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  1. #1

    Feedback on MYGISOL

    I was treated very poorly by GISOL and I would recommend that all avoid this host at all costs. They belittled my value as a consumer even saying that their obviously inflated 559,999 other customers were happy, so it doesn't matter about my concerns. Notice also that they label me as asking a pre-sale question after I already gave them my money. Here is the unedited correspondence with them - judge for yourself.


    -------------

    Hi Mike,

    We have received your email message and are sorry you feel the way that you
    do. Global Internet Solutions is a world recognized leader with over 560,000
    clients which signed up for monthly, quarterly, or annually service and all
    went through our hosting page (http://hosting.gisol.com). They do not need
    to have a problem. If you were not interested in the price you should have
    never pressed the "Process Order" button. Before you submit your order you
    can see the total amount that you will be charged.

    To receive a refund for your account please visit http://contact.gisol.com/
    and click on "Terminate Account".

    Please do not send any more comments regarding this as it keeps us from
    replying to normal pre-sales questions.

    Thank you for your understanding.

    Sincerely,

    Sales Department Management


    Mike Joyce writes:

    > I am writing to inquire about a possible response to my previous
    > email. All of my other emails you have responded to in less than 5
    > hours, but that one has gone over a day without a response. Perhaps
    > you could respond to this one and let me know that you are not going
    > to respond to the previous one because that would end my anticipation
    > for a response.
    >
    > I am trying to help you out by pointing out what you are doing
    > is blatant false advertising and could get your company into legal
    > trouble in the future.
    >
    > Thanks,
    > Mike Joyce
    > THEGGC.COM
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Mike Joyce [mailto:mrjoyce@attbi.com]
    > Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 7:51 PM
    > To: 'GIS Sales Department'
    > Subject: RE: Sales question
    >
    > I understand that I saw the price right before I made the
    > payment. There may just be a misunderstanding, but usually on web
    > hosting all of the prices are stated on the website before you get to
    > the actual billing area. When I look on the website at the Start-Up
    > plan I see "MONTHLY FEE." Next to this monthly fee it says
    > "12.95/mo." This would lead any competent person to believe that the
    > price is 12.95 a month. I do not see an asterisk or additional
    > information next to "12.95/mo" which says "you must buy 12 months
    > worth of hosting to get this much." It does not give me a yearly price
    > - only a monthly price. Therefore, I assume the monthly price for the
    > start-up plan is 12.95 a month under all circumstances because it does not tell me otherwise.
    >
    > It would be as if I read in the newspaper "Milk - 1 dollar a
    > gallon!" So, I rush up to the grocery store, but upon my arrival I
    > learn that the milk is 1 dollar a gallon ONLY if I buy 12 of them at
    > one time and the normal price for one of them is 2 dollars. What you
    > are doing is essentially false advertising. It could be interpreted
    > that your company would like to lead people to believe it is 12.95 a
    > month, but then once they decide to ORDER NOW and are already in the
    > payment process, you con them into paying a little bit more or going
    > all out for an entire year.
    >
    > "There are no hidden charges when ordering at Global Internet
    > Solutions. All you have to pay is the monthly charge for whichever
    > plan you choose."
    >
    > NO HIDDEN CHARGES, eh? You claim to be a world recognized
    > leader, yet your tactics may make you a world recognized cheater if
    > you don't fix some of this. I am still going to request a refund and
    > I feel my experience may help you better your company.
    >
    >
    > Thanks,
    > Mike Joyce
    > THEGGC.COM
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: GIS Sales Department [mailtoales@gisol.com]
    > Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 7:03 PM
    > To: Mike Joyce
    > Subject: Re: Sales question
    >
    > Hello Mike:
    >
    > Thank you for your reply.
    >
    > You should have already seen the price before you actually placed your
    > order, however if you would like to cancel your account please visit
    > <http://contact.gisol.com/> http://contact.gisol.com/ and then click on
    > "Terminate Account".
    >
    >
    >
    > Mike Joyce writes:
    >
    >> Alright, well I was under the impression that it was 12.95 a month
    > while
    >> I was considering it and I did not click "Order Now" until there was
    >> about 30 minutes before the end of the 24th. (I was under the
    >> impression that the sale only went to the 24th, but it looks as though
    >
    >> you have extended it.) When I chose to pay $20.95 I just viewed it
    >> as
    > a
    >> mistake in your system and I figured it would be corrected when I
