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  1. #1

    Doing a chargeback. Soliciting opinions

    Hi Everyone,

    I have a situation that I'd like some feedback on.

    I bought a windows Celeron server for < $100 per month with W2K3. I signed up for 3 months, paid in advance. Now for the first month/six weeks or so, everything was great no problem (ok we spanked the cpu something chronic but we didn't do big bandwidth and everything was chugging along nicely.

    But then about three days ago we started getting huge network drops, ie lasting several minutes. Our apps started to fail because of loss of network etc and it was a real pita, loosing RDC and connections every 20 mins or so.

    I opened a ticket and they said it was because we were pushing the cpu to the max. I asked to speak to the account rep and called BS on the diagnosis because nothing had changed and for no reason the machine starts getting severe drops that basically means its useless to us.

    So.... The account rep gets a tech on it who says the port config as the prob, so it was fixed no problem. Yes it was for about one hour and the it started to screw up again. Whenever we enquired about network issues they denied it. I have the MRTG graphs to prove it.

    Now no one replies to my emails etc because when I explained I was (genuinely) loosing a coupla hundred a day in revenue and I felt that they should do something to remedy the situation. We are now at 48 hours after sending the mail.

    In the meantime I have moved it to a new machine, and it runs fine, no problems

    So would you do a chargeback for the last unused month, even though I signed an unenforcable (as I see it) no chargeback clause.

    The machine is no use to me because support wasn't sufficient to fix it in time for me to stay with them. Ok $70 is $70 but its the principle
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
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    It's absolutely not something to chargeback.

    First off you don't even know what the problem is. They could be 100% right, and i wouldn't be surprised based on what you say. their network could be performing great but you may have changed, or screwed something up, and even if not, yes 100% cpu utilization will cause connectivity loss, the CPU affects EVERYTHING on the server.
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  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by StueyB
    Hi Everyone,

    I have a situation that I'd like some feedback on.

    I bought a windows Celeron server for < $100 per month with W2K3. I signed up for 3 months, paid in advance. Now for the first month/six weeks or so, everything was great no problem (ok we spanked the cpu something chronic but we didn't do big bandwidth and everything was chugging along nicely.

    But then about three days ago we started getting huge network drops, ie lasting several minutes. Our apps started to fail because of loss of network etc and it was a real pita, loosing RDC and connections every 20 mins or so.

    I opened a ticket and they said it was because we were pushing the cpu to the max. I asked to speak to the account rep and called BS on the diagnosis because nothing had changed and for no reason the machine starts getting severe drops that basically means its useless to us.

    So.... The account rep gets a tech on it who says the port config as the prob, so it was fixed no problem. Yes it was for about one hour and the it started to screw up again. Whenever we enquired about network issues they denied it. I have the MRTG graphs to prove it.

    Now no one replies to my emails etc because when I explained I was (genuinely) loosing a coupla hundred a day in revenue and I felt that they should do something to remedy the situation. We are now at 48 hours after sending the mail.

    In the meantime I have moved it to a new machine, and it runs fine, no problems

    So would you do a chargeback for the last unused month, even though I signed an unenforcable (as I see it) no chargeback clause.

    The machine is no use to me because support wasn't sufficient to fix it in time for me to stay with them. Ok $70 is $70 but its the principle
    Think about how much effort and time a chargeback and their response will take out of your life and determine if that's worth $70.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
    Posts
    5,105
    Quote Originally Posted by StueyB
    Hi Everyone,

    I have a situation that I'd like some feedback on.

    I bought a windows Celeron server for < $100 per month with W2K3. I signed up for 3 months, paid in advance. Now for the first month/six weeks or so, everything was great no problem (ok we spanked the cpu something chronic but we didn't do big bandwidth and everything was chugging along nicely.

    But then about three days ago we started getting huge network drops, ie lasting several minutes. Our apps started to fail because of loss of network etc and it was a real pita, loosing RDC and connections every 20 mins or so.

