After a month of using StrongVPN – almost exclusively using it for watching American web-tv and regionally blocked content on YouTube, I’m in northern Europe – I got hit with not one but two DMCA notices falsely accusing me of illegally downloading two movies I’d never even heard of before. I didn’t even get an opportunity to defend myself, just a message that said basically “you did a bad, bad thing. don’t do it again or we will end your account without a refund”. NOT ACCEPTABLE. StrongVPN = bullshit VPN-provider in the lap of Hollywood. I wouldn’t feel safe using their service ever again.

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Now online: Leave a question or comment and our agents will try to attend to you shortly =)Sunday, December 18, 2011
Friendly Auto Responder [agent]
We apologize for keeping you waiting. Our operators are busy at the moment, please hold and we will be right with you.
Alex_L. (accounting in training) has joinedYou are currently being served by
Alex_L. (accounting in training)
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
Hello, how can I help you today?
You
Hi Alex
I’d like to know if your do deliver the VPN access instant?
Friendly Auto Responder [agent]
StrongVPN.com / Reliablehosting.com is committed to providing our customers a quality customer service experience. If at any time you feel we fell below these standards please send a email (and if possible the chat log) to management @ reliablehosting.com.
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
You will get a VPN account within 20 min after approval of your order
You
Okay, since we’re sunday today, am I going to get it today?
Friendly Auto Responder [agent]
StrongVPN.com / Reliablehosting.com appreciates your feedback on our teams effort to provide you quality support. Please help us reward / evaluate employees properly by giving them a review at the following link – https://intranet.reliablehosting.com/services/intranet/add_staff_review/
In addition we will reward a credit of $4 on every 10th review we receive. Thank you for your help.
You
What I mean is, are your guys working to day? thoses who are approval the orders?
?
?
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
Yes you can get it today
You
Good. I have another question:
Are your VPN include port forwarding? or every ports are closed/opened?
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
one moment
Yes, for openvpn only
You
I’m currently looking for a VPN that can be connected from a chinese computer. (Under the china firewall) do you have some offers to introduce me? I want my chineses customers to be able to connect my EU server (which is blocked from china) on a certain port
.
Friendly Auto Responder [agent]
For updates on our service and other news “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/strongvpn or strongvpn_com on twitter
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
For China, our Lite Open would be fine, or our USA-UK Special Open. Lite Open is $10 a month, USA-UK Special Open is $85 a year.
http://mystrongvpn.org/packages_china.shtml <- here is the special
We are also able to instantly approve your order and feature a 7 day money back guarantee for any reason
You
Oh by the way, I’m located in france, shall I use two VPN? one for US/UK and one to get connected to the US/UK one?
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
If you want to run VPN on several devices same time you have two options:
1.) You can order several packages.
2.) You can use a hardware router.
You
That’s not answering my question
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
Lite, Standard, Deluxe and Premium has to do with the amount of locations, the closer to you the better speed you can obtain. Lite offers 4 gateway cities in US, Standard – 11 cities in US, Deluxe offers 35 gateway cities in 16 countries and Premium – 19 countries.
You can also add a second 2$ account – It’s on a Dynamic PPTP server in San Francisco: http://strongvpn.com/2vpn.shtml or “A la Carte” Accounts from $9 monthly http://www.strongvpn.com/alacarte.shtml
The Specials (USA-UK and Euro-America) are the best yearly price. The downside is once you are on them you can only upgrade and downgrade within specials – no Lite, Standard, Deluxe and Premium will be available for downgrade. Also, with specials NO addon a 2nd account for $2, or “A la carte” for $9.
You
What I’m looking for is to get my french windows server (located in france) availible with opened ports for my Chineses customers
?
Alex_L. (accounting in training) [agent]
hold on please, let me invite a tech to help you
You
Do you have a phone number?
ok
Friendly Auto Responder [agent]
Remember that all of our technicians are able to resolve your issues for you remotely via the application Teamviewer. If you would like that done, just ask your technician to help you remotely!
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) has joinedYou are currently being served by
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training)
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
Hi
You
Hi
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
what is your operation system: windows xp, windows vista, windows 7, mac os, linux, other?
You
Windows 7
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
ok
let me check your account
You
I don’t have an account yet
Do you want me to repeat my question to you?
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
no
please wait a moment, thanks
May I please have your billing (account) email?
You
I didn’t ordered anything yet, I’m asking questions
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
ok
sorry
i see
do you need server for ports forwarding ?
You
Let’s take an example: I’m french, I have a radio server at home (in france) I opened port 901 on my rooter. I would like chineses to be able to listen to the music (Chineses located behind the China firewall, you know, most of the servers are blocked for them)
Alex_L. (accounting in training) has leftAlex_L. (accounting in training) has left the chat, but don’t worry. We will still be able to retrieve any messages you leave behind.
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
ok
You
That’s just an example, I ain’t going to host a radio server
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
1.) Hot Spots – without a VPN, other users can see Everything you type including passwords. Very dangerous without a VPN
2.) Unblock Govt. VOIP restrictions – Oman and UAE block Skype and other applications, on a VPN they work
3.) Websites – Hulu, Facebook and other sites that are blocked, will become unblocked on a VPN
sorry, but we can not help you
i reccomend open port on your router
You
I already opened port on my router
But my internet provider is blocked by the china firewall
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
and setup your chineses customs to your open port
You
My friend, it seems you don’t understand what I’m talking about
Would you please like to switch this chat to a higher skilled tech support (no offence my friend)
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
sure
You
Thank you
?
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
please wait a moment, thanks
You
ok
?
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
wait aa moment please
sorry, but this question is not related to our services
You
Eh, really?
I thought you were offering VPN
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) [agent]
sorry
Ivan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) has leftIvan_Y. (Vpn tech in training) has left the chat, but don’t worry. We will still be able to retrieve any messages you leave behind.
Customer Service [agent]
Hi there! If you have any questions regarding our VPN accounts or packages, please let us know. We are here to help 24 hours a day.
Last message received at 3:53pm

