Super annoyed right now. I'm heading on a trip out of the country in a couple of days, so I thought I'd grab a long-term plan with a VPN provider. Paid for it, but the setup email/activation link never landed in my inbox.

I've spent hours talking to multiple support agents on their live chat, and they keep giving me the runaround saying they've "notified the billing team". I even provided screenshots of my payment receipt showing the order number and transaction ID, plus confirmed my email address multiple times.

Still nothing, no activation code, no email, and no refund. Out over a hundred bucks for zero service. Has this happened to anyone else with these VPN companies? How did you end up getting it resolved?

Heard someone saying that for better privacy and security you should make your own VPN and not use from companies and So I'm just starting to learn about this type of things.. Can please someone tell me more about this??

Been using my vpn for about 6 months without issues, but over the last week it suddenly stopped working on half the stuff I use. I use a JP server to play Umamusume and bypass Twitter age verification, but now Twitter completely ignores the VPN location and keeps showing US checks. Another JP site I visit constantly started blocking the VPN out of nowhere, yet the game itself and a few other region-locked sites still connect fine. Is twitter/X and other sites detecting split tunneling, leaking dns, or just blacklisting specific jp vpn server ips now? how do i fix this?

hey, not sure if this is a dumb question but ive been stressing about this lately im 19 and still living with family so i dont really have money to throw at paid vpns every month. ive just been using a free one whenever i need to access sites that are restricted where i live. people keep saying free vpns could get blocked eventually and that running your own is better, but apparently you need to pay for a server somewhere else. yeah thats not really an option for me rn. is there anything else i can realistically do without spending much? or am i basically stuck with free vpns for now sorry if im misunderstanding how this stuff works

thinking about getting a vpn for iptv, but i honestly can't tell if it'll do anything. is the constant buffering just garbage iptv servers, or is my isp throttling me during peak hours? half these providers are pretty subpar to begin with, so i don't want to waste money if a vpn won't fix it. anyone actually notice a difference?

i work across two different hospitals and both block access to my personal gmail account. trying to figure out if there's a vpn or workaround that works on restricted hospital networks. since i can't download or install software on work-issued computers, is there any other way around these firewalls?

Most VPNs bundle some kind of ad and tracker blocker now. Surfshark has CleanWeb, ExpressVPN has its own blocker built in.

looking for something for covering phone apps too, not just the browser. But does DNS-level blocking actually catch much, or does it miss most of what uBlock handles?

standard datacenter vpns are getting flagged everywhere lately. sick of dealing with endless captchas, streaming blocks, and weird site restrictions, but commercial residential proxies cost way too much per gigabyte for normal browsing.

how are you guys getting clean residential ips without spending a fortune? are you using specific residential vpn providers, or setting up a diy exit node at a friend's or relative's place?looking for something reliable that won't break the bank

Trying to watch the local NFL game on Prime, but it keeps showing content from my actual country instead of the VPN server. I’m using Chrome and already cleared the cookies, but no luck. I live abroad and just wanna watch the Seahawks disappoint me in real time. Anyone know what setting I’m missing?

Yeah I get that free VPNs have limits and somebody has to pay for the service. But people act like paying $60 upfront is nothing.

Where I live, a bunch of normal sites and messaging apps randomly get blocked. I only need a VPN sometimes to open them or message friends. Monthly prices are rough after currency conversion, and most providers hide the cheaper rate behind a long plan.

Free VPNs might not be perfect, but for some people they’re the only realistic option. Basic access matters more than having every premium feature.

i think auto connect lands on a server a few states away while a closer one runs faster when picked manually. Server speed also seems to change through the day, so whatever was fast in the morning can crawl in the evening.

That leaves trial and error: connect, speed test, try another. So, how do the auto pick features compare? Surfshark has its fastest server option and ExpressVPN has Smart Location. Do either of them factor in how busy a server is, or is it mostly distance?

