Wasn't just the USA they spammed... UK got hit pretty hard as well, walking into newsagents and supermarkets, those damn <a href="http://www.bcduplication.com" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; cursor: default ! important;">cd duplication fast</a> were everywhere, in giant boxes, on the front, back, or both sides of magazines... persuading people to get online with them. Funny thing is, most people didn't even know what a modem was, or if they had one, so how could they get online with just a CD? Magic!!
Freeserve did the same spamming tactics. They were originally part of the Dixons group (PCWorld), but was taken over by France Télécom and rebranded as Wanadoo... then later changed to Orange. Oh the joys... back in the days of dialup.... when we paid for access by the minute... then by the hour... then the day.... then flat rate monthly fees for 'unlimited access'... which still charge by the minute.... then finally the real unlimited came out... by which time broadband had already taken over. I remember the first £100+ phone bill received....