Free ISP leaves customers stranded

Users of free internet service provider Free Dot Net fear the company may have disappeared after email services were suspended just before Christmas.

Customers of the Brentford-based company, which scrapped monthly access charges before even Freeserve, said they have been unable to access their email since 22 December.

The firm is understood to have contracted out the management of its servers to Business Online Group, which also hosts Brentford-based The Free Internet.

However, Business Online Group said it stopped providing services to Free Dot Net before Christmas. A spokeswoman refused to give any further details of the relationship between the two, saying only that they used to operate from adjacent offices but no longer do so.

Customers have been unimpressed by losing their email facilities over the festive period, although they have been able to access the internet through an 0845 number.

They also report that phone enquiries to the firm's published number result in engaged tones and that they can no longer access the firm's two websites, fdn.co.uk and thefree.net.

Efforts by vnunet.com to contact Free Dot Net have so far proven unsuccessful. Telco MCIWorldcom has confirmed that the phone number is not faulty but would give no explanation as to why the line was constantly engaged.

Of two alternative listed numbers held by directory enquiries, one is unallocated and also gives an engaged tone, while a third number goes unanswered.

In early August, vnunet.com highlighted the plight of ezesurf customers registering for a free call service after the firm stopped answering mail, fax, email or telephone calls.

After eventually re-surfacing later in the month, Ezesurf went into voluntary liquidation on 29 August.

If you know what has happened to Free Dot Net, please contact Ian_Lynch@vnu.co.uk