LEARN ABOUT VTISP.COM
Before signing up for our Internet access, we hope that you take a few minutes to browse through the questions and answers below. We want you to feel comfortable in knowing exactly what you will receive with our service before you get started. PLEASE NOTE, however, that the information contained on this page does NOT constitute official Terms of Service. On this page, we are simply providing answers to some of the most common questions we receive. The official VTISP.com Terms of Service can be found at http://www.vtisp.com/terms/tos.html. If you have any questions about our service, please contact us before signing up.
General Questions:
What is VTISP.COM?
Is it available in my area?
How much does it cost?
Why do you charge less?
Do you force me to view ads?
Do you sell my personal information?
How long have you been in business?
Included Features / Services:
What is included with my service?
Is this unlimited access?
What happens if I go over my limit?
Can I connect from more than one computer?
Do I get an email address?
What are the size limits for email?
What will my email address look like?
Do you filter spam and viruses?
Can I use my current email address?
Can I use an Instant Messenger or Buddy List?
Do you offer Web Acceleration?
Do you provide technical support?
Is your technical support based in the U.S.A.?
Compatibility and Set-Up:
Which operating systems and devices are compatible?
Which browsers and email programs are compatible?
Is it easy to set up access on my computer?
Signing Up for Service:
How do I sign up?
How soon will my account be ready?
What if I don't need my account until later?
How do I get my setup instructions?
Billing Policies:
What forms of payment do you accept?
How do I change my billing information?
How and when do you bill me for service?
How do I cancel my account?
Do you provide any refunds?
What happens if I dispute (chargeback) a payment?
I still have questions.
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What is VTISP.COM?
VTISP.COM is a high-quality, low-cost, dial-up Internet service, intended for those who are very comfortable using the Internet. VTISP.COM gives you fast, dependable connections at the lowest possible prices.
NOTE: VTISP.COM is intended for use by highly experienced Internet users, not for those who may need significant assistance using their service. VTISP.com charges for telephone technical support (although support by email is free). If you are looking for an Internet service that provides free telephone support, please click here for a low-cost alternative.
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Is it available in my area?
VTISP.COM provides dial-up Internet service throughout most of the United States and in select areas of Canada. To see if VTISP.COM offers service in your area, search your location from the top, left corner of this page.
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How much does it cost?
To the best of our knowledge, our monthly prices are the lowest in the entire nation among comparable Internet services, and we also offer flexible pricing options. Our current pricing information can be found on our Home Page.
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Why do you charge less?
We don't spend millions of dollars on advertising, and we don't provide unnecessary additional services that you can find throughout the Internet for free. Also, in order to keep your rates low, we do not charge all customers for optional services or expenses that apply only to some customers. Instead, we apply those charges only to customers for whom they are appropriate. For example, if a VTISP.com customer wants us to provide him/her with an email address, we charge a small, one-time $5 fee for the email account (however, most of our customers use a free, outside email address and don't have to pay anything for an email account). In addition, as previously noted, VTISP.com does not offer free telephone technical support, which is one of the bigger expenses incurred by any Internet provider (if you prefer a service that provides free telephone technical support, please click here for several alternative low-cost Internet services that provide free phone support). Furthermore, rather than building in a cost to all customers (which would result in much higher standard rates) to cover inevitable billing expenses (such as declined payments, refusal to pay, etc.), like other providers do, we apply fees only to those customers who create those billing issues. In short, if what you are looking for is simply fast, reliable Internet connections, and if you don't anticipate needing a lot of telephone assistance and/or having issues with your billing, VTISP.com is the place to go for incredibly low rates.
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Do you force me to view ads?
Absolutely not. Because of our low pricing, it is often assumed that we force obtrusive advertising banners onto your screen that follow you around as you surf the Internet. We have NO such forced banners, and we do not put any pop-up ads on your screen.
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Do you sell my personal information?
NEVER! We do not disclose your personal information to anyone, except when necessary to provide your service (for example, our credit card processor obviously needs certain information in order to process your transactions), or in some very rare situations (for example, if we are required to disclose certain information related to a criminal investigation) as described in our Privacy Policy.
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How long have you been in business?
Access the Net - the parent company of VTISP.COM - is a debt-free, privately-owned Internet access company that has been providing low-cost Internet service since 1997.
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What is included with my service?
All customers get fast, reliable dialup Internet access and timely, knowledgeable technical support by email, plus you get to surf the Internet without the inconvenience of having advertising constantly forced upon you by your Internet Provider. Optionally, you can choose to pay a small fee for VTISP.com email service and/or telephone technical support. By request, we may be able to provide you with access to Newsgroups (Usenet) service and/or personal webspace.
