Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Hostwinds.com's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Hostwinds.com

  9 E 4th St STE 1002 Tulsa, OK 74103-5103

• 

  Hostwinds.com

  12101 Tukwila International Blvd Ste 320 Fl 3 Tukwila, WA 98168-2398

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/13/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been charged multiple times every month. I have disputed this with the company and they confirmed I do not and never have had an account or dealings with them. This has been going on for many months and I have been told they would stop and refund my charges and now they say they won't refund it and can't find my card info. Thus I keep getting charges several hundred dollars every month over several months now. I told my credit card company and they have said Hostwinds sent confirmation of the payments. I've reached out to Hostwinds more times than I can count and all they do is say they want more pics of my credit card. This is rediculous. I am having a baby die this week and I'm so sick of going back and forth with them and the credit card telling me the other is accountable.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2025

  Were sorry to hear about your experience and understand this situation is frustrating. Please know that we take all reports of unauthorized charges very seriously.
  
  After checking the details provided, we could not find a Hostwinds account linked to the email address mentioned in the complaint. Based on this, it appears the charges may be the result of someone else using your payment information to make purchases through our platform.
  
  At Hostwinds, account ownership is determined by the active payment method used to purchase services. In situations where fraud is suspected, we require certain documentation to investigate and take appropriate action. You can find the steps and required information outlined in our Product Documentation (Fraudulent Payments) here: REMOVED
  
  We understand that you may not want to provide this information. However, if the payment method was used on our platform, some of the payment details already exist in our system. Without the required documentation, were unable to verify or take action on the reported charges.
  
  If you choose not to provide this information, we recommend working with your card issuer to continue disputing the charges, as they are best equipped to resolve payment issues and may be able to issue a refund directly.
  
  We appreciate your understanding and hope this can be resolved as quickly as possible.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/04/2025

  My credit card company had confirmed these are fraudulent charges.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/05/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The REMOVEDinitially issued to us by HostWinds was previously used by someone that was either hacked or was sending out malware and spam. Two days after we signed up I received a reverse support ticket from the HostWinds legal department warning me about our spam activities. Later HostWinds realized that they had sent that message in error and it should have been sent to the previous customer. From there I was worried about the REMOVED's reputation and wasted three days arguing with support about whether or not it mattered. It was an unfortunate and unusual situation but it happened.The resolution I wanted was to be issued a new REMOVEDon a new VPS as we had not caused the problems and were new customers. I was told repeatedly by support that my concerns were unwarranted as the REMOVEDwas not blacklisted. I repeatedly explained to support that I KNEW THAT as I had ran an MX Tool Box black list check etc. when the REMOVEDwas issued to us - but that I also knew that just as there was a lag time in their HostWind's system between the prior customer and us as new customers - that there would possibly be a lag time with the REMOVEDbeing blacklisted on the Internet. I wasted three days going back and forth with their support only to eventually realize that I was a fool arguing with some weird combination of AI and Tech Support people that were simply hitting "send" without reading what was really going on.HostWinds put us in a very bad position as we were using them to host our business website - because of this situation I have every right to demand a refund if not additional damages. My decision to demand a COMPLETE refund of all funds paid to HostWinds lies largely on how difficult they made it for me to cancel our current subscription - as well as their insistence that I somehow owe them 11 cents plus 2 dollars. HostWinds has cost our business far more and I find it ridiculous. I want a full refund and for Hostwinds to stop demanding additional fees from us and leave us alone

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2025

  The service purchased on December 9th was initially assigned an IP address with a poor reputation. A ticket was automatically generated for a spam report, which was later determined to be a false positive. This was explained to the customer, who subsequently expressed appreciation for Hostwinds' services and support.
  
  The ticket then continued with inquiries about the spam report and a request for a new IP address. While Hostwinds cannot issue new IP addresses, we worked with the customer to initiate the delisting process. Communication regarding this matter concluded on December 13th with no further follow-ups from the customer. However, the service was not canceled until January 4th, which is beyond the timeframe allowed under Hostwinds' refund policy.
  
  Please note that Hostwinds records all communication for transparency. The customer can review the full history of this interaction within their account for complete details.
  
  Hostwinds Refund Policy: REMOVED
  Hostwinds Terms of Service: REMOVED

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/06/2025

  Additional account information -

  IP REMOVED

  Server # REMOVED

  Secondary IPs: REMOVED

  Order Number: REMOVED
  Product/Service: SSD Cloud Server - SSD Cloud 6
  Domain: REMOVED
  Location: REMOVED
  Operating System: Windows Server 2019

  If you need any additional supporting information - I have it - all in writing.

