I have been an AIT customer since the beginning (1995.) Yes, like others here, their billing department has always jerked me around, but it always worked out in the end. But this is the final straw.

I went online to check my billing statement for the usual errors. Imagine my surprise when I found that my monthly bill had increased by about
30%! Figuring that this must be another error on their part, I went to their website to check the resellers price for a virtual host. It has always been $2.00 per virtual host. Now, on their reseller page, it says in small print that each Virtual Host is $3.99!

I don't have a problem with a company raising prices but raising them by 100%? They also did not inform me that they would be raising prices. Question is, can they do this in the middle of one of their infamous "billing cycles?" Didn't I agree to one price for the term of the contract? And how in the hell do I get out of this mess without having to owe them hundreds of dollars?

Just thought I would inform all. Thanks for any suggestions.

Well, all I will say since I'm somewhat bitter about AIT is contact them asap and try to resolve.. and also go to the better business bureau asap.. thats the only way I've seen AIT jump.. (http://www.bbb.org - file a complaint)

good luck,
raqworld

Yep, I've been with them for 6 mos. personally and just ordered new hosting elsewhere...their pricing just plain sucks.

Jason

Well, I started with them in 1996, and back then, their pricing rocked! They were the "rackshack" of that time for resellers.. the problem is that they haven't changed or put any additonal "value" into their plans.. especially since the competition is now more fierce. I think that is where they have gone wrong..

laterz,
raqworld

Thanks for your replies, but have any other AIT customers noticed the price jump on their invoice this month or is it just me? Their billing manager is not responding.

I to am with AIT. I knew about the increase at the beginning of Dec. It was in their newsletter, just a blurb.

They pumped up that they were increasing the disk space and # of virt hosts you could have, with a "by the way" at the end saying that the VH charge is 3.99

As soon as I can get my sites moved, I am so outta there.

I am with AIT also. There price increase was the straw that broke the camels back! I am sooo outa there! They used to be the best, now they are struggling to keep there current customers.
Let alone get any new ones.
Any suggestions as to who would be a good choice for my hosting needs?
Cab
:beer:

Maybe they had to raise their prices to pay for all those 12-gauge shotguns.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20020111/tc/fort_ait_prepares_for_invasion_1.html

Not being rude or anything to AIT, but that was probably the dumbest CNet article I've ever read.. My question is who cares?
Obviously the exmilitary officers are still loosing customers..

They has an article on ZDnet about the same subject.
I think they are installing missles next!
Cab
:beer:

http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2838370,00.html

Originally posted by cabweb
They has an article on ZDnet about the same subject.
I think they are installing missles next!
Cab
:beer:
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2838370,00.html


Interesting comments by users at the bottom in the "TalkBack" section...

My disk usage went from 200 to 850 in less than one weeks time, hense a $400 bill. I would like to get names and addresses of those who would like to contact an attorney with me on this. Let me know if you are with me on this.

I simply dumped AIT. The prices were just too high to deal with.
The billing department was always making errors so they are history. I hope that you write to their support teams and then escalate the issue. That is the only way you will get it fixed.
That is from my past experience with them.
Good Luck
:uzi: SPAMMERS

The same happened to me - they suddenly enabled the MySQL daemon logging, so that they could charge me $900. I'd be mode than happy to supply evidences for you about their unfair business practices.


Originally posted by beenthere
My disk usage went from 200 to 850 in less than one weeks time, hense a $400 bill. I would like to get names and addresses of those who would like to contact an attorney with me on this. Let me know if you are with me on this.

You guys are in bad shape if you can't make money on 3.99 per domain. I agree that they should have notified you of a price increase. But is 1.99 increase really that big of a deal? I mean seriously. If you really want to have control of your business then, pull your own T, build your own servers and manage your own network. Thats what I did. I pay a lot more than your piddly little 3.99 per domain. And I have been profitable despite all that.

My Two cents,

The point is beyond the 3.99 issue - the AIT guys simply turned on the mysql logging lately and charging amazing amount of over-usage charges for those logfiles.

Originally posted by TeleSouthNet
You guys are in bad shape if you can't make money on 3.99 per domain. I agree that they should have notified you of a price increase. But is 1.99 increase really that big of a deal? I mean seriously. If you really want to have control of your business then, pull your own T, build your own servers and manage your own network. Thats what I did. I pay a lot more than your piddly little 3.99 per domain. And I have been profitable despite all that.

My Two cents,

Originally posted by TeleSouthNet
You guys are in bad shape if you can't make money on 3.99 per domain. I agree that they should have notified you of a price increase. But is 1.99 increase really that big of a deal? I mean seriously. If you really want to have control of your business then, pull your own T, build your own servers and manage your own network. Thats what I did. I pay a lot more than your piddly little 3.99 per domain. And I have been profitable despite all that.

