Surfshark

Surfshark is quite competitive when it comes to features and price. The actual user experience leaves much to be desired. For servers in the Northeast, bad actors have caused the servers to be blacklisted by many sites. In fact, Comcast has prohibited email traffic from passing through them. Financial institutions, CVS, and many others have made logging in from a Surfshark IP address impossible. This means that, unless you have a dedicated IP, for which they'll be happy to charge you, you'll be constantly switching servers and, most times, just turning off the VPN in order to use the internet freely.

My experience with Surfshark has been incredibly disappointing. Their VPN service was useless in the Russian region, prompting me to cancel my payments. Despite canceling, I was charged again.

The customer support was unresponsive and unhelpful. Despite proof of cancellation, a refund was refused based on a vague policy clause.

I caution anyone considering Surfshark. Ineffectiveness and poor customer support are major concerns. I'll be sharing my negative experience to prevent others from facing the same issues. **Rating: **

CAUTION! SurfShark terminated my subscription with zero explanation and zero refund. They said I "violated their terms of service" but provided no evidence or explanation. When I asked they said it's automatic and nothing they could do. I'm an accountant, I used their VPN to protect my clients. How in the world I violated their TOS is beyond me. I guess I paid them NOT to find out...

Far too many websites will not work. Tech support has you change one thing after the next. The number of breaks is overwhelming. The felt performance is about 2x normal with this VPN added thus very slow. I end up having to turn off this VPN often just to get websites and apps to work. That defeats the purpose. Note, unfortunately many other VPNs are unacceptable too.

Avoid this company! I paid £80 for a 2 year subscription and then they said they hadn't received any payment. I had to contact my bank to reverse the payment as they refused to accept receiving it.
I was warned not to use this company but thought otherwise. I was wrong.

If you want to spend your money wisely and not lose it to a scam outfit, with non attentive bots as a customer service, do not use this company!

Kept taking money after subscription expired and will not refund. The app told me I was expiring then it stopped allowing me access through the VPN with the warning "your subscription expired" which was fine with me. Then I noticed they had continued taking money for months. They don't care that the app said I was expired and will not refund. They completely remove themselves from anything the app tells you like it is some rogue employee that doesn't work there anymore. Not much money but who does this type stuff?

If you enter you card for payments, it will hold that authorisation even after your card expires. So unless you change your credit card number with your bank, they will keep charging the card every renewal period.
Speaking of renewals; you can't cancel them. The only way ti unsubscribe from a service is to delete the account altogether. Because you technically pay ahead for each renewal period, they keep trying to keep you using the service by their no refund policy (unless you're lucky enough to have signed up with the 30 day money back offer). They won't let you remove a card saved so unless you've got some dummy card to replace it with you have to use their chat to cancel a subscription.
They gave me a 12 hour time frame for a confirmation email! The refund process is making my hair fall out from the stress. The drag on every step as long as they can to keep you coming back.
They're not even anywhere near the best VPN service (they can't fool streaming services like Disney+ and some NZ and Aus ones).
If you still feel like trying it out, pay via in-app purchases like Apple or Playstore or use a trusted third party like paypal since cancelling and halting subscriptions are much easier that way and you are much more likely to have a dispute resolved in a timely manner.
They're not worth it.

I signed up with Surfshark for three years and am pleased with the service. I would give it a 5 Star rating and I would certainly renew my subscription once it expires.

I solely use Surfshark to download television and movie torrents. Otherwise, I do not utilize it.

Just the other day, I got an email from Surfshark saying that my account has been banned and they will not issue any refunds. When I inquire why my account has been banned, they will not give me a specific answer and direct me to their TOS. They wrote, "I'm afraid the system blocks accounts automatically, and we're unable to dive into the reasons behind it."

So if I paid for another three years, Surfshark could ban my account, offer no refund, and give me no specific reasons as to why they did it.

I believe this is an unethical business practice.

