Bandwidth Overages [resolved]

[ronny]

Hello,

We are using hostgator for over 3 years now! Always wonderful service and a company to lean about! We have now a dedicated server.

But Today (Feb 05) i received a mail with "Hello,

Your server used over 2.8TB of bandwidth for the month of January and your account has now been invoiced for the overages. Please log in at https://secure.hostgator.com/billing at your earliest convenience and pay the due balance. $445

Also, just as a reminder, we do offer prepaid bandwidth at a rate of 30 cents per gig. If you are ever interested in getting that set up, just let us know.

So without some1 telling us in the month January, we just received today a mail that we must pay this!!! Hello hostgator why do you work like this??
I have contacted Live chat, because after 3 years i never know that this is the way you guys work and the operator told me:

(4:40:04 PM) System: There currently are 0 people in front of you.
There are currently 42 chat technicians assisting customers.

(4:40:05 PM) Andrew Ho: has entered the chat.

(4:40:07 PM) Andrew Ho: Hello, welcome to HostGator Live Chat.

(4:40:14 PM) Andrew Ho: One moment while I look over this ticket.

(4:41:33 PM) ronny: Now i have to pay $445.00??? for what??? no 1 told me before! i did not even know?? how can u work like that?

(4:42:44 PM) ronny: How can you bill me for something i did not know?

(4:42:54 PM) ronny: Is this mail fake?

(4:43:00 PM) Andrew Ho: Your Standard dedicated server comes with 1.5 TB of monthly bandwidth. Since you have gone over this amount, we have had to charge you extra for this overage. The cost is determined by $0.50 per GB.

(4:43:06 PM) Andrew Ho: No, this email is not fake.

(4:43:16 PM) ronny: And who authorize you to do that?

(4:43:28 PM) ronny: Why did not send me a email???

(4:43:47 PM) ronny: Is amount is the price of 2 whole new dedicated severs!!

(4:44:05 PM) Andrew Ho: One moment while I check on this.

(4:44:24 PM) ronny: Yes please, i do not know hostgator like this!!!!!

(4:45:05 PM) ronny: and am NOT gonne pay this, please understand my issue. Just a billing like that for US 445!!

(4:46:27 PM) Andrew Ho: I am checking with the sales administrator about this charge. Thank you for being patient.

(4:48:35 PM) ronny: In the mail i also see "Also, just as a reminder, we do offer prepaid bandwidth at a rate of 30 cents per gig. If you are ever interested in getting that set up, just let us know.

" i never signup for this, i did not even know thats such thing Exist?

(4:49:55 PM) Andrew Ho: I have confirmed with the sales administrator that this charge is correct. Our Terms of Service state this in section 8, "Bandwidth Usage".

You can read this here: http://www.hostgator.com/tos/tos.php

We reserve the right to charge servers for going over their bandwidth allocation.

(4:51:19 PM) ronny: thats not was is there on the page

(4:51:26 PM) ronny: this is what is on the page:

(4:51:28 PM) ronny: Should your account pass the allocated amount we reserve the right to suspend the account until the start of the next allocation, suspend the account until more bandwidth is purchased at an additional fee, suspend the account until you upgrade to a higher level of package, terminate the account and/or charge you an additional fee for the overages.

(4:51:52 PM) ronny: ??? where do you see charge you over!!

(4:52:03 PM) ronny: without letting now or suspended

(4:52:08 PM) Andrew Ho: The last part: "charge you an additional fee for the overages"

(4:52:33 PM) ronny: This is not goood!!!!

(4:52:43 PM) ronny: Can u understand this??

(4:53:01 PM) ronny: Then Why did you not suspend the account

(4:53:05 PM) ronny: ????

(4:53:19 PM) Andrew Ho: Yes, I do completely understand this. But unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to remove this bill. One moment while I check why your account was not suspended.

(4:53:42 PM) ronny: or not even a mail with 'hello this is the price for extra bw, you are almost there'

(4:54:06 PM) ronny: just a month after, i got a bill!!! for something i nver authorized!!

(4:56:13 PM) Andrew Ho: You can view your bandwidth usage at any time from your WHM account, under the View Bandwidth Usage feature. Also, you did technically agree to this, since you agreed to our Terms of Service, which does say we can charge your server for using far more bandwidth than the plan offers.

(4:56:34 PM) ronny: No the line starts With

(4:56:41 PM) ronny: Suspend the account

(4:56:46 PM) ronny: and then the rest

(4:57:17 PM) ronny: And how can u charge some 1 if you did not tell them 'what the extra price is'

(4:57:37 PM) ronny: So technically i never agreed in paying $445

(4:57:53 PM) Andrew Ho: That is one option, which is what we do for our reseller accounts. But dedicated servers do not get suspended for bandwidth. And the fact that there is a fee is stated on the Terms of Service. You could have asked us the specific value for this at any time.

(4:58:07 PM) ronny: Hostgator this is not good, this is not how i know you guys, what is wrong!!

(4:58:53 PM) ronny: Help me please

(4:59:03 PM) ronny: this cannot be real!

