ComplaintsforIONOS, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a domain from this company. I planned on just forwarding the domain to a ********* site. It was something on a whim and i couldn't get it to work as planned and so I just forgot about it. I spoke to a representative on the phone to change credit cards because I didn't want them to auto renew or something that i did not authorize. Set up a limit so the site could not charge over a dollar using the privacy app, I had not been back to the site since. Then I saw they tried to charge me 18.00 and it didn't go through, Which only made me glad I updated the card. Then I see an email saying I owe them for some web building service i never asked for and they can see i never used.The email threaten to send it to collections with a collections charge. The customer service has said i just have to say that i wanted to cancel. Which I did over and over. I said they can keep the domain close the account and remove that charge. I got cut and paste messages from her

  

  Business response

  07/12/2021

  Dear ****** *************, 
  
  On behalf of 1&1 IONOS, I would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience associated with your account. Our records indicate that we have recently addressed your concerns and the contract in question has been terminated and the associated balance has been cleared.  For the records of this complaint, please review the following email correspondence from 7/08/2021 that is listed below:
  
  Dear ******* ************ (Customer ID: **********,
  
  Thank you for contacting us.
  
  We received an escalated case on your behalf regarding your request to terminate the ********* Creator+ Contract ********* effective immediately.
  
  Firstly, we apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. 
  After reviewing your account, I have found that an order was placed for the ** ******* ******** on April 26, 2021, through a consultation with a sales agent in which a confirmation email was provided. We apologize for any miscommunication regarding this service and any customer service received that was less than satisfactory. 
  
  With your permission in reply, we can set to cancel with an immediate effect and clear the balance due. Please note that by canceling your ** ******* ******** contract *********, all data, web files, web builders, and emails stored within this service will be deleted and will not be recoverable.  Any domains within this contract, will be deleted and will not be available for re-purchase for at least 60 days.  If you wish for us to process your cancellation at this time please reply directly to this email to confirm. Once the cancellation has processed, new invoices will not generate. 
  
  For future reference, as per our terms and conditions, the termination of services is to be processed by turning off the automatic renewal within the control panel. By following the below steps:
  
  1. Log in to the Contract Service with your IONOS Customer ID and password.
  Forgot your password? We explain how you can assign a new one in the article Change Your IONOS password.
  2. If you have more than one contract, click on the contract you would like to cancel.
  3. In the Update auto-renewal setting panel, click Next.
  4. Toggle the switch next to Automatically keep my contract to turn contract auto-renewal off.
  5. Click Save.
  6. Review the listed impacts related to contract cancellation, and if you are ready to continue, click Disable Auto-Renewal.
  7. Please inform us of the reason for your cancellation by choosing one of the options displayed. Then click Next.
  
  Auto-renewal for your contract has now been disabled. The date that your contract will expire will be displayed after the final step.
  
  Thank you for your time and we look forward to your reply so we can process your request.
  
  And again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. 
  
  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Solutions Manager
  IONOS
  
  Cancel it remove the charges. Maybe next time send an email confirming the
  purchase rather than just notifying me. I have around 8 email accounts.
  This was not an important domain and so I didn't have it going to a email
  that I check constantly.
  
  Dear ******* ************* (Customer ID: **********,
  
  Thank you for contacting us.
  
  As per your cancellation confirmation I have processed the termination of the ** ******* ******** contract ********* and cleared the balance due. Please allow up to 48 hours for the balance to be removed from the system.  As the cancellation has been processed mid-contract term, a final invoice may generate. If you receive notification of this, it can be disregarded as we will clear this balance as well. 
  
  Please note, all orders processed will generate an order confirmation email that is sent to the email address on file and a notification is available within the control panel by selecting the icon of the bell located at the top right-hand corner. 
  
  Again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused and we appreciate your patience while we addressed this matter. 
  
  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Solutions Manager
  IONOS
  
  As stated above, we have cleared the balance the due, terminated the contract and provided an update to the email address on file. If you require any other assistance, please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to:  [email protected].
  
  Again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused.
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  ******** ***** 
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  https://www.ionos.com

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Have a domain only through them for years. Someone on their team added a $20/month cloud storage to my account. My website isn't even hosted by them, why would I need cloud storage??! I never agreed to anything like this. Cancellation team stated he couldn't cancel and accused me of adding it. Wouldn't even tell me how to cancel. Had to ****** and find out. Extremely rude man on the phone. Will be moving my domain. Worst web hosting company around.

  

  Business response

  07/13/2021

  Dear *******************, 
  
  Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and on behalf of 1&1 IONOS, I am truly sorry your experience with our company has not met your expectations. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback.  Direct feedback from the customer is an important resource as it helps us focus on the aspects of our products and services that need the most attention. 
  
  Upon review of the account, I have found that on September 8, 2020, a call was placed to restore the domain, royalrestorationswc.com. During the call, our support teammate provided information on our ******* *** product that could be used with External Files in which the service was agreed upon and added to the account. An order confirmation was sent to the email address on file detailing the service, noting the annual contract and monthly billing agreement.

  While we like to help the best we can, in this situation it is the customer's responsibility to manage the account, which includes canceling any unwanted services. Unfortunately, a cancellation was not previously completed for the contract which allowed the recent invoices to generate.
  
  For your convenience I have emailed the designated email address on file on July 7, 2021 with more information regarding your request. You may simply reply to that email so we can continue to address your concerns. 
  
