As I have pointed out before... using a VPN that entails trusting an intermediate service provider - whether free or paid - is still a trust thing. In both cases the VPN provider not only can collect every bit of information a bogus open wifi network can, but in the case of a paid-for service, they also know your name and probably your credit card information. It really is a matter of who you trust. Personally I would prefer to ask the library, Starbucks, McDonalds or wherever for the exact name of their free wifi service and then connect to that and trust SSL (https) to provide end-to-end protection.
Dave