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Is this unlimited access?
No. We provide 100 hours of access per calendar month (an average of more than 3 hours per day). Very few of our customers spend more than 100 hours online each month. If you need more than 100 hours each month, you might want to consider our NatBlast service, which offers 200 hours per month, or our ATNMAXX service, which offers 450 hours per month. If you feel that you need unlimited access, you might want to consider a full-time broadband (DSL, cable, or satellite) connection. You can find a list of broadband providers who offer service in your area by clicking here.
IMPORTANT: Our service is intended for customers for whom 100 hours of access in any given month is sufficient. It is not intended for customers who repeatedly "max out" their hours each month, as those customers clearly need more than 100 hours/month. Because that type of customer has, for many reasons, become detrimental to our service, we have been forced to institute the following: a) If we detect a pattern of repeatedly using all or most of the allotted 100 hours, we may terminate the customer's account; and b) If a customer cancels an account and attempts to sign up for a new account within 60 days, we will charge a $10 reactivation fee, unless we specifically agree to waive that fee.
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What happens if I go over my limit?
Your account will simply be disabled until the first day of the new calendar month. We do NOT charge per-minute or per-hour fees if you exceed your limit for the month, because this can become very expensive. If you need to get back online before the 1st, you can sign up for a second account for the standard monthly rate. This is typically much less expensive than being charged per-hour "overage" fees. However, please remember that you will be charged for both accounts until such time as you cancel one of them.
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Can I connect from more than one computer?
You can use our service from as many computers as you like. However, you are only allowed to connect from one computer at a time. Using your account from more than one computer at once is strictly prohibited. If you anticipate using more than one computer at a time to connect to our service, you will need to purchase a separate account for each computer.
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Do I get an email address?
We will provide email addresses, for those customers who want to use our email service, for a one-time $5 fee per email address. We use a customized version of Google's Gmail service as our email solution. However, you do not need to use our email service. You are free to use any email accounts that you have acquired, including email accounts through free email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail.
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What are the size limits for email?
For those customers who use our email service, you will be allowed more than 2000 MB of email storage per email account!
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What will my email address look like?
If you elect to use our email service, your email address will end with "@vtisp.com". As an example, if you selected "johndoe" as the beginning of your email address, your email address would be johndoe@vtisp.com.
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Do you filter spam and viruses?
Our email accounts include spam and virus filtering. However, please note that only email messages sent to vtisp.com email addresses are filtered. Email addresses that you may have through any other service are not affected. Also, because not all viruses are obtained through email, it is strongly advised that you install separate antivirus software on your computer (if you have not already done so). AVG and Avast each provide good, free antivirus programs. For additional protection, you might also consider installing a firewall program. Comodo and ZoneAlarm each offer free firewall protection.
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Can I use my existing email address?
We allow you to use any email address that you are authorized to use. For example, many people already have an email address through a free service like Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo. If this applies to you, you may continue using this address if you like. However, if your email address is provided by your current Internet access provider, it is up to that provider whether or not they will allow you to keep your current email address.
NOTE: If you use an email program like Outlook Express, Thunderbird, or Mac Mail, you will need to change your Outgoing (SMTP) Server setting in your email program to smtp.vtisp.com . This allows your outgoing mail to travel through our servers, but it does not affect your incoming mail in any way. This requirement (often called "port 25 blocking") is enforced by nearly every Internet provider, and it is intended to prevent the use of the provider's service as a source for generating spam. Of course, we would be happy to provide you with assistance in making this change to your settings, if necessary.
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Can I use an Instant Messenger or Buddy List?
The most popular Instant Messenger programs - AOL Instant Messenger, MSN (Windows) Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, etc. - are all free for anyone to use, no matter who provides your Internet service. Buddy Lists (and similar features) are built into the various Instant Messenger services, so they are also free for anyone to use.
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Do you offer Web Acceleration?
Web Acceleration (High-Speed Dialup) allows you to speed up your web surfing by as much as 600%. As you probably know, this service is extremely popular and in great demand. We have made Web Acceleration available to everyone through our new service: ISP Booster. No matter which Internet Provider you use (whether you use VTISP.COM or another provider), you can obtain premium SlipStream Web Acceleration through ISP Booster for only $2.95/month (about half of what many other ISP's charge).
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Do you provide technical support?
