The only safe unmetered service (Freeserve)

Member Name: MichaelR

Product:	Freeserve
Date:	26/01/01 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent price, safety, long established service

Disadvantages: Sometime hard to connect

I use the Off-peak package (now re-branded "Freeserve Home Time") which uses Surftime from BT.

I've been using this service since it launched, and I have to say that on the whole, I am very pleased with it.

I do have some gripes that I will come to later, but when you think about it, it is hard to think where you would find a better, safer service.

While many ISP's have been taking people's money, and then suddenly shutting down the service, Freeserve has maintained this service for some length of time.

I am aware that some of the heaviest users have been thrown off, but really, what are they doing spending that much time on-line? I consider myself a heavy user, but I think that people who tie up the lines for 18 hours a day should be removed from the service myself. (ooooh, controversial comment there!) I can't see why anyone would have the need to use the net for more than 8 hours a day. (I use it for about 6 hours a day, and I'm involved in a computer related industry)

At only £5.99 per month, or £15.99 including your phone line rental if you go for the new BT Surf Together package, it represents excellent value for money, and has saved me a few heavy phone bills that I had before this service came along.

The main gripe that I have is that it is sometimes hard to get a connection. Between 8PM and 9PM, it is almost impossible. This doesn't bother me too much, as I tend to use the net mostly late at night, but is certainly is an issue.

I think that Freeserve are working very hard to rectify it though, as there has been a noticeable improvement recently. There was a time a few months ago when you could hardly get on at all.

So yes, it is an issue, not being able to connect sometimes, but I don't often find myself waiting more than 20 minutes during the busy periods, and I am prepared to wait that amount of time rather than pay a premium for a service that
may not be around next week.

I'll grant you that Freeserve don't offer the best service around, but it is the cheapest, and the longest running.

In short, you're safe with Freeserve, and your money's safe too because you pay BT rather than Freeserve directly, so if they should ever cancel the service (unlikely, it's been running successfully for sometime now) you just pick up your BT Surftime subscription and transfer it to another ISP. You won't get ripped off like the poor people who signed up to some other ISP's....

On balance, I think it represents good value for money, and is a good service for the price you pay.

It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it is to my mind the best of an imperfect bunch, and they are working to make it better.

Summary: