View Poll Results: Do paid webhosts have a right to share your info with 3rd parties, eg mailing lists?

Voters
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  • Yes

    1 5.00%
  • No

    19 95.00%
Results 1 to 15 of 15
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34

    POLL - Hosts selling customer details

    If you are part of a hosting business please do not vote.

    I want to see what customers (like myself) and even prospective customers think about the following question.

    The question is:

    As a customer or prospective customer of web hosting, does your web hosting company have a right to use your personal information with regards to third parties?

    For example, you paid a web hosting company for services that included email accounts. Does you web hosting provider you paid have a right to make your details available to third parties so your email account details end up on mailing lists and you receive unsolicted emails?

    My personal view is this, if I pay for email services, I don't then expect to have to "pay" again by having my private and confidential details made available to third parties, and definately not to end up on mailing lists. I don't see the point of paying for an email service and then being treated as though you hadn't paid at all, and getting unsolicited emails.
      0 Not allowed!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34
    I am happy with my new web host. I raised my concerns and this was their reply:

    "I think it is a real shame people sell others email. I mean firstly they only get a few cents per email and it causes so much stress for the person getting spam.

    We absolutely do not sell, provide or release any information of our customers. When we get asked to provide a client list from potential customers we refuse as we do not see the benefit of risking your privacy for our own gain. Most of the time they sign up anyway as we provide the good service.

    To confirm, NO we do not release or sell your email to anyone!"
      0 Not allowed!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34
    Oh and I should add, I will be recommending my new host to everyone I know. I am going to promote their business for free, but they don't know that.

    It will be a surprise for them. I believe good business practises deserve to be rewards and bad business practises exposed.
      0 Not allowed!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34
    Oh and for all the web hosting businesses here, I contacted three web hosting companies at about the same time.

    Why did I choose my current web host?

    They were the FIRST to reply! Not very scientific perhaps, but being treated with respect as a customer matters to me.

    Those other web hosting businesses obviously weren't as keen to put their customers first.

    As Simon and Garfunkel sing "Keep the customer satisfied".

    If you web host businesses don't have that as your motto then maybe you should.
      0 Not allowed!

  5. #5
    Greetings:

    Our answer is no.

    However, you should carefully review the privacy statement and terms of service for any host to see what they would do.

    Thank you.
    ---
    Peter M. Abraham
    LinkedIn Profile
      0 Not allowed!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34
    Originally posted by dynamicnet
    Greetings:

    Our answer is no.

    However, you should carefully review the privacy statement and terms of service for any host to see what they would do.

    Thank you.

    G'day,

    Definately. I learned my lesson the hard way. Definately ask your prospective web host, "do you plan to spam me", though perhaps rephrase the question a little lol

    Cheers
    spam is unacceptable
      0 Not allowed!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    249
    [They were the FIRST to reply! Not very scientific perhaps, but being treated with respect as a customer matters to me.
    That's more or less the logic I use. When I was looking for a web host, I emailed 1and1.com, globalservers.com and some smaller ones. By the time 1and1 and globalservers replied to me I already had my site up and running.

    It doesn't even have to be a positive answer. When I was buying my cell phone, I narrowed it down to a 2 companies, but I had a nice phone from another provider I wanted to use. I emailed both companies to ask if they could support it. One replied within an hour to say they couldn't, and the other never got back to me. That's why I activated with the one that said no.
      0 Not allowed!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Liverpool, England, UK.
    Posts
    2,571
    As a web host etc myself, I would never dream of selling/supplying customer details to a 3rd party. All our customer details are strictly confidential.

    Here in the UK we have DPA laws which prevent this from happening anyway in most cases
    Xcellweb.net - Quality Web Solutions That Work!
    █ Web Hosting | Web Servers | Shoutcast | Domain Names

    Providing High Quality Web Solutions Since July 2002!
    AgilityHosting.net - UK & European cPanel Web Hosting
      0 Not allowed!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34
    Originally posted by Socrat
    That's more or less the logic I use. When I was looking for a web host, I emailed 1and1.com, globalservers.com and some smaller ones. By the time 1and1 and globalservers replied to me I already had my site up and running.

    It doesn't even have to be a positive answer. When I was buying my cell phone, I narrowed it down to a 2 companies, but I had a nice phone from another provider I wanted to use. I emailed both companies to ask if they could support it. One replied within an hour to say they couldn't, and the other never got back to me. That's why I activated with the one that said no.
    LOL

    I think I am a low use customer.

    My actual usage was rather small I think. Only 2.3 MB for all my sites, and my PHPBB forum has like 20 members. (I remote hosted images over 5MB (WTC related) on another site) to lessen the burden on my account.

