The ownership of local network meinNachbar has changed hands. As of Dec. 29, 2007, members of the formerly free service are now being called to pay up.

In July 2007, this web community was launched under the motto “All neighbors together” [see our post.] Service was offered at this stage by Artista, the Leverkusen-based agency. On December 1st, the service was taken over by ‘netsolution FZE’ (of Dubai), who also run another web community Nachbarschaft24 [‘neighborhood24’].

Shortly after the change of ownership, the terms of use were changed. According to a posting in the community’s blog, one reads that the service will cost €9 (nine Euros) per month, as of Dec. 29, 2007. This membership fee is payable twice yearly, in advance (i.e. Euro 54,00/6 months). The exact contractual details are to be found in the “AGB” [‘Terms of Use’]- where one discovers that one is committed to a 2-year contract, which is extended by a further 2-year term, “if the user does not cancel their membership, in writing (by ‘postal mail’), at least one month before the end of the first contract period”.

In the blog entry, the new owners justify the new charges, on the basis that they see the web community as a “Flirtportal” [Dating portal], and that its features will be widely expanded in the future. They also declare war on the issue of fake user profiles.

A spicy aside – in a post on Dec. 15, 2007 the website ComputerBetrug.de [‘computerFraud’] alerted its readers that the changes to meinNachbar already were sent to its users, combined as a “Merry Christmas and a happy New Year / Changes to the terms of Use” e-mail. Netsolution is a known entity, having generated irritation, annoyance and complaints from users of Nachbarschaft24. As per ComputerBetrug.de, the company has mailed umpteen thousand invoices to the apparently signed-up, paying members.