Forum Moderators: LifeinAsia
I am a web designer. In the last month I have been contacted by 4 different people who know nothing about designing a web site who had purchased a package from what I call a "template" driven web host that either told them they would get a free domain name and then found out they couldn't extract it or they realize they can't design the site without a webmaster's assistance and it's not as simple as they were led to believe and then they want to move their domain name and the web host puts up a struggle which takes months to solve (one of my clients took a whole year to get her own domain name cleared). And as I said I now have 4 clients going thru this struggle. This problem seems to be getting worse as so many of these folks are contacting me so I'm just wondering if others have noticed this problem.
Lori
I haven't got anyone who had one of those accounts, but I've got three potential clients who have been paying good money every month to have their "sites submitted to 10,000 search engines."
There are plenty of on-line scams to take advantage of small business owners who realize the value of the web as an advertising or marketing medium, but don't really know how to do it right.
Jim
I just experienced another crooked Template Wizard web host. My client had paid $49 per hour to have his site designed by someone on staff of the hosting site and couldn't get it listed in search engines.
Thus he contacted me and I had the site moved to a reliable hosting service--after a big struggle with the host company letting go of the domain name (it was a 3rd party host) and then I redesigned the site and found multiples of errors in code that should have caused the site to crash browsers let alone not be attractive to search engines.
I didn't realise from the list of features that I would be sharing an IP with 250 others in a virtual hosting situation. I have since read that it does not matter with Google. There are two spammers sharing that IP and I worry if they will affect me.
I didn't find out until I had signed up that this host offers POP3 email but no SMTP.
Their instructions are not in one handy place but you pick up snippets here and there - this is for advanced CGI stuff such as the location of programs. I knew there was no shell access so I could not search.
Email to support was not answered for 7 days when I complained to sales.
cnet did not publish my review which was unemotional and factual. There are still no user reviews for that hosting company (which advertises there).
Not a scam really, but you should shop around before handing over any cash.
You get what you pay for.
Sure, you may get lucky and find the diamond in the rough with excellent quality and cheaper pricing than the average, however, time and time again is it shown that if you try to take the cheap road over the average road you will get burned.
As web developers I hear all the time from clients about how they can get so-and-so's kid in his basement to do what work my firm does for 80% cheaper.
I simply laugh and suggestt they go that route. However, when they need changes made quickly, stratic consultation, innovative development or someone to fix his screw ups because he doesn't have a background in the industry nor any understanding of the all encompassing components that goes into a successful web presence? Our price will be higher than what it would have origianlly cost. Fixing other peoples work and correcting the wrongs they created take a lot of time and work. You will pay more.
Lesson.. do yourself a favour and stop trying to nickle and dime for services - hosting included. A hosting server that costs less than $10/month (depanding on components) raises warning signals for me. How can a company that is able to charge that low of a price remain to stay in business 6 months to a year from now?
How much money will be lost if/when they go belly up? What will your clients think?
Price has to stop being the ultimate, driving factor behind purchase decisions. So much more goes into it than a dollar figure.
Just my thoughts.
Aaron
Aaron i agree with you on that price should stop being the driving factor, but i don't think i'll see that happen in my lifetime! :)
ahh almost forgot, don't believe all the review sites you come across, especially ones with ipoweb splattered across the place as the nš1 host, they're most likely paying for that!
