A last-minute warning to anyone and everyone who has done business with AITcom.net, especially for over one year:

Few customers of AIT seem to be aware of the fact that deep in the fine print, AIT has locked you into a 6-month contract.

Even though they advertise monthly billing and make things look like you go on a monthly basis on the surface of things, the Terms Of Service contract which they hope you will not read (and most people do not) locks you into 6 months of "service."

This practice started a year ago, and if you signed up before then, you got locked into the 6 month contracts when they changed their TOS. Doesn't matter if you didn't directly agree to it, the contract is rigged so that they can change anything at any time and if you don't re-read the posted contract constantly and notice the changes, you're outta luck.

If you ACT NOW, however, you can avoid another 6 months with the shysters: everyone who hosted on AIT for more than one year HAS UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER to get the heck out of Dodge. To be certain, check with AIT (if you can actually reach a billing rep, good luck) and press them on the point.

If you are such a customer and still haven't bugged out by November 1, then you will, I believe, be stuck with them for another 6 months.

ACT IMMEDIATELY--though they'll take your money with a click on the web page, they will refuse to cancel your account unless you fill out an on-line form AND send them a signed fax. And then it takes a few days.

This web host has a long history of horror stories from clients. Most victims have OK service for a stretch, but then (as happened to me) they start jerking you around big time. Double billing, unhelpful or non-existent support, web site and email get yanked off the net constantly and repeatedly, passwords disappear, CGI deactivates, you name it. The 6-month scam is just the cherry on top.

LEAVE THEM NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.


Tokyo

Use that search function tool here in the forum (above)
type in AIT......and you will be reading for daysssss!!

Don't I know it--but I didn't see any warnings about the timing of the end of the 6-month contract so many unfortunate souls are locked into, so I thought I'd do a public service. Even if I've tipped off only one person, it'll be worth it.

By the way, if you read their home page, they boast that they are "Rated #1 with RateHosts.net". Do a WHOIS search on ratehosts.net, and guess what--they are hosted by AIT. Surprise! But here's the hilarious part: try to visit the site for ratehosts.net, and you get a page that reads "Payment Required"! They didn't pay for their own ginned-up review site, and now it's off the air!

Are these guys incompetent, or what?


Tokyo

Not taking sides here, but just out of curiosity what is wrong with a 6 month contract? I've seen some hosts with month to month, 6 month and one year contracts. I see nothing wrong with it. Billing policies and services terms are two different things.

It is just one of those things, you should always read the service terms, contracts, etc... for any service and never assume. If you don't then you really cant bi$#@ about it later like so many do here. You obviously read the terms and have protected yourself from something you did not want which is great (thumbs up).

I haven't read their terms in question but i really see nothing wrong with it from what you stated. It seams pretty standard.

There is nothing standard about making a big deal about how you bill month to month and having it buried waaay deep in fine print that you are agreeing to a 6 month contract.

Highlighting the month to month billing adds to the scam.

Either you're confused and thought Tokyo was talking about an option to be billed monthly, quarterly or yearly (he wasn't) or you work for AIT. I see no other explanation as to why you would side with them on this.

Hi DaveG

I think you has miss interpreted my point. No i do not work for ait.

I understand what you guys are saying it is misleading to and extent.

My point is this just because you enter into a long term contract say for one year it does not mean you are billed for the whole year up front. You can still be billed monthly. This is standard. This happened to me when i got an earthlink dsl connection. I had to sign a two year contract but i pay monthly. If i had to pay for the two years up front i would not have made the purchase. Point being paying monthly was a selling point to me.

Always read the terms. The term Buried deep is only an excuse for not reading the whole contract. The last sentence of a contract is as important as the first.

Maybe i miss interpreted the thread or something.

Originally posted by cs1

My point is this just because you enter into a long term contract say for one year it does not mean you are billed for the whole year up front. You can still be billed monthly. This is standard. This happened to me when i got an earthlink dsl connection. I had to sign a two year contract but i pay monthly. If i had to pay for the two years up front i would not have made the purchase. Point being paying monthly was a selling point to me.

Always read the terms. The term Buried deep is only an excuse for not reading the whole contract. The last sentence of a contract is as important as the first.

Maybe i miss interpreted the thread or something. [/B]

You missed part of it, yes. My main point was that people who signed up more than a year ago, when the fine print did NOT say "six months," had agreed to a one-month contract, and were not sufficiently informed of the switch to six months. I do not think it is reasonable to expect clients to constantly return to the contract and painstakingly compare it to prior versions to look for little changes. The up-front way to do it would be for AIT to contact everyone and make it crystal clear what is happening. When people see the contract clause that allows the party of the first [art to change contract terms, there is the reasonable assumption that (a) changes will be only necessary ones to maintain good service, not attempts to hit up the customer for extra cash, and (b) they will make a good-faith effort to contact people (simple, they host their sites and have their email addresses) and make clear the situation.

In other words, no one signing up for AIT thought they were going to"enter into a long term contract," as you say. In addition, as DaveG pointed out, their advertising makes it look very strongly as if you are entering into a month-to-month contract. Even though the truth is butied in the fine print, and yes, everyone should read the fine print, it is still the fact that (a) such an act IS deceptive and the company clearly wants to hide the information, hoping people will NOT read the fine print, and (b) most people in fact trust the companies they deal with not to try to rob them. Silly of them, of course.

In short, their intent is clear: they wanted to hide the change, and hope their customer wouldn't notice. Whatever the lack on the part of customers, the act on the part of AIT is deceptive and dishonest.


Tokyo

AIT snuck that clause in over a 1 1/2 ago when I left them and it was coming down to legal action to get out of the contract that I did not sign up for.

I simply made a point of their many unresolved BBB claims and it's amazing how fast they applied the credit to my card.

On a side note that is not the reason I left, it was their billing department mishaps (alot of mishaps)

Originally posted by cs1
Not taking sides here, but just out of curiosity what is wron with a 6 month contract? Just in case this isn't clear in other posts, let me try to state it clearly: there's nothing inherently wrong with six month contracts... but, AIT hides this six month commitment within their terms of service. Customers sign up having reasonably come to believe that they are on a monthly agreement, but when they try to cancel are advised that they have to complete the current six month period before being allowed to close their accounts.

There's nothing wrong with six month contracts. There is absolutely something wrong with failing to make long term commitments clear fron the start. Yeah, I'm one of those crazy idealists who think it's wrong to try to deceive your customers.