(4:59:36 PM) Andrew Ho: One moment while I contact my supervisor.

(5:02:27 PM) Andrew Ho: Thank you for being patient.

(5:04:24 PM) Donny Cr: has entered the chat.

(5:04:44 PM) Donny Cr: Hello, Ronny. Please allow me one moment to review this chat.

(5:04:50 PM) ronny: Thank you Donny

(5:04:58 PM) Donny Cr: You are welcome.

(5:04:24 PM) Donny Cr: has entered the chat.

(5:04:44 PM) Donny Cr: Hello, Ronny. Please allow me one moment to review this chat.

(5:04:50 PM) ronny: Thank you Donny

(5:04:58 PM) Donny Cr: You are welcome.

(5:08:03 PM) Donny Cr: Ronny, I do apologize for the inconvenience this may be causing, but we have always charged for bandwidth overages on our Dedicated Servers. It is written in out TOS, which you agreed to. You can also see it in the following article on our bandwidth policy.

http://support.hostgator.com/article...icy-and-prices

(5:09:46 PM) ronny: You can buy extra bandwidth for 30 cents per gig (pre-paid).

(5:09:48 PM) Donny Cr: You do have the option to pre-pay for additional bandwidth at a discounted price.

(5:09:51 PM) ronny: I never bough!!

(5:10:19 PM) Donny Cr: You didn't. That is why you were charged 50 cents.

"We charge 50 cents per gig for bandwidth overages. Overage reports come monthly from our datacenter, and you will be automatically invoiced."

(5:10:31 PM) ronny: Why did you tell me that before??

(5:10:40 PM) ronny: No 1 told me

(5:10:45 PM) ronny: and its not in the tos

(5:10:53 PM) ronny: its in the 'pre sales'

(5:10:59 PM) Donny Cr: I do apologize, but the TOS states we may charge you for overages.

(5:11:03 PM) ronny: Am not gonne pay this

(5:11:12 PM) Donny Cr: Note section 8.

8.) Bandwidth Usage
You are allocated a monthly bandwidth allowance. This allowance varies depending on the hosting package you purchase. Should your account pass the allocated amount we reserve the right to suspend the account until the start of the next allocation, suspend the account until more bandwidth is purchased at an additional fee, suspend the account until you upgrade to a higher level of package, terminate the account and/or charge you an additional fee for the overages. Unused transfer in one month cannot be carried over to the next month.

(5:11:14 PM) ronny: The tos says, first suspend en then the rest

(5:11:37 PM) Donny Cr: It says suspend or charge for overages.

(5:11:57 PM) ronny: Is there some1 there that i can help me with this issue???

(5:12:08 PM) ronny: Its is not fair

(5:12:13 PM) Donny Cr: The policy as showin in our article, states that the shared accounts are suspended and our dedicated servers are responsible for overages.

(5:12:55 PM) Donny Cr: You are more than welcome to plead your case in the sales ticket that was generated. That will get you in touch directly with our sales administrators. I do apologize for the inconvenience.

(5:13:09 PM) ronny: ok i will

(5:13:30 PM) ronny: but can u understand me?

(5:13:40 PM) ronny: Or is this just only me

(5:13:51 PM) Donny Cr: I do understand your frustration with the situation.

(5:15:03 PM) ronny: not even a simple bandwidh email or hello, this is the price

(5:15:21 PM) Donny Cr: And I do apologize that there is nothing I can do myself with this, as it is a level 2 sales ticket. That means our upper-level sales admins are overseeing it.

(5:15:37 PM) ronny: i mwill mail now thank you

(5:15:40 PM) Donny Cr: You are welcome.

(5:15:42 PM) Donny Cr: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?

(5:15:50 PM) ronny: yes help me pay the $445

(5:16:16 PM) ronny: or at least mail me

[GatorEric]

Hello Ronny,

I apologize for any mis-communication; While this is a legitimate charge, we are more than willing to work with you to come to a resolution. I've replied to your original ticket with more information about what we can do for you to ensure that this causes you the least inconvenience possible. You should see this in your email inbox now.

We look forward to hearing from you.

[ronny]

Dear Gator Eric,

Thank you for your response, But telling me 2 pay 'this extra bill you just presented me with' in parts every month is not really solving this case.

I mean the point is not to surprise the customer with a bill of 'bandwidth'! No 1 told me that that host-gator sells bandwidth at additional price and if i go over this limit i have to pay for this, without even letting me know.

Check all your record, this customer never received not 1 single mail from you.

Why did you not tell me before? Who told you to 'buy bandwidth for me at the planet' and then bill me? You made a discussion yourself, not buy asking this to the customer. Whats next i use a lot space so 'you gonna decide to add a hard-drive for me and bill me later? no right? The same with bandwidth. i paid for my server for what the servers comes with. Thats what i pay every month. I never authorize to 'bill me later and just buy for me'

Please understand my concern in this. You just billed me for something before asking permission to buy this for me. I never authorized this. Is this your company policy? Please could we get this issue solved.

[GatorDHanna]

I just replied to your ticket with some additional explanations and an offer. Hopefully both of those things will help. Please let us know what you think.