Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    27

    Post Unprofessional behaviour at First Line Network

    A while back I bought a Windows VPS from First Line and thought I'd have a play around with Website Panel seeing they provided a license for free with the service. The service was unprofessional to begin with I wasn't given details to the service and had to raise this with Jon (CEO - 15 years young) himself, hours later and I was given details for TeamViewer to connect in to the VPS. I had no actual control over it and if the service went down I had to text Jon, same for reboots etc. Days later I was finally given RDC details. At times I would notice the service cutting out and sometimes would see lots of changes to the service including web history and software being installed on the VPS, somebody else had clearly been using it. As I wasn't using the service often and only wanted to tinker with Website Panel I thought I wouldn't bother looking in to this, it would just be using up time; knowing after this month I wouldn't pay for the service again. After this month I never paid invoices instead of submitting a cancellation, the service had already stopped being provided by this time.

    So a few weeks back I started cleaning out my Gmail and noticed I was still getting lots of emails asking me to pay for an invoice. I decided enough was enough and submitted a cancellation request. Another month came by and I was still getting emails asking for the service so i decided to ask Jon over Skype to close my account. This is where the real unprofessional behaviour began.

    Jon told me I had to submit this 2 days before the service was due to terminate, Jon told me he can't close my account until it is in good standing. Because the service wasn't provided once the first month ran out I never thought this would still charge me for this time. I just wanted my inbox free of these emails but Jon refused to close my account and asked me email an address, which I did 2 days ago and today I got a phone call from 'Sam White' from First Line.

    In his first phone call with me he was quite polite and understanding and he seemed to understand the unneeded stress this might have been causing, he said 'First Line are all about customer satisfaction'. This phone call came to an end and he spoke with Jon. Sam called me back a short time afterwards and had a rather different tone. Sam raised his voice at me throughout the phone call whenever I tried to speak. Sams news in this phone call is that I was able to be given a discount on this overdue invoice in which the service wasn't provided, if I pay £5.49 all this can go away and First Line will close my account. I'm being threatened with legal action if I don't pay this sum; my questions to you, should I pay this sum? Do companies often behave in this way?

  2. #2
    I highly doubt they will take legal action over £5.49, the legal costs would be far more. Put the emails in the spam folder, and move on.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Memphis, TN
    Posts
    3,285
    I love it when people think they are a "CEO" where in reality they have no board, likely not even a registered business, and a delegated CEO position.

    You should have submitted a cancellation request even if the service sucked though.. for at least your own records.

    That said I would just ignore it. The thread of legal action over 6 bucks in ludicrous and difficult to take serious with a bunch of kids trying to run a business.


    I was threatened legal action against me by a COMCAST rep when I told them that the outage at my house was effecting my work. Then I was given a big talk on how I would need business class internet to be able to check my work email from home. I ended telling them to piss off and again threatened with a TOS violation. Nothing ever came of it =)
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    203
    Quote Originally Posted by HC-Ro View Post
    I love it when people think they are a "CEO" where in reality they have no board, likely not even a registered business, and a delegated CEO position.

    What's more hilarious is that in the UK its not even CEO (its Director).

    You should check out http://www.lowendbox.com/blog/first-...uknetherlands/, he signed up at companies house as a director underaged and looks like got his company delisted.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    27
    Thanks for all the responses guys. You've all reassured me

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Gary2 View Post
    A while back I bought a Windows VPS from First Line and thought I'd have a play around with Website Panel seeing they provided a license for free with the service. The service was unprofessional to begin with I wasn't given details to the service and had to raise this with Jon (CEO - 15 years young) himself, hours later and I was given details for TeamViewer to connect in to the VPS. I had no actual control over it and if the service went down I had to text Jon, same for reboots etc. Days later I was finally given RDC details. At times I would notice the service cutting out and sometimes would see lots of changes to the service including web history and software being installed on the VPS, somebody else had clearly been using it. As I wasn't using the service often and only wanted to tinker with Website Panel I thought I wouldn't bother looking in to this, it would just be using up time; knowing after this month I wouldn't pay for the service again. After this month I never paid invoices instead of submitting a cancellation, the service had already stopped being provided by this time.

    So a few weeks back I started cleaning out my Gmail and noticed I was still getting lots of emails asking me to pay for an invoice. I decided enough was enough and submitted a cancellation request. Another month came by and I was still getting emails asking for the service so i decided to ask Jon over Skype to close my account. This is where the real unprofessional behaviour began.

    Jon told me I had to submit this 2 days before the service was due to terminate, Jon told me he can't close my account until it is in good standing. Because the service wasn't provided once the first month ran out I never thought this would still charge me for this time. I just wanted my inbox free of these emails but Jon refused to close my account and asked me email an address, which I did 2 days ago and today I got a phone call from 'Sam White' from First Line.

    In his first phone call with me he was quite polite and understanding and he seemed to understand the unneeded stress this might have been causing, he said 'First Line are all about customer satisfaction'. This phone call came to an end and he spoke with Jon. Sam called me back a short time afterwards and had a rather different tone. Sam raised his voice at me throughout the phone call whenever I tried to speak. Sams news in this phone call is that I was able to be given a discount on this overdue invoice in which the service wasn't provided, if I pay £5.49 all this can go away and First Line will close my account. I'm being threatened with legal action if I don't pay this sum; my questions to you, should I pay this sum? Do companies often behave in this way?
    We are sorry all this had to happen. In the end this has been resolved to both the satisfaction of us and the client.

  7. #7
    Hello.

    A dispute over no more than 5 dollars? Think nothing of it, it's not a binding contract is it? Did you sign with your own signature a legally bonding contract? It is nice to send a cancellation request, it is not legally binding, but it is nice and courteous. Anyway I see your situation was resolved, let's hope everything goes well for you from now one.

    Regards
    Luke_H

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    27
    Quote Originally Posted by FirstLineNetworkLtd View Post
    We are sorry all this had to happen. In the end this has been resolved to both the satisfaction of us and the client.
    This has been resolved, not to my satisfaction. The way you behaved in the matter was shockingly unacceptable.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    6,616
    Is it the summer holidays already?
    Russ Foster - Industry Curmudgeon
    Freelance Sysadmin for Hire - email vaserv@gmail.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    203
    Quote Originally Posted by rghf View Post
    Is it the summer holidays already?
    I think they broke up in the UK yesterday.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand
    Posts
    113
    Quote Originally Posted by Gary2 View Post
    Do companies often behave in this way?
    Certainly not, it makes the rest of us look bad an invoice isn’t paid, reminders sent out and if still not paid after some time vps cancelled, no point getting angry at the customer... you annoy customers they stop coming.. simple really

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