Colder than a cold thing!!! New (Cheap) ISP Required :(

[gtd2000]

Got this e-mail tonight!



<< Dear netzerogavin:

We regret to inform you that based upon certain factors, including the
cost of telecommunications services in your area and your pattern of
usage of our service, it has become too expensive for our company to
provide you with Platinum Internet access. In accordance with the
terms and conditions of your user agreement, your Platinum account
will be terminated on December 30, 2001. Your account will
automatically revert to our standard free service, including email
with your same member ID, on December 30, 2001, if such service is
available in your area.* If the free service is not available, we are
unable to provide any service, including email, to you.

We provide you with this notice to allow you ample time to establish
service with another provider. If you wish to terminate your account
prior to December 30, 2001, simply reply to this email, leaving the
text of this email in place, state your desire to cancel and your
account will be terminated within 5 business days.

You will automatically receive a refund of any fees you have already
paid for any period of time remaining after your termination, which
you should see within two billing cycles of your credit card or within
30 days if you paid by check or money order.

Sincerely,

NetZero
>>



So much for their bloody unlimited access plans for 9.99 a month - what a joke!

 

[manko]

beware the OT threadcrappers. I can feel the flood coming... (and lock)

 

[iluvdeal]

Just wondering, what was your pattern on usage?

 

[ppaik]

For Californians go here

Great 56k ISP IMO

 

[webinformer]

<< Just wondering, what was your pattern on usage? >>



look gtd 2000's post number: 1552.
5 hr per day probabily.

 

[metapy]

Yeah but that was 1552 in 2 YEARS

 

[dsneidert]

AT&T just announced that they will discontinue their i495 plan $4.95/150 hrs/mo. You can choose from $10.95/50 hrs/mo, $16.95/150 hrs/mo, or $21.95/unlimited/mo. They must have figured out that people like me have figured how to get around the popup banners, huh.

 

[gtd2000]

Well actually I had a previous ID on here which was just "gtd" but there was some reorganisation of anandtech and somehow my original login ID got messed up so I had to re-register in '99 I think..hence the "gtd2000" I'm sure my posts "counter" was reset twice before everything was finally sorted out too *sniff* probably be a diamond member now easily

But anyway - since moving to the USA I actually don't post as often as I used to while living in Hong Kong. I'm usually looking at this forum - couldn't use the Hot Deals before ya see

Well I have been using the Netzero connection a fair bit to be honest - could be as much as 10 hours a day I guess recently.

The connection normally always drops after 2 hours no matter what you are doing - so that stops you leaving it running downloading mp3's over night as I was anticipating to do

The crazy thing is the only reason I'm using it so much right now is that I'm in the process of choosing a broadband ISP - I was using ADSL in HK since 1998 and using a modem/56k is a royal pain in the butt as far as I am concerned.

I had actually planned to continue to use Netzero Platinum (as a back up and travel ISP) even after I signed up with a BB ISP - so they are losing out in the long run.

The real thing that annoys me is all the fuss (pop up ads etc) about unlimited access (Platinum Service) etc while I was using the 40 hour free service - I then sign up after it dropped down to 10 hours and get booted (e-mailed anyway) after using their "unlimited" service for a very short time - 6-8 weeks perhaps now.

The reason I posted this COLD DEAL is that if I am getting hit with the boot then there must be a few Anandtechers out there that will get the same e-mail I guess

 

[gtd2000]

Seems this is spreading - just got an e-mail from "sbp" to say the same has happened to him and another online aquaintance of his.

I'd just like to take this moment to wish you all a "Happy Holiday Season!"...lol

 

[Kravahn]

I'm one of those att ad-hackers... and I'm glad to have done it... 16.95 for 150 hours?!? are they kidding themselves or what? What a joke!!! 5$ more for unlimited access. Don't get me wrong, ATT has great dial-up service, but not for $22 a month. Considering I can get cable tv and cable broadband for $65 a month, ummm why ATT? I'm poor, but I'm not stupid!!

 

[dwanna]

you can always switch to cable, that will keep you connected through the next hour.

You suck AT&T, Comcast, and COX......

MAKE A NEW DEAL, I'd hate to go back to AOL.

 

[csc2]

I don't know what happened to Excite@home - but I can tell you that my Time Warner Road Runner service just died for about an hour at 1:00am Eastern. I tried to call the Customer Service line and didn't get the normal automated line but some answering service that said something about the internet access was just shut down. Don't know why in the hell this would have affected me but at 2:00am I was back up again with no problems.

 

[RobsTV]

Before I switched to DSL I used Surfbest.
$12.50 unlimited, full featured, access numbers everywhere, 2 email accounts.
Real POP3 and SMTP. Even Newsgroups.
Bannerless of course. Doesn't need a special dialer program as DUN works fine.

After fighting with all the free, low cost and major ISP's, this one is king of the hill.

 

[Thyme]

Try changing the thread to a "cheap ISP thread" and *maybe* it won't be locked.

 

[bustAmove]

doesn't surprize me with NZ and juno joining. Juno has been cherry picking the customers they want via usage. I was able to use the American express until a month ago when all of a sudden they stopped. I am trying the walmart ISP, http://www.walmart.com/walmartconnect/isp/
havent used it long enough to pass judgement but 9.94 is better than aol hell.

 

[gtd2000]

Robs TV,
Thanks for that pointer to Surfbest - they have local access number in my area.

I'll more than likely hook up with them when Netzero cuts me off.
$12.50 is still a very reasonable price to pay

The Netzero software was pi$$ing me off anyway - it took up so many system resources

 

[gtd2000]

Here ya go...

Walmart Linky

I much prefer the idea of a "pure" DUN connection

Is the Wallyworld version avavialable as a DUN connection?

 

[arbntmare]

hmm guys.. there is alot of cheap isp out there still.... but you have to pay a year in advance to get the good deals on most. for me i just opened an account with an isp called bargainisp.net.... they are seem to be doing the job pretty well, and it only costs about 8 or 9 bucks over 12months, i forgot how much i payed

the site again is www.bargainisp.net

 

[MoFunk]

Check out Softcom I pre pay for the year and it costs me $120 a year. With that I get unlimited access, 5 pop accounts with 10megs web space for each and they have a website to get your e-mail from the net. I have never had an issues with them.

 

[Praxis]

Surfbest isn't bad, though the Usenet feed is nothing to write home about. The problem with the "pay a year in advance" ISPs is that it is pretty hard to guess whether the company will still be around in a year. What happened to all those folks that paid $60 for life time service @bigger.net?
Even major players like Covad and Excite@Home are getting shaken out of the market. That said, I have a friend that has been using JPS for several years and $89 per year pcmagic for 6 months without problem, so even if they do go belly up, I figure I've gotten my money's worth.

 

[Bang4DaBuc]

"Defenders of the FREE world."

What a crock!

I remember those crappy black and white commercials they used to play where they made such a big deal about their free unlimited internet. You can prolly blame all those people who abused the service by using the banner hiding mods. Those pennypinchers killed it for themselves.

 

[NormDePlume]

What kind of Usenet server do we get with those low cost ISPs? Or will I have to depend on a server in Estonia or Denmark to get news?

 

[catnap1972]

<< The problem with the "pay a year in advance" ISPs is that it is pretty hard to guess whether the company will still be around in a year >>



The other problem being is you really don't know what kind of service that particular ISP will give you, be it now, or a month from now. You don't want to shell out a whole year only to find out a month from now that their modems are royally screwed up or the usenet server stinks (etc, etc, etc.).