   

   

   

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/14/2025

  I am rejecting this response because:   Let me be to the point - and all of this is in writing - I signed up on the 9th - everything went to heck by the 11nth - all caused by Hostwinds issuing a bad IP to us - and then accusing us of causing the problems - by the 13nth I made it known to Hostwinds in writing that trust was broken and I was not interested in using them as a hosting provider. Hostwinds admits that they issued a bad IP - makes no apologies for putting us through that as a business - and plays some game about their refund policy as Hostwinds doesn't issue refunds after 3 days. 

  If I treated a customer like that I would then go and hide under a rock. Hostwinds has no shame. 

   

  Refund the money - ALL OF IT - additionally - we were charged AFTER this BBB complaint and AFTER I wrote into Hostwinds - I am NOT KIDDING that Hostwinds needs to knock off charging us and leave us alone. Look into the account - cancel ALL of it - issue a refund. A FULL refund. 

   

  If Hostwinds wants a small claims court judgement against them - please continue - because I am not dropping this - your automated AI support ticket system - the way a customer can not call into tech support - is a disgrace. And your response is a disgrace - I hope less than a $100 dollars is worth it to you. This BBB complaint is just the beginning if you don't cancel our account and refund our money. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/14/2025

  I feel a need to further clarify as HostWinds has opportunistically taken things things in the wrong direction. I made myself perfectly clear on the 13nth in writing - that trust had been broken and that I was done with HostWinds as a webhost provider. But then somehow - HostWinds took my silence past that point as an affirmation? 

   

  Nonsense. I didn't yell and scream for a month at them after I made my point - the fact that I didn't do that is in no way implying I was suddenly ok with them and had changed my mind. They never would have heard from me again if they hadn't demanded - and taken without authorization - more money.

   

  Additionally - HostWinds is correct that from the 9th until the 13nth I was full of compliments and euphemisms about HostWinds as I was trapped and needed their cooperation as they were hosting our business VPS. For HostWinds to now suggest that meant everything was ok? They know that it wasn't. They absolutely know that. That's disgusting that they suggest otherwise. 

  Please cancel our accounts - stop charging us money as Hostwinds did even AFTER receiving this BBB complaint - refund ALL of our money and leave us alone. 

  Thank you

   

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 01/15/2025

  Hostwinds, like many hosting providers, uses recycled REMOVEDaddresses. Unfortunately, the REMOVEDassigned to the customer had been previously used by another client, and due to a system error, a spam warning was mistakenly triggered for the new account. Throughout communication with Hostwinds' technical support, the customer shared positive feedback, including comments such as:
  "And in the event it gets to that - if the blacklists ignore us that this is a new REMOVEDand new REMOVEDaddress client - if you are willing to help us move to a new REMOVED- then I am ok. Honestly - things are working better with Hostwinds than they ever did during our brief three months with InterServer and our last 2 years at LiquidWeb once they got acquired by REMOVED."
  
  We explained that our system could not replace the assigned REMOVED, but we would be happy to check for any blacklisting and assist with delisting. By December 15, Hostwinds confirmed that the REMOVEDwas not listed on any blacklist. The customer also commented:
  "When the initial REMOVEDand REMOVEDwere assigned to us, I know it was done so in good faith, and Hostwinds did their due diligence it was not blacklisted. I know that because I checked it myself when it was initially issued to us. I would not have built the REMOVEDout otherwise."
  On December 15, 2024, we once again confirmed that the REMOVEDwas not on any blacklist and clarified that an automated email from our spam department could be disregarded. This email was triggered by prior spam activity associated with the REMOVED, and we apologized for any confusion, explaining that it was generated automatically by our system, not written by a team member.
  
  After our communication on December 15, we did not receive any further correspondence from the customer until their service was canceled on January 4, 2025, in accordance with Hostwinds' terms of service. Hostwinds is committed to protecting customer data and privacy.
  Regarding the refund request, Hostwinds reviewed the account and found that all support tickets were directed to the technical support team rather than the billing department, which handles refund requests. In accordance with our refund policy, but outside of standard policy, and given that the customer continued to use the REMOVEDwithout further feedback until the cancellation nearly a month after purchase, Hostwinds has issued a credit for the remaining month of December and refunded the difference for the annual plan to the original payment method. Additionally, charges for backups and monitoring services, which were not properly canceled by the customer, have been refunded as a one-time courtesy.
  
