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Features
Expat Surfer VPN has raised significant concerns regarding its reliability and functionality. Users are advised to exercise caution as the service may be fundamentally flawed or compromised.
The VPN supports a limited range of operating systems, including Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6, as well as Windows XP, Vista, and 7. This outdated compatibility suggests either a lack of updates or potential discontinuation of the service.
Despite my PayPal payment being processed successfully, I did not receive a welcome email from Expat Surfer. The website includes six setup instructions; however, the manual setup for PPTP is cumbersome and lacks essential information. Specifically, the VPN server address is missing from the setup guides and was supposed to be included in the welcome email I never received.
After logging into my user dashboard, which only displays subscription details, I found no server address. I attempted to contact Expat Surfer support twice through the website’s contact form on a Friday but received no response by late Monday. Subsequently, I emailed support directly at enquiries@expatsurfer.co.uk, providing comprehensive details including my PayPal receipt, transaction ID, and a detailed account of the issue.
The following day, I received a reply from Steve at Expat Surfer, claiming they had not received my previous messages and could not locate my account. Despite resending all relevant information, Steve’s response remained unhelpful, stating that I was not providing the necessary details. When I requested a refund and account cancellation, Steve reiterated that he could not process my request due to an inability to locate my account, despite receiving the information multiple times.
Pricing
Expat Surfer is priced at £6.99 (approximately $10.26) per month. Given that it only offers a PPTP connection with a complex manual setup, limited to two simultaneous connections, this pricing is considered high. The annual subscription is priced at £70 (around $99), and remote setup assistance is available for an additional £35, which is exorbitant compared to other providers who typically offer this service at no extra cost.
Additionally, Expat Surfer’s pricing structure includes a catch: a 2-day free trial is only available for credit card payments, while PayPal payments do not qualify for this trial. My attempts to pay with credit cards were unsuccessful, forcing me to use PayPal, which further complicated the situation. There is no money-back guarantee, and any potential refund may be subject to an administrative fee of up to 50%.
Privacy and Security
Expat Surfer VPN employs the PPTP protocol, which is known for its weak security. The company’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service indicate that they may monitor user activity if required by relevant authorities.
In summary, the likelihood of successfully using Expat Surfer VPN service is minimal, and the service’s reliability and customer support have been deeply problematic
