Would like to share my AffordableColo support and billing story, definitely not a company that I could rely on in this aspect.

Background:

I have (had) a 1U Rackmount server colocated through AffordableColo at the Colo4Dallas facility, for about a year. It's a personal server, just hosted some friends websites, my personal site, and test sites -- so nothing business related, nothing mission critical. Anyways, I have no complaints with the network what-so-ever, my server had good uptime, speed and access times. But also, during this time, rarely did I ever have to take up an issue with the billing or support departmenta, other than perhaps three reboots in the year period. However, on March 18, my colocated server begin logging Disk Errors as the hard drive had gone bad. Being a personal server, I'm not inclinded to pay anyone an hourly rate to replace the drive, and at that point I wanted to recolocate the server to a closer facility geographically (I live in Wisconsin). Here come the problems.

The Problem:

Upon realizing the hard drive failure, I contacted AffordableColo via a support ticket saying I would like the server shipped back, and that I also plan on discontinuing my contract (3 month contract at AffordableColo), so I inquired as to where I was at in my 3 month cycle, so I'd know how many extra months I'd be paying. I was told, in essence, no problem, just arrange a prepaid pickup through FedEx or UPS.

I don't run a business, and I don't ship anything out, but Charles informed me this is the only way they will ship out a server, is if I prepay for it. I had just assumed they could bill my credit card, the same one they've never had a problem billing the entire length of my contract, with the shipping charge. So after talking to FedEx, and figuring out how to arrange such a pickup, and getting the necessary information from Charles for the pickup (since their website provides next to no information on such procedures), I arranged the pickup through FedEx. I admit, the first one I messed up, and arranged the wrong type of pickup, so I submitted another pickup request, they made three pickup attempts, with no package available. The FedEx receptionist couldn't give me exact reason, I assume there was no package at the desk for pickup. These pickup attempts where around the date of April 8th (FedEx makes three attempts on three consecutive days). After not getting any package picked up, I contacted Charles, who informed me he did not know what the issue was. At this, I requested another call tag pickup, with three attempts made April 30, May 1st, and May 2nd. Again, no package was picked up. Getting fed up with this, I provided Charles with my FedEx account number, so that the package could be billed to my account and thus their payment concerns a non-issue, he agreed, sent account number on 5/15/2003, and still no server.

More Details:

Simply put, I am having severe problems with the reliability and professional service of AffordableColo on this issue, and all I would like is my server back that had a hardware failure two plus months back. I admit, I didn't pursue this issue as much as I should have (I'm a student, had exams and work to worry about, personal server takes the backseat), but it's to the point of being ridiculous. If I send a paragraph in an email to Charles @ AffordableColo, I rarely got more than a two sentence response, usually addressing only one of my several questions proposed.

In my last conversation, via AOL Instant Messenger with Charles regarding why I have no received my server yet, my response was "not sure, bud, have you not get it".

Another aspect of this company I take issue with is their lack of information regarding procedures. I would have liked to know that I need to arranged a prepaid pickup to get my server back. I would have liked to know there is a $65.00 packaging fee. I would have liked to know there is a "Rack mount shelf fee" of $15.00 a month since my front and back rack mounts where not sufficient for their setup. Perhaps I lot of these things are a given in the colocation industry, since I'm something of a novice? Most of all my communication has been via email, which perhaps is the wrong medium for this company. When I tried calling a few times, I got a busy style message, but admittantly this was only one day.

So, what's the jist of this...
I guess I would like to ask the community
a) Is prepaying a pickup standard practice for having your server returned to you?
b) Any tips on getting my server back, since at this point, AffordableColo seems uncapable of shipping a box?
c) Anyone else have similar experiences with this company? Or positive experiences?

I admit my motives may not be perfect for posting this, since part of me would like to see some public reaction, for the mere fact it might help get my server back, but everything in my portion of the story is accurate to the best of my knowledge. And this leaves out issues with billing since the period my service was supposed to have been cancelled. Sorry for the length...

- Kyle

a) I don't have any idea what the pickup is all about. The place I used to colo with just ask me to authorize the packaging fee, fedex fee, and everything on a credit card (or sometimes there is a last month deposit and they take it out of that) and they would have everythign packed up and shipped off to me. Most are prepaid. They also need the balancee to be up to date. Don't expect to get your equipment back if you owe them money.

b) Yes, What you need to do is to send a guy into the facility and unmount it by yourself from their racks and walked out with it.

c) I never went with them. Sorry.

I completely understand a company would not ship your server out if you had an outstanding balance with them, makes sense, but my monthly payments are automatically charged to a credit card, and have never been missed. I guess having to arrange a prepaid pickup through a carrier doesn't really bug me that much, it was just something I've never had to do before so seemed a little unusual. What bugs me is when I do arrange this and the package still doesn't get sent .

I'd love to send a guy down there, if I had a guy to send, lol. Maybe my friends can swing a road trip to Dallas this summer :)

How far are you from Dallas?

About 1000 miles, I live in Milwaukee, WI.

