Fuck 1&1 Web Hosting: They are the Worst Company I have ever done business with

I had a similar issue years ago with a dialup company; I used to keep it for backup in case my main connection went down, but eventually decided to give it up cause open wifis started popping up around me.

So I sent them an email from my email account on their domain and asked them to cancel the account and stop billing my card. They replied that I could only cancel by calling an 800 number, which I'm sure should be simple, but they pissed me off by trying to have me do that. And I know others who have called to cancel and ended up saying 'yes' to something that allowed them to keep billing the card for some completely different service.

After a couple months back and forth, they were still billing my card, so I took their 'free web space' that came with the account and turned it into an open proxy, put it on a few lists out there. After a couple days, I got an 'account terminated' email and they stopped billing my card.
 


Reading things like this make me rage, how companies can still operate in this manor! they're advertising heavily over the UK at the moment too!
 
I'm fucking fuming and need to vent. So here is my lovely experience over at 1&1 Internet:

Years ago, I picked up a few domains through 1&1, they decided I ordered webhosting too(I didn't). I didn't really log into the account often, because I had no reason to. Eventually my address changed, and they decided to renew my webhosting account without a working credit card, then send me the bill. The bill went to an old address, as the account is inactive.
I was unaware of this until a collections agency contacted me. Pissed, I called 1&1. We reached an agreement(now mysteriously absent from their records) that they cancel everything, never bill me again, close my account, and I would pay for the webhosting I didn't want(again).

Fast forward a couple years, and I get another call from an agency. They billed me again. Without a credit card. And miraculously I didn't reply to the mail they sent to the wrong fucking address(which they knew was wrong) from my theoretically closed account.

By this point, I don't know much about the account. I got it about 4 years ago. Because I don't have access to the e-mail it was made with, they will not let me close the account. And because they will bill even with an expired and out of date credit card, the only way to stop them from billing me is to login to the account I can't log in to.

Better than that? All my services are still active. Fucking all of them.

According to them, they can bill me literally forever on the account I've already fucking cancelled once, for the product I didn't fucking want in the first place, even without a fucking valid credit card.

Steer clear of 1&1. Once they have your information, you may very well find yourself fucked. They're a rebill on fucking steroids.

:glowingeyes_sml: :glowingeyes_sml: :glowingeyes_sml: :glowingeyes_sml:
Same story minus collections. At this point I cant even be bothered to call them. One of these days one of the other 30000 people they do this to is gonna file a class action. Put me down.:boid:
 
After a couple months back and forth, they were still billing my card, so I took their 'free web space' that came with the account and turned it into an open proxy, put it on a few lists out there. After a couple days, I got an 'account terminated' email and they stopped billing my card.
GENIUS. You sir are one bona-fide smart cookie.

SO, in conclusion, for all the people who got FUCKED OVER from 1 & 1 Web Hosting from some kind of 1&1 Web hosting scam, the answer is simple in order to get them to stop billing you...

Find some proxy server software (like Foxy Proxy) and install it on your web host there at 1&1. Then leave it open for anyone to use, and go to a couple of lists like Hidemyass.com, freeproxylists.net, or proxy-list.org and let them all know about this kind, new service you've set up for the public at large...

1&1 will then terminate your account so fast (& cancel billing) that any other approach you could take is clearly a waste of time by comparison.
 
The bill went to an old address, as the account is inactive. I was unaware of this until a collections agency contacted me. Pissed, I called 1&1.

Same thing happened to me. They’ve automated raping customers on the way out.

You need to go through a cryptic process if you want to do anything that takes business away from them. Even moving a domain out of there was a horrible experience.
 
Everyone! stay away from 1&1 Web Hosting forever. They were the first company where I registered my domain and they fucked me pretty soon.

Let's keep bumping this thread and get more pages too!
 
Thanks for the help everyone! I'm going to work on the Debt Collection agency(certified mail and whatnot) when I get back. Have already disputed the credit report entry on Experian, submitted a complaint to the PA Attorney General, submitted a complaint to the BBB, and filed a RipOffReport.
Argh.

If it appears on your Experian report, it'll probably appear on your Equifax and Transunion reports also. Make sure you dispute it at all companies, most loan companies will look at reports from all three of the bureaus.
 
I use their unique billing practices to my advantage, for the most part. That said, I can definitely see how it could end up with them doing fucked up shit like this. I've heard stuff like this before. I guess the worst they've done to me is overcharge by about $1200 on a batch of domains, but I took care of it quickly.

Oh, and addition to the credit disputes and contacting Attorneys General ( states of 1and1, you, collection agency), FTC probably can't hurt.
 
1&1 Does Fucking Suck

I have been using 1&1 since I started making websites and while it is one of the cheapest hosting agents, there is very good reason for this. It's the most complicated bullshit process EVER trying to get your website up and working. They offer a web builder package that they say some is including in the purchase of the website, but actually it's not and they charge you for using this. I tried to use this to install wordpress on a site and it locked my site in so I couldn't make any manual changes using the web explorer. They have nothing set up in a logical order and every process virtually requires contacting a customer service representative, which takes time to receive an actual answer to questions and you end up wasting so much time waiting for changes to be applied or to do the simplest of tasks.
 
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I never went with 1&1 hosting, but I'm sure glad I read this 1&1 review so I never will in my entire life. Everyone on the planet will hear of the shady practices of 1&1.

I never went with 1&1 hosting, but I'm sure glad I read this 1&1 review so I never will in my entire life. Everyone on the planet will hear of the shady practices of 1&1.

I never went with 1&1 hosting, but I'm sure glad I read this 1&1 review so I never will in my entire life. Everyone on the planet will hear of the shady practices of 1&1.

I was so impressed with this post that I felt I should quote it three times.