Hi everyone,

I would very much appreciate to hear your opinions about this matter.

This is about the LunarPages.com pricing page and why I think it may be misleading their customers.

For your reference, please go see the following thread at the LunarPages.com forum. I will give you the gist in the next lines.

http://www.lunarforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000613

I started that thread asking LP (LunarPages) to consider setting up special paid packages to their former free account holders. One of the other members said that the only promotion he/she could think of was waiving the setup fee. Since I had seen their pricing page...

http://www.setup.lunarpages.com/hosting.html

.... where under "Setup Fee," it says "FREE!," I replied that they weren't charging for setup already. Another member (whom I think is part of the LP staff) said that they were indeed charging a setup fee for the 3-month and 6-month packages but there was no setup fee for the 12-month package.

So I replied saying that their pricing page does not say they charge setup fees for any packages at all. Furthermore, it doesn't say that they offer different packages (aside from their Standard and Premium Plans, of course.) I added that I thought that was misleading and to please fix it.

Max is one of the staff members over there. He replied with the following:

"It is not misleading, it clearly states that on the page when you actually sign up for the hosting.
It is a general practice, and is used by alot of other hosts as well."

And he closed the thread.

My question to you. Do you think their pricing page is misleading? Is this "used by a lot of other hosts as well"?

Indeed, once you click on the Order Now button, they show a drop down menu with the different packages/pricing/setup fees for you to choose. But I still think that their pricing page is misleading and would like to hear your thoughts on this.

Best regards,

Jessica

Well it's definately misleading, but not in a fraudulent way. It's on the dropdown when you order, so you have no choice but to see it.

What's far worse is the way the support person handled you asking about it, IMHO. Using the 'but mom, that teacher fails everyone' defense isn't really a good defense.

Thanks Andrew.

Hopefully, others would like to offer more comments.

Jessica

Yes, it's misleading.

The way the table is set out, it appears there is no setup fee for monthly payment plans. If they had an * next to the words setup fee (setup fee*), then at the bottom of the page, or even on another page, explained that (*set up is free for yearly subscription) then it wouldn't be misleading, but as it stands at the monet, it is deceptive in what it claims, then spring a set up fee on you, when you go to the signup page.

Likewise, the monthly cost implies that it is the set price per month. Again a simple * would indicate that the $7.95 per month is only when you agree to sign up for 12 months with them.

This my personal opinion though, other way think differently :)

What has me really annoyed is that Max said, and I quote:

"It is not misleading, it clearly states that on the page when you actually sign up for the hosting.
It is a general practice, and is used by alot of other hosts as well."

The last bolded sentence led me to this forum. I haven't seen any of the good hosts here do what he says it's a "general practice."

Hope we hear from more hosts.

Thanks,

Jessica

Most hosts don't charge a setup fee for an intangable object that is a shared account.

I think most hosts show their setup fees, if any, BEFORE the customers start the signing up process.

When he mentioned that most hosts hide these fees until after pressing the 'sign-up' button, I wanted to reply. But he had closed the thread.

I used to recommend LunarPages but I don't know if I would now ...

Jessica

When i say others do the same as we do.. i am talking about professional hosts, like Ipowerweb and Powweb. Take a look at their sites.

Those two are our biggest competitors. Both of them also have hidden costs for MySQL, scripting and everything else.

Something we do not charge anything for.. I really think you are a little unfair here. We even offer superior support compared to most other webhosting companies.

Too bad you find us so bad. Just because we have a small setup fee on our quarterly and bi yearly plans. I will make it more clear if that is what you want.

I just wonder what this thread is all about.. you did notice the setup fees didint you? They are clearly there.. BEFORE you need to fill any payment information.

The free setup only applies to the yearly contract. As it does on all other similar webhosting companies out there.

When i say others do the same as we do.. i am talking about professional hosts, like Ipowerweb and Powweb. Take a look at their sites.

