragging out the same shitty idea, I logged in to check my usage…  except I couldn’t find it, so I checked the FAQ and found this:

Can I monitor my internet use to ensure I don’t exceed my transfer limit?

You can monitor your ongoing modem use but only if you have exceeded your transfer limits in the past. You can log in to Customer Centre and select Display Modem Usage under the Internet section. You won’t see any information in this section if you have not exceeded your transfer limits.

We will also send you an email to let you know when you have exceeded the monthly transfer limits on your Shaw Internet plan.

Basically, the answer to the FAQ is “No.” You won’t be able to tell you’re on the hook for a higher bill until you are already over. How in the hell is that OK?

If my gas tank is low, I can read the dial — some cars we’ve owned even ping off a warning tone to say, “Hey, driver, you need more unleaded!” –and along my travels, I can look down and check the gas gauge at any time to see how I am doing and possibly adjust my driving or check my tire pressure or whatever I need to do in order to improve my mileage.

So, just in case anyone from Shaw Cable is reading this, I want to be clear: if you are going to charge me for exceeding your arbitrary limits, you need to provide itemized usage statistics throughout the billing period, regardless of whether or not I have exceeded them in the past or might exceed them in the future.

And just in case anyone from Teksavvy is reading this, please PLEASE consider moving in to serve the Greater Victoria region.

12:05 pm EDIT TO UPDATE:

Just got this email from a reader, “I read your blog this morning and went to check my usage but the option was gone.  I wanted to change some channels anyway, so I called Shaw (20 min on hold). He told me that the option was unavailable right now because they were changing it.  Even he couldn’t check on the usage (hmm, I wonder if there is a bridge for sale somewhere).  So I will check again later this week to see if it has returned on my account. It was a great feature since I could keep an eye on my downloading.   Shaw is starting to annoy me very much with this crap.”