Shame on you, CNET!
I found complaints against at least two others, although I'm not going to name them until I can confirm that its not just a few noisemakers.
We go to CNET for impartial web hosting reviews - to know who is better and who isn't. To give outright CHEATS equal ratings with reputable companies is the definition of a fraudulant review.
Victims quotes are below.
I have received complaints from irate customers - including a number who got OUTRIGHT SCAMMED - their money taken from them - all from people who used the CNET web host reviews site. This review is NOT to be trusted. Buyer BEWARE!
I did a little research to confirm what people are telling me, and at least one of the listed companies - three stars & TOP TEN rated - is an outright scammer [webhostingpad.com], with a history of taking credit card numbers, overcharging, bad customer service, crashing servers - and all the things you'd expect to avoid by reading CNET hosting reviews.
You can see some scammed customers' quotes below.
I'll try to add more links later.
I found complaints against at least two others, although I'm not going to name them until I can confirm that its not just a few noisemakers.
We go to CNET for impartial web hosting reviews - to know who is better and who isn't. To give outright CHEATS equal ratings with reputable companies is the definition of a fraudulant review.
CNET should know better than to do that, although I guess money can corrupt anyone.
Here's My "How to Avoid Hosting Scams" Bullet Points:
- Get a recommondation from someone you trust - then check out the host. [I recommend this host - more below]. Its your money and time - use it wisely!!
- NUMBER ONE is reliability - BEFORE price. So many complaints come from people who found a super cheap host, then ended up with an ordeal which cost more in time and money.
- Money is important too - but anything below three dollars a month you will live to regret. Period!
- Any site with a name like "web hosting geeks" or "hosting geeks" is a front for a paying company, masquerading as an impartial review. Many of those promoted hosts are OUTRIGHT scammers or just unreliable.
- Most hosting review sites are BULL!! They are designed to surreptitiously promote one company or another. Do your homework!!
What I found: When I searched for a host for my daughter's site [no, I won't plug it here], I spent over a month checking out different companies. Ultimately, I settled on Ipage because they have excellent customer service/reliability, the best price, and TONS of good features/freebies/etc. - just plain great "stuff"!
I have yet to find anything better. If you do - TELL ME ABOUT IT! Please! You can email me at jessicasmom23@gmail.com.
Anyway, here's some of the features that a host should have, and the ipage comparison:
1. Reliablity:
- Anytime moneyback guarantee - you can get your money back anytime you feel like it
- Lots of users before you - that way any problems they have will show [they have a million + sites hosted]
- 24/7 toll free Tech Support [not just a sales number]
- Check the number out to see if its answered in a timely manner [their guarantee is 2min]
- Chat/email support - email is probably the best if you're busy
- All this must come with your BASIC plan [no discovering its a premium service later]
- Preferably highly rated [they were number one in something or other]
2. Price/Freebies
- Their price is $3.50 [month]. All the cheaper ones I found ALWAYS ended up to either have complaints against them, a front for another company that has complaints against them, incomplete features, or accounting tricks [Free! But the domain is expen$ive]
- Free advertising with Google and facebook [$50 each][Yahoo ads too, but they were not very useful/a pain to set up]
- Lots more stuff I don't remember
3. Technical:
- Unlimited: bandwith, domains you can host on one account, emails, and space to store your site
- Security stuff - to prevent malware, etc
- Site building software
- Script library
- Shopping/online store
- Someone to tell you about their experience - what CNET is supposed to do!! [I honestly had an easy time with my host - no problems, and when I need help, I email and they answered my questions]
Please check out their site for more info because its late and aI'm getting tired and don't want to write anymore.
Victims quotes are below.
And remember, until next time, FERRET'S UP!
Some quotes from the VICTIMS. I'll try to put up quotes from others if I have time:)
This is about WebHostingPad, a three star, first page, top ten choice on CNET. What a FRAUD!!
Webhostingpad.com is the worst web host scam in the world… Two years ago, I made the mistake of signing of for two years of hosting. Three months later, I cancelled my account (lost all of my money I paid for two years)… and I went to a much better web host. Then, I just discovered they illegally billed my credit card again for another two years without my permission. I emailed them about this, and they responded in their typical fashion- rude and ugly. I reported this fraud to my credit card company and had the charge removed. I have filed a complaint with the IC3 and the FBI. I also filed a report with the Secret Service, and am working on a report with the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau.
These guys are sleazy, filthy criminals. Keep charging me, even though I cancelled two years ago and got a cancellation number.
It was the same problem that i too faced as many have faced here..
A month ago i subscribed to webhostingpad.com. They deducted a one time fee of abt USD$100 for my 3 years of subscription. 2 days ago, i realised that they deducted another USD$160 from my account. When i emailed them and asked about the additional charges, they told me that i clicked on some 30 days trial add-ons. Within that 30 days, if you did not call to unsubscribe the add-ons, they will auto-renew for you and deduct the payment from your bank account.
I mailed them several times but they stopped responding.
I spoke to the credit card company people, they asked me to fill a charge dispute form n submit.
Will that help? Is there anyone who has got their money refunded through the company??
A month ago i subscribed to webhostingpad.com. They deducted a one time fee of abt USD$100 for my 3 years of subscription. 2 days ago, i realised that they deducted another USD$160 from my account. When i emailed them and asked about the additional charges, they told me that i clicked on some 30 days trial add-ons. Within that 30 days, if you did not call to unsubscribe the add-ons, they will auto-renew for you and deduct the payment from your bank account.
No matter how i tried to reason out for them, i told them to terminate the add-ons for me and ask for a refund. They just insisted that it is not refundable. The manager whom i corresponded with listed a few things that cost only $12 when i asked why i was charged an additional $160, they did not list down the add-on features. I find that it so such a dodgy sales tactics that they are using to cheat ignorant customers.
If ever i did click to a 30 days trial add-ons, they should ask me if i want to renew it and not jus deduct from my account without my knowledge!
I made several calls to the IUS Webhostingpad call centre from Singapore and they insisted that they cant do a refund. Finally after reasoning out with the customer service officer, he refunded me part of the charges. In the end i still had to pay the additional $50 USD.
Please beware of using your credit card with these guys they add additional stuff into it without your authorization. Please don’t register with them for ANY trial FREE stuff as one the trial is over they charge and keep charging you!!!!!! It is some kind of trickery. I am waiting for a year to finish for me to move my client’s site to somewhere else. Please be careful with these guys. Their billing basically gave me a “tough luck” answer when I informed them.