I recently needed help with my VPS and Chad W. from FirmbIT responded to my post via PM:
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=616022 (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=616022)

In my post, I clearly stated my issue areas, kmemsize and privvmpages usage, diskinodes and quotaugidlimit.

Just for the record I do know what those pertain to, I just need to know what is actually making it reach it's limits and have it optimized.


http://image.bayimg.com/laeejaabj.jpg

In the PM, Chad mentioned that he read my post and can handle my server settings including sysctl and kernel settings for optimum performance.


http://image.bayimg.com/laeepaabj.jpg

I did get quite a few offers, many of them very cheap, but I chose to go with FirmbIT. Even though it was going to cost me $65, they did offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

We offer a 15 day money back guarantee on all of our services, no questions asked! If you are not completely satisfied with our server management or monitoring services within the first 15 days of your signup for any reason at all, you will be given a full refund.
You have absolutely nothing to lose if you're not completely satisfied!

So lets get started.

From that point on we corresponded via their ticketing system. I gave Chad full control over the server to tackle.

Issue:

Chad decides to install CSF (ConfigServer Security & Firewall (http://www.configserver.com/cp/csf.html)), which I never told him to. Second, I already had BFD installed and configured. CSF and BFD cannot run together.


http://image.bayimg.com/maeebaabj.jpg

So it conflicted with my setup and locked me out for hours till I finally was able to get in and disable it.

Upon not doing anything to help my issues, I requested my FREE, No Questions Asked, Refund.


http://image.bayimg.com/maeedaabj.jpg


Obtaining Refund:

As mentioned in the ticketing, I requested a refund, but was never answered and my ticket was closed.

I then called the 800 number on the site but (Chad) let me know that the number was for sales only and that I had to submit a ticket to the "Billing" department.

I logged onto the ticketing system, chose my department and put in my request.
A day later my ticket was deleted.

The following day I put in one more ticket to the "Billing / Sales" departments, watched it patiently to get picked up, but to my dismay, it was deleted again.

On a later day I got a hold of Chad via the "Live Chat" on his website. I told him of my issue (like he didn’t know). Then I let him know that I was about to write a review on his service on WHT.

He quickly offered to take care of the guarantee (I thought that was the billing department’s issue).

I had one more issue now. I no longer have the same CC# and needed to update it somehow.

Chad went ahead with the reverse payment anyways and told me to get back if there is an issue.

Well after a few days, no refund was made.

I contacted Chad again via the "Live Chat" window on his site.
I told him who it was and that we need to resolve the issue and update my card or process the refund in another way.

His Response:

He closed the chat window, then block me and IP range from accessing his site.

- I guess his CSF came in handy on his site. But proxy.org let me get to it anyways.


Well I guess I'm SOL unless he comes around....

Beware of this Fraud!

He provided no service to help my issue
He charged $65
He never honored his refund
He uses childish tactics to avoid his paying clients
He is a one man show

Here is his profile:
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/member.php?u=128796 (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/member.php?u=128796)

Stay Away From FIRMBIT!

I had one more issue now. I no longer have the same CC# and needed to update it somehow.Was that because you did a chargeback on your card and canceled it? If you haven't done so, why not? From what you say, without hearing their side though, it would seem a chargeback is due. Though, it can take a few days for your bank/credit card company to show it on their online real time statements.

Was that because you did a chargeback on your card and canceled it? If you haven't done so, why not? From what you say, without hearing their side though, it would seem a chargeback is due. Though, it can take a few days for your bank/credit card company to show it on their online real time statements.

No. Bank needed to change my number do to a report of information leak by some one that had my info.

Avoidance is the issue here. Deleted tickets, no service rendered, no refund. Not much to argue here. I am happy to post my entire ticketing dialog.

6-27-2007 FirmbIT Started Work
6-30-2007 Asked for Refund via Support Ticket System
7-05-2007 Called FirmbIT Toll Free Number to Request Refund - Deleted
7-05-2007 Resubmitted Ticket to Billing / Sales for Refund - Deleted
7-11-2007 Resubmitted Ticket to Billing / Sales for Refund - Deleted
7-19-2007 Contacted Chad via "Live Chat" to process refund
7-25-2007 Contacted Chad via "Live Chat" to process refund - Blocked

Was that because you did a chargeback on your card and canceled it? If you haven't done so, why not?

If you have exausted all means of communicating with this company and they have not provided the service you paid for (not to mention not honouring their guarantee), your well within your rights to file a chargeback and should do so.

If it was me, I would have done after the second or third deleted ticket.

That sounds pretty shady of them. Especially blocking you from accessing the site. I would hope that FirmBIT chimes in here so we can hear Chad's side of the story.

UPDATE:

I Just talked to Bank of America and they were happy to file my claim against FirmbIT.

