Please read the entire correspondence between the parties:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----------
From: Mark Da Silva <mark@neaturl.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 14:41:48 +1100
To: <account@unitedcolo.com>
Subject: FW: Account Invoice -- 66.111.38.40


Hi,

Firstly you have not processed the payment against my credit card yet. There are sufficient funds. If you continue to have problems let me know and I will give you another card to use.

Second, from approx 22:00 1st December, 2002 my server has been unreachable. I was not too concerned as I only use this server for backup purposes at the moment. In fact, I haven't even used this server yet really. I thought at first it might be a network outage, however, when I attempted to access the server again today it is still down. I have been leasing servers in various data centres for around 18 months now, and I have never had a provider disconnect my server before. I hope this is an error on your part, as your email asks me to contact you make payment before 3rd December which I did.

Please attend to this ASAP and let me know if you are still having problems with processing the payment and I will happily make alternative arrangements (you can use another card).

You can telephone me if you wish on +61 405 633 319

Mark Da Silva

http://www.neathosting.net
http://www.neatdomain.net
http://www.neaturl.com

----------
From: Mark Da Silva <mark@neaturl.com>
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 15:14:33 +1100
To: "United.Colo" <account@unitedcolo.com>
Subject: Re: Account Invoice -- 66.111.38.40


Hi,

Please process the payment on the 3rd December. There will be sufficient funds available on that day. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Thanks,

Mark Da Silva

http://www.neathosting.net
http://www.neatdomain.net
http://www.neaturl.com

on 1/12/02 2:07 PM, United.Colo at account@unitedcolo.com wrote:

Dear Mark,

Please be advised that our accounting department has been unable to process your credit card due to the insufficient funds. This transaction is for the billing period of November 30 -- December 30. To ensure uninterrupted services, we will need to receive these funds by December 3, 2002. For your convenience, the current invoice is as follow --

Monthly Fee: $49.00
Bandwidth Package: 100GB
Downtime Reimbursement: - $10.00
Total Amount Due: $39.00

Thank you for your continuing support and prompt response to this important matter.


Best Regards,


Account Management Team
United Colocation Group
www.unitedcolo.com <http://www.unitedcolo.com/>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----------
From: "United.Colo" <account@unitedcolo.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 20:02:48 -0800
To: Mark Da Silva <mark@neaturl.com>
Subject: Account Invoice -- 66.111.38.40

Hi Mark,

Sorry, but your account was cancelled as of 9:00 am (PST) on December 3,
2002 due to non-payment. We didn't get any response from you to our
original notice about the invoice. The server has already been reformatted
and assigned to another customer.


Best Regards,


Customer Support Team
United Colocation Group
www.unitedcolo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And to think that some of you are putting paying customers onto UnitedColo servers :rolleyes:

yes, united colo = scary.

i just use my $49 server just to mess around with
i would never dare put anything important on it. united colo does not seem stable at ALL.

do a search and you'll see what i mean.

at least they were civil to you, believe me, they are not always.

At least you got a response. I can't seem to get a single response.

I'm about ready to go ask one of my high use opt-in clients to borrow his server and dump about 5 million emails into their box to get their attention so they will even acknowledge my existance.

(I won't and wouldn't ever do such a thing, but it sure is tempting...)

Cya,
Cloak

Ya theres alot of negative feedback on united colo..

I was going to go with them many times, but dont think I will. now..

Maybe they're just trying to kill off $49/mo servers to resell them as $99/mo ones as they're the same hardware? :eek2:

Originally posted by porcupine
Maybe they're just trying to kill off $49/mo servers to resell them as $99/mo ones as they're the same hardware? :eek2:

It wouldn't suprise me a bit. I didn't like the fact that they said they were "out" of the $49 servers when in fact they were exactly the same as the $99 servers. The fact was that they didn't offer the $49 servers any more. They were also showing the same specs for the $99 servers for quite a while and listing them as $49 servers that they were temporarily out of even though they weren't intending on selling them any longer as $49 servers, but were going to a cheaper server. I believe they should have displayed those specs, or said they didn't offer the deal any more for the other specs.

