Misleading 'Unlimited' Plans

Comments criticize how companies market 'unlimited' data, storage, and bandwidth services that impose hidden limits, throttling, or fine print caveats, debating deceptive advertising versus realistic expectations.

📉 Falling 0.5x Startups & Business
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#5417
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Keywords

ACD HostGator YMMV CRM AT PB GB TB FTC unlimited customer tactic limit limits storage throttle bandwidth offer usage

Sample Comments

KomoD Jun 20, 2024 View on HN

If you can't handle unlimited then don't offer unlimited? Really just is that simple.

switch007 Apr 18, 2025 View on HN

It's easier just to never believe a company whenever they say "unlimited". It almost always goes away. And never ever truly unlimited as they all have a legal caveat to terminate your services for whatever reason whenever they like

lucgagan Sep 22, 2023 View on HN

"Unlimited" positioning rubs me the wrong way. It really means "until we deem to be no longer reasonable for personal use".

moffkalast Oct 6, 2024 View on HN

Nobody has unlimited data in reality, it's just a marketing term. All providers will throttle you down to nothing at some point sooner or later.

woojoo666 Jul 27, 2022 View on HN

It's not "unlimited", its "unlimited*". There are additional constraints that are enumerated afterwards. But for the vast majority of users, it will feel like unlimited, so it's not necessary for them to read those additional constraints

crottypeter Jul 7, 2017 View on HN

Doesn't sound very 'unlimited'

sigsergv Sep 1, 2015 View on HN

Then don't call these “unlimited”, because otherwise it's a pure lie. Unlimited is unlimited.

mikegreenberg Jan 12, 2011 View on HN

I understood that "unlimited" meant all you can eat with a biggest pipe we can offer you for the first X Gb, and then we throttle "over the cap" usage for the rest of the billing cycle. Technically, you can keep using it, but at reduced speeds.

icdsoft May 17, 2019 View on HN

It is quite unlikely that the "unlimited" traffic you are paying for is truly unlimited. There is always a catch with such "unlimited" offers.

chrisjj May 26, 2025 View on HN

> Free and unlimitedExtremely doubtful. The fact you haven't yet hit limits does not mean no limits.Nor does the fact the provider claims unlimited.