  We encourage customers to contact our billing department directly for any future refund or billing-related concerns, as none were properly submitted in this case. For reference, more information on Hostwinds' ticket system and department responsibilities can be found here:
  
  - How to Create, Submit, and Manage Tickets: REMOVED
  - Hostwinds Tiers of Support: REMOVED
  
  Additionally, if the customer is unfamiliar, they can review all correspondence through their account ticketing portal, which we are happy to share with any legal authority, as outlined in our terms of service. If the customer wishes to discuss the current refunds further, please submit a ticket through the account portal to facilitate continued communication.
  
  We appreciate the customers understanding and wish them the best moving forward.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/19/2025

  The above clearly shows the elephant in the room that Hostwinds is avoiding - why they KNOW I had no choice after 1/3/25 to file a BBB complaint and go after them.

   

  If their insistence were true that they in no way should be responsible for issuing a refund then their billing system was yet another automated mess. 

   

  We signed up and paid on the 9th December 2024 for a one month subscription  - they then CANCELLED our REMOVEDservices and pulled our websites offline on Jan 3rd - a FULL 7 days before our account was due - they shut our business REMOVEDdown - demanded money - and put me in a position where I had no choice other than to contact the BBB - my Bank - my attorneys - the money that they are refusing to refund - they FAILED to provide services for to the end of the month and additionally - they have since continued to charge our accounts without authorization even AFTER this BBB complaint and we have had no services with them.

  If the above makes no sense - I understand - because it doesn't. The people involved are either lying or themselves are caught up in the Hostwinds automated nightmare. 

  Since then - I have in writing from Hostwinds on TrustPilot that a refund was issued to us  - yet our bank has no record of that. I am trying to give Hostwinds time to issue the refund prior to filing chargebacks and fraud - if I proceed too early - that will delay the refund and I know that as a business owner myself.

  I can provide full documentation of everything - including Hostwinds telling us in writing that they issued a refund the other day on Trust Pilot. They were clever enough to be careful in writing to state the refund was "within their policy" - but I have no idea what that means. I have called into Hostwinds twice since then - and been told I should go into my Hostwinds account and contact billing - I am unable to do that as the 4th exhibit shows. This is just the beginning of the evidence we have against them and I have not even gone into the damages incurred by them prematurely cutting off our websites the first month.

  Please talk some sense into them BBB - I'm not dropping this.

  Thank you

   

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/21/2025

  I am rejecting this response because:   This is all nonsense - I provided real documentation to the BBB over the weekend. Prior to me doing that it was a he said - she said situation and Hostwinds all too easily played that game.

  Now the BBB has the real documents. It is so unfortunate - that HostWinds has spent their time in the interim - scouring through my messages back to early December - quoting me - and FAILING to understand the REAL POINT.

  I FILED THE COMPLAINT BECAUSE YOUR BILLING DEPRATMENT SCREWED UP AND TOOK MY BUSINESS VPS OFFLINE PREMATURELY. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRANSFERRING TO A NEW PRIVIDER AND I WAS UNABLE TO ACCESS MY NAMESERVERS AND UPDATE THE REMOVEDWHEN YOU TOOK US OFFLINE.

  We tried Hostwinds out early December - they accused us of abusing the server we paid for - then later realized we hadn't and BLAH BLAH BLAH. I knew they were an automated mess four or five days in - and I said to them - the equivalent of - SORRY it didn't work out - we PAID you for a month - Keep us up and live and running until the end of the month we paid for - WE are moving - it takes TIME to move - I didn't demand a refund and I didn't go after them publicly over the BAD IP.

  HOWEVER - Hostwinds is so screwed up - so automated - they shut our business VPS down - cancelled our accounts - PRIOR to the end of the month that we paid for.

  Hostwinds is so clueless and so automated and frankly so much a DISASTER - that they failed to understand the connection of the date I filed this complaint. 

  I attached image files of receipts over the weekend - if anyone needs more documentation I have it - all of it - it isn't my fault if Hostwinds is so clueless that they miss the point of this BBB complaint - ironically -  In fact my point - why I had no choice to file this complaint is FOR EXACTLY THAT REASON.

