My Story,

tuxmaster · #1 10-03-2004, 01:24 AM

My story,

*If your comments contain both positive and negative remarks, please choose the "Neutral" option.
lol guess what I choose negative because the overall is negative.
No I will not change it and if you delete this post or I will post it in hosting forms you can not control.

I have logs to prove it too.
My overall rating put it this way this is one company I will actually go out of my way and not recommend. In fact publicize the horrible time I had with Hostgator. It is long but well worth the read.

Before I go on this is my background. I am a computing professional. My family runs 2 computer companies. I repair computers for a living. I deal with customer cancels and reschedules for technician visits I know the customer support life I live the nightmare every day.

It started out all incidents I was moving from reseller that did not have good support when I wanted it. As a matter of fact they were never on hardly. The staff was nice at start answered all my questions. I was intrigued by the deal with it coming with a resell domain account (which if you do not want to mail in the money you have to spend $100 to sit money there.)

Ok setup ok wonderful fast. (By the way they use moderbill not whm AP that tells you something about whm AP all by itself.) I got it all setup I transferred everything over fine domain was surprisingly up faster then expected too.

So I went to install whm AP. That is when it all started. I did not want to pay them to install it so I installed it myself. So I uploaded it. Tried to install opps ran into a problem. Got errors up the wazoo then I fixed the errors by re-uploading after talking to support in binary. I explicitly asked him. Will I have to reinstall whm AP because of this? He said no. His mistake. My mistake was I uploaded it wrong. By the way the way they treated me this whole time was ok not perfect. Then they started to get fed up with me. Because it just did not work right the errors were gone but it did not add accounts in whm. So I talked to support they tried it some succeeded some failed for this one guy it succeeded enough for him to diagnose the problem user error. And he told me that I was working the program wrong. So he refused to help me further and so did email support. And who says the 2 supports can not communicate. I got an email saying this and I quote.

"Hello,

Our live chat operators have shown you at least 5 times how everything is working fine in your WHM AP and you are still not able to repeat same thing on your side. its not a server problem as what we did from our side was from your WHM AP and we cannot do anything else in the code as the code is encrypted in binary mode. you can give a look to the tutorials on whmautopilot.com as that can help you to see where things are going wrong on your end.

Please contact sales@hostgator.com to get any further assistance in relation to this issue."

Um guess what he was right it was not a server problem. I landed up fixing the problem myself using my usual format then reinstall technique. I did not want to do that but it fixed it. The support personal that said I would not need to reinstall was wrong.

What stood me off about this is the way they say things. It is always my fault they have to blame someone.

When an I call to reschedule a customer after they have been categorized as not home. I do not say to the customer I am calling to reschedule with you because you were not home. Or they say I did not receive a call I say I am sorry sir/madam I show that someone did call do you have an answering machine.

If I need to blame it on a customer I look for something else to blame it on. If I run out of options a simple "I'm sorry" will due the body reacts to that statement wonderfully. For most people.

End of problem 1

start of problem 2

SSL what a nightmare
Ok here is my problem. They sold me a dedicated IP so I could install and generate private SSL certificates myself. Not verified just fake ones. Well lol I had to fight with the support for at least 3 days tell I finally got what I wanted..... Sort of they landed up telling me that the SSL stuff generated in whm is actually the stuff to make certificate.(which they disable at start I had to fight to get the privilege of getting it) Hum sounds like they want you to buy there SSL certificates. OH and provide SSL a joke pops up an error saying domain mismatch. Oh and I got mix information from departments on that too some of them say that they charge for install SSL. While I got an email saying otherwise :/

The straw broke

Backup when I joined it said something of the sorts of daily backup I can prove it too cashe is a wonderful thing you know. So I recently had a problem with a customer account it got wiped. I do not care how or why or who it happened. I wanted it fixed I got this reply.

Backup systems are being migrated to new solution that will be up and running tomorrow. I am sorry but this migration was needed and you happened to need it during the few day periods your box is being moved to the new solution.
Thank you for allowing me to work with you!

:/ why did you not tell me first I would have done a backup of all my accounts manual. So I decided I wanted to take it into my own hands. Setup a cron job to automatically backup the accounts to an ftp server. They said impossible I say you just do not want to tell me because you "think" it will eat up server usage it may take maybe 5-25% if ya can not sacrifice that for backup then you have too many customers on the server especially in the middle of the night.