Originally posted by porcupine
Maybe they're just trying to kill off $49/mo servers to resell them as $99/mo ones as they're the same hardware? :eek2:
I am quite sure of this. Otherwise why would they have taken my server down only a few hours after their initial email (and then ignore my next email which was within their deadline).

Anyway, it is a blessing in disguise - they are the WORSTE data centre and there is no way I would pay $99 a month for a server there. Packet loss was unbelievably high. Now I will have to pursue getting my downtime refund by other means ;)

The $49 servers are not the same hardware/software/bandwight
Please be advised that our accounting department has been unable to process your credit card due to the insufficient funds.

they have updated there packets

I don't know mayble they found to be better to cancel a acount it a credit card that does not have $40 bucks to pay the server ?


Mayble there try to keep a better network for those that do has $40 on the credit card ?


Time they sayd for you to get $40

To ensure uninterrupted services, we will need to receive these funds by December 3, 2002

The shutdown

Sorry, but your account was cancelled as of 9:00 am (PST) on December 3,


I can't see what is wrong it this... Come on you have 3 domains and don't have money for a $40 server ?

And still have the nerve to post something ?

the $49 servers are not the same NOW. They were certainly the same before, and advertised the same when they 'ran out' until they finally took it down when the deal for the cheaper servers finally showed up.

Yah,

The used to be the exact same thing, just not as much bandwidth as the 99.00 servers. I wonder if this is some type of marketing strategy or what :confused:

it would have been fine imho if they would have just said that they weren't offering that $49 plan for those servers any longer, not that they were 'out'

If that were the only transgression I could have certainly looked past it, but they were kind of getting in a habit of wording things and making decisions in ways that I didn't agree with.

Originally posted by hostingsp
The $49 servers are not the same hardware/software/bandwight


they have updated there packets

I don't know mayble they found to be better to cancel a acount it a credit card that does not have $40 bucks to pay the server ?


Mayble there try to keep a better network for those that do has $40 on the credit card ?


Time they sayd for you to get $40



The shutdown




I can't see what is wrong it this... Come on you have 3 domains and don't have money for a $40 server ?

And still have the nerve to post something ?

They shut down the server on the 1st December - the rest is a lie. They lied that it was cancelled on the 3rd, they lied that I didn't contact them before then.

And so what if the card was full - it has a very low limit because it is the one I use for online transactions. I offered them another one and I also transferred funds onto the card the next day and they became available the day after. Even if I flew over to California to pay them myself, I could not have had the funds to them any earlier. It didn't matter, they just want any excuse to shut down those $49 accounts - because we all know they can't possibly be making money on them.

<removed>

And as for the three domains? I don't know what you are talking about? I currently have a holding of around 100 domains - look at my link :rolleyes:

They are liars - I'm just warning other people about their behaviour - I never used the server anyway as the network was so crap.

Ping-Plotter graph for 2st December, 2002 (GMT+11)

Originally posted by porcupine
Maybe they're just trying to kill off $49/mo servers to resell them as $99/mo ones as they're the same hardware? :eek2:
:eek: *GASP* would that happen in our industry?? :emlaugh:

freakysid

Trully i'm goin to have to put a stand...

YOU DIN"T HAVE $39 DOLLARS ON THE CREDIT CARD

They shut down the server on the 1st December - the rest is a lie. They lied that it was cancelled on the 3rd, they lied that I didn't contact them before then.


From: "United.Colo" <account@unitedcolo.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 20:02:48 -0800
To: Mark Da Silva <mark@neaturl.com>
Subject: Account Invoice -- 66.111.38.40

Hi Mark,

Sorry, but your account was cancelled as of 9:00 am (PST) on December 3,
2002 due to non-payment. We didn't get any response from you to our
original notice about the invoice. The server has already been reformatted
and assigned to another customer.


Best Regards,


Customer Support Team
United Colocation Group
www.unitedcolo.com




I'm goin to say once i'm not goin to bealive a boy that does not have $39 DOLLARES and has 3 DOMAINS.

I don't see why to belive in you!!! You posted the E-MAIL



From: "United.Colo" <account@unitedcolo.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 20:02:48 -0800

hostingsp, I hope that if you are not already a customer of theirs that you do become one - then you will get what you deserve :laugh:

You can't understand what the red section of that graph means? (don't forget it's GMT+11 and unitedcolo are GMT -8, do you think you can do the maths?)