What are you talking about? There are hundreds of host who offer what you do. The only place I even see you guys or have ever heard of you is at webhostingratings.com. Maybe that is where you get the idea they are your compitition? Well, there are hundreds of other directories.

We even offer superior support compared to most other webhosting companies.

Says who? You? No offense, but where are you getting this from? Do you have data on this?

I think Jessicam makes a very good point. I can see where the average user would feel mislead. But I guess since others do it - it is OK. :rolleyes:



i am talking about professional hosts, like Ipowerweb and Powweb.

If you read post here about these two companies, I think some would argue this.....

Ok.. i was joking about Ipowerweb and powweb was professional :D

They are rather well known though.

Anyway.. i hope everyone is pleased with the changes i made on our website.

I just want to show you all we are as honest as you can be.

Ok.. i was joking about Ipowerweb and powweb was professional

OK, I was worried for a second.

And btw... yes we have alot of user input about our support, if you call that evidence. And we get alot of word of mouth signups.

But ofcourse we cannot please everyone. But as long as support tickets are solved within hours instead of days. Most people are happy.

Just look what someone did to http://www.lunarpage.com

it is redirecting to Ipowerweb :angry:

Thats awful business practice.

Originally posted by Maximiliam
Ok.. i was joking about Ipowerweb and powweb was professional :D


Professional? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I realize this thread is more than a month old but I feel compelled to comment. While IANAL, and I don't play one on tv. I do have knowledge /experience of the subject.

Your intitial page should have some type of disclaimer that there are conditions to the price and free setup advertised on your hosting page.

People do not find out about those conditions until they "enter your store" by clicking the Order Now button. Look at any promotion flyer/ad/sign in the real world. If there are conditions to the prices advertised, there's a disclaimer (usually really small type at the bottom, but it's there)..

Wow, I guess I missed some posts, especially those by Max. I've been busy setting up a new computer and other things. :)

Anyway, I agree with both UmBillyCord and JeffM.

1) Max said: "We even offer superior support compared to most other webhosting companies."
Max, how do you back that up?

2) The setup fees are still NOT shown in your front page or your Hosting Plans page. A potential client still has to click the "Order Now" button, THEN on the drop down menu to find out about these setup fees.

Max, when you said "i hope everyone is pleased with the changes i made on our website," I thought you meant you had changed the data on your site to inform the client of the setup fees from the get-go. This *IS* what this thread is about. What changes did you mean?

Originally posted by Maximiliam
Too bad you find us so bad. Just because we have a small setup fee on our quarterly and bi yearly plans. I will make it more clear if that is what you want.

Please DO.

Originally posted by Maximiliam
I just wonder what this thread is all about.. you did notice the setup fees didint you? They are clearly there.. BEFORE you need to fill any payment information.

I certainly did notice the setup fees AFTER I was told about them in the LP forum, but certainly not before. I wonder, did you read my first post on this thread?

I hope you post back and consider what is said here. At least here you can't close the thread like you did in the LP forums without giving the user a chance to reply. That's unfair.

All in all, I would love for LP to have a profitable business as long as it is doesn't mislead prospect clients.

Regards,

Jessica

Jessica-

What's your beef with this company? You aren't a customer, you almost were but you found something you felt was misleading, you then alerted everyone here to it and then he agreed to change the things you wanted him to - what more do you want?

Consumers vote by spending their money elsewhere. Why don't you just do that?

-WC-

..

WildCard - Hello. There is no beef. I'm just concerned as a consumer. Is this something wrong? And, if you read my previous post, you will see that Max did NOT really correct/change anything at issue here.

Max - It's too bad that you haven't answered any of my questions in your reply. Again, the issue here is "not to mislead the potential client." Before a client decides to order, he/she reviews the hosting plans. The decision to sign up with a host is made BEFORE hitting the order button. So having the setup fees posted AFTER hitting the order button is not the way to do good business. It's simple as that.

Too bad LP doesn't see this.

Regards,

Jessica

..

