Webhost wants $300 to upgrade SQLite on "Fully Managed" server

This doesn't seem normal

[MichaelBluejay]

I rent a dedicated server from a large webhost. On their marketing page, they advertise the service I'm paying for as "Fully Managed Dedicated Server Hosting". Every definition I can find on the web defines the distinction between "Managed" and "Fully Managed" is that with the former, the host keeps the OS up to date, while "Fully Managed" also includes updating associated popular software, such as SQLite.

However, when I recently asked them to update the SQLite on my server that was a few years old, they refused, saying it was my problem. I got the update installed myself after much difficulty (it's not my forté, and I got various errors), but then PHP wouldn't run (Internal Server Error on Hello World). I wrote to Support and they said that PHP is expecting the old version of SQLite (even though my Hello World script doesn't use SQLite). Their suggested fix is for me to pay them $100 to "re-image" the server (which would downgrade the SQLite), then another fee (probably $300) to have them update the SQLite.

If my offering were advertised as simply "Managed" then I couldn't complain, but this certainly doesn't feel like "Fully Managed" to me. What do you all think?

[not2easy]

Unfortunately, each definition a business might use to sell their services is not centrally defined and regulated, especially online. The place to look for what they are including is in their terms and conditions. That is the agreement you have with their services. You may be right in theory but in practice they are controlled only by their fine print as to what defines Managed or Fully Managed.

Note: IANAL - this is not to be taken as legal advice just general practice observations.

[tangor]

These days and financial times when one can nickle and dime (by factors significant!) they will do so. Check your TOS/Contract to find out exactly what is promised for the money you pay.

There's too many good hosts out there to have to deal with hosts less sterling.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

"Can you do better than $300? If not I'm going to consider changing hosts, I expected more from a managed account".

Follow through. It's not personal, get value from what you pay for.

[MichaelBluejay]

Thank you for the replies.

The ToS is a bit vague. It makes no mention of which party is responsible for installing apps. But, because it doesn't specifically say that they'll install apps, technically they have no responsibility to do so. I just wanted to see if what they were marketing is out of line with one typically gets with "Fully Managed" hosting, because it seemed to be.

On another forum, members there said what's been said here: There's no stone-cold standard definition for "Fully Managed", and you have to go by the contract or ToS.

Another member said that if I'm paying <$150/mo., I can't expect software installs. Indeed, I'm paying just under that, $149/mo.

Someone on another forum was able to help me resolve the PHP problem. First had me uninstall the SQLite3 that I'd installed, then reinstall it using only "make" and not also "make install". (My host's Support article said to do both "make" and "make install", which is why I'd originally done it that way.)

If that hadn't worked, I had a loophole: My host will install OS updates for free, and Ubuntu comes packaged with associated software like SQLite. So, having them update my Ubuntu package would have gotten me a newer version of SQLite. Of course they didn't mention that option to me.