I have a abusive user on one of my servers , his forum has put the loads on the server in question to 4.00+ , I have pinpointed it to his account.

I guess I am really looking for advice cause I am sure he will ask for a refund , never really had to deal with this and wouldn't this be some type of server abuse , should I just give him a refund and cut my losses , cause in the long run if I keep him I will lose customers and I can't justify what he pays for the price per month. He really needs to be on a dedicated server , his forum had 63 members and 43 guest on at one time :eek:

Any advice would be appreciated :)

is he breaking your terms of service? The heavy load is impacting on other people using the same server?

You have to do what you have to do, you should recommend him to get a dedicated webserver solution as shared hosting is not for him.

Send him an email describing the situation. Most people understand they have a popular website and knows a dedicated solution would be best for them.

Also, it is up to you if you want to give him a refund or not. How much damage did he do? Did he cause other cancellations because of him using up all the server resources?

Thanks for the advice :)

Yeah I just sent him a email explaining the situation and I don't see any real damage other than the load spiking 4.00 -7,00 , should I wait back for his response I have the account suspended currently and the loads now are well below 0.50 now and my nerves are much better.

Make sure to give him time to remove/retrieve his files from your server.

Do you have anything in your TOS that limits the amount of reimbursement a client can expect if they put a heavy load on the server?

Do you have any caveat that warns that if a client runs any programs that put an excessive load on the server their account may be suspended, terminated, or at least not renewed?

Do you have the ability to resell dedicated servers?

It would be ideal if you could approach the client with both a notice that he is putting too high a load on the server and a solution/suggestion: something like "Your account could be upgraded to x plan" or "I can set you up on a dedicated server for y".

EDIT: ...and in the time I took to type this out, you seem to have found a solution. Some days, this place moves too fast.

What forum software is he using? Why such a load? What is the nature of the forum? Lots of downloads?

Asking those questions because they certainly play into the issue of your TOS and AUP. I would look at alternatives I could offer him.

If there are none, I would advise him of a termination date and assist him in moving. Meanwhile, I would refund one month as a courtesy.

It is situations like this that a well thoughtout TOS is a real life saver.

This subject along with other things that can happen should all be covered in a TOS, along with refunds and when they are entitled to one.

CyberSorcerer

What does the "4.00 -7.00" stand for? MB per second or Gigs per second? Or something else?

Originally posted by Benjamin
What does the "4.00 -7.00" stand for? MB per second or Gigs per second? Or something else?

I think in this instance the 4.00 is referring to CPU load.

Originally posted by freakysid


I think in this instance the 4.00 is referring to CPU load.

Yes Cpu Load is correct

try installing php accelerator ( http://www.php-accelerator.co.uk/ ). if that fails to bring the load down enough for it to be tolerable, you will have to terminate him.

remember, he can always do a chargeback, and as far as i know, your chances of winning are rather small. giving a pro-rated refund for the time he will not use your services minus your transcation costs would most likely be the best solution.

Thanks for the link, Paul.

-Eric.