The ISP E-mail Trap

Don't fall for the trap!

It's great isn't it? When you sign up for Internet service and get online the first time, they helpfully provide you an e-mail account to use for free! Of course, almost all online e-mail accounts are free, but your isp makes it easy by giving you software that sets your homepage to their service with quick links into your e-mail. Heck, they practically PUSH you right into it.

The problem comes in when you inevitably find a better deal and want to switch services. It's a pain to change e-mail accounts particularly if you started using it for your business. But most ISPs won't let you keep your account once you cancel service. You either have to give it up or pay a monthly fee to access it. Now… you're trapped.

I have known people who have paid over $15 a month to their prior ISP just so they could keep the account active! So much for saving money with a different provider. In fact, there's a lot of people who, after doing the math, decide it's really not worth switching at all. On an unrelated note, I wonder how these companies decide how much to charge for e-mail service without Internet… hmm…

Avoid the Trap

All thinly veiled accusations aside, it's simple to just avoid the trap in the first place. Never, EVER, use the e-mail provided by your Internet service (unless you think it would make a good decoy account and it doesn't list your real name).

It's simple and it's free to get e-mail service from any number of well-known providers online: Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc. I've used all three and they each have their advantages and disadvantages, but the key is that they all work regardless of any ISP you use.