1st May 2015
Summary:
This week I reviewed Boleh VPN to see how the quality of their service ranked compared to some others.
Pros:
- referral program with points system
- fast connection
- very secure
- unlimited bandwidth
Cons:
- unreliable customer service
- limited server locations
- restrictive refund policy
Overall Score: 67/100
This score is much lower than the 97/100 scored by our top rated VPN – Express VPN.
After reviewing Boleh VPN, I can see that their customer service really needs some work, but they’re one of the lower priced VPN providers out there.
You can find Boleh VPN here: Boleh VPN
———————————-
With identity theft and fraud quickly rising as the fastest growing crimes in the world, more and more people are expressing concern about their online security.
As we access sensitive personal information such as online banking, we open ourselves up to the potential of having our information stolen – especially when using public Wi-Fi networks.
VPNs are a simple and inexpensive way to protect your online privacy and keep your personal information just that – personal.
Many people also use them to circumvent content blocks they may encounter on office Wi-Fi networks, or even while using internet abroad.
Since VPNs operate on servers around the world, you can get access to any content you want, regardless of your geographic location.
But like anything else, there are several VPNs out there to choose from, and a lot of promising advertising that can make it difficult to choose one.
Here I’ll break down what to look for when you shop around for a VPN, as well as review one such provider, Boleh VPN.
Will Boleh VPN Work on My Operating System?
Before you get too carried away with going over all of the technical details of a VPN, you want to weed out any that aren’t going to be compatible with your operating system.
Keep in mind that you can use VPNs on everything from laptops to smartphones, so you want to make sure the one you purchase is going to work on all of your devices.
Boleh VPN has software that is compatible with all major operating systems, including Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows – which means no manual configurations to set up your connection.
They’re even compatible with Sabai!
Rating: 5/5 – Works with everything
What Kind of Features Does Boleh VPN Have?
Now to sort out the nitty-gritty. After you’ve determined whether the VPN is going to work with the operating systems on the devices you use, it’s time to take a look at the features they have to offer.
These can vary a lot, so pay close attention to ones that may be particularly important to you. Let’s see what Boleh VPN has to offer their customers.
Feature #1: Multiple Connections
This is a feature that often gets overlooked, but is nonetheless pretty important.
A VPN that allows multiple connections will allow you to extend the protection of their network to more than one device without signing up for additional service plans.
Two connections is pretty much the norm, and that’s what Boleh VPN includes in their packages. It’s not a whole lot, but it’ll cover a home and mobile device, so you have a secure connection no matter where you are.
Rating: 3.5/5 – Two connections per plan
Feature #2: Money Back Guarantee
As with any service – but especially one that is rendered completely online – you want to make sure that you can get your money back if things don’t go as planned.
A money back guarantee tells you that the company is so confident in their service that they’re willing to put that profit on the line to prove it to you.
Boleh VPN offers a 2 week refund policy on service plans of one month or more. I say refund policy and not money back guarantee, because you’re really not guaranteed to get your money back.
You can only get a refund for having technical problems, and only after tech support has exhausted every tactic to try and help you.
Technically, you can get a refund, but keep in mind that things like poor customer service aren’t likely to justify one from Boleh VPN.
Rating: 3/5 – Refunds for technical problems
Feature #3: Number of Servers
The number of servers a VPN offers matters because it can impact where you can access, and how fast that connection will be.
Some of the least censored internet access is in places like Europe and North America, so make sure there are plenty to choose from on those continents.
However, having at least 20 servers will make sure that they won’t be bogged down by too many users, so keep that in mind as well.
Though Boleh VPN has servers in the places that count, they only have them in 15 countries.
I’m not sure how heavy of a user load they have, but this is likely to affect the speed of your connection and your accessibility some.
Rating: 2/5 – Only 15 servers worldwide
Feature #4: Referral Program
One nice feature that you may not see too much of is a referral program.
Some VPN providers out there will actually give you perks like free or discounted service for referring new customers to them, so keep your eyes open for this feature.
While you won’t get direct discounts, Boleh VPN has a referral program that allows customers who refer business to them to accumulate point towards free days on their subscription.
Rating: 5/5 – Points program for discounted service
Feature #5: Data Logging
Data logging should be a real concern if you’re signing up for a VPN for privacy.
