This is the first time in over 7 years that I have a problem like this. I'll try to make the history short.

We have an old time customer, which the past year requested to cancel her account, we provided a link with the instructions which are pretty easy to follow as everybody can see at downtownhost.com/cancel.html (open a help desk ticket with the cpanel username/password for verification). She did not replied, so we forgot it. The past week she contacted us again asking why we did not canceled her account they past year, we told her the reason, and then, I check the logs, and until two minutes after of my answer she (or someone of her organization) was using our service (FTPing and using PhpMyadmin), we told her that, and she said that somehow is our fault because she was unable to transfer her site to a new provider (she have the domain registered through godaddy and we don't even know what's her username/password) I tried to explain her that's not our responsibility to change her nameservers, and that she was actually using our service, therefore that we have to charge her for it. She initiate a chargeback, therefore, we suspended her account (the IP login to the server was the same that the one on the ticket), but we suspended her account because a violation of our TOS, not because she requested the cancellation (which at as today she didn't do it yet)
Well, trying to make this short, she now threat us with post bad reviews here and other reviews site because we charged her (again, for a service that she used) and because we weren't over the "extra mile" when she tried to cancel the past year (as I said, we provided the link to the cancellation page and we did not hear about her again until the past week). She request a refund now for which is not entitled, however, she initiate a chargeback too, therefore, even if I wanted to give her a refund, I can't do it. I'm a bit against the wall and don't know how to make her understand that she have to pay for a service that it was provided, that it's her responsibility to correctly cancel her account and that's not our fault that the guy who manage her domain don't know how to change the nameservers, nor know what to do at this point.

Explain to her that:

1) The domain and hosting are 2 different services and that she register the domain through godaddy so only godaddy can provide help with changing nameservers.

2) You can't offer any refund as she already made a chargeback which means if the chargeback is successful you will loose 2 times the money she owns you.


Personally I allow only manual payments (using our portal) and only subscriptions for the few customers we have from other countries and can't use our website until we translate it. Most people don't even think to ask their webhost to cancel their account, they just don't pay and we suspend their accounts. This way we have zero chargebacks since 2003.

Bad reviews; don't let a customer blackmail you... if they come you have a solid story to tell.

They did a charge back... give them their data, and move on.. even though you are probably right and the customer is wrong (some will say the customer is never wrong, i do not believe you have to accept everything) it will take so much of energy to get this sorted out.

Since the only cost occurred to you are the hosting costs and not renewals costs of the domain give them their backup and wish them well with the next host.

You have a good business with many happy customers, there are always some customers you can not make happy, whatever you try.

I suggest you to just give her all the site data that she needs and move on. You can explain to her that since she has done a chargeback, you do not need to provide her with a refund anymore.

As for posting bad reviews, just respond by explaining your side of the story.

Hmm..Prety bad to blackmail..If you have the time and resource then check for the site logs ( FTP) if how many times they uploaded the pages in your server specially the index ( initial default page) and see if there was any modificatios and check the stats if your provided the service to her and if she has been posting the TT from same IP then compare if the FTP IPs and the TT posting machine IP is same or not ( this could fail as they would have got technical person in some other location too, But try your luck) ... And just find out the forums by general google search with key words that would describe your hosting company as bad and tell your story in that forum for people to judge themselves...

I guess that she already have the data, she's not asking that, indeed, I don't know what else that she want other than a refund, at the same time that she initiated a chargeback, maybe she wants that we "accept" that was partially our fault in this (which after reading over and over I can't see a single reason of why we are guilty of anything here)

I guess that she already have the data, she's not asking that, indeed, I don't know what else that she want other than a refund, at the same time that she initiated a chargeback, maybe she wants that we "accept" that was partially our fault in this (which after reading over and over I can't see a single reason of why we are guilty of anything here)

Then just leave it; burry it deep where you never have to see it again.. And grab a :beer:

This is just one of the many aspects of the hosting business that you'll have to brush off and move on. One bad review from one customer will not ruin your business. Either way, you have a solid defense in your place and she will have no place to go once you tell them your side of the story.

Good luck resolving any remainder of the problem that may exist.