Oh wait there is more so I was like ok well when it will be done. After asking a support if they did a backup so they could keep a backup incase someone needed a backup after the backup server is moved. I customer support live said yes. So I was like cool so I asked them when it would be done they said it should be done tomorrow. So I am like ok I will ask tomorrow. So I email them they did not respond. I thought weird :/ no response. I called the number local support the long distance one. I asked if I can have a backup restored. He said.
This is where it gets confusing Hostgator can clarify if they want but must allow me to respond to the post.
Backup systems are being migrated to new solution. I Thought wait a minute you said should be up today. SO I waited another day then I called the local number I said ok I want my backup basically they said too late. The backup was already run so what I did have been lost. Then he went and blamed me or the customer for screwing up the site. He did give the 3rd option hacker but that is only possible to delete all account info if someone actually gets into the server itself. (Hum maybe my data is not so secure after all :/ ) But he said for me to tell my customer it was something he did. What I would never tell a customer that I would be garneted to loose him.

So he said well then blame it on the hacker may I repeat the whole entire account was wiped no data in it. He said well it is not our fault. So must be yours type of attitude. So I am like ok you will not let me do a daylily automatic backup by myself. But yet your backup is the worst ever so bad that you were moving it to a different solution.

Then another day I ask for a backup for a different customer they say migrating to a new solution. Hum I thought you were done with that.

Anyways my overall rating Horrible as time goes by.
Oh and support my domain name was http://www.ktfcc.com

Oh and anyone that reads this if you want a reseller that is actually a good reseller. I am not getting pay to say this. I have reviewed some resellers I can say the good and the bad about this company and others Contact me sometime. Who knows maybe the good for this company overrides the bad for you. It did for me for a while. Tell they broke the last straw.

Now for a poll who has had problems with support before?

***GatorBrent*** · #2 10-03-2004, 12:31 PM

1. You didn't know how to install autopilot and installed it incorrectly multiple times. You are asking us to say it's our fault you don't know how to install it correctly? We tried helping you install it but that took 100x longer than if we installed it ourselves and we still couldn’t seem to teach you how to install it correctly.

"What stood me off about this is the way they say things. It is always my fault they have to blame someone. “Should we say... "yes it's our fault it doesn't work. If you install it correctly however it will work" You ask us why it doesn't work the answer is simple. It's installed wrong.

Next time I have a computer problem would it be ok If I call you and rather than pay you to come out and fix it I have you sit on the phone all day with me trying to teach me how to fix it myself?

You pay us to host your website and provide basic support. You don't pay us to teach you how learn to install scripts, how ssl works, etc. When you buy a car you aren't paying for the car dealer to teach you how to drive it. You are paying for the car. When you buy a piano you aren't going to be taught how to play it for free.

You chose to have the enom api which requires a $100 deposit to be used towards domain names. Otherwise how would your automatic domain registration work if you have no money in your account? You were more than welcome to use the non api domain reseller account that requires no $100 deposit.

2. You don't know how ssl works, and this is also our fault.... You could have purchased the ssl from us so we install it and you wouldn’t have had this problem. I'm not a car mechanic so if my engine needs a tuning I'm going to pay someone to do it. I'm not going to try doing it myself than get mad at Ford when I don't know what I'm doing.
"(which they disable at start I had to fight to get the privilege of getting it) Hum sounds like they want you to buy there SSL certificates."

Yes of course we disable it to avoid this situation to begin with. You didn't know what you were doing, asked for to be enabled once it was you had no idea what you were doing and blamed us. We provide free ssl installations to those who know what they are doing. You can't expect to go purchase your ssl from somewhere else than come to us for support on how to install it and order it.

3. The backup system had a failure a few days ago on about 25% of the servers we have and it's being put on a new system tonight. This is the fault of are backup system so you can blame us for this. However the raid1 backup is still fully functional and if you didn't delete your own site you wouldn’t need the backup.

I'm sorry for your problems however you seem to expecting an awful lot from us or any host for that matter. Free script installations, training, etc. Please tell me what you tell your customers who call to have you teach them how to fix problems over the phone for free so they don't have to pay you to come out and fix it.

tuxmaster · #3 10-03-2004, 01:29 PM

[QUOTE=GatorBrent]1. You didn't know how to install autopilot and installed it incorrectly multiple times. You are asking us to say it's our fault you don't know how to install it correctly? [quote]