Originally posted by Maximiliam
Jessica, what is it up to you where they see it? As long as they see it, it is not misleading! And by the way, you are WRONG. Before they even begin to fill in any information, they will see if there is a setup fee or not.

They will even see it, if they click on more info on our comparison page.


Max,

Comparison Page (AKA Hosting Plans page):

http://www.lunarpages.com/hosting.html

Under setup fee it says, "Free."

If you mean clicking that little yellow icon to find out that "The setup fee is waived if you sign-up for a twelve month contract," then that's better than before. But still, (1) It isn't straight-forward. (2) There is no explanation (in http://www.lunarpages.com/hosting.html) of what that yellow icon does. Many people won't know that it's clickable. Only those intermediate, and advanced users are likely to know what to do.

Anyway, since you don't really answer my questions I see no point to continue to address this unless there is a good reason to. I hope that you, behind the scenes, think about what this thread is about and make improvements accordingly.

Best wishes,

Jessica

..

I still think you are wrong by saying that we have a misleading setup fee.

Her point is simple and correct. You offer a misleading "Free Set up". Let me ask you a question. If I sign up for a monthly plan, is my set up fee "Free"? No. Hence you just lied to me.

Look, you can argue all you want with people. The bottom line is you have a false statement on your site and if you want to play people for fools, that is your problem. I assure you - someone will eventually have enough time and resources to prove this another way. It is only a matter of time.

Is up to you if you want to pay for a shorter term or not. We do not force your or make it complicated to choose whatever term you would like to have.

Then you need to state so on that part of your site. Just like all good host do. Telling someone something is free only to find out it had a stipulation upon order is wrong.

Max,

I've never even heard of lunarpages or Jessicam or anyone else in this thread, so take this as unbiased advice: The Free! setup fees that turn out to be $30 for non-yearly accounts would drive me away from your business. Many potential clients would find them misleading and irritating.

Just a friendly opinion. :)

..

Originally posted by Maximiliam
Jessica,

I still think you are wrong by saying that we have a misleading setup fee.

Yes, of course your potential customers are wrong... hahaha yep, sure they are.

They probally suck too, steal, lie, and run around with scissors and leave the lights on and the toilet lid up.

Is there anything else you feel an sudden urge to complain about?

Oh, no. You find out current customers and lost potential customers found your "Free Set Up" that wasn't free, misleading. Oh, no! The world is out to get you.....

Max I too have no vested interest in this issue, and I could care less what happens later on or where you business goes.

But having "free" in your table on the hosting page is misleading. I personally hate companies that have hidden costs. Now, yes you have made changes but you still refuse to take away the word "free" from the table. Its as bad as only showing a tiny little link to your TOS only when you begin to sign up.
Take it from people on this board - most people are very educated about marketing strategies price...etc.
A better strategy for yourself would be to advertise "pay for a year and get free setup!" People don't like to be sucked in to a Great Deal! only to be disappointed with an unforseen cost.

I used to be a web designer and I had to shop for a host, no not very many people use the strategy you have used, and no i wouldn't be a customer of someone who deliberatly led me to believe something that wasn't entirely true. Its a half truth. Its worse than an outright lie. Outright lies you can spot. Half truths you need to do a little digging to find the answer. I agree with Jessicam naive consumers looking to host their site will skip through the "Free" setup and take it as true without exception. The educated consumer will see right through it and can only speculate as to what else this provider is hiding.

So with the comments posted in this thread heres my $0.02, hopefully you can buy yourself a Happy meal with your newfound wealth because you won't see any business from me nor from my aquintances.

(So this doesn't turn into a flame war I mean nothing hostile towards you or your business, this was just strictly my opinion as a web designer.)

Thankyou,

..

..

Well see thats clearly stated :-)

I won't waste anymore of yours or my time with this.
My last post...

If it is so rediculous, don't add to it with insults and unprofessional comments, unless a nerve has been hit...

You are right.. i deleted my comments.

And page has been changed.

Thank you Max. ;)

:D

Alls well that ends well. :D
Too bad sometimes it's like pulling teeth.