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After dealing with the worst customer service ever, I finally decided to leave Webcountry.net after a few years. When I notified them that I would like to move my domain name and hosting, they decided to hold my website hostage for more than 6 months never wanting to release the authorization code to switch companies. They would not reply to my emails and since they do not have a competent support system, I was stuck trying to catch them on the phone like if it was the 1980s. Finally I decided to contact their main reseller for websites and notified them of what one of their companies was doing. After a month of trying different extensions I finally got a hold of someone who held Webcoutry's account. The lady was nice enough to contact them and get the authorization code for me. They told her that the code had already been sent to me, which I know they were full of it. Whats scary is the fact that as far as I can tell one does not have much recourse in dealing with a situation like this.
So here is the best part, after leaving their company, 6 months later I received two charges on my credit card. After getting a hold of them, they decided to refund the smaller amount of 35 dollars but refuse to refund the larger amount of 59 dollars. They claim I never filled out the right form, so they didn't know if I really left their hosting service. I guess all the emails and going around the proper channels of getting my authorization code was not proof enough that they sucked and I wanted to leave.
So I filled a dispute with my credit card company, cause I have all the paperwork showing that in fact I left back in January and they simply refused to let me know what I needed to fill out so I would not be charged in the future.
Apparently, this is another scam trick to charge customers in the future.
Arturo.
If you do end up suing or being sued, here is a little more useful information regarding the "terms and conditions". They have likely changed since the time you first signed up for an account, but the collection agency will likely cite the current "terms and conditions" on 1dollarhosting.com. You can see what the "terms and conditions" used to look like by using websites like: http://wayback.archive.org/web/ You are not bound by the changed "terms and conditions" unless you have been notified (which 1dollarhosting did not do) and agreed to them. Furthermore, all "terms and conditions" can be considered void if they claim they can be changed at any time. This is supported by the following cases:
1) On April 15, 2009, a Texas federal district court held that an
arbitration provision in Blockbuster’s online terms of service was
“illusory” and unenforceable because Blockbuster had reserved the right
to change the terms of service at any time. Harris v. Blockbuster Inc.,
No. 3:09-cv-217-M (N.D. Tex. April 15, 2009).
2) I also found another case that says a company cannot change "terms of service" without notification. Douglas v. Talk America No. 06-75424 (July 18, 2007), service providers should not be able to change their terms of service arbitrarily without notifying their registered users, according to the judges in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Webcountry engages in unfair business practices and has a history of making up charges on closed accounts and sending them to collections. DO NOT GET SCARED BY A COLLECTION AGENCY INTO PAYING ANY FRAUDULENT CHARGES. Remain calm, do some research, and don't sweat it.
First some history about Webcountry:
1) Webcountry has a BBB rating of "F" (http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Website-and-Web-Page-Development-Services/Webcountry-Inc-in-Tarzana-CA-13139946)
2) Webcountry is currently "Suspended" according to the California Secretary of State's website (http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/cbs.aspx). That means that Webcountry's business entity's powers, rights and privileges were suspended in California.
Now the Basic Gameplan once a collection agency contacts you:
Step 1: If you get a call from a collection agency, inform them that all correspondence should be done by mail. Also say that it is inconvenient for them to call at any time. I recorded their call and filed it. The collection agency must follow the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) and failure to do so results in you being able to sue them for ~$1000 per infraction. Read the FDCPA here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre27.pdf
Step 2: You will get a letter in the mail from the collection agency. Respond with a letter sent via certified mail saying that you dispute the debt and tell them to validate it. Basically you are telling them to prove that you owe the debt. If the letter from the collection agency was their first contact, you might also include that it is inconvenient for them to call you at any time. Here are some sample letters from creditboards: http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18802
Step 3: Send a copy of your debt validation letter to the Credit Reporting Agencies (Experian, Transunion, and Equifax)
Equifax (www.equifax.com)
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA [protected]
[protected]
Experian (www.experian.com)
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX [protected]
1-888-EXPERIAN [protected])
Trans Union (www.transunion.com)
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
[protected]
Step 4: Since the debt is fabricated by Webcountry, they will not be able to validate the debt. Most likely you will be sent some old invoices which basically show they know your name, phone number, address, credit card number, website name, etc. This is NOT validation of the debt and they certainly won't be able to produce a signed agreement unless they forge your signature (easy $$$ for a violation so you should hope they do). You will need to send another letter via certified mail to the collection agency that what they provided is not validation and that you consider the matter to be disputed. They might continue to send you some bs validations, so you could go back and forth a bit. They won't take you to court cause they don't have a leg to stand on.