I subscribed to a 2yrs subscription for Surfshark and noticed it was not connecting everytime I tried browsing on the internet, social media, streaming platforms. You name it. 2 months I reached out to cancel the subscription and request a refund but was told my local internet provider is 2 versions ahead and was not compatible with their server! I mean why the f* was I am to subscribe if it wasn't compatible. No refund for 2yrs of service I cannot use. A complete waste of my hard earned money in the midst of this recession!

Be warned they bill according to their location not yours. Even though you receive a invoice or confirmation with the date you placed the ordered in your country it will actually be based on their location, for me it was a day prior.
They cost me $166CDN in charges because of this. They billed before my credit card cycle began IN THEIR COUNTRY!
I contacted them and honestly I was shocked by the lack of intelligence. They needed to move the date by one day. They would not address the issue and asked me to remain a client anyways. As if!
I cancelled the service - there isn't actually anything special about it.
Zero for customer service
Zero the accommodating global customers

I reported the Webcam protection feature doesn't work on my MacBook Pro, and the customer service / technical support I have received has been appalling.

It takes 1 week to get an email reply, which comes from different employees each time, and they request you repeat the same instructions with zero success.

To cut down on time wasted, I requested a screen-share or telephone call and was informed they don't offer them.

Today, I requested a refund of my two-year subscription and was informed the 30-day money-back guarantee has expired, so No, and Goodbye.

So, I'm left with a product that doesn't work from a platform that isn't talented enough to fix a problem and provides atrocious customer service.

A word to the wise, steer clear of these sharks!

For a considerable period, I've been a committed user of Surfshark, enticed by a 2-year plan promising 'unlimited use.' I heavily relied on their platform for a range of services associated with multiple client websites, such as email, social networks, and Google accounts.

Regrettably, my previously positive experience took an unforeseen turn when my account was suddenly suspended, citing a supposed breach of their Terms of Service (ToS). This came as quite a shock since I have always taken care to utilize Surfshark's services in a manner consistent with their guidelines.

Adding to the frustration was the denial of a refund for the remaining duration of my subscription. Despite having a considerable length of time left on my 2-year plan, I was told I had lost my right to a refund due to this alleged ToS violation.

In search of answers, I reached out to their customer service, only to be met with a response that lacked detailed explanation or specifics about the supposed violation. This lack of clarity has left me unsure about the exact circumstances that led to my account suspension.

While I fully understand the necessity of adhering to fair usage policies, I'm compelled to stress that Surfshark needs to enhance their communication on what precisely amounts to a ToS violation. Users should be given clear rules to follow and not face sudden account suspensions without a thorough explanation.

Currently, I am waiting for a more detailed response from Surfshark and remain hopeful about resolving this issue. If you're contemplating a long-term engagement with this VPN service, I would strongly recommend a meticulous review of their ToS to prevent similar misunderstandings.

Despite the recent challenges, I still believe that Surfshark can offer a valuable service. However, they must prioritize enhancing customer communication and transparency, especially when it impacts users' access to the service and their financial commitments.

This is the message I received from them:

"Your account is blocked

Hi,

Since your account was blocked, you will not be able to use it further.

Due to violation of our ToS, you have lost your right to a refund.

However, you will not be charged again as auto-renewal has already been disabled.

You can read more about our fair usage policy here: Terms of Service

Stay cyber-safe,

The Surfshark Team"

My account auto renewed on 6/3/23. I was never contacted by SurfShark or Apple regarding this issue. I contacted Apple wondering why Apple Pay was cited. There is no credit card other than Apple Pay, on files with SurfShark. There is no way of cancelling auto pay on Surf Shark. I was "chatting" with one of your reps earlier and he seemed very ill-informed. I find that I've paid for one year of service at a two year rate. Surf Shark is using deceptive methods. Why wasn't I informed of renewal and never received an invoice after the fact? Why didn't Apple have a record of transaction even though they are cited as payment method. I do not want auto renew activated yet there is no way to turn this off. DO NOT AUTO RENEW

Folks, please be aware of this company, they are charlatans and crooks. From and HONEST review I have been dealing with them and now reported them to MasterCard Fraud Investigation team.
They are refusing to return my monies and as I promised them in my last contact, I will on these review sites call them out as what they are Petty Thief's.and as I told them FEEL FREE to press charges against me for naming you this way if you have the courage!
As like others I have been duped for the subscription fee and now warned them I will continually demean their name on these review sites until they return my money or press legal charges against me
Also folks do not be duped by these positive reviews?...is it not strange that every time there is a negative?.out flows a bunch of positive reviews!...it is automated AI Bot replies as are the response nonsense letters you receive from them when questioning them and pursuing your fees return

I recently purchased a two-year subscription to Surfshark VPN, excited to secure my online activities and maintain privacy across all my devices. However, my experience with Surfshark has been nothing short of a disaster.