  Now hopefully - someone over at Hostwinds will look into our account - refund the money - all of it - stop insulting me and my intelligence, the BBB's intelligence and everyone else that now publicly knows about this nonsense - and CHANGE HOW YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS.

  REMOVEDis the worst experience ever - I have managed our business VPS for twenty years and they are a joke. 

  If you have any more questions - I have lots of documented info.

  REFUND ALL OF THE MONEY AND STOP MESSING AROUND HOSTWINDS.

  Thank you

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 01/21/2025

  We are a bit confused by the ongoing rejections and submissions related to this complaint, especially since different names are handling it instead of the same one. For example, the original complaint was issued by "REMOVED, REMOVED," but the follow-up is from "REMOVED."
  
  Additionally, as previously mentioned, refunds were issued to the account in question on 1/15/2025. The customer can review these details by going to their account >> billing >> my invoices and selecting the refunded statuses. The image they provided seems to be outdated and not recent. Also, Hostwinds never cancels services on behalf of a customer, and our logs show that the customer canceled their services after receiving instructions on how to do so.
  
  We consider this issue resolved, and it appears the customer is attempting to continue the complaint without accepting the additional facts or further investigation, as reflected in the images we have provided.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/21/2025

  Daer Hostwinds - "REMOVED" is your representative from the BBB trying to help you  - stop acting like jerks and show some respect. If that confuses you - god knows how confused you will be when I get you in front of a Judge. 

  My name is REMOVED- REMOVEDis from the BBB. The below is your nonsense. 

  We await your response with bated breathe

  REMOVED(to REALLY confuse you - I go by my middle name)

  Please see your nonsense below that you may have forgotten you posted which I am responding to

  _______________________________________________________________

   

  We are a bit confused by the ongoing rejections and submissions related to this complaint, especially since different names are handling it instead of the same one. For example, the original complaint was issued by "REMOVED, REMOVED," but the follow-up is from "REMOVED."
  
  Additionally, as previously mentioned, refunds were issued to the account in question on 1/15/2025. The customer can review these details by going to their account >> billing >> my invoices and selecting the refunded statuses. The image they provided seems to be outdated and not recent. Also, Hostwinds never cancels services on behalf of a customer, and our logs show that the customer canceled their services after receiving instructions on how to do so.
  
  We consider this issue resolved, and it appears the customer is attempting to continue the complaint without accepting the additional facts or further investigation, as reflected in the images we have provided.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/23/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date: Dec 20, 2024 Against: HostWinds, REMOVEDbought their subscription services for Virtual Web Server.Even though we have still not started to send any email from our software, they sent us a notice and blocked SMTP server. As a solution they forced us to provide our Identity Document and Copy of Debit Card.This was like arm twisting, you give us your card or we will block your services. So, we gave the card but asked the reason for demanding that as according USA Laws they are not supposed to ask Card details.However they are not providing me any clarifications. I am worried about finances of our REMOVEDis possible that HostWinds is doing this as a part of their SOP. Blocking the services - Arm Twist - Get Card Details.I would like this to be solved.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/30/2024

  Hostwinds has a strict zero-tolerance policy for spam, as outlined in our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our system flagged this account as suspicious, prompting the application of an REMOVEDfilter until we received communication confirming the customer's understanding and agreement to our policies. Additionally, proof of account ownership, including payment verification, was required, as stated in our Terms of Service. We take account security and fraud prevention very seriously.
  
  While this situation is uncommon, the actions were necessary based on the alerts generated by our system. The customer was informed of this process. Once the required information was provided, the REMOVEDfilter was removed on December 20th, following the internal review that began on December 19th.
  
  Hostwinds Terms of Service: REMOVED

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/31/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:   

  My concern is not at all answered. They say they have zero tolerance on SPAM. That's good. I also have zero tolerance on SPAM and as such everyone on this earth has zero tolerance. Complain is not about keeping zero tolerance.

  The complain is 

  (1) Why do you need Picture of my Debit Card?

  (2) Which law/ section of law in REMOVEDpermits you to have Debit Card Picture from customer?

  Let me have answer of above.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2025

  Please review the terms of service regarding SPAM and the process by which Hostwinds verifies account ownership (e.g., payment method). Given the nature of this issue, the requirements were clearly communicated and requested. While the customer has the right to decline the request, doing so will result in the suspension and eventual termination of the service, as we require proof of ownership to remove the REMOVEDfiltering that was applied.
  
