Timely Customer Service Equals YOUR Money Ralph

I have a small site - that is hosted on small servers, with supposed AU based support. I know previously it was AU based - I had the owner's mobile number. Anyway - times change.

I had a query about the hosting and about what I could and could not do with 2 of the 5 sites I have with this company - So I sent an email:-

Reply-To: "Soon to be disgruntled customer"
From: "Soon to be disgruntled customer"
To:
Subject: my site.info
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:24:09 +1100

Hi

I operate my site.info - I think renewed in March - I'm also Contact for Clients site (At least I was) and they are (or were) on your servers.

Can I swap it out for another domain? - or do I have to open 2nd hosting plan?

Please advise - would like to point DNS this weekend if we can get everything sorted out for a book launch on Monday (I know late)

Please advise

Thanks

Soon to be disgruntled customer
(use email as out of range of mobile and it 12.30am here now!)

I sent another email 2 days later after not receiving a response, even though the site hosting admin claim they offer 24/7 support. here is the second email:-

Reply-To: "Soon to be disgruntled customer"
From: "Soon to be disgruntled customer"
To:
Subject: further to my email of the 27.02.10 at 00.24hrs
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 19:56:57 +1100

We can be reached 24/7 via E-mail to answer all of your support related needs. We can be reached at the following...

Hi

I was just wondering what 24/7 means? - I live on earth and 24/7 implies
that I am able to contact someone AT THE COMPANY THAT HOSTS MY SITE and several others that I am responsible for.

I was looking for more hosting - but it would seem that we are on two totally different planets.

Maybe my money is a different colour?

I haven’t done anything wrong - always paid my bills on time, what do I have to do to actually make contact with someone?

Thank-you
Soon to be disgruntled customer

PS here is the email of the 27.02.10 00.24hrs

Hi

I operate my site.info - I think renewed in march - I'm also contact for Clients site (At least I was) and they are (or were) on your servers.

Can I swap it out for another domain? - or do I have to open 2nd hosting plan?

Please advise - would like to point DNS this weekend if we can get everything sorted out for a book launch on Monday (I know late)

Please advise

Thanks

Soon to be disgruntled customer
(use email as out of range of mobile and it 12.30am here now!)

On the 3rd March 2010 - my credit card receives what I consider to be an unauthorised transaction. But then a series of unfortunate events occur - which delay my enquiring about the unauthorised charge. In fact these events keep me tied up for almost 2 weeks, during which time I do not give the matter a second thought.

Noting that I have not heard anything from this supposed 'company' for 18 days, I then out of the blue receive this email:-

Date: Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 6:33 PM
Subject: [#VWB-596984]: Contact Form - Hosting
To: edenxxxxxxxxxxxx.gmail.com


Thank you for your interest in our services. There is no contract and you are free to cancel at anytime.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Thank you,
Cool Handle

Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VWB-596984
Department: Pre-Sales
Priority: Low
Status: Pending

To which I respond:-

From: Soon to be disgruntled customer
Date: Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 8:24 PM
Subject: Re: [#VWB-596984]: Contact Form - Hosting
To: sales@coolhandle.com


It would be really nice if you answered your emails in a timely fashion - considering you claim 24/7 site support

Doesn’t matter - as soon as I receive my credit card statement - you'll be in for a surprise - or maybe earlier

Thanks for NOT helping - I will be removing 2-3 sites (minimum from your servers) due to your poor response time and poor service

Thank-you

Soon to be disgruntled customer
Phone number deleted

What seems to be minutes later the following emails shot backwards and forwards over a period of 30 minutes in total

From: Cool Handle
Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 5:24 AM
Subject: [#VWB-596984]: Contact Form - Hosting
To: edenxxxxxxxxxxxx.gmail.com


Soon to be disgruntled customer,

What websites do you have with us? If you wish to cancel, please follow our procedure.

We are sorry that you want to cancel your account. In order to best serve you, please submit your request from the following form:

https://www.coolhandle.com/cancelation.php

Due to security reasons, we will not terminate account without the cancellation form being submitted with the proper information. We cannot except your cancelation request by any other method except for this cancelation form.

Please note that applicable any refunds will be based on our refund policy and our terms of service. For details regarding our terms of service, please review the following page:

http://www.coolhandle.com/company/legal/terms-of-service/

Thank you,
Cool Handle

Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VWB-596984
Department: Pre-Sales
Priority: Low
Status: Pending

and then I sent this one in response to the above:-

From: Soon to be disgruntled customer
Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 6:58 AM
Subject: Re: [#VWB-596984]: Contact Form - Hosting
To: sales@coolhandle.com


I can just repoint the DNS - I am not an idiot - although you seem to think I am

Without authority OR warning - you debit my credit card and consequently I'm rather pissed and you have failed to address ANY OF the issues I've raised

If you had bothered to read your emails - you would already have this information


Soon to be disgruntled customer
Phone number deleted

and then the reply from the hosting service was:-

From: Peter D.
Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 7:02 AM
Subject: [#VWB-596984]: Contact Form - Hosting
To: edenxxxxxxxxxxxx.gmail.com


Hello,

Thank you for contacting support.

We do apologise for the frustration you are experiencing, and regret losing you as a client. You can simply repoint the DNS if you wish, yes, and that would point all traffic to your domain name to whatever host you choose. However, unless you cancel your account with us, using the forms provided, your account will remain active with us, and you will continue to be billed accordingly.

Again, we regret losing your business, and apologise for the difficulties you have experienced.

Thank you
Thank you,
Peter D.
Cool Handle Hosting

Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VWB-596984
Department: Pre-Sales
Priority: Low
Status: Open

and then my reply - I am very frustrated at this time - they have failed to respond OR answer any question NOR have they answered anything in a timely manner or even attempt to address the issues at the heart of the problem

From: Soon to be disgruntled customer
Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 7:11 AM
Subject: Re: [#VWB-596984]: Contact Form - Hosting
To: sales@coolhandle.com


um - no I won’t as I can STOP it simply by informing the bank that you have accessed my details WITHOUT my authority - failed to supply a Tax invoice, failed to supply an ABN as is required by Australian Tax Law

Need I go on?

You have failed miserably and you know what makes it worse? - You think you are right

I have been with you(and previous owner) for over 4 years and this is how you treat an old, no problems customer?

I pity those that follow in my footsteps.

Soon to be disgruntled customer
Phone number deleted

and then the piece da resistance - when I point out that they have failed to abide by Australian Law and Australian Tax Law and even Australian banking Law

From: Cool Handle
Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 7:12 AM
Subject: [#VWB-596984]: Contact Form - Hosting
To: edenxxxxxxxxxxxx.gmail.com


I wanted to see if you have any further questions or comments regarding this issue. Please contact us if you have any other questions, otherwise you do not need to respond.

Thank you,
Cool Handle
Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VWB-596984
Department: Pre-Sales
Priority: Low
Status: Pending

I'm the first to admit in this instance I MAY have been able to handle it better - but you would think they would read their emails BEFORE responding, particularly if the customer has already refered to previous emails and problems.

I am now in the market for new hosting for a minimum of 2 sites, that a low hit, steady sites, hell we don't even access the cPanel, simply because there is no need to do so most of the time and I keep nothing on the servers.

The sort of clients you should be happy to have!