Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Web Hosting : Abuse myth !

Based on a recent problem happened for one of my customers, I wanted to share with you and receive best recommendations.
The account owner lives in Bahrain. She is British. She had to travel to Iran and attend in a seminar. During her trip, she has accessed her account. Now the abuse team is refering to a TOS item which mentions that accounts being accessed from countries in sanction list will be disabled.
Based on my knowledge, the abuse team is not understanding the situation clearly. Logging to control panel from Iran does not mean that the account belongs to a country which is in sanction list.
This is my personal idea. Your comments will be helpful.
However, I am moving out from that hosting and I am searching for a better hosting and better abuse team

[Jedito]

As far as I know you can't have commercial relationship with people of/in Iran, but this does not mean that they can not access from Iran. As example, I have a customer who usually travel to Cuba and access to his account from there, I never got a complain from anybody about this.

[maflynn]

Well, without seeing the exact wording of the TOS, its difficult to say if she did violate it. You yourself mention that their TOS states that the account cannot be accessed from countries in a sanction list. If that is pretty close to the wording, then it does sound like she did violate the TOS when she accessed her account while in Iran.

Well, without seeing the exact wording of the TOS, its difficult to say if she did violate it. You yourself mention that their TOS states that the account cannot be accessed from countries in a sanction list. If that is pretty close to the wording, then it does sound like she did violate the TOS when she accessed her account while in Iran.
I can not find such a term in the TOS page! And the abuse team has replied to her complaint including this reason:
When you sign up, your IP address is logged & tracked to the country the signup originated from. If the IP address or physical was tracked to a country on the US Sanctioned list, at this time we must ask that you please seek an alternative hosting provider.

[MikeDVB]

What is the provider that you are dealing with? Chances are they are being a little too strict to cover their own butts but there's no way of really knowing without knowing the full story and all of the details.

[ldcdc]

So if an Iranian hacker gets access to your account, your account is terminated? If a journalist located temporarily in Iran accesses his newspaper's site/network, it will be taken down? Ridiculous.

[Amy-T]

I did a google and was not able to find this list so umm where do you find this list?

[MikeDVB]

I did a google and was not able to find this list so umm where do you find this list?
If I'm not mistaken you need to search for US Trade Embargo - it's a list of countries that the United States does not do "business" with for one reason or another.
Back when Iran was added I remember reading a story about how ThePlanet had to cancel at least a few hundred servers that were leased by Iranians and how the Iranians held it against ThePlanet when in reality ThePlanet had no choice.

[ldcdc]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargoes

[Amy-T]

Wow thanks.

[Ryan - Limestone]

While this does seem a bit harsh, if this client of yours is on their network then perhaps your TOS should be in sync with whomever you are reselling for? Perhaps try to speak to management at the company to see if they can be a bit flexible.
Unfortunately if it is in their TOS,and you agreed to it when you signed up, then you dont really have much of a leg to stand on to argue the legitimacy of their claim. I suggest trying to get them to sympathize with your clients situation, and offering to update your TOS/AUP accordingly.
Best of luck!
~Ryan

[keliix06]

http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/
The official OFAC site. No need to use wikipedia.

While this does seem a bit harsh, if this client of yours is on their network then perhaps your TOS should be in sync with whomever you are reselling for? Perhaps try to speak to management at the company to see if they can be a bit flexible.
Unfortunately if it is in their TOS,and you agreed to it when you signed up, then you dont really have much of a leg to stand on to argue the legitimacy of their claim. I suggest trying to get them to sympathize with your clients situation, and offering to update your TOS/AUP accordingly.
Best of luck!
~Ryan
There is nothing mentioned in the TOS about the IP address. They are saying that the account has been access from a different IP address and that IP address is in Iran. Is it logical?

[Ryan - Limestone]

There is nothing mentioned in the TOS about the IP address. They are saying that the account has been access from a different IP address and that IP address is in Iran. Is it logical?
Hello,
While I do agree that it is a bit harsh, without personally looking over the TOS I cannot really state for certain whether or not it violates it or does not. Have you tried contacting them directly about this as suggested?
Regards,
~Ryan

Hello,
While I do agree that it is a bit harsh, without personally looking over the TOS I cannot really state for certain whether or not it violates it or does not. Have you tried contacting them directly about this as suggested?
Regards,
~Ryan
I contacted their abuse department. None of their staff reply about this issue. It is like we are infected by AIDS!
I do not want to reveal the name of that hosting company here. Can I talk to you private to send you the link of TOS?