We provide free technical support by email. Support by telephone is charged as follows: We will allow you one free telephone support call within your first 30 days of new service. After that, you will be charged $5 per technical support phone call for up to two such calls in any 12-month period. For calls in excess of two in any 12-month period, you will be charged $10 per call. If you expect to make use of telephone support, you might want to consider signing up with another service that will provide you with free phone support. Click here for a list of several alternative low-cost Internet services that include free telephone support.
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Is your technical support based in the U.S.A.?
Many companies "outsource" their technical support services overseas, because it saves them a lot of money. However, it is often very difficult to receive decent support when there may be a language barrier, or when the support representative might not be very knowledgeable about the service being supported. So, we understand that it is very important to our customers that our support is not based overseas. At VTISP.com, every one of our representatives in all of our departments, including sales, billing, and technical support is based in the U.S.A. or Canada. We take pride in our efficient, knowledgeable, "language-friendly" support.
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Which operating systems/devices are compatible?
Our connection works with any 32-bit operating system - such as Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS, Linux, and more. In addition, we have customers using Windows CE devices, Palm OS devices, Sega Dreamcast, WebTV, MSN Companion, and other devices. We use a standard Internet dial-up connection, so almost any Internet-capable device can connect to our service. However, technical support is limited to PC's running Windows (95 or higher) and Mac's (running OS 9 or higher).
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Which browsers/email programs are compatible?
You can use any popular browser and email program. Because Microsoft Internet Explorer (browser) and Microsoft Outlook Express (email program) are both included with all recent Windows versions and many Mac OS versions, the majority of our customers use these two programs. For your browser, we recommend recent versions of Internet Explorer or Firefox. For your email program, we recommend Outlook Express, Thunderbird, or Mac Mail. Or, you can send and receive email from our web site, instead of using an email program. Feel free to use a browser or email program other than those mentioned. However,we limit our technical assistance to these products.
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Is it easy to set up access on my computer?
For Windows (95, 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP, Vista) users, it couldn't be easier. You will download a very small file and run a quick setup program. Your Internet connection will be configured automatically. If you would prefer to set up your connection manually, through Windows Dial-Up Networking, you are free to do so. No software is required.
For other operating systems, the connection must be configured manually. We will provide the settings that you need, but you will be responsible for setting up the dial-up connection. Usually, this means simply "filling in the blanks" in your operating system's Internet settings.
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How do I sign up?
You can sign up right online at our Signup Page. Just fill out the Account Information form, and we will have everything we need to begin creating your account.
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How soon will my account be ready?
If you sign up online and your order is processed successfully, your Internet account will be created instantly. You will be able to connect in a matter of minutes! If you sign up over the phone, we will create your Internet account within 3 hours of taking your order. If you mail in your payment, your Internet account will be created the day that we receive your money order.
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What if I don't need my account until later?
Please return to our site and sign up when it is most convenient for you to begin your service.
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How do I get my setup instructions?
Your setup instructions will be sent to you by email as soon as your account is created. If you do not receive your instructions, it is your responsibility to contact us to arrange to have them sent again. In most cases, when instructions are not received it is because you have provided an invalid email address or you have "filters" on your email account which prevent messages from unknown sources from reaching you.
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What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit cards, and we also accept debit cards (check cards) with a VISA or Mastercard logo. These are processed through one of the Internet's biggest and most secure payment processing services. If you prefer not to make your payment online, we can take your payment information over the telephone. We will also take money orders through the mail, but we do not send bills or invoices. You would be responsible for mailing your payment to us so that it arrives before your due date.
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How do I change my billing information?
If you would like to change the credit card you are using for billing, update the expiration date on your credit card, change your billing address, or make any other related changes to your billing information, you can do so securely online from our web site. On the left-hand side of our Members Page, you will see a link that says, "Update Your Info". Clicking on that link will take you to a secure page for updating your billing information. You are responsible for assuring that we always have current, valid billing information of file.
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How and when do you bill me for service?
Our service, like almost every Internet service, utilizes automatic recurring billing. If you choose monthly billing, your credit card or debit card will be charged automatically each month on the anniversary of your original sign-up date. For example, if you signed up on the 18th of the month, you would be charged automatically on the 18th of each month.
If you choose to pre-pay for multiple months of service, your account will revert to automatic monthly billing (see above) at the end of the pre-payment period, unless you notify us that you would like to pre-pay again. If you neglect to inform us that you wanted to pre-pay and we bill the monthly amount, we would be happy to adjust your billing to the discounted pre-pay amount if you notify us within 10 days of the automatic monthly billing. Otherwise, your account will remain on monthly billing unless you decide to pre-pay again at any point in the future.
