Making Money Online With No Internet Access

February 27th, 2008

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If you’re wondering what became of the competition I started to publicize last week, and which is also emblazoned across my Entrecard — it hasn’t been abandoned.

For the past month I’ve been wrangling with my internet service provider, because I’ve been experiencing frequent, intermittent loss of internet access and, en route, have almost lost what remains of my sanity! During the past few days, things have reached a head, and I’ve barely had enough time to focus on my blog or my business activities.

As I’ve already reported, Reward Rebel has just reached Entrecard’s Internet Marketing Top 3 and although it’s never a good time to lose internet access, this is particularly bad timing. I’d prefer to be capitalizing on this unexpected achievement, instead of rebooting modems and snarling down the phone at call centre operators.

It has cost me a small fortune in down time and phone calls via my mobile (too much interference to use the land line), on top of which I’ve been subjected to a degree of distress that’s reduced me to tears more than once.

To rub salt in the wound, I’ve just received a reminder for my last bill, which threatens to disconnect services if payment isn’t received immediately! It’s amazing how quickly they grab their money, even when they haven’t been providing the service for which they are claiming it!

Reward Rebel

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Filed under Making money online, Entrecard, Blogging, Internet Marketing |

18 Responses to “Making Money Online With No Internet Access”

Jennie on February 27, 2008 1:32 am
Argh!!! Tell me about it! Those nasty internet access providers should better start shaping up. I also got a disconnection notice a couple of weeks back. But of course had to pay up. If only we have a better broadband provider. And here’s what sucks, we have been calling several times and they are not doing anything. They really just about want us to settle for their lousy service. Although this kind of service is relatively normal in the third world country, I still so wish to be getting my money’s worth. I wish, I wish. I am really so upset with my internet provider, SmartBro. There! I just had to let it out, if this is the only way I could get back at them. lol!
Jennie’s last blog post..Unique in Its Continuity

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RewardRebel on February 27, 2008 11:05 am
Jennie -
Oh, I feel a bit guilty now for moaning about my situation, which I can at least alleviate by changing provider. You, on the other hand, can’t really change the country you live in, well not for the sake of your internet connection, anyway;-D

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Josh on February 27, 2008 12:00 pm
I can’t even begin to express the hatred I have for my cable internet provider.

Josh’s last blog post..Think like 7-11

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ArahMan7 on February 27, 2008 12:14 pm
Ditto Jennie. Been there, RR.

Anyway, hope you’re in the best of health especially after blogging it out.

See you around. Greetings and lots of love from Malaysia.

ArahMan7’s last blog post..SOS, I’ve Been Attacked!

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RewardRebel on February 27, 2008 3:55 pm
Josh -
Wow, I didn’t realize what a live nerve I was tapping into! Go on, Josh, you’re welcome to express it here;-D

ArahMan7 -
WooHoo… nice to see u again;-D
I’m not the most patient person on the planet, and I’d completely lose it if I had to deal with an even worse situation internet access-wise. After hearing from poor Jen and yourself, I can begin to appreciate the achievement in maintaining a blog from a non-first world country;-D

[Reply]
Deborah on February 27, 2008 7:21 pm
Hi! Thank you for visiting Comfort Joy Designs. I’m glad you like my pocket place mats. I made some for Thanksgiving last year for my family and they suggested I make them to sell. So, I just recently started making them. Having moved to Australia from America as a newlywed last March, I was given a big box of fabric soon after my arrival from a friend of my Mum-in-law. Thrilled, I have been using this material for making the pocket place mats. As you can see, mostly kid material. I’m still going through the box having a great time thinking of designs. I intend to do adult versions, too. And, also offer more handmade items…expand from place mats to other things. I love to sew. I’m having a great time. Please, do send me photos of your place mats. I’d love to see them. Maybe we can brainstorm together. Send pictures to this e-mail address:

dbstout(at)juno(dot)com

Happy sewing!
Deborah

Deborah’s last blog post..Teddy Bear Trio

[Reply]
RewardRebel on February 27, 2008 8:00 pm
Deborah -
Hey, thanks for stopping by and having a chat. I’m trying so hard to get back into painting and creative pursuits, but sometimes it feels like life conspires against me;-D

[Reply]
Jennie on February 28, 2008 5:35 am
The same Jennie here from MarriageandBeyond.com Thanks Layne for hearing me out. It’s really frustrating how we are basically asked to settle for something that is just about rubbish. Imagine, I would have to wait until my lock up period is over before I could ever get rid of them. It’s either that or we go get a lawyer. But that would be such hassle. You know what sucks more?! They would have such great commercial ads on TV and the papers and you know better that they don’t even service us half of what they promote they do.