First and foremost, Surfshark VPN abruptly blocked my account, claiming I had violated their Terms of Service. I reached out to their customer support for clarification on why my account was suspended, and the response was nothing short of disappointing. They informed me that my account was suspended because I had logged into more devices than permitted.

What's particularly frustrating is that I initially purchased Surfshark's service specifically because they advertised support for up to ten devices. The fact that they then turn around and block my account for logging in on fewer than the advertised limit is a blatant breach of trust and false advertising.

To make matters worse, Surfshark refused to unblock my account and provided zero assistance in resolving the issue. It's astonishing how they treat their paying customers. But the most egregious part of this ordeal is the fact that they refused to provide a refund, despite their clear violation of the terms they promised in their subscription package.

In the end, I'm left with a two-year subscription that I can't use, and my money has essentially been stolen. This level of customer service and disregard for their own terms is completely unacceptable. I strongly advise potential customers to think twice before considering Surfshark VPN as their service provider. There are plenty of other VPN options available with better transparency, customer support, and adherence to their stated terms. Surfshark has left me thoroughly disappointed and frustrated with their services, and I cannot recommend them in any way.

What they did is illogical
What they did is unreasonable and illegal.
Suddenly I received an email informing me: "your account is blocked due to violation terms of service. Due to violation of our ToS, you have lost your right to a refund".
I asked from them to send me evidence and pictures from Surfshark database where they will prove what was the violation of terms from me.
Listen what they reply to me: "Since we do not collect any logs, we cannot provide you with more specific information regarding the blocking".
Unbelievable from such a company to give such an answer.
Namely, they have condemned me withaout evidence and furthermore I lost my money.
I can't belive the behavior of this company.
What they did is illogical.
By the way, I had to use the surfshark for a long time.

Unable to connect. Spent several hours undergoing diagnostics and attempting fixes without restoration of service. That is all the time I am going to spend. They refuse to give me a pro-rated refund. Filed case with PayPal, After that, I will file a case with my credit card company.

Am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the customer service provided by Surfshark. I encountered a problem with their service and attempted to reach them via text messaging, but was unable to do so. Instead, I interacted with a chatbot that was unable to answer my specific questions.

Furthermore, I purchased a subscription and discovered within the first hour that it was not working and I was experiencing issues. Despite never having used their services, I was denied a refund. I believe this is an unfair business practice, as they are fully aware that their services are inadequate. I claim there is a trial period! But no
no refunds, but this trial. However, this is misleading, as customers are still required to select the services they want, the duration of their subscription, and provide their credit card information. If you have an Amazon account, they will directly access and deduct the amount from it.

I am disappointed with the overall experience I have had with Surfshark and believe that their business practices are not in the best interest of their customers.

Sincerely,
Christopher Donald

I used another VPN-service for free before with no hassle at all. But there was the time to get a complete VPN-service to be covered 24/7.
I chose SURFSHARK, because they offered a fair price and had a quite good rating at various websites. After installing SURFSHARK VPN on my computer I could not connect to various email servers via Thunderbird anymore:
The email servers sent a popup message that the (now new) VPN is being blacklisted.
Unfortunately SURFSHARK´s support service could not advice me to solve the problem, so I had to cancel their service within the 30-day-trial period.
SURFSHARK tried hard to keep me as a customer, but when I repeatedly told their customer service that I want to quit, if they don´t solve my problems with receiving AND sending emails - and they couldn´t - they finally let me go.
They promised to fully refund my money within 10 days. If they -again - fail with that, I will keep you updated.
For me it appears that SURFSHARK cannot handle yet all problems coming along with a VPN service - I wish them all the best to solve their problems quite soon!