    >> emailed you as it was not advertised as $20.95 anywhere on your
    > website,
    >> except for when I actually went to go pay for it, credit card in
    >> hand.
    >
    >> The whole situation seems to have "scam" written all over it. I was
    >> going to choose your company because it had a better deal than my
    >> previous host at 12.95 a month, but at 20.95 a month, it does not seem
    >
    >> worth the trouble moving everything over. So, I would like to take
    >> advantage of your 30-day money back refund policy, assuming there is
    > not
    >> some fine text on that either.
    >>
    >> Thank you for your time,
    >> Mike Joyce
    >> THEGGC.COM
    >>
    >> -----Original Message-----
    >> From: GIS Sales Department [mailtoales@gisol.com]
    >> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 5:48 PM
    >> To: Mike Joyce
    >> Subject: Re: Sales question
    >>
    >> Dear Mike:
    >>
    >> Thank you for your reply. You can view the different prices depending
    > on
    >> the
    >> term you wish to sign-up for be clicking on "Order Now" for the
    > package
    >> you
    >> are interested in.
    >>
    >> Sincerely,
    >>
    >> Sales Department
    >>
    >> Mike Joyce writes:
    >>
    >>> The thing is, it does not say anywhere on the hosting plan page that
    >> you
    >>> have to sign up for one full year to get the discount. I find that
    >> very
    >>> misleading. I was under the impression that the "full-year deal"
    >>> was
    >
    >>> getting the 3 months extra, as you or someone on the sales team told
    >> me
    >>> in an earlier email. Furthermore, even if it was not $12.95, I
    >>> would
    >
    >>> expect to get it for $17.95/m. The figure "20.95 a month" is not
    > even
    >>> on the page.
    >>>
    >>> The whole situation just seems a little shady that "20.95" is
    >>> nowhere
    >> to
    >>> be seen until you actually start making the payment.
    >>>
    >>> Thanks,
    >>> Mike Joyce
    >>>
    >>> -----Original Message-----
    >>> From: GIS Sales Department [mailtoales@gisol.com]
    >>> Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 5:44 AM
    >>> To: Mike Joyce
    >>> Subject: Re: Sales question
    >>>
    >>> Hello Mike:
    >>>
    >>> Thank you for your interest in Global Internet Solutions, a world
    >>> recognized leader in domain name related services. To receive the
    >>> $12.95/month price
    >>> you would need to sign-up for 1 year pre-paid. Would you like to
    >> swtich
    >>> to
    >>> the 1 year term?
    >>>
    >>> To sign-up for one of our award-winning web hosting packages please
    >>> visit
    >>> http://hosting.gisol.com/.
    >>>
    >>> Sincerely,
    >>>
    >>> Sales Department
    >>> Global Internet Solutions
    >>> A GISOL, Inc. Company
    >>> http://www.gisol.com/
    >>>
    >>>
    >>> Mike Joyce writes:
    >>>
    >>>> I just signed up for the "Start-Up" plan and my credit card was
    >> billed
    >>>> "20.95" instead of the advertised "12.95." Was there another cost
    >>> that
    >>>> I was not aware of?
    >>>>
    >>>> Thanks,
    >>>>
    >>>> Mike Joyce
    >>>>
    >>>> -----Original Message-----
    >>>> From: GIS Sales Department [mailtoales@gisol.com]
    >>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 5:41 PM
    >>>> To: mrjoyce@attbi.com
    >>>> Subject: Re: Sales question
    >>>>
    >>>> Dear Mike Joyce,
    >>>>
    >>>> Thank you for your interest in Global Internet Solutions, a world
    >>>> recognized leader in domain name related services. We can point
    >>>> additional
    >> domain
    >>>> names
    >>>> to your primary domain. The pointers will display the same content
    > as
    >>>> the
    >>>> primary domain name. When you sign up for an account on the yearly
    >>> plane
    >>>> we
    >>>> will add 3 mo of service to the end of your account so your term
    > will
    >>> be
    >>>>
    >>>> extended for 15 mo instead of just the nom 12 mo.
    >>>>
    >>>> To sign-up for one of our award-winning web hosting packages please
    >>>> visit
    >>>> http://hosting.gisol.com/.
    >>>>
    >>>> Sincerely,
    >>>>
    >>>> Sales Department
    >>>> Global Internet Solutions
    >>>> http://www.gisol.com/
    >>>>
    >>>> mrjoyce@attbi.com writes:
    >>>>
    >>>>> Mike Joyce
    >>>>>
    >>>>>
    >>>>> Two questions:
    >>>>>
    >>>>> 1. If I wanted to park an additional domain (I have two), I saw
    >> that
    >>>> it says it is possible, but it does not say anything about any
    >>> charges.
    >>>> Does this service cost anything?
    >>>>>
    >>>>> 2. What is the deal with the 3 free months thing? Do I have to
    > pay
    >>>> for a full year (9 months) before I get the free 3 months or do I
    >> just
    >>>> get the first 3 months free no strings attached?
    >>>>>
    >>>>> Thank you,
    >>>>> Mike Joyce
    >>>>
    >>>>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    9,851
    What's your point here Mike. It looks to me like Gisol did nothing wrong.
    Why would you sign up for the account without knowing all the facts, especially when you saw the prices you were signing up for.
    I think Gisol handled this well.
    Most hosts will advertise a monthly price based on a one year sign up.