Anyway, I hope your connection is now stable.

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RewardRebel on February 28, 2008 8:12 am
Jennie -
You’re a lady of many faces, Jen, and what resilience in view of your internet hassles! They make ‘em tough in the Philippines, eh? ;-D

(It is the Philippines, isn’t it?)

[Reply]
Jennie on February 28, 2008 8:18 am
You’re right, they do make it hard for us here! Yup, I’m from the Philippines.

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Durano Lawayan on February 28, 2008 8:52 am
Reward Rebel,

I’ve also had encounters with these crocodiles that provide such services. I now document everything and record all calls to them as well as their calls on my phone. That way, there can be no denial of the positions I take and issues I raise.

Sorry it broke your momentum and your harmony. Stay well and get even! –Durano, done!

Durano Lawayan’s last blog post..Tourism Through Toilets

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Stephan Miller on February 28, 2008 9:52 am
I hate internet companies and cable companies. I usually find a list of repairs that they do for free and complain every chance possible after an issue like yours. Make them come out for everything. Unscrew the cable. Call them. Say you have no internet. Then do the same the next day. Until they get the hint.

My mother used to pay the cable company a year in advance. Then when they wouldn’t help her immediately. She would threaten to close her account. And they were happy to do it until they found $1000 sitting there. Then they would hop to getting to whatever she needed done. Sometimes she got free channels out of the deal.

Stephan Miller’s last blog post..Long Tail Time Bombs

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Jack Stone on February 28, 2008 10:12 am
Tell me about it last month my internet access stops from 7 pm to 11 pm due to god knows what and the worst part is they raised the price.

Jack Stone’s last blog post..How to get listed in Google in less then a week

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Nick - road2blogging on February 28, 2008 10:29 am
Layne - congrats on the top 3 of internet marketing on entrecard, that’s a real achievement. It’s really strange entrecard though, you can leave it for a few days and your daily clicks plummet, and you can do the same by dropping a lot of cards and commenting to increase your daily clicks - good, but it fluctuates a lot (was one of the first to join so used to it now).

Shame on internet companies and hosts at the moment, must be because we’ve got into a new year and they think they can relax a little - be great to find an internet provider that doesn’t rip you off - shame we can’t use the pound against the dollar to get a great deal on broadband as most of us do with hosting.

Nick - road2blogging’s last blog post..2 Programs to help you become a more productive blogger

[Reply]
RewardRebel on February 28, 2008 11:01 am
Blimey, what happened? I blinked and half the blogosphere stopped by to leave a comment!

Will respond to each individually after a bracing cuppa;-D

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RewardRebel on February 29, 2008 10:45 pm
Ooops, I forgot these comments needed responding to. Sorry;-D

Hey Jen ~
I hope you’re feeling a bit brighter now;-D

Hi Durano ~
Yep, it’s essential to note down each instance of loss of service, and each call and the operator’s details — I’m an administrator, it’s second nature for me to record everything — like I don’t have anything better to do with my time.

It’s weird, but I wrote this post just to… let people know I was struggling to get posts done and drop cards. But unwittingly, I’ve tapped into a raw nerve in the blogging community. It always surprises me what people respond to with comments.

Thanks again for dropping by;-D

+++++++++

Heh heh heh, Stephan, you naughty boy!

That’s a deliciously devilish plan, and I’m gonna definitely bear it in mind, cos although the connection has been improved drastically, there are still hiccups that need to be resolved. I’m inclined to believe in reincarnation, but I’d prefer to have it fixed in this lifetime;-D

+++++++++

Hi JackStone ~

I’m sorry, but it must be the way you tell ‘em, I couldn’t help laughing when I got to the final part of your comment. The cheeky sods, eh;-D

+++++++++

Hey Nick ~

Thanks for congrats, tho the way things are going this week, I doubt I can hold on to top spot for long.

I’m sick of being dictated to by these companies, it’s a shame internet service provision can’t be organized by a bloggers cooperative.

This is something I think the blogging community should get together for domain and hosting services and that way there would exist a service people want. Hmmm, I wonder;-D

[Reply]
cyberfizzle on March 1, 2008 10:36 am
That bites! They should give you a partial refund or some credit since their service has been so bad!

Grats again on the top three.

I need to start advertising to get back there. I’ve been hording my credits. I’m at ~12k or so.

[Reply]
RewardRebel on March 1, 2008 12:18 pm
Heya Fizz,
Blimey… 12,000ECs — you ol’ money bags! If only it were cash, eh?

I’m an old hand at extortion, er, I mean requesting discounts, refunds and freebies… ya don’t mess with the rebel;-D

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