Primus_in_BC
@primus.ca
| reply to Anomalous
Re: Primus Canada cracking down on usage?
Agree totally. That email came from Primus. All the headers, the routing, the odd things in the links all match the 'legit' email I got from Primus about TalkBroadband. Unless they're implying that someone else sent spam about Primus TalkBroadband?
Yes, I'd expect to be given a call, or at least an email with my NAME in it (actually, the TalkBroadband email had my name in it, so why the heck couldn't this one?). But, like you, I've found them useless on the phone - heck it took a month for them to get us online and they buggered up the email accounts as well. When my wife kept phoning them to find out what was going on, they'd hang up on her! They gave us a month free though as compensation, which was nice.
Maybe we'll all get the chop on the 14th & the call centre just don't know about it yet. Or maybe they're setting up a disconnection system and something just leaked out. My suspicion is the latter.
The spamming sounds easy in theory but that would result in their servers being hit by 1000s of simultaneous identical spam emails. Remember that everything's automatically run through Postini for spam filtering. I'm sure it would spot that and erase the lot of it. |
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Iridium
Premium
join:2003-04-02
Los Angeles, CA
 ·DSL EXTREME
| reply to Anomalous
6.a System abuse is defined as any use of Primus resources, which disrupts the normal use of the system or Internet services for others. Examples of system abuse include, but are not limited to, attempting to disrupt the sessions of other Internet users, consuming excessive amounts of CPU time, memory or disk space, or otherwise affecting the performance of Primus servers.
It doesn't specifically mention bandwith, so I wouldn't worry.
--
Democracy is three wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. |
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franch
join:1999-11-03
Canada
| reply to Anomalous
I have Primus also, but I did not receive such an email message. I also don't use that much bandwidth. If you ask me, I think it's a legitimate message.
The tech support people are probably clueless about this. You should probably talk to someone in accounting to see if they have plans to disconnect you. |
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Cozworth
Premium
join:2003-06-10
england
clubs:  
| Frankly I can't believe any company can cancel you by an e-mail. What if you use webmail instead?
Even if you don't get any joy out of the CS, wait till the reply envelopes drop through the door. Maybe its an elaborate scam to get customers to send their modems to someone else.:D |
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Luko
Premium
join:2003-06-18
Pittsburg, CA | Probably someone like RIA trying to scare bittorrent users. |
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Anomalous
@primus.ca
| reply to Primus_in_BC
What is the unique tracking number on the webbug you received? If it's unique to mine, than that adds further evidence this is a legitimate list-server-served email.
Mine is "http://lists.primus.ca/db/694366/157908/1.gif"
If they are identical, that would suggest this just might be some elaborate spam. |
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BIGMIKE
Premium
join:2002-06-07
Westminster, CA | reply to Anomalous
Where do they get a price of $175.00? For a $60 DSL modem. |
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Primus_in_BC
@primus.ca
| reply to Anomalous
I'm similar - 157xxx and the rest of the URL is the same.
The 157xxx number matches the number in the AUP link - but oddly not the number in the "To" header. So it would seem that the 157xxx is a tracking number unique to the list-server. But not directly related to the customer number.
I'm guessing they've made a mailing list to mail out to the high volume users. |
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SteveeBee
@rr.com | reply to Anomalous
...I suppose if a prepaid, self-addressed mailer arrives at your house, you will know one of:
a) it was legit and Primus wants to dump you, or
b) someone wants to steal your modem by have you ship it to them [chuckle] |
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Primus_in_BC
@primus.ca
| Well if they're saying that we'll be disconnected on the 14th, I wouldn't expect to have to send the modem back until after then.
Although I see your point - the envelope could arrive before the 14th. Yes, that would definitely trigger a couple more phone calls!! |
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cruix
join:2002-04-07
Vancouver, BC | reply to Anomalous
i say class action lawsuit if they end up kicking people off for downloading too much. they even advertise the whole unlimited download deal |
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Primus_in_BC
@primus.ca
| There's enough vagueness in the AUP that they could probably use it to kick off anybody they wanted with no fear of legal reprisals. In fact it's pretty much the same as every other ISP's AUP - any ISP could use their AUP to kick off anybody - if they wanted.
