Host Search
Posted Sun, 05/03/09
I'm in the process of looking for a new web host as my current provider Tripod does not offer PHP and Perl support, which I need in order to create my own contact systems and message boards. I don't need the additional features just for myself, but also for web clients.
A few years ago I looked at 1&1 Hosting, but after reading a few reviews about the company this morning I think I'll pass. From Michael Gray (Graywolf's SEO Blog):
They [1&1] are by far the worst hosting company. They make it impossible [to] cancel an account, and if you don't do it correctly they will keep billing you. When you call to speak to a supervisor and tell them to cancel an account you aren't using anymore and is in collections, they still won't cancel it. They will however keep sending you an email to an address that no longer is in existence and refer you to their online web form.
And from Earner's Blog:
1&1 Hosting - Poor reliability; credit cards being double-charged; customer support located outside USA; slow response times for support tickets; no consistency between support answers; No SLA for the 99.9% uptime guarantee.
I normally don't pay attention to reviews when it concerns books or movies, but the unpleasant lockdown 1&1 seems to have on customers wanting to cancel their accounts does not bode well. No thanks.
Then I looked at Thinkhost and found the following review, again from Earner's Blog:
Thinkhost is the worst hosting company I've ever been with. I was taken in by their "green" and "progressive" spiel. However, in the half year I've been with them I've experienced extremely unreliable service; frequent downtime in both web and email services. Condescending, unhelpful support who spend more time and energy avoiding questions and sending constant canned-text requests for information already provided than they do in actually trying to sort problems, which are usually in the end blamed on the customer anyway. Slow, unintuitive user interface. Inaccurate and outdated information in help files and configuration emails. I strongly recommend that anyone considering Thinkhost as a hosting provider Think about getting *another* Host.
The problem with deciding on a new web host is there are none that will allow you to take a spin of their services without charge. I don't want to hand over a yearly fee just to discover I dislike the host or their services. Quick response to site issues and ease of cancellation both rank high on my must-have list, but so far I've been unable to find a host and/or review that indicates the basics.
I'd love to stay with Tripod because my sites have been virtually problem-free for more than nine years. However, I need to progress with PHP in particular, and I don't see Tripod acquiring that feature anytime soon.
Related post: Host Search (2011).
Tags: Web Design/Computer Misc