    I opened a ticket and they said it was because we were pushing the cpu to the max. I asked to speak to the account rep and called BS on the diagnosis because nothing had changed and for no reason the machine starts getting severe drops that basically means its useless to us.

    So.... The account rep gets a tech on it who says the port config as the prob, so it was fixed no problem. Yes it was for about one hour and the it started to screw up again. Whenever we enquired about network issues they denied it. I have the MRTG graphs to prove it.

    Now no one replies to my emails etc because when I explained I was (genuinely) loosing a coupla hundred a day in revenue and I felt that they should do something to remedy the situation. We are now at 48 hours after sending the mail.

    In the meantime I have moved it to a new machine, and it runs fine, no problems

    So would you do a chargeback for the last unused month, even though I signed an unenforcable (as I see it) no chargeback clause.

    The machine is no use to me because support wasn't sufficient to fix it in time for me to stay with them. Ok $70 is $70 but its the principle
    Not worth a chargeback at all.

    Plus if you are making a "coupla hundred dollars per day" in revenue:

    1) $70 is a cheap lesson learned just post the host name and call it even
    2) Stop being a cheapskate and pay for a better box 200/day * 30 days = $6,000/month. A celeron is just a poor management choice there fella.
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  5. #5
    1.)If you're getting a $100 or more a day, then why put yourself on a low spec, cheap box with such support.

    2.) A chargeback isn't the way to go. If they're unwilling to refund you and you do the chargeback, they have quite a few options, including getting a collection agency on you. It can create a lot of headaches and cost you a lot more than just understanding your mistakes and moving on.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    3,085
    Do the chargeback. If they can't provide support for their system or network, and you've given them reasonable time to do so, there is no reason you are paying for their services.
    Jim Reardon - jim/amusive.com

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
    Posts
    5,105
    Quote Originally Posted by amusive.com
    Do the chargeback. If they can't provide support for their system or network, and you've given them reasonable time to do so, there is no reason you are paying for their services.
    I don't get how you have come to this conclusion. He has a server which he claims the cpu is maxed out and experiences occasional problems. You don't think the 2 could be related?
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  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by CoolRaul
    I don't get how you have come to this conclusion. He has a server which he claims the cpu is maxed out and experiences occasional problems. You don't think the 2 could be related?
    I get what your saying. However what I'm saying is that it worked flawlessly for 6 weeks and then with no changes whatsoever - software, traffic, hardware etc it started dropping connections ?
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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    6,957
    Quote Originally Posted by StueyB
    I get what your saying. However what I'm saying is that it worked flawlessly for 6 weeks and then with no changes whatsoever - software, traffic, hardware etc it started dropping connections ?
    Yes, but do you really think NOTHING changed over those six weeks? Maybe traffic levels increased a little bit, maybe a PHP script was updated, maybe some other small thing, which would not be remembered or noticed changed. In the case of a CPU being overloaded any one of those changes COULD have been enough to push it over the edge, especially if it were using a lower end network interface which would do much of the processing with the system's main CPU. There has not been enough evidence presented at all to prove the CPU isn't the issue. As long as the issue is unsolved I do not feel their is a case against the provider at all, especially if it is not a managed solution, and at that price, with Windows, I highly doubt it is managed.

    As a note, I just realized you were using Windows. Maybe one of the several security updates that came out earlier this month or the lack of installing it, has something to do with it? I'm not sure, just tossing out an idea. I know there was one critical security update, http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../MS06-068.mspx on November 14th, so if there were NO canges made to the system, maybe you should update your OS?
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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    This can be a problem also with your firewall if you have any that is blocking the port.

    You should check on that also.


    Net

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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by net
    This can be a problem also with your firewall if you have any that is blocking the port.

    You should check on that also.


    Net

    Seems he's already made the move to a new server.

    I cannot comment much on the chargeback issue as that should be decided by using your own discretion. It works both ways, you chose to order a low-end server and this happens, you can't be upset with the providor as you squeezed into such a small machine with such a low CPU. However, you DID pay three months in advanced, and only used 1 and a half.. it's up to you whether or not the time/hassle is worth getting your money back. Good luck.

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