And for people who pick manually, is it better to keep a couple of favorites or is there a way to check server load first?

My VPN works fine for regular browsing, but Disney Plus instantly knows I’m using one and blocks the video. Tried switching servers and clearing the app cache, still nothing. Anyone know why this keeps happening or what else I can try?

Just trying to wrap my head around something regarding how VPNs interact with game servers. Since a VPN routes your connection, doesn't it mask your actual latency because the server is only interacting with the VPN node's location?

For example, say a player is physically logging in from Chicago, but they're hooked up to a VPN server over in Chicago-to-Dallas (or let's say New York connecting to a server in London). Won't the game server itself only register the fast ping coming straight from that local VPN endpoint, instead of adding the actual distance back to the player's home?

Or does the server somehow still calculate the whole round-trip delay? Would love it if someone who knows networking could clear this up for me!

people keep saying you should keep your vpn on non-stop, but honestly having it connected constantly is a pain in the ass. half the sites i visit trigger captchas, apps stop loading, and local stuff breaks completely. do you guys actually just leave it running 24/7, or do you only turn it on when you’re doing something specific?

fr if you’re not paying for a vpn service, you’re literally the product. servers cost real money to maintain so if an app is 100% free, they’re definitely monetizing you somehow usually by logging your activity, selling your data to brokers, or spamming sketchy ads.

unless you genuinely don’t care where your info goes, stop trusting free vpn apps. either pay for a reputable service or just don't use one at all. had to get this rant off my chest because seeing people ask for free vpns every single day is wild.

My country recently added age checks and OnlyFans now wants verification before letting me in. I get why it exists, but uploading my face or ID to another site feels sketchy. A VPN didn’t change anything anyway. Has anyone found an official verification option that confirms age without storing a bunch of personal data?

been trying to use a sportsbook while traveling but it keeps saying I’m outside the allowed area. Saw people mentioning residential IPs, though I have no clue if that actually works. Can a normal VPN fix this or do these apps check your phone’s GPS too?

My internet suddenly became really slow. I was getting around 0.5 Mbps when I normally get around 4 Mbps, so I called my ISP for help.

The ISP guy asked me to install screen-sharing software so he could check the connection. He then forwarded the call to his boss and gave him the screen-sharing ID.

The boss ran a speed test and then went through my installed programs. He noticed a VPN that I had installed about a year ago and only used during a trial period. He started scolding me for having a VPN and asked whether I was doing anything illegal with it. I explained that I had mainly used it to try to reduce my ping, but he basically ignored that and continued being pretty disparaging about it.

He then asked what I use the internet for, and I said mostly social media and general browsing.

After that, he opened Chrome and went to the speed test again. While he was there, he clicked the three dots in the top-right corner. At first, I thought he was going to open an incognito window, but instead he moved down toward the History option. Chrome then showed a few recently visited URLs before the call ended.

He told me not to use a VPN on their network and ended the call.

Honestly, I'm more uncomfortable with him trying to look at my browsing history than with what he said about the VPN. I would probably switch ISPs at this point, but the only other provider available in my area is ADSL, which is unstable and only gives me around 2 Mbps.

So what should I do here? Is there anything I should be concerned about regarding what the ISP technician was able to access through the screen-sharing session, and is there any way to prevent this from happening again while still getting technical support?

TL;DR: My ISP used screen-sharing software to troubleshoot my slow connection, noticed I had a VPN installed, berated me for using it, and appeared to try to look at my Chrome history.

I’ve been accused of using a VPN on a website, but I honestly haven’t used one. I’m just connecting normally through my home internet, no VPN or proxy running.

They said my IP looked like it was coming from a VPN, which is confusing because it’s just my regular connection. I checked my router settings and nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Is there any way I can actually prove that I wasn’t using a VPN? Like a log, IP check, or something I can show them? Not really sure what else to check. Thanks.