This is the practice of maintaining records of your internet activity, and it’s something no VPN provider has any business doing.
Boleh VPN never logs any of their users’ data, so you can rest assured that all of the content you access will remain completely anonymous while connected to their secure servers.
Rating: 5/5 – No data logging
Feature #6: Bandwidth
If you’re not familiar with the term, bandwidth refers to the amount of data traffic allowed per user.
If a VPN company has very few server locations, or too many customers, they may restrict the amount of bandwidth their customers can use to keep the connections fast.
However, this will limit what you can do in terms of downloads and streaming.
All of Boleh VPNs plans offer completely unlimited bandwidth, so you can do Netflix marathons and clean the house while you listen to Pandora without ever worrying about hitting a cap.
Rating: 5/5 – Completely limitless bandwidth
How Secure Is It?
Security is the name of the game when it comes to VPNs. Sure, people want to unlock content, but they also want to be completely anonymous and protect their personal information.
In the interest of giving the people what they want, most VPN companies have a few different security options, depending on your priorities of speed versus security.
Boleh VPN is like that, with some more basic security protocols for more efficient streaming connections.
For those concerned with security, they offer their OpenVPN software, which features 256-bit encryption – virtually unbeatable.
Rating: 5/5 – Security options with rock solid encryption
What’s the Set Up Process Like?
Since there are still a lot of people out there that aren’t familiar with VPNs, it helps if they’re easy to set up. With Boleh VPN, you just can’t get turned around.
It’s a simple matter of downloading the software that’s compatible with your operating system (from their website) and installing it. No settings to configure, no connections to set up. It’s that easy.
Rating: 5/5 – Very easy to set up
Is it Easy to Use?
Once you get your VPN software set up, you should be able to connect and disconnect with ease.
If you find you’re having to go into your device’s connection settings every time, that’s not typical – dump them.
Boleh VPN’s software is pretty easy to use. It’s all laid out in their software dashboard, and connecting is pretty straightforward.
The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was how chaotic and cluttered it was – there seemed to be way more information and settings there than any typical user would ever need.
Rating: 3/5 – Easy to connect, but too many options
Logging In
Logging into the software is pretty simple and straightforward, though you will have to do it every time you start the software.
Make sure to save your login credentials to make this process a little faster.
Changing Servers
Initially I was a little confused about how to change servers with Boleh VPN – there are so many options and tabs to sort through on their software dashboard I had to go through it all for a minute.
However, it is pretty easy to switch when you find the drop down menu (hint: it’s below when you connect).
What If I Need Help?
In a world of digital services, it’s hard to hold a business accountable for their customers.
Make sure that whichever VPN provider you choose, helping their customers is always their number one priority.
24/7 Support?
It’s so important that you be able to reach customer service at any time of the day.
These companies come from all corners of the world, so it’s easy to fall into after hours service requests if you’re in different time zones.
I couldn’t find any information on Boleh VPN’s website regarding the scope of their support, so I asked their staff myself if they were available 24/7 to assist their customers.
Apparently they’re not – something having to do with the morning shift being off for a few days.
Either way, it would seem that support is pretty here and there, so don’t expect a response right away with Boleh VPN.
Rating: 2/5 – Spotty support hours
Channels
The more ways you can get in touch with their support staff, the better.
Typically most VPNs offer at least e-mail support, and the very best ones offer faster service with phone support and live chat features.
Boleh VPN offers e-mail and live chat support, though with their limited service hours, the chat may not always be so ‘live’.
Rating: 3.5/5 – E-mail support and “live-ish” chat
Customer Support Test
I figured the best way to see just how prompt and helpful Boleh VPN’s customer service was was just by testing them out myself.
I made sure to contact them by both of their support channels, and both during peak and non-business hours. Here’s what I found out:
E-mail Support Test #1-Thursday/10:11 p.m.
My first attempt at contacting Boleh VPN’s support was later in the evening on a weekday, so I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of their response time.
However, I was pleasantly surprised that they got to me as quickly as they did, in just over an hour.
Result: 1 hour 5 minutes
Rating: 4/5 – Very fast late night response
E-mail Support Test #2-Friday/2:44 p.m.
I tried again to contact Boleh VPN’s customer service, this time during peak business hours.
While their response did take substantially longer, it was still less than six hours, so not too bad all things considered.
