Sonic.net, Inc. General Policy
By opening an account with Sonic.net, Inc., you agree to abide by all policies of Sonic.net, Inc. These policies apply to all users of Sonic.net, Inc. without exception; failure to adhere to the stated policies may result in termination of the account at the discretion of Sonic.net, Inc.
Sonic.net, Inc. reserves the right to change policies, services, and pricing. Your continued use of an account signifies acceptance of any and all policies and policy changes, and you may cancel if you do not agree with changes in policy, service, or pricing.
Sonic.net, Inc. reserves the right to refuse to provide service to anyone.
Disclaimers
Sonic.net, Inc. makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, for the service it is providing. Sonic.net, Inc. will not be held responsible for any damage you suffer from use of an account or service provided by Sonic.net, Inc., unless otherwise agreed to in writing. This includes- but is not limited to- equipment damage, failure or loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the company's negligence or your negligence or misuse.
Dial-up users: contact your telephone service provider to verify that the Sonic.net, Inc. modem dial-up number you intend to use is a local call from your location. You may be subject to additional charges from your telephone service provider, depending on your location and calling plan. Sonic.net, Inc. can not be held responsible if long distance or other communications fees are incurred.
Privacy
Sonic.net, Inc. is committed to preserving the privacy of its customers and protecting their personal data. Sonic.net, Inc. keeps information about its customers such as names, addresses, telephone numbers and details about Sonic.net, Inc. services used by the customer. While some of this information may be made available to our immediate affiliates in the course of providing services our customers have requested, Sonic.net, Inc. will not otherwise disclose any information about its customers to any other third party without a court order or other legitimate legal proceedings. In particular Sonic.net, Inc. will not release any customer email addresses to any third party.
Acceptable Use Policy
Any prohibited or illegal activity that affects Sonic.net, Inc., its agents, equipment or customers is punishable to the full extent of the law, and Sonic.net Inc. will hold you responsible for any damage caused by your actions, whether intentional or unintentional. You are strictly prohibited from using your account other than as outlined in this Acceptable Use Policy and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law if you do so illegally (see Enforcement section). Sonic.net, Inc. makes no exceptions in enforcing this policy.
Sonic.net, Inc., functions as a common carrier; our standard policy is to not monitor or interrupt our users' activities, exert editorial control over their content, or censor them or their content. To protect the interests of Sonic.net, Inc. and in the best interests of our customers, exceptions to this policy may be made under certain specific circumstances including but not limited to the following:
Illegal activities: The law requires Sonic.net, Inc. to report any criminal activity that it becomes aware of to the appropriate authorities. It is the responsibility of the account owner to be familiar with current laws and regulations.
Email: Email accounts are for personal or business correspondence only. Unsolicited Commercial Email (otherwise known as UCE - or spam) is strictly prohibited and violators will have their accounts terminated immediately. Sending unsolicited email to one or more addresses regardless of how the addresses were obtained may be considered spamming and is grounds for account termination. Use of a Sonic.net address or any address of a domain hosted by Sonic.net, Inc. as a return address for replies to spam is similarly prohibited.
Sonic.net, Inc. may at its discretion employ filtering techniques to block inbound email from known sources of spam and email abuse, and may also filter incoming email for known viruses.
Usenet: All users of Sonic.net, Inc. news servers agree to be bound by the charter of any newsgroup or newsgroup hierarchy posted to. It is the responsibility of the user to be familiar with these charters, which may include rules about content, spam, language and off-topic posting. Excessive posting of identical messages to multiple newsgroups ('cross-posting') via Sonic.net, Inc. news servers is prohibited, as is the posting of unsolicited commercial email (spam).
Shell use: Sonic.net, Inc. can provide shell access to its users on request. Shell access is an optional service and Sonic.net, Inc. reserves the right to grant or revoke customer shell access at any time. To activate shell access, please call our technical support department.
The shell server is a shared resource and shell access is intended for use only when a user is actively connected and using the connection. IRC bots, excessive use of resources, and network abuse are all prohibited. The use of any process or program intended to run while the user is not on-line is also prohibited.
Sonic.net, Inc., maintains a strict, zero-tolerance policy with regard to abuse of user shell access privileges. Any abuse of the shell service will result in immediate revocation of shell access, and further action may be taken at the discretion of Sonic.net, Inc. (see Network abuse and Enforcement sections.)
Network abuse: Use of Sonic.net, Inc. accounts or services for orchestration of or participation in any abuse of the Sonic.net, Inc. or any other network, system or service is expressly forbidden and is grounds for account termination and possible legal action. Sonic.net, Inc. retains at all times the right to determine what constitutes network abuse. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Attempts to hack the Sonic.net, Inc. network or any other network or systems
- Port scanning
- Use of 'cracking' software or techniques
- Intentional dissemination of viruses
- Intentional provocation of attacks on the Sonic.net, Inc. network or any other network
- Flooding Sonic.net, Inc. or any other network with traffic for the purpose of disrupting service
- Mail bombing
Sonic.net, Inc. customers must also comply with the acceptable use policies of our upstream providers, UUNET (http://www.uu.net) and Cable and Wireless ( http://www.cw.com)
Use of copyrighted material: Sonic.net, Inc. is obligated to comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA). All web pages are subject to copyright law, and members are responsible for the content in their file space. Use of the World Wide Web, FTP, Newsgroups or any other services provided by Sonic.net, Inc. to transfer copyrighted material in violation of applicable laws is prohibited and may result in termination of your Sonic.net account.