  3. #3
    Actually, they are violating FTC guidelines with their stated pricing by not clearly stating the terms of that special price with a visible link or qualifying statement before the ordering process begins, along with their "special offer" that always says that it expires the day you visit their website. You visit gisol on January 12 and it expires on January 12. If you visit it today, it expires on October 7.

    I was reading up on these guidelines last night in a totally unrelated issue, so it's still fresh in my memory.

    I'll find the link regarding this later tonight.
    www.square-network.com www.squarenetwork.com
    Now available in regular and dehyphenated.
    May 2003 Member of the Month
    Useless Community Liason Ever Since.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    9,851
    A lot of hosts better pay attention to this one Coach. If it is an FTC violation then there will need to be a lot of web pages changed in the hosting world.

  5. #5
    What we do is that we advertise the normal monthly pricing but state there's a certain percentage off if it is prepaid annually. Sometimes, it's just hard to be an honest merchant in the world. The dishonest ones get 560,000 clients and we are nowhere near that
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  6. #6
    It does look a little dishonest to me, and the guy was right. He was belittled (although, not hugly).

    The host does have a point in checking and rechecking the prices before you press that submit botten. However, the buyer was under the gun because he thought it was a deal that was going to go away at midnight.

    So both of them had very vaild points -- and that host REALLY needs to advertise truthfully. It's a lucky thing that the buyer wasn't a blantent mud-slinger.

    At least there was a offer for a refund. Let us know if you actually get that refund.
    The giant hamster of doom rains coconuts upon your tiny city.

  7. #7
    Test
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    Now available in regular and dehyphenated.
    May 2003 Member of the Month
    Useless Community Liason Ever Since.

  8. #8
    Found it.

    http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/dotcom/

    To make a disclosure clear and conspicuous, advertisers should:

    Place disclosures near, and when possible, on the same screen as the triggering claim.
    Use text or visual cues to encourage consumers to scroll down a Web page when it is necessary to view a disclosure.
    When using hyperlinks to lead to disclosures,
    make the link obvious;
    label the hyperlink appropriately to convey the importance, nature and relevance of the information it leads to;
    use hyperlink styles consistently so that consumers know when a link is available;
    place the hyperlink near relevant information and make it noticeable;
    take consumers directly to the disclosure on the click-through page;
    assess the effectiveness of the hyperlink by monitoring click-through rates and make changes accordingly.
    Recognize and respond to any technological limitations or unique characteristics of high tech methods of making disclosures, such as frames or pop-ups.
    Display disclosures prior to purchase, but recognize that placement limited only to the order page may not always work.
    Creatively incorporate disclosures in banner ads or disclose them clearly and conspicuously on the page the banner ad links to.
    Prominently display disclosures so they are noticeable to consumers, and evaluate the size, color and graphic treatment of the disclosure in relation to other parts of the Web page.
    Review the entire ad to ensure that other elements—text, graphics, hyperlinks or sound—do not distract consumers’ attention from the disclosure.
    Repeat disclosures, as needed, on lengthy Web sites and in connection with repeated claims.
    Use audio disclosures when making audio claims, and present them in a volume and cadence so that consumers can hear and understand them.
    Display visual disclosures for a duration sufficient for consumers to notice, read and understand them.
    Use clear language and syntax so that consumers understand the disclosures.
    Additionally, this could be considered Bait and Switch in addition to the above non-disclosure.

    Certain elements undergird all deception cases. First, there must be a representation, omission or practice that is likely to mislead the consumer.4 Practices that have been found misleading or deceptive in specific cases include false oral or written representations, misleading price claims, sales of hazardous or systematically defective products or services without adequate disclosures, failure to disclose information regarding pyramid sales, use of bait and switch techniques, failure to perform promised services, and failure to meet warranty obligations.5
    Finally, the ever changing expiration date of their "Special Offer" is clearly under deceptive practices.
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    Now available in regular and dehyphenated.
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