    My sites may get from like a few visitors a week to a several hundred a week.

    I don't think my usage requirements ever came anywhere near what I had paid for. So I think I was a good customer to have.

    spam is unacceptable
      0 Not allowed!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34
    Originally posted by Sash!
    As a web host etc myself, I would never dream of selling/supplying customer details to a 3rd party. All our customer details are strictly confidential.

    Here in the UK we have DPA laws which prevent this from happening anyway in most cases
    I don't see the logic of that either, but it happens. In my view a customer and the goodwill that generates over time are far more valuable than any benefit gained by releasing private and confidential customer details to third parties.
    spam is unacceptable
      0 Not allowed!

  11. #11

    Re: POLL - Hosts selling customer details

    Originally posted by Australian
    If you are part of a hosting business please do not vote.

    I want to see what customers (like myself) and even prospective customers think about the following question.
    Some people can't read...
    To assume perfection is merely a display of ignorance.
      0 Not allowed!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Tasmania, Australia.
    Posts
    3,590
    Originally posted by Australian
    I am happy with my new web host. I raised my concerns and this was their reply:

    "I think it is a real shame people sell others email. I mean firstly they only get a few cents per email and it causes so much stress for the person getting spam.
    I can only imagine the childish lies you told about the situation, to invoke that sort of response Chris. Your email address wasn't "sold". You were advised why you were receiving the newsletter you received, and you've shown yourself to be a rude and ignorant person since your initial foot stamping didn't work.

    The real question is, should web hosting clients pay attention to notices sent out by their provider (and make sure their spam filters don't trap them), and should they keep a civil tongue about themself when in dealings with their provider, and the answer to that is yes. Neither of which you have been able to do. Had you done either, you wouldn't be in the situation you are in today

    I find it amusing that you are spending all of your days updating your website to say different things in different ways, but I have a copy of your last versions which refers to WHT and says "On Sunday 29 February 2004 I visited a forum for the first time that deals exclusively with internet hosting and it is a sociologists must see, a great opportunity to study group behavior and dynamics. Definitely enough case studies to write that thesis and get that PhD!" and "Well what can I say about this forum, to what can I compare it to? This comes close, the hosting businesses are like a flock of half starved seagulls swooping and screeching about at the beach as they dive for a fallen chip on the ground, the chip representing a prospective customer. It is really amusing to watch and no doubt they have no idea how ridiculous they actually look." yet now you are here again, asking for the WHT community to get in behind your lies?

    Incredible.

    Gary
      0 Not allowed!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    34
    You are out of line.

    I NEVER mentioned you by name to my new web host.

    I NEVER received any notification from you about the spam I subsequently received.

    If my email details were not "sold" as you say, how did they become part of a mailing list? I NEVER gave you permission to give out my private and confidential information.

    "I find it amusing that you are spending all of your days updating your website to say different things in different ways."

    - maybe you should spend more time looking after your current customers!

    You say that quote refers to here but "I" didn't say if referred to here. If it did refer to here who do you think I may have been referring to? Those web hosts that abuse their customers or those that do the right thing?

    If you were a good a host as you want people to believe we wouldn't be here.

    Now please tell me, when will I get that refund for services not provided? You said a cheque would be sent Monday. For March 2004 to July 2004 I am owed a refund. Is that your understanding?
    spam is unacceptable
      0 Not allowed!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Tasmania, Australia.
    Posts
    3,590
    >> If you were a good a host as you want people to believe we wouldn't be here.

    If you were as good a client as you want people to believe we wouldn't be here. I feel very, very sorry for your new provider. Possibly because yours is the first large, calculated and extremely childish "anti Aussie Hosts" campaign of lies we have ever had to endure.

    >> Now please tell me, when will I get that refund for services not provided?

    You are not getting one. Ever since that offer was made, you have proceeded to make an absolute fool of yourself, but at our expense. Had you taken that offer, accepted my explanation about the newsletter, and moved on, then a cheque would have been sent. You moved on, but in the wrong direction.

    Get a grip, and grow up Chris. We did everything right that we could by you and all 500+ clients on those servers, who found themselves in the same situation (regarding the newsletter).

    Gary
      0 Not allowed!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Victoria, Australia
    Posts
    36,941
    Originally posted by Australian
    I NEVER received any notification from you about the spam I subsequently received.
    I offered to send you that email last time you were here, as you didn't PM me for it I assumed you were no longer interested. I still have the copy if you want it forwarded.

    Enjoy your new host
      0 Not allowed!

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