Complete details on the Sonic.net, Inc. DMCA policies and instructions on how to initiate or respond to a claim of copyright infringement, including contact information for our designated agent, can be found at http://www.sonic.net/support/docs/dmca.shtml.
Access to content: Sonic.net, Inc. functions as a common carrier and does not censor. Material can be found on the Internet or in Usenet news groups, etc., that some viewers may find objectionable; Sonic.net, Inc. is not responsible for any content available via Sonic.net accounts or services. Any limitation of access to content is at all times the responsibility of the account holder and Sonic.net, Inc. shall not be held responsible for access to material that an account holder deems inappropriate. We suggest that minors be supervised.
Accountability
The owner of any type of Sonic.net, Inc. account or service will be held responsible for any abuse of that account or service, regardless of whether the owner was the actual initiator of the abuse. This includes for example but is not limited to: abuse of an email account or dialup add-on which is part of a customer's account but which is used by a third party or abuse of a colocated server or colocation services by a third party, with or without the account owner's permission.
Enforcement and remedy:
Violation of any terms set forth in this Acceptable Use Policy may result in one or more of the following, at the discretion of Sonic.net, Inc.:
- Issuance of a warning
- Temporary suspension of service
- Billing to defray administrative costs incurred
- Termination of your services, account or accounts
- Legal action
If any activities or security problems involving a Sonic.net account or Sonic.net, Inc. customer's services cause network outages, the owner of the account or service will be billed for network down-time. In instances where it is necessary to terminate a customer's account for violation of the terms set forth in this Acceptable Use Policy, an administrative disconnect fee may be applied.
Sonic.net, Inc. will normally attempt to contact any user in violation of this Acceptable Use Policy before taking action, but depending on the circumstances or the severity of the violation action may be taken without prior notification. In this case, the user will be notified as soon as it is practicable.
No limitation
This acceptable use policy in no way limits the rights and remedies of Sonic.net, Inc. At its discretion Sonic.net, Inc. may take other actions it deems necessary to protect the integrity of its or other's networks or to recover the costs of operation as pertain to identifying and removing violators of this acceptable use policy.
Dial-up Connection policy
Dialup accounts are intended for interactive use by a single individual. Sonic.net, Inc. reserves the right to terminate idle connections, that is, connections that have been unused for 15 minutes. Personal accounts are limited to one login at any given time.
Sonic.net, Inc. provides unlimited Internet access to its dial-up customers. "Unlimited Internet access" is defined as unmetered, on-demand dial-up access; this is different from dedicated ("always-on") access. In order to ensure that dial-up services remain available to all dial-up customers, Sonic.net, Inc. reserves the right to terminate any dial-up connection that exceeds twelve consecutive hours duration.
Sonic.net, Inc. assumes that anyone consistently using a dial-up connection for more than twelve consecutive hours at a time will need dedicated-line access. If you consistently use your dial-up account as a dedicated-line account, you will be billed for it accordingly. Dedicated lines are available for an additional monthly charge. Sonic.net, Inc. also offers several high-speed, dedicated ("always on") account types. Please see our sales page at http://www.sonic.net/sales for more information.
Technical Support Policy
The function of the Sonic.net, Inc. technical support staff is to assist customers with initial connection, Internet browser and email account setup. Sonic.net, Inc. does not offer over-the-phone tech support for issues such as cgi programming, your web site, or any other issue not directly related to your dialing software or to the basic functions of your web browser and email program. While at its discretion the support staff may sometimes assist our customers with non-connectivity or non-email issues, any such extra service is strictly 'added value' service and provision of such service does not obligate Sonic.net, Inc. to continue to provide such service. Sonic.net, Inc. also provides some online discussion groups (news groups) for members only; these are an excellent resource and answers to many questions that lie outside of the Sonic.net, Inc. support model may be found in these newsgroups. A list of the Sonic.net members-only newsgroups can be found at http://www.sonic.net/support/docs/newsgroups.shtml.
Sonic.net, Inc. will use its best efforts to provide all services to get your computer connected to the Internet but can not be held responsible for hardware or software malfunctions or assist in servicing or repairing your equipment. In such cases, the technical support staff will gladly refer you to outside sources for assistance. Customers should have a copy of their current operating system available when calling technical support; there will be limits to the amount of assistance that technical support representatives can offer if you do not have a copy of your current operating system. Sonic.net, Inc. reserves the right to cease providing over-the-phone technical support to any customer.