  Hostwinds Terms of Service: REMOVED

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/19/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This organization initially shutdown my corporate email server on a weekend, when we were unable to react or deal with it only a day after our invoice was issued. Addtionally, they ignored our request to change to a monthly billing cycle, they ignored my directive to cancel our account and remove our personal information as they are required by law, and they charged my card after being notified that they are no longer entitled to our information.Their negligence has impacted our business accounts and is now going to cost my organization an addition $150 in fees that we simply can not afford. To say I am angry would be a drastic understatement.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/19/2024

  We understand the frustration this situation has caused and recognize the impact it has had on your business. We would like to clarify the details of the issue.
  
  At Hostwinds, we do not directly cancel customer services. Instead, we provide clear guidance to ensure that our customers can manage their services securely. Given that we are in the data industry, we take the privacy and security of our clients' information very seriously. Therefore, service cancellations must be initiated by clients through their Client Area for both security and account management purposes. On 11/14/24, we provided the customer with detailed instructions on how to cancel the service via the Client Area following their inquiry with our billing team.
  
  Upon reviewing the communication between the customer and our Billing, Sales, and Technical Support teams, we did not receive any request for a billing cycle change prior to the customer's message on 11/14/24.
  
  As outlined in our Terms of Service, cancellations must be requested through the Client Area on the service management page. Requests made through other channels, including third-party communications, are not processed as valid cancellation requests. Once the cancellation was properly requested, we would have been able to proceed with closing the account and addressing further requests.
  
  Since the service was canceled within the eligible timeframe, we have issued a refund for the remaining portion of the billing cycle as per our Refund Policy.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/22/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:   

  First off, when a member of your sales team has a client request a cancellation, it should be cancelled. All these excuses about your Terms of Service, and automation are just that; excuses. You failed in your first responsibility to your clients; listening to them.

  Second of all, I did in fact change the billing cycle IMMEDIATELY after setting up my account initially; if your system did not change that billing cycle, you should really look into that before it happens again.

  Additionally, you shorted us $10 CAD on the refund. You also incurred an additional $80 CAD in NSF fees due to your unauthorized charges.

  To consider this matter resolved, we will require an additional $90 CAD refunded.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2024

  Please refer to the following Hostwinds Terms of Service and policies, which outline the requirements and expectations for purchases, cancellations, and refunds.
  
  Hostwinds Terms of service: REMOVED
  Hostwinds Cancellation Instructions: REMOVED;
  Hostwinds Refund Policy: REMOVED

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  There are 3 things within the last month that HostWinds has incorrectly done or just flat out took our company's servers offline outside of a maintenance window. 1. We asked to have a new test server set up with a REMOVED5. They did a REMOVED1. So we asked them to redo the REMOVEDand have the REMOVEDon a C: drive. They REMOVEDed the REMOVED. So we are going to decommission that server because we do not want to go through HostWinds techs not doing the job they are asked for.2. We found that there were errors on our D: drive. Hostwinds decided on their own to start a Check Disk in the middle of the work day. This should have been done in a maintenance window. 3. Because of the above, we asked that a drive be put in an open slot. We did not ask for a restart. However, HostWinds decided to restart our server again, this time booting into the BIREMOVED. This situation took almost two hours to resolve. We have tried to contact the REMOVED, multiple times, and he does not seem to have the time to understand what his company is doing with customer servers and data.Need to be able to get a hold of techs when there are emergencies and not be stuck in a holding pattern waiting for techs to respond.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2024

  REMOVED's has been in direct contact with the complaintive and personally believes this matter is currently resolved.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/02/2024

  Good afternoon,

  After submitting this complaint, the REMOVEDand Director of Operations got on a meeting with me and the REMOVEDof Operations at Veritas.  We talked through everything that was happening.  I was very surprised with there candor and honesty. They completely understood, took responsibility for their portion of the issues, and asked for some changes on our end.  Even spoke through how they are going to work through their escalation process.  They seemed to really take this seriously not just for us but from a HostWinds stand point.  I am not sure how complaints work but HostWinds has resolved our issue and I feel are going to take steps to remediate for all customers. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/02/2024

  I have reviewed the business response and accept this resolution. 