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But I’ve had a hard time connecting in China recently.

Even after changing servers a few times, sometimes I need to redial for 5 – 10 minutes before logging on.

i am in China rightnow, the stupid GFW block nearly anything, i have to use VPN to access Youtube,Facebook,Twitter etc.. after use StrongVPN, i just feel i am surfing the internet in my US home. great support and easy registration process. speed is fast to me, but i have to say it really depends on your local network.overall iam very happy with strongvpn

i use Yahoo BB http://bbpromo.yahoo.co.jp/ and the $10 Lite VPN plan , hope this can help

google them and get past all the top ranking reviews that get affiliate commissions and you’ll find that the dropped connection problem is common with this provider. I have retained a chat history with one of the operators there who lied to me saying I was the only one having the problem. I told him to google his own company and he’d see that hundreds of people are complaining about this problem. He said he’d only told me that it was the people on his chat that were not having that problem. I again confronted him about lying to me by copying his previous comment stating that none of his customers were having the problem and that I should upgrade to their more expensive service because it was more stable.

I pointed out that his comment proves that he knew the vpn service was unstable but he was also just telling me that I was the only person with the problem and that it could be corrected by purchasing the more expensive service.

I pointed out that he had been lying to me, that selling an inferior service they either can’t or won’t fix and then upselling was illegal and known as “bait and switch”. I indicated I should complain to the FTC, the Attorney General, and the local police. He said I should speak with his manager.

I’ve spent hours — you just got the short version. Don’t deal with these guys. They are not worth the trouble. I have a copy of the chat session I related part of here. They try to state on their web site that the people criticizing them are not users but just complainers. I am a user. A very dissatisfied user who hates that he was baited by an inferior service and that even in the chat session the guy just kept trying to upsell me. I’m pretty sure they deliberately have a cheap and inferior service just so they can upsell and make double the money at extra cost to them.