PS3 downloads so slow again.

[#1]

I called Plusnet on Saturday to ask about this.  I was told by the member of staff that they don't throttle connections to PSN.  When I asked why my downloads were so slow specifically from PSN I was told they'd raise a ticket and come back within twenty-four hours.
Forty-eights hours later, there isn't even a ticket in my member's centre.
Given the member of staff lied to me about the ticket, I'm assuming he also lied about throttling of PSN.  Therefore, I take it it's reasonable to assume that Plusnet are actively misleading other people about their traffic management policy when they sign up, as they seem to have done with me? 

[#2]

We're certainly not intending to mislead anyone before they sign up, the traffic management policies we have are available on the website before, during and after signup to give information on the maximum expected speeds of different services.
Downloads from PSN are classed as download server as they are hosted by Akamai (IIRC), the speeds on the current products can be found here: http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/download_speeds.shtml

[#3]

Thanks for coming back so quickly, Chris (though it's a shame that no-one can be bothered to reply to me when I raise a ticket or call you...). 
It may not be Plusnet's intention to mislead people but that's the effect in practice: details of the varying download speeds aren't flagged up on the front page or on the 'more info' section of the Premium page, nor is the page you've cited linked to, except in references to the use of P2P or Usenet files (which PSN isn't).  Even when signing up, the page you've linked to is three pages deep - and three clicks away.  In fact, Plusnet Premium is specifically marketed at gamers; clearly that's rubbish, given the speeds provided at peak times are almost useless when it comes to downloading firmware or game updates for the PS3. 
If Plusnet doesn't intend to mislead customers, may I suggest you either stop marketing Premium as a solution for gamers ior stop throttling PSN?
Oh - and can you actually ask one of your customer service people to reply to my query?  It's pathetic that I've raised it twice now and no-one can be bothered returning to me; and I'm sure you'll be wanting to offer me as soon as possible a free upgrade to Plusnet Pro or a free cancellation of the contract until you sort out the problems on the Premium account.
Thanks

[#4]

I should add: even if someone signing up could find the page you linked to, that wouldn't enable them to tell that you throttle PSN: 'Gaming' is listed as line speed at all times on the Premium account; no-one would be aware that Plusnet arbitarily classify PSN as a download site...
Companies commit an offence if it engages in a commercial practice which is a misleading omission; I'd be interested to know why Plusnet say they haven't done just that. 

[#5]

Quote from: Chris

Downloads from PSN are classed as download server as they are hosted by Akamai (IIRC), the speeds on the current products can be found here: http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/download_speeds.shtml

I'm sorry, but nowhere on that page does it state that the PSN will be throttled.  In fact it actually states that gaming is at "line speed", and my experiences of gaming on the PS3 is that it's nowhere near "line speed"!  Well, it is if I leech onto my neighbour's Virgin connection but that's just not right is it?

[#6]

I agree - in the absence of any explanation from Plusnet, it does appear they know they are misleading new customers on this issue and are happy for it to continue.
Since no-one from Plusnet has come back to this thread, I thought people might like to know that I received a -late - reply from the support people.  They don't seem to understand what the problems about (as they're talking about game servers, which Plusnet distinctly do not consider PSN to be) so I've sent them this reply:
"Hello
1. You have not explained why a ticket was not raised, contrary to the information I was give on Saturday.  Please explain: a. why a ticket was not raised; b. why you have not responded to my further ticket until well outside the 24-hour timescale; and c. why you have not addressed in your original reply the lack of response from my call on Saturday. 
2. My issue is not with game servers but with the Playstation Network (PSN) and downloads - such as game updates, firmware updates and films - from that site.  Your colleague, Chris, in this message - http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,81358.msg698113.html#msg698113 - stated that you throttle PSN downloads on the Plusnet Premium account.  Is it not the case that this is the answer to my problem and, if so, why do I need to install and run Wireshark? 
3. If the reason for the slow speeds from PSN is Plusnet's deliberate throttling of PSN, please advise why I have been misled in this regard when signing up to Plusnet.  Please also confirm that you will be applying a £20 goodwill gesture to my account and upgrading me free of charge to the Plusnet Pro account, an account that does not throttle PSN downloads. 
4. If your deliberate throttling of PSN is not the reason for the slow download speeds (which is an issue only for PSN), please advise accordingly (including the reason why this is not the case) and I will install and run Wireshark and report back with my results. 
Please also note that, as I appear to have been deliberately misled by Plusnet when opening this account, this matter must now be treated as a formal complaint in accordance with your complaints policy. "
If someone from PN on this thread wants to educate their support staff, be my guest!
It is a shame that PN seem to be so poor on certain issues: my installation with them was an absolute shambles and now they seem to be trying to suggest they're blameless in this.  They're not, they're misleading customers and they should sort it out.   

[#7]

I am looking at your ticket now so you can expect a reply shortly. I'm also going to see if we can get mention to non-time sensitive PSN/Xbox/iTunes downloads etc on the page here.

[#8]

Thanks Bob for replying so quickly.  For those on the forum, PN have accepted that their information for new customers isn't sufficient (and, I'd assume, therefore accept it's misleading, if only accidentally) but don't seem - at least in my case - to be prepared to do anything about it.
It would be very silly for a company to acknowledge they've messed up, sort the problem but then leave other customers in a worse position than new customers.  I hope PN - having now accepted the problem - start taking it a bit more seriously.  For anyone interested, this is what I've written back to Bob: 
Dear Bob,
Thank you for acknowledging the inadequate service I have recevied over the last few days and for indicating that you will be reviewing your procedures to try to ensure it does not happen in future.
Thank you also for acknowledging that your website does not provide sufficient information for new customers and that you will be looking to amend this in future.
Unfortunately I have signed up to the Plusnet service without having being given any indication that you throttle PSN downloads and I would not have signed up to Plusnet had I known of these restrictions. Having been so misled, and having accepted that this was a result of Plusnet's website advertising, it is wholly inappropriate for you to suggest that I should be penalised - by way of lower download limits or by way of reimbursement of setup costs - in trying to obtain the service it was indicated I would receive.
Please therefore properly consider what steps Plusnet will take to resolve this issue. It would seem most sensible for this to be done either by moving me to Plusnet Pro (at the same or lower cost) but without the associated usage limits; or by removing the throttle of the Akamai CDN on my account.
If you refuse to resolve the issue Plusnet has caused, please confirm that you have now exhausted your internal complaints procedure in order that I may refer this to CISAS or take other appropriate action.

[#9]

Just to be clear...
I did not say that information for new customers is insufficient, neither did I accept that it was misleading. On the contrary in fact, I clearly stated that it was not our intention to mislead anybody!
What I did agree to do based on your feedback was look at expanding on the information available here to make it clearer to the less technically literate what sort of stuff is delivered over Content Distribution Networks.
Some of the information you were provided over the phone was admittedly lacking. This has identified a gap in the product knowledge of the support staff you spoke to and I'm chasing this up internally.
I will reply to your support ticket again shortly however please refrain from posting the full ticket transcript here. There's no need to continue the same dialogue in two places.

[#10]

Bob
Just to be clear...
I have not suggested that Plusnet are deliberately misleading customers (though, of course, the increased business will do BT no harm).  However, the fact is that Plusnet have, at least implicitly, accepted that there is insufficient information for people to understand that PSN content is delivered via sites that your company classifies as download servers.  Coupled with the emphasis placed on gaming in the promotion of the Pro account - and the failure to distinguish between gaming and download sites (for PS3 purposes) - means that, deliberate or not, Plusnet clearly are misleading potential customers.  After all, if you weren't, there would be no need to look into reviewing your pages! 
I'm not continuing a conversation with you on this thread; given the number of complaints about your service to gamers, it's clearly useful for other customers (and potential customers) to know how you're dealing (or not dealing) with these issues. 

[#11]

Pro customers get the downloads at line speeds all the time, so would be unaffected by the classification anyway.

[#12]

Adiewoo,
You're right that Pro customers using PSN get linespeed - exactly what I was advertised but isn't being provided!  Just a shame that Pro customers also only get a 20Gb monthly usage.
As is clear from my latest reply to Bob, despite Plusnet misleading me (and other customers) as to their offer, they just don't seem to be able to work out what they need to do to resolve the issue:
"Bob
My wish in this matter is to be provided with the service that was advertised to me and to which I signed up, viz. a connection with up to 8Mb speed, an 80Gb monthly download limit (with unlimited overnight usage) and expected linespeed at all times on gaming sites, which - in the absence of any information to the contrary - clearly includes PSN.
Neither my current service nor your suggested options provide me with the service that was advertised to me.  As you are unable to remove the CDN rate limiting on my account without upgrading the package, I would suggest that you upgrade my account to Pro, add an additional 60Gb of usage to the new Pro account (thereby giving me the same monthly usage) and apply a recurring credit equivalent to the difference in price between my current Premium monthly cost and the monthly cost of the 'Pro + 60Gb' service.
I see no need to address the offer of discounted migration any further, other than to note that it would be wholly inappropriate in these circumstances for Plusnet to entertain any notion of charging a migration fee.
If you are not prepared to do this, and as the internal compaints process does not appear to have been exhausted, please pass this matter directly to your Customer Service Director for their consideration; I have no further information to add at this point. 
Finally, may I note that I do not consider it appropriate for any company to advise of their own initiative against a customer raising a matter with an industry ombundsman.  I trust you will ensure that neither you nor your colleagues do so in future. "

[#13]

@beefqueen, as I implied previously, I don't see much point in maintaining a dialogue with you here as well as on your support ticket.
I'll continue the discussion via your open support ticket.
In the meantime I hope nobody minds if I duck out of this forum thread?

[#14]

Perhaps being scared of the implications of the position they've talked themselves into, Plusnet now seem to be rowing back from accepting they're misleading customers with regard to PSN throttling: 
"Your claim that 'gaming' includes all PSN content is to be perfectly honest a perception of yours. There is nothing on our site that suggests or implies that this is the case.
It is impossible to specify everything that is delivered over CDN's. For example, many images on the BBC's website are delivered using this medium however would you suggest that we explicitly pay mention to the images on BBC's website on our sales and support pages?
I'm assuming the particular content you don't like is the bit that says?
"Our Premium broadband package gives you everything the Internet has to offer. It's ideal for large families, regular homeworkers and those who regularly download large files, movies and game online."
This statement is accurate and we've plenty of PS3 gamers who are more than satisfied with the Premium package. Perhaps you could point me in the specific direction of the areas of our website where you believe you've been mislead? I can't help but think I'm only looking at part of the picture?"
Perhaps they don't use PSN and simply don't understand that saying a service that throttles PSN is 'ideal' for anyone with a PS3.  Though I think it seems fair to say that the part of the site Bob himself quotes would undoubtedly be likely to mislead the average consumer in relation to the availability, benefits, fitness for purpose and use of the product!

[#15]

I use my PS3 a lot and TBH I don't find it that much of an issue, I can game perfectly well on it and I can us iPlayer at any time of day.
Other downloads I do either in a morning or after midnight.