  Consumer

  Most Recent Message

  Date Sent: 8/2/2024 2:45:57 PM
  

  Good afternoon,

  After submitting this complaint, the REMOVEDand Director of Operations got on a meeting with me and the REMOVEDof Operations at Veritas.  We talked through everything that was happening.  I was very surprised with there candor and honesty. They completely understood, took responsibility for their portion of the issues, and asked for some changes on our end.  Even spoke through how they are going to work through their escalation process.  They seemed to really take this seriously not just for us but from a HostWinds stand point.  I am not sure how complaints work but HostWinds has resolved our issue and I feel are going to take steps to remediate for all customers. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/18/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was paying for a server to store files for several years. A year or more ago, the server was deleted but I was continued to get charged. I am out the payments as well as my files are gone which has a much higher value than the amount I paid to this business.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/18/2024

  The customer was informed that REMOVEDdoesn't actively monitor or micromanage services unless there's an issue within our infrastructure, legal notification of abuse, a specific problem reported by the customer, or if they have our monitoring service that automatically generates a support ticket upon failure.
  
  Concerning the specific service issue, these details were communicated to the customer since there had been no prior communication about this concern or any previous issues since the service's inception in Sept 2016 until recently. We REMOVEDa parallel to a cable company providing a cable box if, for some reason, the box stopped showing some channels a year ago without notice, the cable company would assume everything is working fine until the issue is brought to their attention. Similarly, the reported problem occurred over a year ago and was not communicated to us, leading us to believe the service was functioning as intended by the customer. Given the timeline and in adherence to our refund policy, a refund cannot be issued to the customer. Additionally, the service has been reinstalled and confirmed to be in working order by the customer since the most recent review.
  
  We can only urge the customer to regularly review their services, irrespective of the hosting provider or vendor, to ensure their service is functioning as intended. Neglecting this may impede a company's ability to address issues promptly and efficiently.
  
  Hostwinds Terms of Service: REMOVED
  Hostwinds Refund Policy: REMOVED

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/19/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:   This business has been charging full price for a server that did not exist.  This is not a case of a service interruption.  This is a case of complete server deletion, loss of files and still charging full price.  When given the opportunity to make up for a year of charging for nothing HostWinds.com declined.

  There are damages here and the customer isn't asking for handouts.  Either refund the money or offer comparable service going forward.  This is a material breach of contract.  Worse, charging for a non-existent service could be considered fraud.

  Deleting the files and not charging would be suspect.  Deleting the files and making the customer pay for it is intentionally deceitful.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/19/2024

  The service was purchased back in 2016. Our investigation revealed that, according to our records, the service has been running, but there were corrupted files in the customers OS discovered on 1/23/2023. Unfortunately, this issue wasn't brought to our attention until now, a year later, so our support options are limited. It's worth mentioning that, as a gesture of goodwill, we had already provided a one-month account credit for the service before receiving this report.
  
  It's important to note that the security of an account and services ultimately falls under the customers responsibility, as outlined in our terms of service. Nonetheless, we make every effort to support and resolve issues. However, given the considerable time that has passed, our available options are now limited.
  Currently, the service remains up and running, and we have resolved the corrupted files by reinstalling with the customers permissions. Regrettably, there were no local backups by the customer, and our backups weren't purchased.
  
  We strongly recommend considering the purchase of backups, monitoring (if available), and periodically reviewing services moving forward, regardless of provider.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/19/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:   The business is not applying their own Uptime promise found here and quoted below.  REMOVED

  "Uptime Guarantee
  Hostwinds promises a REMOVED% uptime guarantee. This promise means that the network we use and its power would be up with no downtime in excess of REMOVEDseconds per year.
  
  If our network goes down or the power is lost, Hostwinds will provide an account credit upon request made in a ticket for the cost of the whole day(s) affected by that downtime. Downtime excludes SSLs, domain name registrations, and software licenses.
  
  Conditions
  Hostwinds account credit would only be issued under this SLA for downtime directly related to connectivity to our network and power. Beyond this, no account credits or compensation would be issued for service interruptions caused by:
  
  Any scheduled or emergency maintenance
  Any ISP or other third parties blocking connectivity in any way
  Configurations as set by default or the account owner on a given service
  Actions taken or requested by an account owner
  Suspensions/Terminations as resulting from a lack of payment, violations of our Terms of Service, or possible fraud
  
  This uptime guarantee only applies to connecting and accessing our network; only the inability to do so would be considered "downtime" per this guarantee.
  
  Third-party software, code, scripts, or other content that is installed on our services is entirely the account owner's responsibility."

