Just looking for advice on how to protect one's self when signing up with a host. Is it better to go with someone who has been running for over a year? How do I protect myself if i prepay for a year's wroth of hosting? What are sure signs that a company is going to fail? What signs should I look for in a good or bad host?



Thanks a lot,
Robert

My advice would be to chose one that has a sustainable record if paying for a year in advance. That's not to say a year is a minimum, but it would be a pretty good start.

Cheers

Gary

How do you protect yourself with singing with a host?

I dunno...Don't pick the Mariah Carey of hosts...?

LOL thanks...i guess i should really get more sleep lol...that sentence had so many grammer and typo mistakes! lol Fixed it now!

Hehehe - I think just about everybody on this forum needs a bit more sleep mate, you aren't alone :)!

we should all just have a national...no wait...global...nap day...where everyone just takes the day off to sleep! :D

Oh the possibilities :D!

Heh - we'd all just go on the net anyway... :eek:

Originally posted by rafiki55
Just looking for advice on how to protect one's self when signing up with a host. Is it better to go with someone who has been running for over a year? How do I protect myself if i prepay for a year's wroth of hosting? What are sure signs that a company is going to fail? What signs should I look for in a good or bad host?



Thanks a lot,
Robert

The amount of time a host has been in business doesn't necessarily mean it's a good host (search cyberwings, *****). Should you decide to prepay for a year, or 6 months, check the hosts Cancellation policy and/or TOS for details on what happens if a) the host goes out of business and falls of the face of the earth b) you decide to switch hosts c) the host gets bought out.

In this market there are no sure signs that a company is going to fail. However, indications include rapid price increases (ask the prospective host when their prices last increased), "brownouts" in service, degrading support etc.

Signs to look for in a bad host: Communication (or lack thereof). If your prospective host makes it hard for you to contact them, start your hunt again. Design: beleive it or not, a good host will want their website to look good (whodda thunk it:rolleyes:). hosts lacking a good website probably also lack funds for providing a decent level of service....

that's about all i can think of right now....

Originally posted by NoelRock
I dunno...Don't pick the Mariah Carey of hosts...?

:laugh:

1. Use a credit card
2. Don't pay for 1 year. Not worth the risks in my book.

I'd pay for 1 or 2 months each month. If you still like it, go for the year.

but if you sign up for a year you save around $28 dollars...are you saying it's not worth the risk?

Originally posted by rafiki55
but if you sign up for a year you save around $28 dollars...are you saying it's not worth the risk?

As a client, I would again research the hosts cancellation policy and/or TOS to make sure that you would get your money back should something happen. Prepayments are a great way to save lots of money and you should go for it whenever possible, as long as you feel comfortable.

I would recommend prepaying, but once again, research research research!

alright thanks for all the help!!!!

and if i take over the world one day, i'll be sure to make a global nap day! ;)

Originally posted by rafiki55
alright thanks for all the help!!!!

and if i take over the world one day, i'll be sure to make a global nap day! ;)

no, no, no...you gotta be optomistic...

...it's WHEN not if :D

btw, global nap day should be right after turkey day ;)

Worried about saving $28?
You should be more worried about losing $(insert amount of yearly hosting here) dollars, if they go down.
Peace of mind is worth spending the $28 to me :D

Hosts that force you to pay yearly (not to be confused with hosts that simply offer it) usually do not allocate the funds to keep up with their monthly server fees. They quickly go down when they don't get enough people signing up per month to pay for their server.