« (Months later) STILL on my mind: Webfusion and Pipex incompetance »

May 2006

Hosting Update

Moving all my sites, including this one, to a secure, dedicated server, hosted with GoDaddy. They are not my first choice, that was - and is - Rackspace, but at present I can't justify* the substantial premium for their managed services…

*Mine are really just 'hobby sites', if they were commercial or were I developing and maintaining sites for other people, then there would be no question about signing up with them.

As an aside, Rackspace, amongst others, now use this blog as a warning to potential customers. If you are one of those, believe me when I say, in my opinion and experience, if you are relying on Pipex / Webfusion to host your business websites, then don't. If you are already with then, heck you probably know exactly what I am on about and that's why you found this page!

The issue with Pipex - Webfusion hosting isn't just that of downtime, of dubious contract or of, in my opinion, inept administration staff and one way policies, it goes down to the core. If there is an issue - an issue bad enough to bankrupt you - they will not warn you, they will not tell you and they will not accept responsibility for you losses, even if they admin liability and corporate negligence! That is even in the contract, or at least the one I agreed to before it hit the fan and I tried to cancel. Read the small print very, very carefully! I notice a few things have changed in Webfusion's current Terms and Conditions and it would not surprise me if it was due to me reporting them to Trading Standards, amongst and others. As I've mentioned elsewhere, they were astonished at some of the clauses, a few of which appeared to be illegal, I believe!

Yes, I'm ranting, yes I am more than a bit het up about the whole thing, but at the end of the day to have to ask yourself, do you want to trust your business to a company that needs a torturously worded ten page contract with enough clauses to keep your solicitor (who I'd advice you to use) busy for hours. It's not the length of it as such, it is that there is no way a lay person will ever understand it, or all it's legal implications, clauses which, and in my opinion, heavily favour Pipex at your cost.

By comparision, look at Rackspace's legal terms. Still length, but despite including clients like Nikon and the Army, it is readable. Or better yet are GoDaddy's, like this website and virtual dedicated hsoting agreement. Just four pages, and tells it like it is. Plain, simple, binding. There is a great deal to be said about the Plain English Campaign.

As a point of note, thanks to 'Plain English Campaign' lobbying in Europe, it is now impossible to enforce consumer contracts that are not in 'plain, intelligible language.' Needless to say this doesn't apply to business customers - but it should, hmmm.

Bitter experience both here and in the past (insurance companies - enough said!) has taught me that any company that has hide behind legal gibberish and small print is out to screw you. That, to me, isn't covering your back, it is looking for loopholes to maximise profits and minimise losses - always, always at the clients cost.


Hardly the same basis, but follow this analogy:

Your young child is doing something silly and dangerous, playing in the kitchen…
Do you say:

a) Don't do that, love, you might burn yourself. Go and play in the living room.

b) You, the Firstborn child of the union with Mr and Mrs Parent, hereafter known as your Mother and Father, must not enter into any frivolities within the confines of the cooking environment, to whit, the kitchen. Being in mind edict 27b, sub clauses III, under child-parent association and responsibilies, you acknowledge that we have duly advised you of the inherent dangers within said domestic environment and you accept we cannot be held responsible if you are burned whilst under our supervision. …

Stretching the point, but what can I say, I'm sarcastic. Basically you, as a client don't want to be treated at a child, but neither you to want to be confused beyond all reasonable expectations. Enough said, make your own minds up who you trust.

** Funnily enough, I don't have any issues with 123-Reg, which I believe the company also owns! That said, I thought Webfusion was great - until Pipex took over it and hacked it to pieces for the customer base… If you search the web you'll find rather a lot of people echoing my sentiments and experiences.

May 14th, 2006

cc: self
cc: Trading Standards, St Helens (tradingstandards at sthelens.gov.uk)
cc: Andrew Tellwright, Pipex (andrew.tellwright at pipex.net)

Attn Pipex Accounts:

I REALLY wish you people would pay attention - I am NOT renewing - not ever!

Your service is appalling, I have repeatedly asked for our details be forever removed from your system and repeatedly pointed out that your administrative and support is dreadful beyonds words - as clearly evidenced by this invoice request!

I have already taken a dedicated server with another, more reliable ISP and am in the process of moving all sites to it - I never, ever want to deal with you again!

If you attempt to debit our card - after acknowledging you have removed it from your system - I will go straight to the police, then to a solicitor, then Trading Standards (again) and Watchdog (again) and then I will report you for breach of the 'Data Protection Act' as you are determined to hold our details despite repeated requests to be removed, and even acknowledgement to that effect.

I don't like you, I don't trust you as a company and I have absolutely no confidence in your adminstrative or technical staff.

Please have a manager confirm that you have read this email, understand exactly how disgusted I am with you as a company and that I have absolutely no intention nor desire to renew. I will - again - point out that I requested this cancellation over a month ago.

What is it with you people? Are you really this incompetent, or are you just doing it to irritate me? I don't want to have to deal with you - you are REALLY, REALLY starting to annoy me now.

I have added a read receipt - but I also want written confirmation that you have read and understand this, that you understand exactly what I am saying and confirm that you will NOT invoice me for a hosting that I neither want nor need. I have only stayed this long because I was stupid enough to pay for a year in advance.

I hate your shoddy company with a passion and I am sick to death of complaining. No really, what part of 'customer service' don't you understand?

For your information:

Your message

To: PIPEX Hosting Accounts
Subject: Re: Renewal Notice from PIPEX Hosting for customer WCUSnnnnn
Sent: Tue, 11 Apr 2006 12:32:51 +0100

was read on Tue, 11 Apr 2006 13:14:53 +0100

Your in utter disgust and disbelief,

~ Paul Ackerley

----- Original Message -----
From: PIPEX Hosting Accounts
To: paul at ackadia.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 7:43 AM
Subject: [RECOVERED] Invoice from PIPEX Hosting for customer ACKADIA.COM


Dear Paul Ackerley,

Please find attached the Invoice for your Webhosting and/or Domain Name Renewal/Registration.

Invoice No. SCInnnnnnn
Invoice Amount 316.08GBP
Payment Due Date 16/05/06


…

We would at this time like to thank you for your continued business with PIPEX Communications UK Limited.

Regards,

Hosting Accounts Department

PIPEX Communications UK Ltd.
Humber Road
Beeston
Nottingham
NG9 2ET
Phone 0115 917 0000

Are you a Pipex / Webfusion customer and experiencing the same frustration?

If you are an existing Pipex / Webfusion customer and are experiencing repeated problem with service levels, support and downtime for your web site(s) I strongly urge you to report them to Trading Standards and to the BBC's Watchdog. If enough of us make an issue, perhaps their directors will take notice - if only because the shareholders kick up a fuss rather than (in my opinion) any genuine care of consideration for their faceless client base.