Terms of Service
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What is a Terms of Service agreement?
Terms of Service, or ToS, is a statement commonly found at websites that provide a service, including sites for web hosting providers and related services. A web host ToS typically outlines the responsibilities and limitations of the web host and clients. A good web host ToS tells clients and potential clients what to expect when services are rendered and when they end. Whether or not users read the ToS, it stands as record of users' and providers' rights and responsibilities.
Contents of a web host ToS
There is no set list of requirements for web host Terms of Service agreements. Web hosts typically include some or possibly all of the following in their ToS:
Terms about web host actions and non-actions
- Responsibilities of the web host (services that the web host will provide)
- Policy on backups, account restorations, and liability
- Account termination policy, including termination for non-payment
- Money-back guarantee
- Refund policy
- Warranties, indemnification, and limitation of liability
Terms about client actions and non-actions
- Responsibilities of the client (account information, legal, payment, script/program security, and other requirements)
- Restrictions on server resource usage (bandwidth, CPU, heavy use of mailing lists, etc.)
- Prohibited types of content
- Terms of payment
- Spam policy
- Cancellation policy
ToS and web hosts
A ToS can protect web hosts when clients dispute actions taken or not taken. For example, if a client wants to take legal action because the web host didn't provide backups, the ToS can show that the web host isn't legally responsible for backups.
ToS and web hosting clients
Consumers searching for web hosting services should read the ToS carefully before deciding on a web host.
Restrictions can good for clients as well as web hosts, especially when websites are on a shared or reseller web hosting account. They can help make the server function better for all the clients using it. However, not everyone will like all the terms and policies.
The ToS can be particularly revealing fabout web hosts that appear to offer everything. Packages might include unlimited disk space and bandwidth, for example, but a clause in the ToS may allow the web host to restrict the resources after all or to terminate accounts for using too many resources.
See also
Web Hosting Wiki article text shared under a Creative Commons License.
