By: MarkJ - 27 July, 2009 (12:43 PM) - Score: 3632 - Fixed Line Broadband
The new owners of UK broadband ISP Breathe Internet (Breathe Networks Limited), which was purchased in a surprise management buyout last week (related news here and here), have been accused of blocking access to a former partners website and thus unfairly preventing customers from accessing their old email history.
The business in question - Spider Networks - provided the old [BREATHE] company, not including ZetNet, with hosted webmail services. Spider revealed to ISPreview last week that it had not been informed of the buyout by the administrator; they added: "As a creditor of the old Breathe company Spider Networks has a significant claim." Naturally the new owners quickly denied that any such claim exists.
It's believed that the new owners of Breathe Internet, headed up by Managing Director Steve Kaye, chose to take a different path with its new email platform and not work with Spider Networks, perhaps because of the above mentioned claim. Understandably customers quickly complained about the significant loss of their past email archives.
Mercifully Spider Networks stepped in, offering ex-users of the email service access to their old accounts, free of charge for the next few months, with an annual subscription fee of £19.99 GBP beginning October 1st 2009. Details can be found here: http://www.spider-networks.net/breathe.html .
Unfortunately Breathe's remaining beleaguered customers quickly found themselves unable to access Spider Network's website, though using a non-Breathe ISP brought the access back.
Spider Networks informs us that the new owners decided to migrate their email users to another provider on July 18th, without informing them and without cooperating with Spider. As a result Breathe does not have access to this past email history and thus will be unable to provide it to users.
So it appears that users who would like their old emails, folders and address books will have to login via another broadband provider to get access. Many would perhaps call this an excessive and deeply unprofessional abuse of power, one that highlights the dangers of wrongful censorship. We contacted Breathe for comment yesterday but they have not yet responded.
The business in question - Spider Networks - provided the old [BREATHE] company, not including ZetNet, with hosted webmail services. Spider revealed to ISPreview last week that it had not been informed of the buyout by the administrator; they added: "As a creditor of the old Breathe company Spider Networks has a significant claim." Naturally the new owners quickly denied that any such claim exists.
It's believed that the new owners of Breathe Internet, headed up by Managing Director Steve Kaye, chose to take a different path with its new email platform and not work with Spider Networks, perhaps because of the above mentioned claim. Understandably customers quickly complained about the significant loss of their past email archives.
Mercifully Spider Networks stepped in, offering ex-users of the email service access to their old accounts, free of charge for the next few months, with an annual subscription fee of £19.99 GBP beginning October 1st 2009. Details can be found here: http://www.spider-networks.net/breathe.html .
Unfortunately Breathe's remaining beleaguered customers quickly found themselves unable to access Spider Network's website, though using a non-Breathe ISP brought the access back.
New Spider Networks Statement:
We have had it confirmed from many users that they have been blocked by Breathe trying to access their old emails, folders and address books which reside on the alternative email address that Spider has set up for those users who need access to their data. They have also been blocked from the Spider website, www.spider-networks.net where directions can be found on how to access this data.
A couple of quotes from users in the Spider forums make the point:
QUOTE1: “I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but when I try to access this site from home (breathe is my isp) I get a "broken link" message, but accessing from same laptop at work allows me in. Can an isp block individual sites like this?"
QUOTE2: ”They certainly can, but it normally only happens in places such as China and North Korea!”
We have had it confirmed from many users that they have been blocked by Breathe trying to access their old emails, folders and address books which reside on the alternative email address that Spider has set up for those users who need access to their data. They have also been blocked from the Spider website, www.spider-networks.net where directions can be found on how to access this data.
A couple of quotes from users in the Spider forums make the point:
QUOTE1: “I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but when I try to access this site from home (breathe is my isp) I get a "broken link" message, but accessing from same laptop at work allows me in. Can an isp block individual sites like this?"
QUOTE2: ”They certainly can, but it normally only happens in places such as China and North Korea!”
Spider Networks informs us that the new owners decided to migrate their email users to another provider on July 18th, without informing them and without cooperating with Spider. As a result Breathe does not have access to this past email history and thus will be unable to provide it to users.
So it appears that users who would like their old emails, folders and address books will have to login via another broadband provider to get access. Many would perhaps call this an excessive and deeply unprofessional abuse of power, one that highlights the dangers of wrongful censorship. We contacted Breathe for comment yesterday but they have not yet responded.
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Comments: 6
torquetto jubbliPosted: 28 July, 2009 - 1:32 AM
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Did I read somewhere that Breathe were accusing Spider of blocking access to email? Was there any truth in this, or were Breathe lying to their customers?
Isn't there some heavy legal stuff relating to blocking someone's websites/domains?
I know it's not unusual to do a block-everything setup when an ISP closes or changes its dialup number but this is a specific and deliberate act for the sole purpose of extracting money from people. Could the phrase "false pretences" apply here?
the inspectorPosted: 28 July, 2009 - 2:14 PM
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i would have thought it was clear...Breathe too kaway the mail from spider, spider then provisioned virtually identical domains names to try and steal customers, breathe stopped it happening the easiest way - by blocking access to spider! to me it sound simple, spider can't afford to lose that many customers in one hit.
Ian RogersPosted: 28 July, 2009 - 2:26 PM
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To me it also seems clear: Breathe have financial difficulties and shut down with no warning, owing a bunch of people a pile of money. Spider do the decent thing and provision some new domains to help the users. Breathe management do a dodgy "buy out" to keep the business but without the debts and then put a spiteful block on Spider...
The quicker people leave Breathe the better by the looks of things! Changing email is a pain though but there's a good UK based website that can help with that http://www.contactclean.com/quickreg/breathe.php
the inspectorPosted: 29 July, 2009 - 4:40 PM
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funny, whois reports that website belongsto you!
Sado !
Ian RogersPosted: 30 July, 2009 - 1:40 PM
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I may be a Saddo but I'm not a Sado!
Breathe management do seem to be pulling a fast one - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/23/breathe_networks_breathe_internet/
Yes, I run ContactClean but there's only two other decent sites in the world that do ECOA and they're both hosted in the States.
Apart from that you're spot on with everything
Legal EaglePosted: 14 August, 2009 - 1:54 PM
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Just had a look at my contract with Breathe via the secure members console and noticed this clause:
"3.3 We reserve the right to suspend, restrict or terminate your access to Internet Service at any time for any reason, although our Customer Services team will provide written explanations when requested."
I would say blocking Spider counts as a restriction of our internet service. Maybe we'll have to start making a few requests...
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