The surprising thing they said, even though my CC# changed before FirmbIT processed the refund, it would still credit my account no matter what because they are technically still linked to each other.

So FirmbIT basically lied when he say he processed it! - What a cheat.

UPDATE:

I Just talked to Bank of America and they were happy to file my claim against FirmbIT.



Yeah, definitely a charge-back was in order here.

I personally have zero tolerance for such incompetence. If they start closing tickets I wouldn't wait a minute to call and initiate a charge-back.

Regards

I am surprised they have not responded here. Doesn't look to good.

I am surprised they have not responded here. Doesn't look to good.

It's only been a day. Not every host has an active forum member here. I wish they did, but alas, it is not to be.

--adam

agree with adam, have to wait for their response. one day is not enough cause not all are always on forum like us hehe

FYI He has been on today. I also sent him a nice PM yesterday with a link to this thread and asked him to "Please feel free to respond to your Review."

I noticed he trolls other hosting forums to, so I will post my review on all of them.

Anyways, I don't care if he responds. I just want to do may part and help this community.

Thanks again for everyones advise :)

It's only been a day. Not every host has an active forum member here. I wish they did, but alas, it is not to be.

--adam

This topic doesn't even have to do with webhosting at all. They do server management.

Also I would like to know why my diskinodes and quotaugidlimit is so high.diskinode is high because you have many files.
Inode is a number assigned to each file in your hard disk.
Even if you don't go over your quote, if you have many tiny files, you will have high inode

quotaugidlimit is high because you have many user/group in your system.
Do you happen to have many sites running on your server?

Regarding kmemsize, make sure it is your problem.
If your host is overselling and if one of VPS in your node uses a lot of kmemsize, you will have the same error.
(I think you can see via VZPP)
Also try asking them to raise your kmemsize limit and see if that fixes the problem.
If that doesn't fix it, try checking your php/mod_perl scripts.
You may have a lot of files or sockets getting created and left open for a long period of time.
(Those get left open even if it gets useless)

Did you ever get a refund or hear back from them?

I am surprised they are avoiding this thread. They are very active here.

I am surprised they are avoiding this thread.

There have been several other similar threads that they also never responded to. I'm not really sure why they're still allowed to conduct business on WHT...

The simple thing is Firmbit does not have the skill set required to handle the issue you encountered, it's really that simple.

As for the refund you should have had it like promised but you should just be happy with the chargeback and move on.

lol I came read this thread, looked at his profile


User ID : 128796

Last Activity: Today 07:12 PM
Viewing Forum Employment Offers and Requests @ 07:12 PM

Looking for some other "customers"

What kind of a company are they? If they offer a guarantee they need to honor it to the customer especially since they did nothing to help you. Did you end up getting your money back yet?

Funny. check out their FAQ page


Do you offer any trial period?
We currently do not offer trial periods. If you are not completely satisfied, simply request a refund within the first 30 days of service, and we'll gladly do so.


URL is http://www.firmbit.com/node/14 btw

Never got a refund from him or any response to this thread, emails, or PM (even though he is on this site everyday).

I did get a temp credit from my bank while they investigate.

I am happy to move on, just hope that eveyone stays away from this guy.

and oh- I am still being blocked from accessing his site:

http://image.bayimg.com/pafggaabf.jpg

ha ha he doesnt even have the skills to firewall you , has to use ipdeny in cpanel I bet

has to use ipdeny in cpanel I bet

looks like an htaccess block; is that what cpanel's ipdeny does?

Yeah I think that's what cPanel does, it's just uses htaccess for things like blocking pages, redirects and password directories. As for FirmbIT, thats a joke, and I'm sorry to hear you didn't get a refund.

Good review im aware of it

Hopefully he will try to scam the wrong person and his site will be taken down.

May I recommend filing a complaint at {http//}ic3.gov - I dont have 5 posts yet so I cant do hyperlinks, sorry. :-(

They are a private non-profit organization dedicated to stopping internet fraud. They are a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).

If I were you I would head on over there and file a complaint. I have heard of people getting some good results from there.

Ouch, a nice way to screw customers.

Firmbit really created a mess. I hired him for 2 things. To harden my server and to install ffmpeg.

He was prepaid and he locked me outside! I couldn't login through SSH, After 2 days I got in with my providers( datacenter) help. He half-installed ffmpeg and 5 minutes ago I realize that I can't upload files with FTP.

Chad locked himself and me outside the server and he was acting like it was my fault. I was looking this guy day and night for 3 days, I called in America 3 times and he was avoiding me. We are talking about a live server here, so you imagine that the damage was big. Really if you want to loose your sleep and money use this service. When you visit his site you really can't imagine that this company ( one man show actually) can actually be so unprofessional.

By far the worst service I had. It's the first time that I write a bad review about anything, I think that people should know.