I bougth 2 years ago a VPN plan with Surfshark for a $48 value, and for 27 months. They sent me an e-mail at that time stating the next plan will be the same offer I got. False. In 20 days my plan is finished and they already sent an e-mail the new plan is just for an year and for $58. I replied that I have the company commitment for 48 & and for 27 month, as I got. They said because I am a loyal customer, they are going to offer me 2 years for the same amount, $58. And they sent a link that I can use to quit their services! I verified on their site and this is the current offer for new customers! So, first they wanted to overcharge, second they wanted to offer " as for my loyalty " the current offer they have! Companies that are not respecting the commitments and the customers should not be allowed to make business on US territories. What a disrespect to not mention that not all the time the VPN software did a good job on my interest area - Canada. They only have an IP address for a specific city that can be easily guess by Bell Media software and block the streaming. I would definitely go with other VPN suppliers, more respectful with their clients and better positioned on reviews.

I've had a Surfshark subscription for a little over a year, now. At first, everything seemed OK. It didn't take long for the issues to start, however.

First, while running the service, I was unable to access multiple websites. And not shady sites; I'm talking about sites like Amazon, a major US Supermarket chain, and a major US retailer. If I have to turn off the service to place online orders that require a password and credit card information, what's the point of having a VPN?

Second, despite all the claims made by this company, it is apparently impossible to access streaming service libraries from other countries. As a US resident, I thought it might be fun to see if Netflix UK had anything I couldn't access in the US. Too bad it was impossible to access Netflix UK with the VPN running. Not sure how that allows me to watch Netflix UK.

Finally, for the past six months (currently August 2023), every time I shut down or restart my PC, when I try to connect the VPN, I get an error message about Windows Background Services not running. Using their automated fix within the Surfshark software doesn't fix the problem. Following their written guides don't resolve it. Clicking the 'Contact Support' button after the other options have all failed actually just triggers a broken link...meaning you can't actually contact support for this error. I had to submit a ticket through their website. Currently pending a resolution, though, based on everything else I've read about these jokers, I'm not hopeful.

Do yourself a favor; get a different VPN. I'm currently looking for a new one, and have already cancelled my subscription. At least I got a pretty hefty discount by using a YouTuber's discount code.

I purchased SurfShark and the antiVirus add on. I've had a lot of problems with their VPN, most sites won't let you visit their site with the SurfShark VPN because it's been blocked, and they won't update their IPs.

AntiVirus doesn't work. After months of making me turn off all other programs, send in countless reports, uninstall and reinstall, restart hundreds of times, etc. The SurfShark representatives told me that their antiVirus doesn't work, and maybe it will work in the future. I was told their official policy (this was explained to me by representatives Emma Hansson and reiterated by "customer service" rep. Elara Hodges) is that SurfShark doesn't have to work or deliver anything on their claims of providing a product that works, and that they just get to keep our money because it's our fault for trusting them. To say I found this disgusting is a massive understatement. I'm disputing the charge through my Credit Card now and will be filing complaints through the FTC and BBB.

This company will tell you they won't charge your card for renewal but then do it anyway - even when you've expressly told them you don't want to continue cover. EVEN WHEN YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS HAVE EXPIRED THEY STILL CHARGE YOUR BANK!

THIS IS FRAUD AS THEY HAVE NO LEGAL GROUNDS TO TAKE MONEY OR CONTINUE COVER AND YET THEY WILL AND THEN IGNORE YOUR COMPLAINTS.

Their customer "service" department is joke. You tell them you want to cancel, they confirm you are in your 30 day cancellation period and have the right to, but then they don't process it and instead obfuscate with a banal question "would you reconsider? What makes you want to leave?" etc.

A DISHONEST COMPANY WHO, ONCE YOU GIVE THEM BANK DETAILS, WILL CONTINUE CHARGING YOU AND REFUSING TO CANCEL - DESPITE TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE ELIGBLE FOR CANCELLATION.