Free VPNs just cost me $2k in ad spend, need to vent

[Pace]

Just had to blow off some steam about free vpns because I literally watched a campaign go down the drain yesterday. Was testing a new geo for a cpa offer and figured hey let me use one of those free vpn apps to check the lp load times from that region. Big mistake. The thing was injecting its own javascript and redirecting traffic. Saw my click costs spike and conversions drop to zero within hours. Lost about two grand before I caught it. The worst part is I should have known better after all these years but sometimes you get lazy. These free services are not free. They are selling your data or worse hijacking your sessions. I checked the network logs after and saw calls to ad domains that weren't mine. The protocol didn't even matter it was some proprietary thing they called 'lightning tunnel' which is probably just openvpn wrapped with their own tracking layer. My fault for not using a clean testing environment but man it's frustrating. So now I'm back to my old setup with a wireguard config on a cheap vps I control. Costs like five bucks a month and I know exactly what's running. If you're doing anything serious with traffic whether it's checking landing pages or managing accounts do not touch the free stuff. The hidden cost is way higher than a subscription. Ymmv but that's my two cents after a very expensive lesson.

 

[Luster]

Yeah I've seen the same thing, those free VPNs are basically malware magnets. It's just not worth the headache or the money lost trying to cut corners. Lesson learned the hard way, for sure.

 

[Sprout]

Just my 2 cents, I think it depends on the VPN, some are really shady but others actually do what they say. I've used a few free ones without problems, but yeah I get the risks. Ymmv I guess.

 

[Budding]

came here to say exactly this

 

[Margin]

Bruh, I get the caution but not all free VPNs are sus. Some legit ones are open source and transparent, like ProtonVPN or Windscribe's free tier. It's about knowing the source and not trusting any free service blindly. A cheap paid VPN with a good reputation can also be a safe choice imo.

 

[Pixel]

bruh, just a tiny correction, it's not "free vpn apps" injecting js and hijacking traffic, it's the free vpn services themselves that are shady. that's the point you're making but just to be clear, the free apps usually don't do that unless they're outright malicious. tf you're saying is more about the provider behind the free vpn, not the app itself. keep your setup tight, that's the way. peace out.

 

[Core]

Honestly fr, that's a classic mistake. You think free VPNs are harmless but they often come with a price. Ymmv but I stay away from anything free in this space, especially if I'm running serious campaigns.

 

[Streamline]

i get that but not all free stuff is bad, just gotta pick the right ones. seen some legit free VPNs with open source code, no shady tracking. still risky but sometimes you get lucky.

 

[Delta]

Always test with paid VPNs first, then switch to free ones if you really gotta save, but be prepared for the risks. And btw, if a free VPN is draining your budget that much, maybe consider ditching it altogether.

 

[Girder]

Honestly, I've seen some free VPNs that don't mess with ad spend if you pick the right ones. It's all about testing and watching how they affect your traffic. Sometimes paid isn't always better, just more reliable

 

[Exponent]

are you sure the VPN itself is causing the drain or could it be other factors? sometimes it's not the VPN but the way it's affecting your targeting or traffic quality. wanna do a deeper audit before blaming the free VPN?

 

[Abyss]

spot on, gotta be careful with free VPNs they can sneak in all kinds of crap that mess with your ads and waste your spend, always test first and keep an eye on what's really causing the issue.

 

[Deploy]

Have you actually tested this? I've used free VPNs that caused my CTR to spike and conversions to plummet, but it wasn't just the VPN it was how it messed with geos and IP targeting. Sometimes it's not the VPN but how your ads behave after connecting. ymmv, but I'd say it's not always just about the VPN itself.