Do you even run a hosting biz or do you just come on these forums to pretend that you do?

Also, do you know what day the 1st December was - it was a Sunday. What better day to close down a person's server on the excuse that the card could not be charged. Who runs their billing department on a Sunday, and who has time to shut down servers on a Sunday? I bet a lot of their customers wish their tech support were always so fast.

From: "United.Colo" <account@unitedcolo.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 20:02:48 -0800
To: Mark Da Silva <mark@neaturl.com>
Subject: Account Invoice -- 66.111.38.40




Yeah yeah the pings here it's normal now... few minutes was on the red but the HE.net was on the red before it get's to united


hey good luck it your biz i just think it all the problems they are having if a boy can't pay $39 that can't pay and has 3 domains ...that does not seem good does it ?


But hey good luck let's end this chat

How is Williams' overall latency? UC won't be routing regular server customers over wworks anymore unless you're purchasing >= 20mbit of bandwidth.

They are still advertising their $49 server - it's just "not in stock" right now. :emlaugh:

Wonder if it will ever be.

Basically I didn't have much pleasant experience with them. They obviously miscalculated a lot of things (such as someone who maxed the original 100mbit for a few hours is going to be an unprofitable customer). In their email to me... they told me they just got their bandwidth bill and in their words "were surprised" That's when they decided to cut all 100mbit to 10mbit including the 299 plans. :laugh:

hostingsp has been a strong supporter of unitedcolo here. (and has a server there). Just a simple word: when the emails are sent is not important. I can close the servers on the start of the month and email at the end of the month. Who will be any wiser if you just rely on the date it is sent?

In any case, out of 700 servers, I am sure there is happy and unhappy customers and maybe the unhappy ones just make more noise typically. (not talking about you freakysid.. just mentioning generally.)

Generally I don't think it is wrong to try to phase out their 49$ servers if they are unprofitable. However it will be wrong to cancel it earlier than the date the next payment is due.

I certainly think there is nothing wrong at all with phasing out $49 servers or cutting BW to 10mbps but i think there is something wrong with the way they did it.

How long after they cut the BW did they wait until they bothered telling customers? Did they bother to grandfather current customers when they did that? Did they bother to do something in return to compensate since the current customers signed up for 100mbps and not 10? Isn't it wrong to say you are 'out of stock' of something when you have them right there and just aren't using them for that?

I think their decisions in these two respects to do this were sound business decisions. I just don't agree with the ethics of how they went about doing it.

Intresting that you have a CREDIT CARD and don't have 39 bucks on it, unless its a debit card...

No no, it's a credit card but only has $500 limit because I only use it for online transactions. So it gets filled up during the month with recurring transactions and if I don't clear it off on time it will become full.

Like I said , I offered them another card but, what ppl don't seem to understand that I am saying is that they asked me to arrange payment within three days but infact they shut off my server within a few hours of emailing me saying the card had been declined.

If people can't understand that - and don't mind using a host that lies through their teeth - then by all means they should use united.colo

I mean come on - do you people run hosting businesses or what? Do you terminate a customer account as soon as there is a problem with the recurring billing on their card and wipe their data. Do you ask them to email you to make good the payment and then ignore their email and lie saying they didn't contact you when they did? Get real.

Originally posted by freakysid
Please read the entire correspondence between the parties:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

----------
From: Mark Da Silva <mark@neaturl.com>
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 15:14:33 +1100
To: "United.Colo" <account@unitedcolo.com>
Subject: Re: Account Invoice -- 66.111.38.40


Hi,

Please process the payment on the 3rd December. There will be sufficient funds available on that day. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Thanks,

Mark Da Silva

http://www.neathosting.net
http://www.neatdomain.net
http://www.neaturl.com

on 1/12/02 2:07 PM, United.Colo at account@unitedcolo.com wrote:

Dear Mark,

Please be advised that our accounting department has been unable to process your credit card due to the insufficient funds. This transaction is for the billing period of November 30 -- December 30. To ensure uninterrupted services, we will need to receive these funds by December 3, 2002. For your convenience, the current invoice is as follow --

Monthly Fee: $49.00
Bandwidth Package: 100GB
Downtime Reimbursement: - $10.00
Total Amount Due: $39.00

Thank you for your continuing support and prompt response to this important matter.