Leave anything running overnight, run a web server, run a game server, run BitTorrent, heavy use of anything... all in breach of the AUP if they wanted to pick at it. |
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Xort
@primus.ca
| reply to Anomalous
I'v just gotten a very similar email.
After calling in to check it out their call center was maybe the worst I'v ever had to use, the frist person didn't have a clue and could find anything out. (Their phone system was very loud, and cut off to quickly after they were talking so the last thing they said got chopped.)
So I left them some info to call me back when they figured their stuff out.
The call back said that I was using my acount too much. And I kid you not "You're using 3hrs a day, and over 100hrs a month."
Hours... yes that lady passed a computer science class I'm sure. So anyway I'm fairly sure that it's GBs and anything over 3 a day or 100 a month.. (odd those are exclusive of each other.. but anyway) will get you canned.
However with luck she will email me a full report "for my records". Which I fully intent to turn over to a few choice agencies and anyone else that will listen.
Their TOS which I read in depth has no cluase at all for bandwidth useage. In fact I would guess that the TOS they have is about 10 year old given the clauses listed. It's mostly a dial-up access TOS.
I have both their package page, and their TOS saved in case they try and change it. (it also has nothing about them being able to change the terms of the agreement which just shows how old it is).
What burns my can is that I would have switched to a different ISP if they were only offerning 'fake unlimited' bandwidth, but now I can't because Telus is on strike and other ISP say they can't help me with a new sign up untill Telus is back to work.
So they are going to send me a prepaid package to ship them back their modem, however I'm going to guess they might not cut my MAC address from their system swiftly so I'm going to be using my old modem for as long as I can. |
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cruix
join:2002-04-07
Vancouver, BC | "3 hours a day". yup, thats exactly what she told me too. un-freaken-beliveable. |
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Primus_in_BC
@primus.ca
| reply to Anomalous
OK, here's some more stuff.
First, read the thread over on the Telus board about this: »A warning for those switching to Primus
Some of those guys have actually managed to speak to someone at Primus that acknowledges this as a real email.
Secondly, the number encoded in the email is your internal Primus account number. It matches the first part of the activation code that was on the initial "Welcome to Primus" paperwork that you got. Confirming yet again that this is legit email from Primus and tied to your actual account.
Thirdly, go to here: »adsl-reg.uniserve.com/
(Thanks to danf on the other thread)
Type in your phone number. Then type in your account number (the one off the email/activation code).
This will show you your data transfer volumes on a day-by-day basis with up/download details and totals.
Pretty cool huh? Now if Primus would only give people that link and tell them what volumes are permitted instead of this vacuous "unlimited" rubbish that they're not prepared to stand behind, I'm sure we'd all be a heck of a lot happier. |
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Xort
@primus.ca
| reply to Anomalous
09 5567.36MB 5400.21MB 10967.57MB
One day record beat that!
Totals: 47022.89MB 119711.59MB 166734.48MB
31 day total.
Funny thing is that I almost always upload more than I download, and my download is 3 times faster. I'm a good BT user in other words. 
I think I can understand why they might not want me around. But still unlimited is unlimited. |
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jamos669
join:2005-04-20
Vancouver, BC | reply to Anomalous
Ive done as much as 15gb a day on telus good times, and they still havent kicked me yet |
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anony-mouse
@telus.net | reply to Anomalous
If these accounts from Primus users are legit then what are our options in BC? I was all prepared to give the big F to Telus and switching to Primus (delayed by Telus dispute) and now this? |
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tumble
join:2005-03-31
Vancouver, BC
| I'm gonna have to agree with what's being said in this thread about Primus... I was a bit skeptic at first since I've been doing 100GB/mo on Primus since march, but turns out I was in fact able to login using that number in the 'to' field of the email to check my bandwidth stats. Unbelievable. Customer service is completely clueless as to what's going as, same with technical support. I guess I should expect not to have an internet connection within 4 days. *sigh* |
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Cgasucks
@telus.net
| I'm so glad I'm not the only one with this abuse message...I got the message on Nov. 4th and I've yet to get a Prepaid DHL envelope that they said I was gonna get...either way, hoax or not, they can have it...I already got an ADSL modem....my up/dl usage is about 200G/month...mostly upload...if this is the real deal..I'm gonna have to crawl on my hands and knees to Telus.. |
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