(no subject)

[rusty_halo]

4 days of big website crippling problem caused by webhost, NOT ME
10 hours trying to fix the problem myself or figure out what they did to cause it
6 calls to tech support
5 hours on hold
15 increasingly frustrated emails
5 deleted support requests
4 support requests listed as "solved"
0 responses from iPowerWeb support people
0 apologies
1 horrible pounding headache

Problem STILL OCCURING!!!

*cries*

Comments

[paratti.livejournal.com]

::Hugs::
::sends free-range Spike to deal with 'em::

[jonesiexxx.livejournal.com]

What would help the most?

1. Snoggles from moi
2. Contract hit on evil webgremlins
3. Both of the above
4. Name your Jones-related fantasy

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Hee. Thanks. Hmm ... a hit on the rude tech support people at ipowerweb wouldn't be so bad ... oops! Did I say that?

I'm just really glad that I've moved it to a server that works, now. :)

[dtissagirl.livejournal.com]

Well, they do have a 'Provide feedback' form on their website (the link to the form is at http://helpcenter.ipowerweb.com/cgi-bin/ipowerweb.cfg/php/enduser/home.php).

Do you think if we all went there and feedbacked them with 'You suck!' and told them why... would it help? ;)

And I'm only half-kidding. *g*

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

LOL, go for it. Though I moved my site, but you're welcome to tell them that they lost you as a potential customer.

I feel so ... ripped off. My cell phone bill this month is going to be more than I ever paid for webhosting, and they never did fix the problem or acknowledge that it was their own fault. *sigh*

But at least my site is working on the new server, so I'll just try and focus on that.

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

*pets you*
That sucks. Go take a break.

[onetwomany.livejournal.com]

::hugs you::
They sound lame as all hell. But if it's any consolation, you've probably ensured everyone reading this will avoid ipowerweb like the plague, and lost potential business is about the best form of revenge ever.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

But if it's any consolation, you've probably ensured everyone reading this will avoid ipowerweb like the plague, and lost potential business is about the best form of revenge ever.

At least that is a good feeling. >:)

Hon...

[chenanceou.livejournal.com]

Ask yourself - is this as important as you? No. I know it's frustrating and enraging even, but it's not that crucial. So take a break, play some music and find your center. Then... if you must, go back to tackle the problem. Life is way too short, hon. Don't let something that isn't even your fault give you a headache. It will get solved one way or the other, right?
I'm a tech moron - but can you take your site elsewhere?

Re: Hon...

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Ask yourself - is this as important as you?

Erm ... yes? It is. I spend what probably averages to at least two hours every day on this website. I've had it for a year and a half. That averages to almost 1100 hours. Which breaks down to about 45 straight days. That's a whole lot of my life put into this project. To have it taken away by something that is completely beyond my ability to control or fix ... it leaves me feeling so violated. I know, in the grand scheme of things, it's just a website, not that important, but to me personally, it is really important.

*sigh*

So after talking to the tech support guy from hell, I ended up doing what you suggested--moving to a new server. This--trying to fix it myself, trying to get tech support to fix it, and moving everything over to the new server--took 5 days out of my life. I'm really, really pissed. And they never even fixed the problem!

I'm glad that I'm on a new server and that everything's working, but I'm so disgusted that I got ripped off like that.

Anyway. Sorry. I know I take things really seriously but *shrug* this is how I am.

Re: Hon...

[chenanceou.livejournal.com]

Nah - if it's important to you, then go for it!
I'm glad it all worked out, though it's a bitch that you had to go through so much. I really admire you for your dedication and that's what makes the site so respected in the community.
I was just worried about you.

[soundingsea.livejournal.com]

Can you get an escalation to a different tier of tech support or to some sort of customer advocate within their organization? Continuing to open new trouble tickets with a low-level tier of tech support won't always solve a problem that an actual engineer could fix in a matter of minutes. Also, if the people in support won't escalate you, try calling back and talking to billing or sales. Sales in particular tends to care more about retaining customers. I don't know anything about that particular hosting provider, but the above has been my experience working for ISPs.

Sorry to hear about the suckitude. :|

[ascian3.livejournal.com]

She's right... I've had good luck in calling Sales when tech support fails me (which would be, oh, pretty much always). Even if Sales gives you a deaf ear it's another way to try to reach someone in managment who can light a fire under an engineer's ass.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Thanks for the advice.

I did try all this over the course of things. Every night I was told by the lower level tech support guys "I can't fix it, so I'm escalating the issue to our server engineers. You'll have a response tomorrow."

Each time, there would be no response, but the issue would be declared "solved." Obviously they didn't understand the issue, because it still wasn't working.

So after the first two times this happened, I caught on and started asking to speak to "your manager" or to the engineers. Each time it was either "they don't take calls" or "he's not here."

Finally, I got a manager, who assured me that the issue would be fixed in the morning.

