Ts & Cs for Hotels' wifi use

[Jonetc15]

Is it safe/usual not to bother to read the terms and conditions (and privacy policy) when first logging onto hotels' wifi systems?

TIA

Jon

[Alaric]

Is it safe/usual not to bother to read the terms and conditions (and privacy policy) when first logging onto hotels' wifi systems?

It's probably usual, whether safe is another matter. What sort of risk would you be concerned with?

[Urbandreamer]

My opinion of Hotel wifi differs with the hotel.

For example I'm more than happy to use some hotel Wifi, usually the ones that are up front and charge you. Others that ask a lot of personal details (ie TravelLodge or Premier Inn) I simply don't use.

Even so, sometimes I fall foul of the spammers. I stayed at a great little hotel with wonderfull service in Germany and got a email asking to rate them. As they were great, I did. Since then I have been bombarded with Booking.com spam!

In general it's wise to read the T's & C's, after all there could be a Herrod clause.

https://www.ukfast.co.uk/blog/2014/10/0 ... ree-wi-fi/

[GoSeigen]

My opinion of Hotel wifi differs with the hotel.

For example I'm more than happy to use some hotel Wifi, usually the ones that are up front and charge you. Others that ask a lot of personal details (ie TravelLodge or Premier Inn) I simply don't use.

Even so, sometimes I fall foul of the spammers. I stayed at a great little hotel with wonderfull service in Germany and got a email asking to rate them. As they were great, I did. Since then I have been bombarded with Booking.com spam.

Booking.com do not spam. If you unsubscibe they respect your preferences. Did you unsubscribe? If so, maybe it's spammers pretending to be booking.com...

To the OP I seldom even skim read Ts & Cs, just assume they want me to behave sensibly and avoid certain types of content If too intrusive I avoid like other posters.

GS

[UncleEbenezer]

Booking.com do not spam. If you unsubscibe they respect your preferences. Did you unsubscribe? If so, maybe it's spammers pretending to be booking.com...


GS

If he didn't subscribe, he shouldn't have to unsubscribe. It's spam if he didn't ask to be mailed. It sounds like the kind of abuse GDPR will clamp down on (if enforced).

Having said that, I've used booking.com a few times, and never been spammed by them. So my anecdotal evidence is that they do respect my choice not to sign up for spam. Unlike many who should know better!

On the original question, I wouldn't hesitate to use a hotel's wifi. Among big chains I've used Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and (I think) Jurys, without any of them attempting to spam me. Any data whose privacy is important travels encrypted over hotel wifi as it would over any other network.

[GoSeigen]

Booking.com do not spam. If you unsubscibe they respect your preferences. Did you unsubscribe? If so, maybe it's spammers pretending to be booking.com...


GS

If he didn't subscribe, he shouldn't have to unsubscribe. It's spam if he didn't ask to be mailed. It sounds like the kind of abuse GDPR will clamp down on (if enforced).

Having said that, I've used booking.com a few times, and never been spammed by them. So my anecdotal evidence is that they do respect my choice not to sign up for spam. Unlike many who should know better.

He may not have intended to, but I've no idea whether actually he subscribed or not and I would have no way of seeing and evaluating the evidence. Rather, I see there's a problem to solve and trying to ascribe blame doesn't achieve that.

If he doesn't like being "bombarded" by booking.com he has a choice and a way to resolve it: unsubscribe. I made no claim about how booking.com initiated their emails, but I do agree with you that if asked to stop they will do so. As such they cannot be put in the same box as spammers, who send out junk regardless of one's expressed wishes.

I think were actually on the same page about this, perhaps I just object a bit more to the casual use of the pejorative "spam".


No connection with the business beyond being a happy customer who has never had difficulty terminating their mailings.

GS

[Urbandreamer]

He may not have intended to, but I've no idea whether actually he subscribed or not and I would have no way of seeing and evaluating the evidence. Rather, I see there's a problem to solve and trying to ascribe blame doesn't achieve that.
...
No connection with the business beyond being a happy customer who has never had difficulty terminating their mailings.

GS

I recieved an email asking be to rate my stay (as I said). I did so and imeadiatly started recieveing weekly eamils at work (I was traveling for work).

Sorry, but while I am in fact a happy customer of booking do com as a private individual, I regard recieving a weekly email at work ASKING me to subscribe for more details as spam.

Thanks however for joging me to do something about it. There is an unsubscribe link which directs you to a page of multiple choice answers, one of which is "I didn't subscribe". Job done.

Anyway it's off topic so enough said.

[Slarti]

Others that ask a lot of personal details (ie TravelLodge or Premier Inn) I simply don't use.

When I first signed up to use Premier Inn free wifi, I just lied for most of the answers to personal questions.
They've changed providers twice since then and I haven't had to provide more information to get online.
Haven't looked at the Ts & Cs in a few years but as I always assume that it is a totally insecure connection, I don't do anything that I wouldn't be happy to be seen doing in the street.

And, as far as I know, I've never had any spam generated from the use of their wifi. They have their own contact email address for the wifi sign up and I've only ever had the confirmation of the 1st sign up to that address.

I very much doubt that a paid for wifi is much, or any, safer.

Slarti

[GrandOiseau]

Is it safe/usual not to bother to read the terms and conditions (and privacy policy) when first logging onto hotels' wifi systems?

TIA

Jon

A better question would be... as anyone ever not accepted the T&C's and if so what partcular T&C did you object to?