On the plus side, my temporary server hosted off my cable modem connection has been amamzingly stable all this time. (Just to re-iterate, it's just a personal server for friends/my sites, I do not run a business of this server or off my cable modem connection).

Sounds like shady business practices to me... hopefully Charles will prove me wrong.

Do you really expect someone to let a server go out when the name on the box is not the same as the name on the tag? We ship several boxes per day out. When UPS or FedEx show up and ask for a package for the ABC company, we look to see if one is marked ABC. If the name is obvious, we will send it out. This one was not.

If you are going to have a pickup under another name it is your responsibility to tell Charles the name that will be on the tag. I would rather not send out a server because the name was wrong than try to track one down that went out incorrectly.

On the billing issue, if you are telling someone you are cancelling service most will ask for advanced payment for services. Too often customers dont pay their last bill so he doesnt want to put time in for something he wont get back. If he has to remove the server from the rack and pack it up for shipment you should expect to pay for it. It takes time for a tech to do. I know there is way more than an hour tied up in removing this server so he asked that you pay an hour of support, or come get it yourself. It was more convenient for you so you should expect to pay something for a convenience.

If you have a pickup scheduled with your company name on the pickup slip I will bet they get it right the first time. I know they will because I see it happen every day. If you have a different name on the pickup let Charles know in advance. But mindreading is something that should not be expected.

Originally posted by pvanmeter
If he has to remove the server from the rack and pack it up for shipment you should expect to pay for it. It takes time for a tech to do. I know there is way more than an hour tied up in removing this server so he asked that you pay an hour of support, or come get it yourself. It was more convenient for you so you should expect to pay something for a convenience.

Don't you think that if they're going to have a policy where the customer must pay for the removal and packaging of the system, it should be listed on the site along with all the other service fees?

I guess it's more convenient to make those things up on the fly, eh?

<Snip, sorry, double posted cause I don't know how to use a web browser>

Okay, I've got to update on the situation. Got home from work today, low and behold, my package from FedEx that contained my server, so I feel somewhat bad about my rant, but I think my opinions are still valid, there's really a lack of communication coming from the companies support stuff.

My support ticket that requests the shipment, with explicit asking to email me with the tracking number to be sent when the server is shipped, is still "Open" and "Unanswered".

Also, my server slide rails did not come back with the server, despire "Also, the server shipped out with server rack rails... but I'm not sure if they were utilized, since I was charged for a "rack mount shelf". I would just like to verify that they are included with the server being shipped back. " being in my support ticket. So alas, not all is well.

I'm also completely baffled on how four screws were out of the motherboard mounts, and one out of the powersupply mount, just rattling in the case. I can't imagine screws get that loose, but now I think I'm just being paranoid.

Do you really expect someone to let a server go out when the name on the box is not the same as the name on the tag? We ship several boxes per day out. When UPS or FedEx show up and ask for a package for the ABC company, we look to see if one is marked ABC. If the name is obvious, we will send it out. This one was not.

Is this directed to me? I'm not familiar with who you are or what company you work for, which would be helpful. Considering I do not have a company, nor a company name specified on my colocation contract, I can't imagine why my name for the last 20 years of my life "Kyle Stittleburg" is not the same as the name on the box. As if for some reason it wasn't the same (???) why wouldn't I be contacted to clear up this discrepency.

On the billing issue, if you are telling someone you are cancelling service most will ask for advanced payment for services. Too often customers dont pay their last bill so he doesnt want to put time in for something he wont get back. If he has to remove the server from the rack and pack it up for shipment you should expect to pay for it. It takes time for a tech to do. I know there is way more than an hour tied up in removing this server so he asked that you pay an hour of support, or come get it yourself. It was more convenient for you so you should expect to pay something for a convenience.

That's fine, I have no problems with paying a fee to package my server. I am very cool with that, but as brandonk posted, a schedule of fees would really be nice so that the customer is informed of applicable charges.

pvanmeter is Mr. Colo4Dallas. That is where Charles colos his servers at. Glad your server made it back!

puckiee, you are not the first one with this problem with AffordableColo. We have had to wait for many many weeks to get one of our servers back.

Just like in your case, FedEx came multiple times and the server was not ready for pick-up.

They also asked to arrange pre paid pick-up, which I guess is ok. Problem is, we were billed for all these attempted pick-ups.

Oddly enough, one of the times the server was not given to FedEx, I was told by AffordableColo that the name on the tag did not match. Sounds familiar?

Unlike in your case where you had a personal server, we lost a large customer due to this. The customer went as far as contacting the Dallas police since all evidence made it seem a theft had occurred (this was the customer's server).

I have to point out through, the server eventually came unharmed. To Charles's credit, he promised that an investigation will be conducted and that measures are being taken to make sure this will never happen again.

I have to point out through, the server eventually came unharmed. To Charles's credit, he promised that an investigation will be conducted and that measures are being taken to make sure this will never happen again.


I guess he forgot about the last part. However, I've talked with him about sales in the past, and I'm impressed with his knowledge and way of business.

Originally posted by jayjay
I guess he forgot about the last part.

Puckiee got his server back later than we did, so maybe Charles did do something about it.