Earthlink Web OF DECEIT Hosting...revised
Written: Jan 31 '06 (Updated Mar 07 '06)
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Pros: None at all...the only " pro " about Earthlink is the " pro" in "pro"blems
Cons: Total blind eye for customer needs and a deaf ear to any complaints or problems...
The Bottom Line: Earthlink has been a total failure in service and support departments. They have not offered any support to remedy the problems caused by their lack of service.
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| DarbyWalters's Full Review: Earthlink Web Hosting |
I have been an Earthlink Web Hosting customer for well over 5 years. I am not well versed in HTML or Web Building but a friend and I built a website and I contracted Earthlink to host the site. There were two domains to host so they suggested I fully host one and then " point " the other domain to the hosted domain. I did as they suggested and everything worked fine...for a while. Down the road I noticed that I was not getting the volume of cgi email I used to receive. I tested both the sites and the one that was being " pointed " to the hosted site was not working. I called tech support and got the run-a-round for hours. Finally they stated that my script was in error. I asked them how this could be since both the sites were exactly the same and they had both been working properly for at least a year. They argued the point with me and finally said that they would check the script and make any changes needed. That is where the big problems started.
They made some " changes " and it only made things worse. When I called them back to check on the status of the " repair " I had to go thru the whole " system " again and was told that no work order was placed. I asked them how that could be since I had called a week previous and waited the 48 hours for the changes to take effect. They flat out told me that nothing was on record and that they had no record of my call. I resubmitted the same complaint and asked them to " fix " it. 7 days later, the same thing was happening. After many more calls I finally got a Tech that seemed to give a hoot. She looked in my script and told me that the two domain scripts were different. I told her that no changes were made on my end and that Earthlink Tech Support had made the changes. She informed me that they, Earthlink, did not go into customers accounts and change scripts unless the site was built and supported by Eathlink. I informed her that indeed they, Earthlink, had modified script and that is when the problems occurred. Finally she said that Earthlink had changed the " parameters " under which cgi email accounts operated so I had to change the script to mesh with their new setup. I made the changes as they asked and the sites worked about 60% of the time. This cat and mouse game of tag has continued for the past three years and my hosted and pointed accounts have never worked 100% properly ever.
Now, I have contacted them again and explained fully the history behind my problems. One tech " support " person called me a liar and stated that at no time had an Earthlink employee ever changed any script on my account because her computer did not note any such changes. I finally had to hang up and call back a few hours later, after I cooled down, to start the complaint process up from scratch. Again, I went thru the whole history and the new tech support employee said my script looked good but that the repoint was causing the problem. I informed her that I had deleted the repoint and had fully hosted both sites independently of each other by suggestion of a tech support staff over three months ago to solve the problems. She said that the work order had never been processed and that the repoint had never been " disassociated " from the original account. I asked her why I was getting charged for two fully hosted sites and she stated that they were both fully hosted but that the repoint had never been removed. She suggested that I place a work order to delete the repoint and everything would be fine. I placed the order and waited patiently.
Now three calls later and still no resolution. In fact, I have moved up to speaking with " supervisors " and the last one told me that the work order had not been submitted but that he will " try " to get in done. I was so angry at this point I almost exploded. I asked why the work order had not been acted upon and he told me that it was not deemed an emergency. I then asked him if I had never called back would anything have been done? He told me no because the work order had not been submitted properly. He also argued the point again that Earthlink employees do not change script on customer accounts EVER. Well. it is now 7 days later and Earthlink is completely down. You can not even get thru to Tech...just an automated message stating that all Earthlink Email Accounts and Web Hosted Accounts are not working but they are working to fix the problem.
This is an abbreviated version of the communications between myself and Earthlink. I can not stress how frustrating it has been trying to get any satisfaction from Earthlink. I went so far as to write the Pres. of Earthlink a letter explaining the situation and have not received any response...like I really expected any based on past tendencies. It is hard to believe that a corporation the size of Earthlink, 2nd only to AOL, can operate in this manner.
Today I am contacting a local Web Hosting and Web Building company to take over my accounts. Earthlink has been the absolute worst experience of my life when it comes to the business world. I would not wish Earthlink upon my worst enemy.
Final Thoughts: I have switched to a local server and have had NO PROBLEMS at all. It took a little work for the new company to take over the DNS that were coded by Earthlink. They had to go in and kind of pirate the DNS codes and change them. They had to do the same to change the "contact" that is used for any problems. We had to do it that way because I could never reach anyone who could help me over the phone. I also wrote them a final letter to get some closure:
Earthlink and Gary Betty, Pres.,
I have been a good paying customer of Earthlink for many years now. In the last year your service, tech support and phone availability has been less than stellar. In fact it has been utterly useless. My web hosted sites get worse every time I call and get thru to anyone. The last call that I could get thru went to a supervisor that gave his name as “JC”. Since that call, one web hosted site is completely down and the other is not functional. I have not been able to get thru at all for the last 12 days or so since your problems with email accounts ect. These problems are mentioned on the voice recording that all your customers are getting when they call for assistance. The only department that seems to work without a hitch would be your billing department. The bills come every month whether I have any service from Earthlink or not…and it has been NOT. Maybe a supervisor from billing could tutor the heads of Sales, Service and Tech so that they too can work and not “miss a beat” as does the Billing Department.
I am losing business every day using your web hosting because it does not work…much like the Tech Support Department. The number of times I have called to try to remedy the same problem can not be counted on all my digits including toes. I can no longer take it in the pants from Earthlink. It is costing me business!
I DEMAND that you close my account immediately and discontinue hosting either 123.com nor ABC.com. I also want both domains to be removed immediately from your “DNS” files so that no customer of mine is directed to your sub par hosting of my domains. If this is not done promptly, I will have to take this matter to the next level. I also sent a letter directed to Gary Betty and of course received no return response consistent with the practices of Earthlink in general.
I hope you do not take this letter lightly and push my requests to the side. I am expecting Earthlink to act responsibly to the above requests. I can not stress enough how crucial it is that you immediately remove my 2 domains from your DNS files that direct my customers to my domains thru your server. That is not acceptable. I am taking any previous authority given to Earthlink to host either domain away from Earthlink at this time.
Waiting but not for long,
Wiley Coyote
Recommended:
No
Monthly fees (US$): $20.00
Platform used: Windows NT
Database used: Other ODBC database
Main focus of Web site: Customer service and retention
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Epinions.com ID:
DarbyWalters
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Darby Walters
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 36 members
About Me:
Addicted to Speed! Love Competition just for the sake of it.
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