My Two cents,

Is was not just the small increase, but the toal amount they were charging for their sevices. They are out of line compared to many other reputable hosting and reseller providers.

my three cents.....

Originally posted by TeleSouthNet
You guys are in bad shape if you can't make money on 3.99 per domain... I pay a lot more than your piddly little 3.99 per domain. And I have been profitable despite all that.

This is an interesting comment. I help operate a network that could feed a few hundred T-1's but who makes the most money - the server farm or the "virtual" hosting company?

Look no farther for the answer - it is the virtual hosting company. The one that did not feel compelled to own the hardware and watch over the dedicated feeds to the network. As we all know hardware is worth spit in 24 months. If I had it to do again, I would have stayed a small virtual hosting company - owned no hardware and would not worry about peering relationships, multi-homing, backhoe-fade, OSPF versus static, payroll, ARIN allocations and all the rest.

Stay nimble, stay small, stay "virtual" and take your money to the bank. :)

Scott Hirsch

It's not a matter of not being able to make any money at $3.99 a domain. That would be cool it that is all you had to pay. You pay a minimum of 89.95 a month PLUS 3.99 a domain and you can only host 30 domains on the plan. That makes it very difficult to be competitive in todays market. This doesn't even take into consideration that their support sucks! This only provides you with a total of 500 MB of space too.

Their billing system is wacked too. The billing system was down for maintenance from March 1 -March 5th. It didn't actually come up until the 7th and on the morning of the 9th I had hate mail waiting for me saying 'why haven't you paid your bill'.

Just my two cents worth.

I switched over to Ventures Online. Great company! Plus, my monthly bill went from over $100 a month with AIT to $48 a month with Ventures Online. What a savings!

File all complaints with the BBB Online.
You might just make a difference.

If you can't:

1. Deal with vendor short comings that happen in every business
2. Run your own business well enough overcome the weaknesses of
others involved ie: vendors, customers etc
3. Make money at 3.99 per domain

Then you had best to close the doors and quit wasting everyones time. Including your own. Because you are NOT SERIOUS about this business. And it is in essense your hobby, not your business.

My two cents

Hi,

I could not understand why anyone these days is still paying by virtual account. I thought that went out a long time ago, next it will be out with the bandwidth as well on resellers and just have a KBs per second limit...

Paul Hughes

Originally posted by TeleSouthNet
You guys are in bad shape if you can't make money on 3.99 per domain. I agree that they should have notified you of a price increase. But is 1.99 increase really that big of a deal?


Hahaha! Sorry, 2 cents, but I pay NOTHING, meaning NICHTS, NADA, NIENTE for any addtl domain I host. Not a dime. So, I'd be happy to host your's, just make sure to send me those 3.99/month, hahaha!!

AIT is a bunch of ex-military morons, trying to implement those long laughed at military 'ideals' and 'follow your orders' crap on the net - where it's just not gonna fly for much longer haha

Anybody that agrees with their way of business better make sure to make a lot of cash real quick and then retire FAST - or it'll all go down the drain it should have gone down to begin with~~~

Originally posted by TeleSouthNet
If you can't:

1. Deal with vendor short comings that happen in every business
2. Run your own business well enough overcome the weaknesses of
others involved ie: vendors, customers etc
3. Make money at 3.99 per domain

Then you had best to close the doors and quit wasting everyones time. Including your own. Because you are NOT SERIOUS about this business. And it is in essense your hobby, not your business.

My two cents


Bwahahahaha!!!

Now there's a good one! So, you'd rather pay 3.99 for actually nothing/month, instead of pocketing those 3.99 yourself or reducing the price to your customer by that?

Hahaha, dude, you really don't know what your'e talking about, this is too funny~~~~

I'll glady give you my account number, where you can deposit as many increments of 3.99 as you want, hahaha Bwahaha Ahahaha

There is NO reason what so ever to charge A DIME for addtl domains if you bought disk and b/w space. No reason at all. I can set up as many domains as I want within my limit of space, and THAT'S how it should be and will be.

In the mean time I smile while your provider is laughing all the way to the bank - and back home ~~ hahaha:laugh:

Look at the age of this thread. I am sure the person you are even reponding too isn't even around here anymore, plus their prices changed since this thread started.


AIT is a bunch of ex-military morons

Love to hear you say that to one of their faces. :rolleyes:

Love to hear you say that to one of their faces. :rolleyes: [/B]

Haha, what, I'm supposed to be afraid of some brainwashed "follow this order - ask no questions" *****?

Just send them my way, haha!

BTW, AIT threads never die here, there's at least one that's probaby 3 years old now

:D