Please call the Sonic.net, Inc. tech support number at 707-547-3400 if you need assistance in the Santa Rosa calling area. If you are outside the Santa Rosa calling area, you can find local tech support numbers using our number-finding tool at http://www.sonic.net/support/focal/. Technical support can also be reached via email at support@sonic.net.
You are entitled to free assistance with setting up your connection, an Internet browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator) and an email client (Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook, Netscape Messenger, Eudora Lite or Eudora Pro) on one computer. We offer telephone technical assistance everyday: Monday-Friday 8am - 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-9pm (closed major holidays and from 1 - 2 PM on Fridays).
If you can email, we encourage you to write to support@sonic.net for assistance. If you are able to get online and have other questions, the answers may be in our support pages located at http://www.sonic.net/support/ - we encourage you to check there first. Also, the help files in the program you are using may have the answers to your questions so please do investigate these resources before calling tech support.
Bandwidth and Disk use quotas
Sonic.net, Inc. uses a quota system for controlling customer bandwidth and disk usage. Information and specific details about these quotas can be found at http://www.sonic.net/support/docs/quotas.shtml.
Billing Policy
Billing office address:
Sonic.net, Inc.
2260 Apollo Way
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
Hours:
8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday
Information about account types, services and current pricing can be found on our sales page, located at http://www.sonic.net/sales.
To update your contact information, change your billing period or to see your account due date please use your member tools, located at https://sonic.sonic.net.
To renew your account via credit card or check online please go to http://www.sonic.net/renew.
Payment options
Sonic.net, Inc. accepts cash, check, Master Card, VISA, American Express and Discover credit cards as payment.
Cash Payments: Please do not send cash by mail; Sonic.net, Inc. can not be held responsible for any loss of funds. If you prefer to pay in cash, please visit our main office during business hours.
Check Payments: Check payments can be made in person, by mail or online. To renew your account online, please go to http://www.sonic.net/renew/.
Sonic.net, Inc. charges a $15 fee for any check that is returned to us due to lack of funds. The $15 fee will be included in your next payment. Any bounced check must be replaced with a cashiers check, money order, or cash.
Credit Card Payments: Credit card payments can be made over the phone, in person or online. To renew your account via credit card please go to http://www.sonic.net/renew/. An automatic billing feature is available for your convenience; if you choose to pay by credit card and choose auto-billing, your payment will automatically be processed 5 days before your payment due date.
If the payment is returned as declined, expired, or invalid Sonic.net asks that you call and give us a valid credit card number or replace the payment with a check or cash. If for any reason a credit card payment is not completely processed, you will receive email notification.
Billing cycle
You will be billed quarterly (every 3 months) unless you change the payment interval with the Sonic.net, Inc. Billing Department. All services must be pre-paid before they will be provided. Payments are credited from the account due date, not from the date the payment is received. A grace period of five days from the due date is given for accounts. After five days without payment, the account will be locked until payment is received.
Invoicing
All invoicing is done via email or by fax (if requested).
When paying by cash or check you will receive an email invoice. The invoice will be transmitted 30 days before your due date. Invoices will be sent approximately every 10 days until the account is paid or the due date passes. The invoice identifies the due date, the amount and the address to send payments to. You will receive a payment confirmation via email when your payment is processed.
If you choose to pay by credit card and choose automatic billing, payment will automatically be processed 5 days before your payment due date. You will not receive an invoice if you choose the auto billing payment method, but you will still receive a receipt.
Account information
You can notify Sonic.net, Inc. of any changes to your name, address, or telephone number via your member tools, which are located at https://sonic.sonic.net. It is important that this information be kept up-to-date to ensure accurate communication between Sonic.net and our customers.
For reasons of security, if you wish to change the listed owner of your account you will need to submit a written request signed by the current and new account holders. If it is not possible for the listed owner to submit such a request please call the Sonic.net, Inc. billing department and our representatives will be happy to assist in making the necessary arrangements.
Cancellation procedure
Accounts can not be put on hold or suspended. Any customer who will be unable to use their account for extended periods of time should cancel the account and reinstate it at a later date. This includes, but is not limited to, users whose equipment is down for repair or is otherwise unusable for the purpose of connecting to Sonic.net, Inc.
Cancellation of your account must be done in person, by phone or by postal mail. Only the primary account holder can cancel an account. Be sure you retrieve any information you want to keep- email, web pages, files in your web, FTP and home directories, etc.- and save it separately from your account before you cancel. Upon cancellation, all user data will be eliminated. If you fail to notify us of cancellation as stated above, you will be responsible for all access fees until the date of cancellation regardless of whether or not you used the service. If there is unused time on the account when you call and cancel, refunds will be calculated in 10-day increments from the date of cancellation to the due date.
If you are not satisfied with the service within 30 days of the activation date of your account, all Sonic.net fees will be refunded upon cancellation. Full refunds will not be given if the account has been active for more than 30 days.
Collection procedures
For any delinquent accounts, you will be responsible for all collection costs, including reasonable attorney fees.