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/31/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  These people are a joke. I have been with them for some time however I was charged again in 2022 and when I moved my email into outlook 364 I would have emails that I didn’t receive because they were still going into hosteinds even though I opened several tickets…..well apparently opening a service/tech ticket is not enough! If you don’t reply to their email (even though you opened a ticket) it just gets shut down…..and not to mention if you EVER need support it is done via a support ticket and you need to wait for someone to respond so forgot about being able to have an issue addressed so you can continue working on the site. I finally had enough and decided to cancel and asked how much of a refund I could expect and I was told a credit in the amount of $xxx.xx. I said great and cancelled and moved hosting companies. I followed up today and was told there is no refund, only a credit towards future services, but don’t worry the credit never goes away! What a joke!!! I will NEVER do business aging with this company and am now just out my money that I was told I would get. They are hung up on the word credit that they used in a clear request from me in regards to the amount of my refund. Horrible and I’m sure there are others and hostwinds is basically stealing my money now

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2023

  We genuinely apologize for any inconvenience experienced, and we recognize that expectations were not met.
  
  However, at Hostwinds, we employ a ticket system for various purposes, as detailed in our "Create, Submit, and Manage Tickets" documentation. Upon reviewing the account, we observed that multiple tickets from the history of the account were acknowledged and addressed with further inquiries, explanations, or resolutions. Regrettably, we didn't receive any further communication from the customers end. It's important to note that our tickets are never permanently closed and can be reopened at any time by simply responding to them. In the absence of further responses, our support team understandably assumed that the issue was resolved.

  
  Regarding refunds, we clearly outlined our refund policy and explained that a refund would be provided in the form of an account credit. This credit has already been issued because the service was paid for over a year ago and was most recently canceled. Please understand that, due to the elapsed time, we are unable to refund the original invoice, even if we wished to make an exception to our policy.
  
  Hostwinds Tiers of Support: REMOVED
  Create, Submit and Manage Tickets: REMOVED
  Refund Policy: REMOVED

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/01/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   Yes initially they stated a credit to which I responded that I expected a refund and that I would fight for it. I also argued the amount that I felt I was due. Again Hostwinds is getting hung up on the word account credit. That is their whole basis for them not returning my money. However had I known it would only be a credit I would not have cancelled. I cannot afford to just throw away 160.00. That is the amount they have credited to me to use should I decide to do business with them again. The reason I assumed it would be a refund is on my emails back to them arguing the amount, the VERY next email from them said in order to process the refund I needed to cancel me account. NOT in order to process the credit!!! So I cancelled my account per that email (which came after the emails indicating a credit) and notified them of the cancellation PER THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE EMAIL and here we are. 

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  We regret to inform you that, as per our established refund policy and considering the significant time that has passed since the original transaction, which occurred over a year ago, we are unable to process a refund.
  
  Furthermore, it appears that the complainant did not provide the full context in their image of our previous responses. In our prior communication, which was part of the same email thread, we clearly outlined our company's policies and the nature (result) of the refund as an account credit. To proceed with this refund (as an account credit, as previously specified), we required the service to be canceled. The customer followed these instructions, and the account credit was duly issued.
  
  At Hostwinds, it is our standard practice for customers to be responsible for canceling their own services, as detailed in our refund policy and cancellation instructions. We understand that it may be unfortunate if the customer misunderstood or did not seek further clarification before deciding to cancel their services. However, if the customer has any backups available, we are more than willing to assist in restoring their service after a successful repurchase.
  
  Please refer to Hostwinds Refund Policy and Cancellation Instructions.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/03/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   I understand and acknowledge that the terms were initially laid out that a credit would be given.....it was right after that when I said I was not going to accept that and I wanted a refund. The response to that email (the image posted previously)  was in order to process the REFUND I would need to cancel the account and then let them know it was done. Please show me ANY email between that email to me to cancel the account and the REFUND would be processes and me cancelling my account and asking for the REFUND! You will not FIND any because there are none. I assumed that I was going to get a refund, not a credit bases on the instructions I followed in the email....that was CANCEL THE ACCOUNT AND THEN LET THEM KNOW IT WAS DONE AND THE REFUND WOULD BE PROCESSED. That email superseded the other emails regarding a credit being issued and again, had it been clear then I would not have cancelled and sucked up the horrible service. So if you have ANY evidence that there is an email between the email telling me to cancel the account and the REFUND would be processed and me following those instructions then show it. Remember I also still have access to the tickets on the system as well so please do NOT try to make it look like I am hiding something.