Avoid 1and1(and a law question)

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I use to speak pretty highly of 1and1 until I tried to cancel my account. Now I would strongly encourage anyone who is thinking of using them to stay away.

I had a dedicated server with them last year. In december the site I was hosting on it was sold so I decided to cancel the server and transfer my domains to godaddy.

I received a mail back in December(before the billing cycle) confirming my account had been canceled.

Come January I was billed again. I mailed their billing support advising that I had canceled my account and went on with my life.

Last week I received 3 letters from NCO collections each with a different bill in it for the sum of $300usd. The company listed was 1and1 which I found confusing. I called NCO and was directed to 1and1.

The first support person I spoke to advised that they had no record of me canceling me account at all. I told him I had a mail from them confirming my account was canceled and he said to mail it in and they'd sort it out.

I mailed that in and didn't hear back so I called back again and was told it wasn't canceled and the mail I had saying it had been canceled wasn't the real cancellation notice but I should have received another one that I had to fax back to cancel my account(I don't have this mail but had left the call to look for it).

After some investigation online I've found tons of people who have apparently had the exact same issue, they cancel the service through the online tool then are billed when later told they had to fax something too. I filed a complaint with the BBB at this point and called back today. After speaking to a billing rep who was rude and dismissive I asked to speak to a manager.

I retold the story up to that point and was told the mail I had was for canceling my domains not my server. I advised him that I never canceled my domains but changed registrars and that was done through a different site. He then said, heres the contact I have with you. You canceling your domains *but not servers* on December 22nd. On January 16th you contact us asking why we are still billing you for canceled services. Then he realized he'd just confirmed what I'd said and said "But we were allowed to keep billing you because you hadn't paid the cancelation fee of $99".

So I said, ok I'll pay that now, and we're all clear right? And he advised me that no, I had to pay the $99 cancelation fee, plus the $300 in charges despite admitting that I had in fact requested cancellation of the account.

----------

Now I'm stuck though. I don't want to pay them $300. I can but I don't want to because I feel they are trying to scam me out of it. If I don't pay they have advised they will notify the credit bureaus and report the failure to pay which will damage my credit score.

So what should I do to stop this? Is there legal action I can take that applies here? I'm in Canada and would probably spend up to a couple grand fighting this but if it's going to be a long drawn out process I'm not sure.

If they put it on my credit report what are my changes with the credit bureaus getting it removed? This shit is stressing me out all over less than a good night out with friends, but it's the principal of the matter. I feel like I'm being extorted and I don't like that.

I should note that when I filed with the BBB they had 177 other complaints in the past 12 months against 1and1 most of them(148) in the billing section
 


ABSO-FREAKIN-LOUTELY!!

Stay the hell away from 1and1. The pricing is attractive but I've also had awful experiences trying to cancel accounts and/or services with them.
 
Wow, that is really bad, thank you for sharing (I am looking for new hosts and 1and1 was on my list... now it is gone).
...I'm sorry that happend to you...
 
Ouch dammit. I never heard of any cancellation fees as high of $99
Is the $300 charged? I think you can try request a chargeback. Good luck.
 
The $300 isn't charged it's been billed and is now with a collection agency. My girlfriend is suggesting I just pay it because my time is worth more than it but I feel like I'm being extorted and I'm pretty pissed off at them.

I've looked into the other peoples complaints as well and it appears that the BBB and FTC have just dismissed a number of them so I'm feeling less confident in winning an judgment on it.
 
Do they have your SSN? Can they do anything to your credit? They won't take you to court over $300, so just ignore it.
 
I'm in Canada so I don't have a SSN, but I believe they can add to my credit report which is the only thing I'm worried about right now.
 
I made the mistake of registering a bunch of domains with 1and1. They absolutely suck.

I tried to cancel some domains and I had to actually sign and fax something back to them, and basically jump through hoops.

And then I tried to transfer a domain from them to my GoDaddy account just yesterday and so far it ain't working - they never acknowledge having received the transfer request. Did I mention they suck?
 
No company is right for everyone

Hi,
I in no way mean any disrespect and truly hate to hear of customers who have bad experiences with 1&1. I do find that the majority of the time, it is due to a lack of understanding of the general Terms and Conditions, or the unwillingness to "jump through hoops" (ala do what it takes). This is not true of just web hosts though, but any major company. Of course experiences will vary, so I hate to see over generalizations.

According to what I have found, the majority of BBB complaints have either been resolved or 1&1 made resonable attempts to resolve them.

With over 6 million satified customers world-wide, and over 3 million hosted sites, I can safely say that for most people, 1&1 will be just fine.

If you are worried about cancellation procedures, please call and stay on the phone until you fully understand what you need to do, and what 1&1 can and cannot do for you. There do need to be some protections to ensure that fraudsters are not able to arbitrarily take down someone's domain or hosting plan. And remember it is up to you to make sure all your contact and billing information is kept up to date. No company can do this for you, and it can be a major cause of problems.

Again, I am sorry 1&1 didn't work out for some of you. I bet there are still more than a few of us for whom 1&1 is just fine.

