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New Zealand ISP Offers "Global Mode" So Users Can Circumvent Geo-Restrictions

Posted by samzenpus on from the one-price-for-all dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Many content sites restrict access from different markets or have variable pricing for downloads in different markets. New Zealand-based ISP Slingshot is now offering a 'global mode' that lets customers hide their location. This means they can access overseas online services that would normally be restricted to specific markets."

5 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. And that's the way it should be done by Parsiuk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are no borders in the Internet. End of story.

  2. Finally a good ISP service. by eddy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sound great. Wish my ISP had the same. All this 'free market' is bullshit when it's perverted with artificial region restrictions. Here's the REALITY of it straight out of my inbox:

    This is an important announcement for our MYREGIONHERE users regarding pricing on the Green Man Gaming website. We are always reviewing our policies here and have decided to make a change that will help us deliver the value you expect from GMG. All MYREGIONHERE users will notice that prices on the Green Man Gaming website are now shown as GBP (£) instead of USD ($). Of course, this is a change and change doesn't suit everyone, but we hope that this will enable us to stay competitive and continue to serve your market diligently. Thanks for your continued support The GMG Team

    Some times even if you can actually buy the product, you can't use it because there are further region checks down the line (e.g steam refusing out-of-region keys).

    --
    Belief is the currency of delusion.
  3. Re:PIRACY! by niltiac1705 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Except that national law on consumer rights trumps terms of use conditions. It's not just streaming. Another example might be buying songs from iTunes. Apple charges Australian customers more per song than US customers (and probably NZ customers too but I don't know the situation there). Apple has been asked to explain itself to an Australian Senate committee and the matter is not yet resolved. In the mean time, I don't think I'm breaking any law or moral code by maintaining a US iTunes account so that I don't have to pay higher prices. It's really no different to parallel imports of physical goods. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong by getting my friend in San Francisco to buy Clinique foundation and post it to me either. It costs twice as much in Australia for the exact same product. It is Clinique (and Apple) who are in the wrong here as far as I'm concerned.

  4. Re:What is global mode? by Viol8 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Err , proxys hide the location YOU'RE coming from , they don't hide their OWN location you flipping idiot.. The parent made a valid point - what is special about the IP addresses they're going to use that makes them "global"? And I suspect soon enough other sites will soon recognise them and flag them as NZ regardless.

  5. Re:won't help with audible by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If they won't sell it to you, pirate it. That's obviously what they want you to do.