Did you not read what i said I asked one of your support if i would have to reinstall after uploading it in bianary he said no. Gess what I did.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent]We tried helping you install it but that took 100x longer than if we installed it ourselves and we still couldn’t seem to teach you how to install it correctly.[Quote]
shure me pay 20 more dollers shure sounds like a sales pitch to me.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent] "What stood me off about this is the way they say things. It is always my fault they have to blame someone. “Should we say... "yes it's our fault it doesn't work. If you install it correctly however it will work" You ask us why it doesn't work the answer is simple. It's installed wrong.[Quote]
I said never tell the customer it is there fault that is bad buisness pratice you did.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent] Next time I have a computer problem would it be ok If I call you and rather than pay you to come out and fix it I have you sit on the phone all day with me trying to teach me how to fix it myself?[Quote]
lol You do not get it I was acepting some blame. And I would be willing to sit on the phone and explain how to fix a simple problem.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent] You pay us to host your website and provide basic support. You don't pay us to teach you how learn to install scripts, how ssl works, etc. When you buy a car you aren't paying for the car dealer to teach you how to drive it. You are paying for the car. When you buy a piano you aren't going to be taught how to play it for free.[Quote]

You did not even provide me with the support that you say you give
I quote your webpage
"Think having a reseller hosting account will be confusing? We will provide you one on one support to walk you through everything free of charge. We are here 24.7.365 to support your reseller suppport needs."
Hum I think everything includes scripts ssl exc.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent] You chose to have the enom api which requires a $100 deposit to be used towards domain names. Otherwise how would your automatic domain registration work if you have no money in your account? You were more than welcome to use the non api domain reseller account that requires no $100 deposit.[Quote] I was just making a coment there that was not a complaint.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent] 2. You don't know how ssl works, and this is also our fault....[Quote]THere you go again blaiming the customer.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent]You could have purchased the ssl from us so we install it and you wouldn’t have had this problem. I'm not a car mechanic so if my engine needs a tuning I'm going to pay someone to do it. I'm not going to try doing it myself than get mad at Ford when I don't know what I'm doing."(which they disable at start I had to fight to get the privilege of getting it) Hum sounds like they want you to buy there SSL certificates." [Quote] You calling me a idiot.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent] Yes of course we disable it to avoid this situation to begin with. You didn't know what you were doing, asked for to be enabled once it was you had no idea what you were doing and blamed us.[Quote]
There you go blaming the customer again Oh it is not our fault.

[QUOTE=GatorBrent]We provide free ssl installations to those who know what they are doing. You can't expect to go purchase your ssl from somewhere else than come to us for support on how to install it and order it.[Quote] LOL telling me I do not know what I am doing again.

3. The backup system had a failure a few days ago on about 25% of the servers we have and it's being put on a new system tonight. This is the fault of are backup system so you can blame us for this. However the raid1 backup is still fully functional and if you[QUOTE=GatorBrent] didn't delete your own site you wouldn’t need the backup.

Quote:

LOL I did not delete it there you go jumping to conclusions and blaming the customer again.

All I can say thank your for proving my Point. Hostgator whenever a problem arrives blames the customer. Thay have to blame someone why I do not know do you know what my dad calls it excuses. Do not blame anyone Just help me though it.

I'm sorry for your problems however you seem to expecting an awful lot from us or any host for that matter. Free script installations, training, etc. Please tell me what you tell your customers who call to have you teach them how to fix problems over the phone for free so they don't have to pay you to come out and fix it.

tuxmaster · #4 10-03-2004, 01:36 PM

Oh on a side note.
I went to try to get my refund and you fight with me about it. I am one inch close to reporting you to paypal.

***GatorBrent*** · #5 10-03-2004, 04:54 PM

We only woudln't refund you when you wanted to keep your account open. We don't give free rides, sorry for any confusion.

I see as soon as you filled out www.hostgator.com/cancel.php as many staff members instructed you to do you were refunded.

Good luck with the new host you go with. I do suggest you ask them if they will teach you how to install scripts step by step, and teach you how everything related to building a site is done free of charge, before joining.

tuxmaster · #6 10-08-2004, 10:08 AM

I tryed to get that info on how to cancel out of your online support department and no I did not want a free ride. There you go jumping to conclusions again. I was asking to cancel. I had to call a number to get the link out of your team. If that is what you want to call it.

***GatorBrent*** · #7 10-08-2004, 02:03 PM

The welcome page says how to cancel, our faq says it, ticket support says it, and chat support says it when asked. I read the email you sent in when you asked for a refund , and it didn't say anything about cancelling just you wanted a refund for your trouble.

I'm closing this thread , as said before best of luck with your new host.