1&1 Scam Ripoff – Unlimited Traffic Promotion from 1 and 1
February 20th, 2010 | Published in Web Hosting | 3 Comments
Previously, I posted about the horrible customer experience I had with 1&1 corporation when they basically fired me as a customer when my sites became too popular for their shared hosting plan. All they had to do was inform me of the issue (before shutting my sites down with no notice or warning) and I’d have gladly shelled out for a dedicated server. Instead, and without any warning, I get a service unavailable message from 1&1. Beyond that, as I’m rushing to transfer all of my holdings out of that registrar, I encounter many error messages saying that there is a domain registration error from 1&1.
I’ve long since switched to godaddy, who has english speaking, United States based customer service, and they have blown my expectations out of the water.
Anyway, over a year after I switch, i get a promotional email from 1and1 marketing, showboating an offer of unlimited traffic. As vague as that is, i know it will mislead many customers into thinking that it means unlimited everything, when it does not!
When you talk about shared hosting, there are several factors:
- number of domains you can host (unlimited according to 1and1)
- number of GB of transfer per month This is what they are really saying is unlimited
- RAM/memory available – they don’t specify this for shared hosting, nor do they give a method for customer to monitor it. This is what will limit you before GBs of transfer does.
- CPU Time allowed – they don’t specify this for shared hosting, nor do they give a method for customer to monitor it. This is what will limit you before GBs of transfer does.
The last two, factors that you can not monitor yourself, and factors that are not called out in your “plan” are what will get you kicked off faster than any other factor (including non-payment). The idea is that you are on shared hosting, and you should use a proportionate amount of the two items – CPU Time and RAM/Memory.
My point is, the recent 1&1 ad is a deceptive marketing piece, and I call it nothing more than another scam by 1&1 ripoff web hosting.
Again, if anyone knows the direct phone numbers to any of the 1&1 corporate folks in the US, please post them below.
April 20th, 2010 at 3:07 pm (#)
12 year customer of 1and1 that just switched to GoDaddy! and I am very happy with the switch. I had several “contracts” under the same account number. My credit card expired and I updated my card info. but for some reason it did not update on one of my contracts and they turned it over to their collection agency. I refused to pay it and settled with them terminating that particular contract which was domains I did not need anymore. For the next year I continued using my other domains and their respective features. I went to update my email contact and they would not process it said I had a “hold” on my account. I then purchase 2 new domain names which they billed me for but would not process them again saying I had a “hold” on the account. I called and they said until I pay the collection on the “contract” that had not been in use for over a year that I could use all the features of my other contracts which all been paid on time and in full for 12 years. I told them that was insane they had billed my card for the 2 new domain names and then not processed them and that the old account did not have anything to do with my other account. Furthermore I did not owe them anything because the account they claimed was in collections was a monthly account that was not under contract and had been terminated. They told me there was nothing they could do and would not let me speak to a supervisor saying they were not available. I transferred everything to GoDaddy with in 1 hr was ready to go other than waiting on transfers to go through. I canceled my 1and1 account and am having to dispute the charges with Visa. 8 hours later a person barely able to speak English called me stating they were a supervisor for billing returning my call. I told them I had canceled my account and they said, “oh ok well do me a favor and email our complaints department and tell them why you canceled. Unreal they would treat a customer of 12 years who has spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars with them this way. They are idiots and have serious internal issues. GoDaddy! has been wonderful! Stay away from 1and1!
April 21st, 2010 at 7:22 am (#)
Yeah, it sounds like you went through exactly what I did in 2008. My issue wasn’t a billing issue (but I have heard many like yours). Mine was a server use issue. I had shared hosting and apparently my site outgrew it’s share of CPU and RAM. Instead of contacting me, or giving me a way to monitor it myself, they shut me down without warning. 5 days on the phone with idiots who could barely communicate in English before I even got a straight answer as to what happened. That doesn’t cut it.
I made the switch (hosting and domain services) to Godaddy just like you did, and I’m literally blown away at how different the two companies are.
The few times i’ve needed customer service over the past 2 years, they have blown away my expectations.
One was for a fairly sizable domain sale, where a lot of cash was riding on the successful completion of the transfer. A technical/contract issue prevented me from transfering out the domain for 60 days.
One call to customer service, the guy listened to my issue, clarified, and took about 40 seconds to check with a manager, and my issue was taken care of. No escalating, no waiting for a call back, the first-level customer service guy simply took care of me, and had enough smarts to know how big a deal the issue was to me, and how much was riding on it. He generally acted as though godaddy WANTED me as a customer, and he had the power to override the lock in this case.
I loved that.
I’ve since spent thousands with Godaddy. 1and1 could have had this business if they just emailed me and said “you are using too many resources, and you must upgrade”.
Glad to hear you have had the same good experience with GD.
November 3rd, 2010 at 11:40 am (#)
I have the same problem about billing. I cancelled my domain as i no longer wanted it after the expiry date and 1&1 sent me another bill even after i closed the account. I called them and they apologized and will update records etc and yet today I got a phone call from a collections agency wanting the money on a domain that no longer exists and on an account that no longer exists either. I just don’t know how to get them off my back. I am 42 years of age and its the first time I have ever in my life got a phone call from a debt collector’s its a disgrace. Tried ringing 1&1 today and guess what – i got cut off whilst waiting in a queue. They are a joke and a very bad one at that.