Even if you don't choose 1&1, their presence in the market does force other hosts to offer more for less. This benefits everyone.

Wickedfire newbie,
Joshua
 
jsloan said:
Hi,
I in no way mean any disrespect and truly hate to hear of customers who have bad experiences with 1&1. I do find that the majority of the time, it is due to a lack of understanding of the general Terms and Conditions, or the unwillingness to "jump through hoops" (ala do what it takes). This is not true of just web hosts though, but any major company. Of course experiences will vary, so I hate to see over generalizations.

According to what I have found, the majority of BBB complaints have either been resolved or 1&1 made resonable attempts to resolve them.

With over 6 million satified customers world-wide, and over 3 million hosted sites, I can safely say that for most people, 1&1 will be just fine.

If you are worried about cancellation procedures, please call and stay on the phone until you fully understand what you need to do, and what 1&1 can and cannot do for you. There do need to be some protections to ensure that fraudsters are not able to arbitrarily take down someone's domain or hosting plan. And remember it is up to you to make sure all your contact and billing information is kept up to date. No company can do this for you, and it can be a major cause of problems.

Again, I am sorry 1&1 didn't work out for some of you. I bet there are still more than a few of us for whom 1&1 is just fine.

Even if you don't choose 1&1, their presence in the market does force other hosts to offer more for less. This benefits everyone.

Wickedfire newbie,
Joshua
Click to expand...

Whats your 1and1 corporate email address?
 
joshua.sloan @ 1and1.com
Director of Online Marketing.

I happen to be a 1and1.com customer and have never had an issue, but if you want to respond to something like this on a forum at least be honest about who you are instead of making it look like you have some sort of unbiased opinion. That my friend, is lame.

Cheers,

Dave
 
jsloan said:
Hi,
I in no way mean any disrespect and truly hate to hear of customers who have bad experiences with 1&1. I do find that the majority of the time, it is due to a lack of understanding of the general Terms and Conditions, or the unwillingness to "jump through hoops" (ala do what it takes). This is not true of just web hosts though, but any major company. Of course experiences will vary, so I hate to see over generalizations.

According to what I have found, the majority of BBB complaints have either been resolved or 1&1 made resonable attempts to resolve them.

With over 6 million satified customers world-wide, and over 3 million hosted sites, I can safely say that for most people, 1&1 will be just fine.

If you are worried about cancellation procedures, please call and stay on the phone until you fully understand what you need to do, and what 1&1 can and cannot do for you. There do need to be some protections to ensure that fraudsters are not able to arbitrarily take down someone's domain or hosting plan. And remember it is up to you to make sure all your contact and billing information is kept up to date. No company can do this for you, and it can be a major cause of problems.

Again, I am sorry 1&1 didn't work out for some of you. I bet there are still more than a few of us for whom 1&1 is just fine.

Even if you don't choose 1&1, their presence in the market does force other hosts to offer more for less. This benefits everyone.

Wickedfire newbie,
Joshua
Click to expand...


No bullshit, here's Joshua's LinkedIn Profile:

Joshua Sloan’s Experience

  • Director of Online Marketing

    1&1 Internet, Inc.

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Internet industry)
    June 2004 — Present (3 years 1 month)
    Responsible for all 1&1 U.S. online marketing. Online media planning, buying, tracking. Online sales channels include organic and paid search engine listings, affiliate sales and other sales partnerships.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuasloan
 
Mia culpa WF

I seldom have time to make posts to any forum. I Like WF alot and I know there are WF members who do already know me, so I don't mind being "outed". I just chose to be low key for my very first post because I was not sure whether I could help the people in this thread ot not. No one looks forward to being flamed, so I hope you'll understand.

I have experience over the last 10 years with many different hosting companies; control panels, billing and tech support issues. So I do kind of consider myself to be at least somewhat unbiased. I was only trying to offer general insights. In my post, I was not trying to sell anyone on 1&1, and didn't think I was saying 1&1 is "the best". I always tell my friends and family...don't buy from 1&1 because I work there. Check out all the features, call the pre-sales info line, look over the T&C and then if you still feel good, I think you'll love the price.

It is with trepidation that any "corporate type" ventures into the land of forums, but if I really wanted to "hide", either I would not have posted, or at least used a different email address. I was under no illusion that folks would believe I was not at 1&1 that's why I specifically used my work email addy. I actually find WF to be an excellent forum and valuable resource and will try to find a way to promote it to the 1&1 affiliates in the near future.

As a WF noob, I hope you'll understand and forgive me if my post seemed lame and I will fully disclose in future posts. Lesson learned.

Sincerely,
Joshua Sloan
(you've already got my linkedin details)

PS - I hope to meet a WF site admin at Affiliate Summit in Miami soon. I hope he will give me some pointers about how to better address WF members concerns without bringing down fire and brimstone on myself, or at least without embarassment.