Result: 5 hours 33 minutes
Rating: 3/5 – Slower response in afternoon
Live Chat Support Test #1-Thursday/10:13 p.m.
I first sent a live chat message well after normal business hours.
When I opened the live chat feature on their site, I was greeted by a message saying they were away at the time, and that someone would be getting back to me shortly.
A little over an hour later, I received a response.
All in all, that’s a pretty good response time – if this were an e-mail. However, it can hardly be called live support if it takes more than a few minutes.
Result: 1 hour 7 minutes
Rating: 2/5 – Very slow live chat response
Live Chat Support Test #2 – Friday/2:30 p.m.
My second attempt to contact the company using their live chat ended with much poorer results still, with a wait time that went almost 7 ½ hours!
Again, the help was polite and to the point, but for anything you call live tech support this is totally unacceptable.
Result: 7 hours 26 minutes
Rating: 1/5 – Nothing ‘live’ about this chat
I had a really hard time summing up Boleh VPN’s customer service. Sometimes they were so fast and responsive, and others I was waiting for hours on end.
However, their irregularity coupled with the fact that I was never able to use their live chat feature, makes me think that their customer service is just too unpredictable to really be counted on.
Overall Support Rating: 10/20 – Unpredictable customer service
How Fast is Boleh VPN?
There are so many VPNs out there, and 90% of them claim to have this incredible fast connection that will just so totally blow your mind. Pfff.
The bottom line is, everyone has a sales pitch, and you’re just not going to know how fast that connection is until you’re stuck with a service plan.
To save you some headaches, I went ahead and ran a couple of speed tests, to compare my home internet connection with Boleh VPN’s.
I wanted to compare their download speeds, and see what I could expect from their service.
Without Boleh VPN
With Boleh VPN
So as you can see, there was a slight difference in speed with Boleh VPN, but not really enough to make a substantial difference. What’s more is that this was with 256-bit encryption – pretty impressive.
Rating: 4/5 – Connection almost as fast and way more secure
How Much Does Boleh VPN Cost?
When it comes right down to it, the thing that’s going to make or break your decision is going to be price.
There are plenty of VPNs out there to choose from, so don’t stick yourself with one that wants to charge you an arm and a leg for the same service everyone else is offering.
The maximum you really want to pay for a VPN is around $15 a month – that’s on the high side of average.
Boleh VPN is pretty affordable, with one month of service priced at about $10 a month, and discounts that increase as you purchase more and more service with them.
Rating: 4/5 – Low monthly rates
The X Factor
This category isn’t so much a selling point so much as it is a vibe. The internet is like this colorful international market, swarming with vendors eager to sell you their wares.
Some sellers you feel are pretty honest and that you can trust, others are misleading in their advertising and give you a sketchy feeling.
With Boleh VPN, I felt like the product they were selling was okay, by industry standards, but the way they were selling it was pretty defensive.
Their refund policy’s strict nature really clued me in.
Once I saw how unresponsive their customer service could be, it gave me the feeling that they didn’t want customers to have the option of second guessing their service.
It’s not that their marketing was misleading, but more vague and pushy than it should have been.
At times the information was clear and concise, but when it came to the details of the product they were selling and their service packages, information was really scarce.
This raises some red flags in my opinion.
Rating: 2/10 – Inflated advertising, little information
Conclusion
As you can see, there’s quite a lot of ground to cover when you shop around for a VPN. Let’s recap on how Boleh VPN did in our review:
Pros:
- works on all operating systems, even Sabai
- up to 2 connections
- 2 week refund policy
- referral program with points system
- unlimited bandwidth
- no data logging
- easy to set up
- very secure, with multiple security protocols
- low monthly rates
- fast connection, even with best encryption
Cons:
- strict refund policy
- few server locations
- overly complex software
- limited customer service hours
- unreliable live chat feature
- “grab your money and run” feel from website
Overall Score: 67/100
It’s difficult to say whether Boleh VPN is worth recommending.
On the one hand, it has fairly comprehensive service at a lower than average price, but their poor customer service limited servers isa big drawback.
Huge LIKE not only for their speed, friendly user interface but for price as well!!!
I can only recommend it! I have been using other software in the past but… Boleh VPN is the choice I will hold on too… Try it out and you’ll feel the same.