18-7-08:                                             Is spam filtering part of the SERVICE?  We received an email from one of our regular visitors/readers which is an eye-opener and should be read with great care. For privacy reasons we have edited the name of the sender and other details which may otherwise identify the person complaining.                                                           ---------------------------------------------------- It appears that spam was getting through to the complainant's Inbox despite the ISP's promotion of a near foolproof spam filtering system being in place. Spam filtering is part of the contract and is covered in the ISP's service charges. The claimant redirected any spam which got through the ISP's system back to the ISP without specifically making any comments about it. So, one day earlier this week the claimant suddenly had lost all access to the Internet and could not re-establish any connection or find a fault in the computer. In desperation the person then contacted the ISP which happened to be OPTUS, and the following resulted: Quote: I hope you received and noted this. I was right. I was being; ---and I quote: "punished"!  I knew something deceitful was going on. I could feel it. I really could. My system was down again today (Tuesday 15-7-08). I knew that there was a major problem in Queensland -- and put it down to that. I tried to log on again, after 4 hours or so. Could not and rang Optusnet. Got an Australian girl. I asked jokingly if I was being punished. She said "Yes." I thought I misheard her, and asked "I'm being punished?" She said "Yes" again. They suspended my account on Saturday evening. Indian helpdesk operator re-connected it on Saturday night. On Sunday it was out again and Akshay (another Indian helpdesk operator) reconnected it. This girl Kate was efficient and businesslike. She told me that they had suspended my account today to force me to contact them. What was my crime? Sending Optusnet the spam that they have been letting through the 'cleaner/fresher' inbox spam filter that they promote as part of their 'service'. She told me that I had been spamming Optusnet, and that they had warned me not to do it. (All I've received from these vile creatures are the automated responses each time I send them an (spam) email that they are allowing through their state-of-the-art system. This young woman talked to me as if I were in front of a headmistress; - - - until I told her that I was a lawyer. At this moment I feel almost bemused with shock. I cannot believe the lamentable state of customer service nowadays. It simply does not exist. This Telco bullied me, for daring to let them have back what their stupid system is allowing to come through to me. I know nothing is foolproof. I also know that I should/will install Mailwasher. But I took the action I did because of the monthly 'spam reports' they send to show their customers how good their system is. Unquote                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It seems very unreasonable for OPTUS to suspend the account to force the user to contact them. A  Telco has an obligation to provide a service for which we, the users, will be charged. If that service includes the filtering of spam and spam is getting through their system then, in our considered opinion, the Telco is not providing the service as advertised/promoted and charged. We have agreed to publish this story to make our readers aware of the situation in case they have a similar advent that has affected their access to the Internet. It is also worthwhile bearing in mind that the word "service" does not have the same meaning as it did when our generation went to school. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to: HOME           Back to: Computers