:anon.sml:
 
Dealing with the collection agency

Send off a debt validation letter to the collection agency. The collection agency will have to respond with info showing that you actually owe them the debt. This is assuming that 1&1 sold them the debt, otherwise they won't be under the fair debt collection practices act. however, it wouldn't hurt just to send one out anyway. Learn more here:

Debt Validation: The ultimate weapon against the collection agencies
 
jsloan said:
I seldom have time to make posts to any forum. I Like WF alot and I know there are WF members who do already know me, so I don't mind being "outed". I just chose to be low key for my very first post because I was not sure whether I could help the people in this thread ot not. No one looks forward to being flamed, so I hope you'll understand.

I have experience over the last 10 years with many different hosting companies; control panels, billing and tech support issues. So I do kind of consider myself to be at least somewhat unbiased. I was only trying to offer general insights. In my post, I was not trying to sell anyone on 1&1, and didn't think I was saying 1&1 is "the best". I always tell my friends and family...don't buy from 1&1 because I work there. Check out all the features, call the pre-sales info line, look over the T&C and then if you still feel good, I think you'll love the price.

It is with trepidation that any "corporate type" ventures into the land of forums, but if I really wanted to "hide", either I would not have posted, or at least used a different email address. I was under no illusion that folks would believe I was not at 1&1 that's why I specifically used my work email addy. I actually find WF to be an excellent forum and valuable resource and will try to find a way to promote it to the 1&1 affiliates in the near future.

As a WF noob, I hope you'll understand and forgive me if my post seemed lame and I will fully disclose in future posts. Lesson learned.

Sincerely,
Joshua Sloan
(you've already got my linkedin details)

PS - I hope to meet a WF site admin at Affiliate Summit in Miami soon. I hope he will give me some pointers about how to better address WF members concerns without bringing down fire and brimstone on myself, or at least without embarassment.

:anon.sml:
Click to expand...


Thank you for your response. Now a question for you about the procedure that I cannot understand. As you've stated you have a lot of experience in this field so I expect you'll be able to explain this to me a lot better than I could ever figure out on my own.

Having read up more I realize the error in my ways was not jumping through the hoops 1and1 setup in the cancellation process which you explained is to stop a fraudster from canceling another users account on them.

I've found copies of the email I should have received about the fax from other people online who have encountered similar problems and that mail informs the person to log onto the cancel.1and1.com site and download the form. Then sign it and fax it to you.

My question is, how does this stop fraud? If someone has logged into my account on cancel.1and1.com and requested a cancellation then whats to stop them from downloading the form that billing support has told me is at the end of the form, signing it and faxing it in? I didn't need to fax anything in to sign up so you don't have a copy of my signature on file or even an originating fax address to compare to. How does this stop fraud?

They already have access to everything they need to cancel the account so the fax is just a hoop to slow or dissuade normal customers from canceling.

Thank you in advance.
 
jsloan said:
I seldom have time to make posts to any forum. I Like WF alot and I know there are WF members who do already know me, so I don't mind being "outed". I just chose to be low key for my very first post because I was not sure whether I could help the people in this thread ot not. No one looks forward to being flamed, so I hope you'll understand.

I have experience over the last 10 years with many different hosting companies; control panels, billing and tech support issues. So I do kind of consider myself to be at least somewhat unbiased. I was only trying to offer general insights. In my post, I was not trying to sell anyone on 1&1, and didn't think I was saying 1&1 is "the best". I always tell my friends and family...don't buy from 1&1 because I work there. Check out all the features, call the pre-sales info line, look over the T&C and then if you still feel good, I think you'll love the price.

It is with trepidation that any "corporate type" ventures into the land of forums, but if I really wanted to "hide", either I would not have posted, or at least used a different email address. I was under no illusion that folks would believe I was not at 1&1 that's why I specifically used my work email addy. I actually find WF to be an excellent forum and valuable resource and will try to find a way to promote it to the 1&1 affiliates in the near future.

As a WF noob, I hope you'll understand and forgive me if my post seemed lame and I will fully disclose in future posts. Lesson learned.

Sincerely,
Joshua Sloan
(you've already got my linkedin details)

PS - I hope to meet a WF site admin at Affiliate Summit in Miami soon. I hope he will give me some pointers about how to better address WF members concerns without bringing down fire and brimstone on myself, or at least without embarassment.

:anon.sml:
Click to expand...


Sloan,
You fucking got caught. That was lame. 1&1 officially have lost any and all of my future business.

<3,
Josh (the good one on these forums)
 
krazyjosh5 said:
Sloan,
You fucking got caught. That was lame. 1&1 officially have lost any and all of my future business.

<3,
Josh (the good one on these forums)
Click to expand...


Are you guys serious? When I read his first post it was obvious to me he was from 1&1. How can you guys think otherwise? It's an impossible balancing act you all must expect from corporate forum members. If they mention their company they are a shill, but if they don't they are somehow evasive.

I'll never use 1&1 because of all the horror stories I've heard, but props to jsloan for addressing this thread with maturity.
 
Its not a balancing act. If he wanted to be anonymous insider within the company, he could have said 'Im in with 1and1 but dont want my name revealed' and not have registered with jsloan. If he wanted to represent 1and1 he could have said so in his sig or not have so lamely signed off in his first post as 'WickedFire Newbie, Josh'

His act was obvious. His ploy was bullshit. My business is elsewhere.
 
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