Free=Fab? Not in this case!
Written: Mar 03 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Somewhat free (you get up to 40 hours a month unpaid internet)
Cons: Awful customer service, constantly timing out
The Bottom Line: Yes, it's free (up to 40 hours, that is) but it's not worth the aggravation.
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| luvmysoldier's Full Review: NetZero |
I was on the lookout for a free ISP because, being military, my husband does not bring home a huge paycheck, and we needed to cut corners wherever we could. A friend told me about Netzero, an ISP that offers their service free of charge, and I decided to give it a try.
I picked up the Netzero CD one afternoon while we were browsing through The Athlete's Foot shoe store. When we got home I popped the disc into my computer and installed the program. I was a little wary, because I didn't understand how an ISP could just give their services away. Much to my surprise, there was no twist. Netzero really was free. Keep in mind, that this was back in October of 2000.
Up until January, I was moderately pleased with Netzero's internet service. There were a couple of minor annoyances, such as the pop-up ads (which popped up every ten minutes or so), and the fact that the connection timed out quite frequently. A little button would pop up and a 30 second countdown would begin, and, if I was away from the computer for whatever reason for longer than those 30 seconds, I was kicked off. Also, I was required to display Netzero's ad bar at the bottom of my screen whenever I was online. Yes, it was annoying, but I dealt with it, because it was free.
Then, in January 2001, Netzero decided to start charging for use. They will give away the first 40 hours per month for free, but anything above those 40 hours costs $9.95. I decided to pay the charge because I needed internet access (I sell on eBay) and didn't really have time to go searching for another ISP. So I paid the fee.
Much to my surprise, even after paying the $9.95, I was still required to display the ad bar at the bottom of my screen! The pop-up ads were still popping up every ten minutes, and to top it all off, my connection was still timing out frequently. I was ticked! If Netzero is going to charge me to use their service, I don't feel that I should be required to display their ad bar so they can make even more money! And why should I pay $9.95 per month for such terrible service? I would rather pay $19.95 per month to AT&T or Earthlink and get reliable service.
I sent a letter through http://www.planetfeedback.com to the CEO of Netzero, letting him know what I thought of Netzero's turn for the worse. I expected a "Thank you for your comments" letter in return, at the very least. Silly me, to expect anything in return! It's been over and month and I have heard nothing.
Save yourself the aggravation. Don't use Netzero.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
luvmysoldier
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Member: Erika Kelly
Location: Fayetteville, NC
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 17 members
About Me:
I'm a 19 y/o stay at home mom and Army wife.
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