TorGuard's Decline - A VPN in Trouble

I frequently browse Reddit and usually stay out of discussions, but when I see TorGuard supporters attacking other VPN companies and individuals—especially after my own experience as a long-time affiliate—I can’t just stand by. TorGuard has long been known on Reddit for its aggressive tactics, including the use of multiple spam accounts. They were particularly active in the now-suspended “VPN Comparison” subreddit.

I used to promote TorGuard on several of my high-traffic websites. Initially, everything went smoothly—I grew with the company, and their affiliate program was lucrative. But around 2020/2021, my payments began arriving later and later each month. I was given excuses like payment delays or the affiliate manager being on vacation. Then, out of the blue, they stopped accepting cryptocurrency as a payment method and required a bank account instead. After providing my business bank details, I spent the next 12 weeks chasing over $8,000 in unpaid commissions, only to be told my account was “under review.” Despite my efforts—emails, support tickets, and even calling them out on their forums—my account was eventually locked, and I haven’t received any further communication or payments.

Here’s proof of my situation: https://imgur.com/pXt39zZ

After digging deeper, I discovered that others have faced similar issues, as documented on their forums: https://imgur.com/a/dB1QWWW

Even Tom Spark, a well-known reviewer and major TorGuard affiliate, was recently treated the same way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWC3JY87YIg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21F5oFbniQ0

A quick search on Twitter reveals more users complaining about delayed or missing affiliate payments and receiving the “Account in review” excuse, which often means no payment is forthcoming.

It’s not just affiliates being affected—staff are also being let go. The former CTO was dismissed, and Jason Hawk, who is autistic and had just moved into a new home, was suddenly fired: https://imgur.com/a/EVJRPKg

All of this points to serious financial trouble at TorGuard. Their traffic has dropped to levels not seen since 2014, as shown in this graph: https://imgur.com/a/SJbRJck

Their apps rarely get updated, and when they do, it’s usually just minor bug fixes or text changes, with no new features added. The forums are practically dead, with only a handful of posts every few weeks. When you reach out to support, responses are often rude, curt, or nonexistent.

It’s clear that TorGuard is on a steep decline. The company is poorly managed and seems to be heading the way of WeVPN, which assured everyone they were fine, only to shut down four weeks later.

They accuse others of dishonesty, but as this forum post reveals, they’re selling “Dedicated IPs” to multiple users—IPs that aren’t truly dedicated: https://imgur.com/a/xpwNO51

The TorGuard subreddit is filled with toxic posts, where they criticize other VPNs and use duplicate accounts to attack competitors, instead of addressing their own issues.

In contrast, every other VPN I’ve worked with has been professional and courteous—unlike this poorly run company.

3 Likes

You tried to claim moral superiority after directing users to a well-known unsafe VPN for years, haha.

You probably also manage phoney VPN review websites that just provide rankings based on affiliates.

It wasn’t too horrible when I utilised it. One of their shortcomings was that they seldom updated their programs or introduced new features.

No, I’m not trying to be morally superior; I’m just giving my experience. In my opinion, the decrease began in 2020 when my payments began to arrive later each month. Up until then, I believed the service was excellent, but things have changed significantly. Just so you know, I don’t manage review sites; instead, I have sizable communities.

It’s really disappointing to see this happen. This VPN seemed like a solid option for just $5 a month or $30 a year, and I even recommended it to friends and family. It was quite popular for a while. But eventually, I switched to another provider—mainly because they didn’t include streaming support unless you paid extra. With other providers, you’d get that feature included for the same price.

I did appreciate that TG offered port forwarding, which is crucial for seeding torrents. Even then, I kept saying it was a decent all-around VPN. But when they messed over customers like Tom, that was the tipping point for me. I started telling people to steer clear of the company, and whether it was because of my advice or just sheer coincidence, it seems like people are catching on.

That’s where I am too. I registered with them over 10 years ago in response to enquiries from coworkers about the VPN I was using.

I’ve been requesting payment for a few months now, but I haven’t heard back. I thought it was a singular incident. When I realise it’s not, it’s time for me to go.

New account, are you certain you aren’t that bitter Tom Sparks?

you are right, she made a fortune by tricking people to buy faulty products when there were alternative and better options. I dont know how this moral high ground is supposed to redeem you.

again, No, I’m not taking the moral high ground; I’m just expressing my experience; things weren’t always this way, and until I dug further into the organisation, I was unaware of the other nonsense.