That morning, it had been declared "solved" again, but not fixed. No one had looked at the actual scripts that weren't working. No one had contacted me to get me to explain the problem, despite the fact that I'd emailed them my email addy and phone number over and over.

I called back and spoke to sales, who explained that they didn't have any business meddling in the tech support dept., and transferred me back over to tech support. (Keep in mind that each of these transfers involved at least a 40 minute hold time). I got another manager, who reassured me that it would be fixed that night or the next morning.

The next morning I called, it didn't work. I got a lower level guy who told me that my issue was "next in the queue" for the engineers.

Three hours later, nothing had happened, I called again. I got a guy who told me I was 12th in the queue, and that the engineers were currently dealing with an issue that had been ongoing for months, so I had no business "demanding special treatment." (Implying that my issue could also end up lasting for months--the prospect of this going on for months scared the hell out of me.)

I explained that I'd already waited and gotten to the front of the queue TWICE and had had my issue dismissed without it actually being solved. I gave him the names and date/times of those incidents. He didn't care. I explained that I'd written over and over and that two managers had assured me that the issue would be resolved "within 24 hours" and both of those 24 hour periods had passed. He didn't care. He said the problem was probably with my scripts, and "it's not [their] job" to troubleshoot my poor code. It's not my poor code! It's three different, perfectly standard scripts! The forum, newsletter, and review system. The forum is phpBB, the standard in php forums that is offered by numerous webhosts by default. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the code in phpBB, the problem is with ipowerweb's stupid servers! I explained this and the guy got mad at *me*, told me I was being rude, and that if I wanted to be such a "control freak" I ought to pay the (minimum $60/month) fee for dedicated hosting. I explained that I don't *need* dedicated hosting, I just need regular hosting that *works*, which ipowerweb clearly doesn't! Throughout this he refused to let me speak to a manager.

Um, that was when I demanded to be transferred over to sales, and cancelled my account. But I realized I needed my databases backed up, so they transferred my *back* over to tech support (another hour on hold--this phone call was something like 3 hours long) where I was able to speak to an actual manager, who wouldn't tell me the name of the guy I'd spoken to before--but I chewed him out for having someone like that work for them. He backed up my databases, and I got the hell off ipowerweb.

*sigh*

Okay, sorry for ranting at you. I'm just really, really upset still. But yeah, your advice is good, if anyone at the company actually cares. When no one does ... it's a waste. I wish I'd gotten off of their server the first day and not had to go through all this.

[soundingsea.livejournal.com]

Hey, I've got total sympathy for your rant. I used to work at a Major Telco's ISP. That was pretty much the way they operated. Really horrid. I work at a small ISP now, and it's zillions of times better because everyone cares about the customers, and anyone who wants to can talk to engineering (aka me).

I'm glad you moved your site to a provider that can suit your needs more. Like someone else said, your best revenge is the bad publicity you're given ipowerweb. I doubt anyone on your FOf list will ever host with them now. :)

Now take a couple of days where you do nothing but eat chocolate and take bubble baths. You've earned it. :)

[abbylee]

I think it's time to find a new host:

http://www.findmyhosting.com/listallplans.asp?host=1195

They have a 59% rating. I suggest you add your negative review to that site as well.

The one we use at morethanspike is 97%. But, they also charge twice what yours does for the same storage/bandwidth.
http://www.findmyhosting.com/listallplans.asp?host=4961
http://www.neitsolutions.com/web_hosting.htm

My personal site is at totalchoicehosting.com. They have a rating of 96% and they are lower priced. They may be best for personal sites, though, but I would recommend writing to them to find out if they feel they can support you.
http://www.findmyhosting.com/listallplans.asp?host=5330
http://www.totalchoicehosting.com/web-hosting-plans.html

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I ended up going with CyberTarp but if anything goes wrong there I'll come back and consider these.

AAS supporter should write to support@ipowerweb.com

[soulmate815.livejournal.com]

Well, drinkthepoisonx, I for one am composing a email to support@ipowerweb.com to ask why it is taking so long to get my favorite website back properly online! And I would urge other supporters of All About Spike to do the same. By pointing out my potential as a client and the marketing impact of actually doing what their tagline says ( "We're leading the way to on-line success for thousands of companies. How can we serve your business today?"), I hope they will assign someone to look at your problem who can successfully repair the situation.

Or maybe they will just get sick of everyone sending emails and asking so they'll just do it. Squeaky wheel and all... (oh, I hate that tactic, but...)

Egads, the things you have to do these days to get good service!!!

Re: AAS supporter should write to support@ipowerweb.com

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

You're such a sweetie. *hugs*

I cancelled my account this afternoon, so it doesn't really matter if they fix it now. (I cancelled it after speaking to the world's biggest asshole at tech support, who made it very clear that no one cared and that no one was looking into the problem, and that it's probably my own fault and I ought to pay for my own server if I'm going to be such a "control freak").

Anyway, but if you want to email them about how if you ever consider getting a website, it will definitely not be with them--go for it.

*sigh*