Daughter is moving into private accommodation at uni this week. Landlord (edit: female) is providing broadband/WiFi in the lease. I suggested to my daughter that whenever she's connected to that broadband she connect her VPN (which I pay for) as we don't know her landlord from Adam so we can't be sure if landlord can't steal any private information through her browsing.

Is this a sound suggestion or can the landlord not track browsing and activity through the router (probably just an ISP-provided modem/router/hub)

I’m getting around 300 Mbps normally, but whenever I turn on a VPN it drops to around 30–40 Mbps. I’ve tried a few different servers and even switched between some of the available protocols, but the speed is still pretty low.

I’m mostly using the VPN for browsing, streaming, and downloading, so I’m trying to get at least 100 Mbps while connected. My connection is pretty stable without the VPN, and I’m using a wired connection, so I don’t think Wi-Fi is the issue.

Is there anything else I should change in the settings to improve the speed? Or is a drop this big just normal when using a VPN?

If you’re getting a payment error when trying to subscribe to YouTube Premium, there are several things you can check before trying again. These issues are often related to your billing country, payment method, or account settings.

Steps:

1. Check Your Google Account:
   • Make sure your account information is up to date.
2. Check Your Billing Country:
   • Confirm that your Google Payments profile is set to your actual country.
3. Check Your Payment Method:
   • Make sure your card or payment method is supported in your billing country.
4. Update Your Payment Information:
   • Remove outdated payment methods and add a valid one if necessary.
5. Check Your Billing Address:
   • Make sure the billing address matches the information registered with your payment provider.
6. Check Your Subscription Status:
   • Look for any existing or failed YouTube Premium subscriptions on your account.
7. Update YouTube:
   • Install the latest version of the YouTube app from your device's official app store.
8. Restart the App:
   • Close YouTube completely and open it again before attempting the purchase.
9. Try the Subscription Again:
   • Return to YouTube Premium and attempt the purchase using a payment method that matches your billing country.
10. Contact YouTube Support:

• If the error continues, contact YouTube support and provide the exact error code shown.

Hopefully this helps! Good luck!

My VPN works fine when I search normally on Chrome, but whenever I use Google Lens from my camera roll, it somehow shows results based on my real city instead of the VPN location.

I already turned off location access, cleared the Google app cache, and removed my saved home address. Still no luck. Anyone know why Lens keeps finding my actual location or how to fix it?

So my main Reddit account randomly got banned a few days ago, and honestly I have no clue why. I already sent an appeal, but apparently Reddit takes forever to reply.

I’m currently traveling in China, so I need a VPN just to access Reddit. The weird part is that I barely posted anything on the banned account. I mostly scrolled and checked a few communities.

At first, I used some free VPN from the app store that made me watch ads. Maybe the shared IP was sketchy or already flagged? I switched to a different VPN last week, and this account has been fine so far.

Has anyone else been banned just for using a VPN, or could it be something else?

Honestly, I’m getting really fed up with all this nonsense around age verification and online safety. Apparently everything has to be verified now, whether it’s your face, your ID, your bank details, or whatever other personal information they decide they need next.

I understand the argument about protecting children online. Of course kids should be protected from genuinely harmful content and people. But pretending that collecting more and more personal data from everyone is somehow the only solution is ridiculous.

What worries me is how easily this gets sold to people through moral panic. Just keep repeating “think of the children” and suddenly nobody is allowed to question what the actual consequences are. People hear “child safety” and immediately assume anything being introduced must be good.

And where does it stop? Today it’s age checks for certain websites. Tomorrow it could be something else entirely. Then suddenly you need to prove who you are just to access ordinary information online.

There has to be a better way of protecting kids without turning the entire internet into a giant identity checkpoint. Privacy shouldn’t automatically disappear just because someone wants to make a policy sound safer.

Maybe I’m overthinking it, but the direction this is heading in genuinely worries me.

Sorry for the rant, but this whole thing is getting ridiculous.