Step 5: IF the collection agency failed to follow the FDCPA and committed violations (which you kept track of because you recorded all phone conversations and kept all mailings), consider turning the tables on the collection agency. Write them a letter detailing their violations of the FDCPA and offer them a settlement. Maybe offer them $600 per violation to settle with you. You can always take them to small claims court (up to $7500) for the violations. Even if it's only 1 violation, it is probably still worth it because I don't know many people that make $1000 per day.
Sorry for the long post, but Webcountry is bascially a scam company and people should not be bullied by them and their tactics.
Yes, Phil Shapiro is certainly a "piece of work".
Here's my story:
http://potrs.org/Shapiro
kevin
you own hosty.net, why didn't u inform your client prior it was going to take over by isphosting? You and your concern staff didn't inform us.
As your old customer, I am not fully convinced who is isphosting is. it seems it is another fake company that has same page of hosty.net. In fact, its cover up practice to avoid all hassle you could face in future.
The support still the same. Once i have sent email to webcountry, the replied came back after 2 weeks. I struggled a lot, called the support number, It keep telling me to open the tickets. I did open, but no one responded for weeks.
A server was done for 3 days. No one from your new company gave any kinds of attention to fix the issue.
How can you assure us the service and support will remain reliable in future?
Bidha
hi,
isphosting.com and hosty.net are not the same company. hosty.net sold its clients to isphosting.com. isphosting used hosty.net's site layout to setup their site.
a simple dns search shows that no sites are hosted on their servers. they are not using the same server provider and the whois information is different. you should do your homework before making complaints.
complaints about isphosting can be made directly to phil at [protected] x 107 or x104
i have personally told phil that the cancellation link doesn't work. in fact is out right blank html page with no code or text inside of it.
thanks,
kevin
I would like to add that webcountry.net also owns
isphosting.com and hosty.net
I had purchased Alpha Master Reseller from isphosting and due to pathetic support have decided to close the account. When I read the "fine print" in the terms, I was surprised to find that the account can be closed only by visiting the link,
http://isphosting.com/cancellation.html which is not working.
I have recieved invoice for a non working account and they have been charging my credit card. I have opened tickets at their support site and also at http://www.philcopaymentsystems.com, but no response.
I have already reported this matter to BBB and hope that they will help close the account.
Rafique
I have to agree. This is the worst hosting company I have EVER experienced. Extremely unresponsive and won't hesitate to take your account ransom and attempt to charge your credit card. I am also being threatened with collections. If I see it, I will have to join the several others that want to beat Shapiro's ###.
How is this even possible these days? Is none got vitamins enough to punish this sociopathic little man and his legion of a-holes? Well, I for one am thrilled I have a physical address for this soon-to-be-bleeding idiot. Enough, is enough. There are "bad business" practices everyone. But they pale by comparison to this ###. He takes unethical behavior to another level.
Know that thing they say is best served cold? I have several multi-liter bottles of it, waiting for their time in the sun.
Look him up, people. Don't let crimes like this go unpunished.
So I am not the only one? That a-hole Shapiro is a (as one reviewer once called him) sociopath. And so are his underlings. How immoral and unethical can you be? Unlike the previous comments, I was taken for quite a ride. My business was mildly dependent upon the information contained on my website. They not only locked it after I tried to leave (due to there HORRIBLE service), but then claimed I owed them for a full FIVES YEARS of domain name registration and hosting! What? So...are we to believe I had been getting free service from them for five years? Oh wait...it gets better. After taking over my domain name (which I now find out is illegal...given the specifics of my situation, that is)...they sent me a bill for over $600! Oh but wait..there is more. After I told them what they could do with their extortion...they handed that "debt" over to a collections agency!
I had about 10 different websites hosted by Webcountry the past 6 years. A few years back, I noticed a decline in service... I slowly moved all my websites to another hosting company. BUT, my very last domain I tried to transfer, Webcountry locked it and wouldn't unlock it. So, I let the domain expire. Little did I know that Webcountry didn't let the domain expire... they took over it and is now parking it to earn money as a gay sex portal. I couldn't believe how incredibly unprofessional they have become. They started out legit and honorable... now, they are exploiting people left and right. Phil Shapiro should be sued.
Everyone should complain to BBB.org. It might not do anything because it's highly dependent on Webcountry responding but at least it will be recorded.
I just wanted to say I am totally having the same problem. I'm afraid I won't get my website back... This company is rude and unfair. They should be put out of business.