IMPORTANT:
Automatic billing does continue unless you cancel your account. We would never dare to guess whether or not a customer intends to discontinue service. We rely exclusively on you to notify us if you wish to cancel (see "How do I cancel my account?", below).
Since we utilize automatic billing, we do not send bills or invoices.
Should your account be delinquent for any reason, we reserve the right to use any legal means necessary to collect past due payments.
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How do I cancel my account?
The easiest and most effective way to cancel your account is to complete our online Cancellation Form. This will allow you to cancel your account immediately, or even to schedule your account for cancellation at a future time. Upon completing the form, you will be provided with a cancellation confirmation number, which will serve as verification that you have cancelled your account. To access the Cancellation Form, visit our Members Page and click on the "Cancel Your Account" link on the left side of the page.
If you are unable to complete the Cancellation Form for any reason, please contact the Billing Department by telephone and they can process your cancellation for you. You can find the Billing Department telephone number on our Contact page.
IMPORTANT:
The only valid methods for cancelling your account are completing the online Cancellation Form and/or speaking with a Billing Representative by telephone. Attempting to cancel your account in any other manner could result in a significant delay in processing your cancellation and refund (if applicable). All of our contact information can be found at http://www.vtisp.com/contact.shtml.
When cancelling your account, you must provide your full name (which should match your name in our records), your username with our service, your billing address, email address, phone number, and requested cancellation date.
In order to avoid being charged for the next month of service, we require that you cancel your account at least 5 days prior to your next billing date - no exceptions.
Upon cancellation, you will be provided with a cancellation number (by email if you cancel online, or by phone for telephone cancellations). This is for your protection, as well as ours. It helps to avoid any confusion in the case of a potential dispute. Please keep this number in a safe place. Cancellations will not be considered valid without a cancellation number.
You CANNOT cancel your account by stopping the use of your service or neglecting to pay your scheduled payment. We incur expenses whether you use your account or not, and we do not monitor accounts to determine whether or not they are being used. If you do not properly cancel your account, as described above, you are responsible for payment until you do cancel it.
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Do you provide any refunds?
Monthly Subscription Fees: Month-to-month Internet access fees are non-refundable.
Pre-Payment Refunds: Customers who paid in advance for multiple months of service may be entitled to a prorated refund for any remaining full months of service beyond the date of cancellation. Applicable refunds will be calculated as follows: We will retain our standard monthly rate, as published on our Home Page, for each month of your service, beginning with your previous billing date and including the month or partial month in which you cancel. You will be refunded the remainder of the pre-paid Internet access payment.
Refund Request: To be eligible for a refund, you must not have an outstanding balance for any Access the Net services, and you must submit a Refund Request in writing that includes: (a) a request for refund; (b) your valid Cancellation Number, Account Username, name, address, phone number, and email address; (c) a self-addressed envelope, which will be used to mail your refund; and (d) acknowledgement that you have read and you understand our refund policy. The Refund Request must be mailed (not electronically) to our mailing address, listed on our Contact Page at http://www.vtisp.com/contact.shtml.
Refund Notes:
We do not provide partial-month refunds or refunds in any amount less than $5.
We do not provide refunds for months in which you did not use your service.
We do not provide refunds for any setup fees, activation fees, or optional services.
We do not provide refunds for any accounts that were terminated for violation of our Terms of Service.
Refunds are processed within 30 days of receipt of a valid Refund Request.
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What happens if I dispute (chargeback) a payment?
When a customer contacts his credit card company or bank to dispute a charge and/or to have the charge reversed, this is called a chargeback claim or credit card dispute. This can be a very valuable tool. However, chargebacks are often misused. Chargebacks are NOT meant to be used as a substitute for simply contacting the company that billed you to resolve any questions or issues you might have.
Unwarranted chargebacks result in substantial expenses, which have a negative impact on our customers. Therefore, we have been forced to implement the following:
For each frivolous chargeback initiated by a customer, the customer will be charged a $25 fee so that we may recover our expenses. A frivolous chargeback is one in which the customer's credit card company or bank decides in our favor.
Keep in mind that if you are courteous enough to contact us whenever you have a billing question, a chargeback should never be necessary.
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To get started, check your location to see if VTISP.COM Internet access is available near you. Use the search box at the top, left portion of this page. If you have already verified that we provide access in your area, please click here to sign up for your new account.