Best Regards,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And to think that some of you are putting paying customers onto UnitedColo servers :rolleyes:


Hay, you don't even have $49.00 available in your credit card account and you bitching about UnitedColo this and that. If you don't have money to pay your bills, nothing matters.

Fonpi

Originally posted by Hostkookster
They are still advertising their $49 server - it's just "not in stock" right now. :emlaugh:

Wonder if it will ever be.

Yea, I tried it every day. Still doesn't work...

Fonpi

fonpi - I strongly recommend you host with them.

Here is how UnitedColo RUINED my Business

OK first of all i am posting under another name. I have been posting here since early August 2002 and here is my story on how UNITEDCOLO RUINED MY BUSINESS.

I have had $20,000 saved on my bank in the past years and have decided to start a hosting company, i have been a sysadmin for over 8 years and decided to get self employed.

I got my first server with UNITEDCOLO in late September and until December 22nd i have had 18 servers with them. My entire business (wrong decision yes) was in their hands and i trusted them. Over 5500 single account clients, my revenue was over $70000 per month. I have just started building a house with my wife and 3 kids and life was great.

Suddenly on the 24th of December, all my servers go offline. I am very worried but i give UNITEDCOLO a call. No answer. I send them 5 emails over the period of 10 hours, no answer. On the 25th of December (christmas day and the worst day of my life), i can finally reach UNITEDCOLO over the phone after 24 hours of no communication. They will not talk to me on the phone and the only reply i get is 'please read your email'. OK in open my Outlook and find a termination notice in my inbox. WHAT???? Here is the email:


Dear Customer,

Your account has been terminated effective immediately due to violation of our Acceptable Use Policy. One of your customers on server servername.domain.com (edited by me) has been sending out large amounts of unsolicited emails. We have absolutely no tolerance for spam.

Sincerely,
Account Management Team
United Colocation Group
www.unitedcolo.com

ONE of my clients on ONE server has been spamming - they have shut down ALL my 18 servers

I have called them a dozen times and they HANG UP on me. I have emailed them and they keep replaying the same reply. One of my clients on one server was spamming and they have shut down my entire business with over 5000 clients - ON CHRISTMAS DAY. How can you prevent one of your clients from spamming? YOU CANNOT!!!

Now they have not replied to my inquiries, however they have sent me a bill for $4800 because several of the servers were due the day before they have shut it down with NO REASON. They have NEVER informed me that there was a client spamming and they shut down the unaffected servers as well. And now they are even asking me to pay a bill because i have not cancelled the servers before billing date. Why would i? UNITEDCOLO has shut them down, not me!!! I have replied this to them and now they are threaterning with a collection agency. What do you want UNITEDCOLO?? :( You took everything, my business, from me. I have NOTHING MORE. I have started a great business and you have left me with absolutely nothing, i cannot even pay my bills and i do not know anymore how to support my family.

Me and my family have had the worst christmas of our lives,i have a house on which i cannot pay the mortage and i have no job. I am thinking of launching a lawsuit against UNITEDCOLO if you are in the same situation as me, please PM me and together we can put this company out of business because they are GANGSTERS that rob your money and have no respect for their clients.

Sorry, please do NOT go with UNITEDCOLO because they will sooner or later ruin your business and all your hard work as well, maybe even your life.

:(

^^ - why dont you go the full hog and post this PAGE long post in EVERY SINGLE THREAD.

:mad:

You were making over 4k/server and you housed them at united colo?

Maybe its just me but 1. that sounds like a ripoff of a cyberwings story, and 2. If you're being whatsoever serious with those numbers, figures, etc. then United Colo group didn't ruin your business, you did, never put all your eggs in one basket, especially when that basket has a poor rating in the quality control checks :eek2:

BTW howd you build up 5,500 of customers paying over 70k/mo and move them all to united colo so quick? Wheres the months of leftover revenue? :rolleyes: smells like a troll to me.