Mailbag: Liberty Surf customers speak out

As reported on Tuesday by vnunet.com, ISP Liberty Surf has blamed some users of its unmetered internet service for causing congestion to the network.

However, many customers claim that they have not abused the system and are now unable to access the service at all.

We have received a mailbag full of complaints about Liberty Surf's decision and have published a selection below to show how frustrated these customers are...

• For the original story click here
• For vnunet.com's Essential guide to guide to unmetered ISPs, click here

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"I am one of the so-called Liberty Surf abusers. My wife and I used the service for anything up to 10 hours a day. I used it for up to five hours in the evening and my wife used it for four to five hours during the day while I was at work. Liberty Surf, in all its documentation, has said that users have total freedom to use the system whenever they want.

I upgraded to the full unlimited off-peak and peak access under the impression that this gave me the right to be on 24 hours a day if I wanted. I was not on 24 hours a day, however, and I have never used the service for anything other than residential use and never used any means other than Liberty's own software to connect."

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"I have been with Liberty since the inception of its unmetered service, and can vouch for the problems early on when it took three days for me to connect for the first time. This latest 'problem' Liberty is having has lasted for nearly two weeks. By that I mean that I have not been able to connect to the free number since 12 October.

I don't class myself as a heavy user - three to four hours a night and about the same at weekends, especially when the kids get on it. Liberty's helpline has been a complete waste of space, giving no information on what the problem is, but just happy to read what is obviously a prepared statement as to the heavy user's problem, with no mention of 'adjusting settings'.

At the moment I am logged on to Liberty Surf through IC24's free dial-up, and I am seriously considering switching to BT Surftime to ensure a connection when I want it.

Regards
Andy Rae"

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"As a user of Liberty Surf who has been barred, I can only say that I am disgusted with the company's apparent total contempt for its customers...While I would agree that I am a heavy user, it's not as though I was connected 24/7. I work 12-hour shifts for five days of the week and am out of the house for at least 75 hours a week.

But to me it would be immaterial if I was connected 24/7 as the service they sold, admittedly for a low price, was 'unlimited internet access for 24/7'. How can that possibly mean something other than 'I connect for as long as I want, whenever I want'?"

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"I am registered with them for the 24/7 service but over the last two weeks I can only connect at 5am! Their helpdesk said they had put restrictions on the service. I have not been able to log on after 7am at all - the line is always engaged. They suggested that I write to their legal department to complain, but I got the impression that it will be a waste of time.

Regards
howard@chesterfield"

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"I am also a victim of the Liberty Surf cut-off policy. No reason was given for disabling the service. I read a legal statement saying the service has been suspended and that I should contact their legal department about the decision. I thought a 24/7 service meant just that, access any time. On their CD and advertising it does not state you are restricted to three hours a week maximum.

Yours
Bradd France"

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"If no one has been kicked off why can I not connect any time and my friend down the road connect first time, every time?

How can they say that the "majority of our customers enjoy the best level of service" when thousands of people have been blacklisted?

Also, we have all been told to write to the legal department. I did that and nine days later still haven't received a reply!

Nigel!"