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BT have the best PR ever |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,496
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BT have the best PR ever
http://m.campaignlive.co.uk/article/...-email-service
See that link above? Way back when I remember reading of this promised email address for life and I signed up. It has been my main email address for many years as it has been for many others. Just today though I receive an email, in a month all of these accounts are going to be deleted unless you start paying a monthly fee. But...Free email for life.....I'm still alive....Will there be death squads? Anyone else using talk21 affected by this? Any clues on how to save my emails? Maybe to shunt them over to a yahooaccount- which is exactly the same thing and totally free. To anyone considering broadband, phone, etc... providers- Don't trust BT |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Crystal Palace TX
Posts: 19,702
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I must be reading it wrong. But where does it promise an email address for life? I don't think any free webmail service can make that promise.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7,978
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Quote:
Anyone else using talk21 affected by this?
Yes a few posts down ...http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1873916 |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3,196
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[quote=Josquius;67936434]
Any clues on how to save my emails? Maybe to shunt them over to a yahooaccount- which is exactly the same thing and totally free. /QUOTE] Transfer all your mails into an email client e.g. Thunderbird. This may help http://forums.computeractive.co.uk/s...d.php?t=234891 Nowhere in the link that you give does it promise 'Free email for life' |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 83
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Quote:
Anyone else using talk21 affected by this?
For me it was a simple case of using the on-line form provided & linking to my BT email. No fuss no charges and simple as. Not an issue here. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 297
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Quote:
I must be reading it wrong. But where does it promise an email address for life? I don't think any free webmail service can make that promise.
To be threatened with the deletion of my address and all its contents UNLESS I pay to get BT Broadband, or pay £1.60/month for an address I've had for free is nothing short of blackmail. I now passionately hate BT, and will never EVER use any of their products, or recommend their broadband service, which I have done in the past. They are a bunch of thieving, greedy, miserable gits... |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Crystal Palace TX
Posts: 19,702
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Quote:
In 1998, when I signed up, it was launched as a 'free for life' email address, a communication base for the 21st century, hence the '21' name. I too have had it as my main address for 15 years, using it for everything.
To be threatened with the deletion of my address and all its contents UNLESS I pay to get BT Broadband, or pay £1.60/month for an address I've had for free is nothing short of blackmail. I now passionately hate BT, and will never EVER use any of their products, or recommend their broadband service, which I have done in the past. They are a bunch of thieving, greedy, miserable gits... I'm still yet to see any historic or otherwise quote from BT offering it 'free for life' . Free yes, portable yes, accessible for anywhere yes, and probably a load of other things, but 'for life'?. If you can find an email claiming it will be free for eternity, or even something on Google Cache or Wayback Machine etc. it would be very surprising. Anyway it is a legacy service and it's being mothballed. They are at least warning people that it is closing, which should give you a chance to back up your mail. AFAIK BT are in the process of changing Email provider for all their subscribers and are ditching Yahoo for good. I cannot see them paying to make special arrangements to keep legacy mailboxes used by people who aren't customers. |
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 297
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Quote:
I'm still yet to see any historic or otherwise quote from BT offering it 'free for life' . I wonder if more people would get pissed off if Gmail suddenly announced that in 4 weeks time, give us money or we'll delete your account?? |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: North West
Posts: 4,884
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Quote:
There was never an offer from BT to offer it free for life. The 'talk21' address was never linked to an ISP. Over a period of time, it has just ended up in BTs ownership.
I wonder if more people would get pissed off if Gmail suddenly announced that in 4 weeks time, give us money or we'll delete your account?? You might kick up a stink, it could be worse they could just tell you they were withdrawing the service tomorrow. They are giving you sufficient notice in which to find an alternative provider. Do as everyone else says download the email through thunderbird, signup with Gmail and back it up there. Theres no such thing as free lunch |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 297
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Look, I'm man to realise enough that no one gives a dam about this issue, unless your primary email address is a 'talk21' one. To be honest, I wouldn't care either if it wasn't mine! However, the principal is that anyone offering a 'free' email address, can then turn round, threaten to delete your account, or else give them money. I still get swamped with advertising on my email account, and don't mind at all as I know that's what pays for it.
But before you all jump on BT's defense saying how wonderful they are, and they should charge for everything, just think. If you are currently using a free email address that is not linked to your ISP, and they threatened to withdraw it unless you ponied up - would you be happy? |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Potterspury
Posts: 930
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I think the real question is should you be relying on free providers for something that is as vital as email? I use my own domain and paid email host, even if the provider goes under I can keep the same email address.
Would you trust a service that offered to deliver your letters for free? How about a free landline service? Free mobile service? You are right that Hotmail, Gmail et al. could do the same, and no, I suspect people wouldn't be happy. But it is the risk you take when you rely on something that is given away for free. While the advertising makes enough to cover the costs, everything is fine - but as soon as that stops being the case they will not hesitate to shut it down. It's unfortunate that BT are saying 'pay up or get out', and I feel sorry for you, I really do - I know how much of a pain it is to get everything moved over. But perhaps paying for the email address would be the best option going forward rather than moving over to another free email address. This way you at least get a few extra rights as a paying customer. |
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#12 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 622
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it says nowhere in that article that the email address will always be free .
if you don't want too pay use one of the many many free email services available , if you want too keep that email as you think nobody will be able to reach you if you don't (which is rubbish) then pay up . only takes a few minutes to send everyone your new email . |
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#13 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 622
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Quote:
In 1998, when I signed up, it was launched as a 'free for life' email address, a communication base for the 21st century, hence the '21' name. I too have had it as my main address for 15 years, using it for everything.
To be threatened with the deletion of my address and all its contents UNLESS I pay to get BT Broadband, or pay £1.60/month for an address I've had for free is nothing short of blackmail. I now passionately hate BT, and will never EVER use any of their products, or recommend their broadband service, which I have done in the past. They are a bunch of thieving, greedy, miserable gits... |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 802
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An "email for life" is not the the same as a "free email for life". By allowing you to keep the email, albeit for a fee, they are keeping their promise.
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Wapping, London
Posts: 16,222
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I remember getting an "email address for life" at bigfoot.com, must have been in the late 90s.
it looks like the company itself has taken a different turn and they are now film producers - same name and logo. http://www.bigfoot.com/about-us.php amazingly they do still seem to be going http://ef.bigfoot.com/ef/en/index.jsp Just seeing if I can re-activate it! I think I gave up on it after it became full of spam. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: North West
Posts: 4,884
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Quote:
I think the real question is should you be relying on free providers for something that is as vital as email? I use my own domain and paid email host, even if the provider goes under I can keep the same email address.
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