Maybe you've even received a CD-ROM in the mail that promises hundreds of hours of free Internet service. That's because important restrictions and conditions on these offers are not always disclosed clearly or conspicuously. Unfortunately, you may not know that you have to cancel because some service providers hide this information - or don't tell you how to cancel should you want to.
Costs add up in other ways, too.
Offers for an advertised 500 free hours of Internet service in one month would require you to be online for more than 16 hours a day to use all the free hours in a month. When you get the number to dial from the ISP, ask your local phone company if it's a local or long distance number. Make sure the back-up phone number you choose is local, too. If you have to call long distance for Internet service, chances are you will rack up big charges. Some ISPs require you to agree to pay for their service for at least one year and may charge a fee to cancel the service before your subscription has ended.