  If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: ******************************.
  
  Once more, we apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  ******** S**** 
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  https://www.ionos.com

  Customer response

  07/18/2021

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I agreed to have my domain restored. Your business also gave me something that was not needed, wanted and not properly explained. Why would I have agreed to something that was of no use to me for $20 a month when all my hosting is done elsewhere. Furthermore, your retention agent wouldn't even explain to me how to cancel. I want to make sure this is cancelled and no one is willing to help. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************
  

  

  Business response

  07/30/2021

  Dear *******************, 
  
  For your convenience I have emailed the designated email address on file on July 7, 2021 (and forwarded a copy for your review today) with more information regarding your request. Unfortunately, we have not received a response. In order to process your request to terminate services, we require explicit permission from our customers noting they are aware of data loss. At your earliest convenience, please respond directly to that email and we will be happy to process your request. 
  
  Alternatively, please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: ******************************. 
  
  Again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused and look forward to your reply. 
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  ******** S**** 
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  http://www.ionos.com

• Initial Complaint

  06/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I got a call from a collections agency for service for the website www.*********.****** with which I am not associated. Collections agency said the account is forwarded to them by I&1. I called 1&1 and they said they cannot help since I do not have an account with them and asked to dispute the charge with the collections agency. I don't know why if the company cannot deal with this issue if they created this problem and now they want me to deal with the collections agency instead of helping me. I do not want to ruin my credit report over the collections for a service I never used. Such a fraud.

  

  Business response

  06/28/2021

  Dear ***********************************, 

  Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and on behalf of 1&1 IONOS, I am truly sorry your experience with our company has not met your expectations. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback.  Direct feedback from the customer is an important resource as it helps us focus on the aspects of our products and service that need the most attention. 
  
  While we aim to help the best we can, we are limited in the type of assistance we can provide as the email address you are using is not associated with the IONOS account in question. For security purposes we can only make changes on the account or provide account specific information when contacted by the designated email address on file for the account.  For your convenience I have emailed the designated email address on file with more information regarding your request. You may simply reply to that email so we can continue to address your concerns. Alternatively, please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: [email protected]. I also wanted to confirm that when a balance is passed to collections, we stipulate with the collection agency that it have no effect on the customer's credit history and the balance is not reported to credit bureaus.

  Again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused and look forward to your reply. 
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  Michelle S**** 
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  http://www.ionos.com

  

  Business response

  07/22/2021

  Dear ***********************************, 
  
  While we aim to help the best we can, we are limited in the type of assistance we can provide as the email address you are using is not associated with the IONOS account in question. For security purposes we can only make changes on the account or provide account specific information when contacted by the designated email address on file for the account.  However, our records indicate that we have recently addressed your concerns internally and should you require additional assistance please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: [email protected].

  Sincerely, 
  
  Michelle S**** 
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  https://www.ionos.com

  Customer response

  07/23/2021

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have over 150 domain names with Ionos. The contract they were assigned to was inactivated but the domains remain active in my name. I have attempted to move some away from Ionos to another Registrar which was blocked by Ionos, despite my ownership of them. They are also refusing to assign the domain names to my other active contract, unless I pay a fee of 10.00 for each one. This is in direct contraction to paragraph 9.1 of their terms and service. Ionos has advised that they will only allow the transfer of the domains and will only allow the reassigning of the domains to my other contract if I pay 10.00 per domain name. I am being extorted in order to regain control of domains that are registered to me and my legal property. Paragraph 9.1 reads, "Additional domains can be transferred at no additional cost to any active contract within the same account, as long as at least one invoice has been raised and paid for. I have paid over 10 active invoices from that account.

  

  Business response

  07/20/2021

  Dear *********************** (Customer ID: ********,
  
  We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and that we were unable to address your concerns prior to escalating to the Better Business Bureau.  I wanted to thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback.  Direct feedback from the customer is an important resource as it helps us focus on the aspects of our products and service that need the most attention. 
  
  Our team has reached out directly and advised of our policies and processes as they pertain to the transfer of domains within IONOS, away from IONOS and the current options available. For your convenience I have emailed the designated email address on file on July 6th, 12th and 14th with more information regarding your request. You may simply reply, so we can continue to address your concerns. 
  
  If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: ******************************.
  
  Once more, we apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  ******** S**** 
  
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  https://www.ionos.com

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We had an account executive / sales manager set us up with a 30 day trial for Ionos to be our server provider. He stated that we could provision as many servers as we wanted as we only pay for the time they're in use. Their confirms says the same. As such, we held 5 servers in our control panel for 3 months that were never used. We were never informed we would be charged for not deleting these virtual servers from our control panel (nearly a $4,000 overbilling result). The servers were not ever in use but were allocated to attempt load balancing. The false information from the account manager and on their website makes this an honest services type fraud. We are owed for nearly 3 months of overpayment.

  

  Business response

  07/20/2021

  Dear *************************** (Customer ID: **********,
  
  We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and that we were unable to address your concerns prior to escalating to the Better Business Bureau. We appreciate your patience while we had this matter investigated further on your behalf. After consulting with various teams and reviewing the attached documentation, it was determined we would be unable to accommodate your request for compensation. 
  
  For your reference, please note that the documentation you attached highlighting the information provided to you via email from your PSA differs from the email that was sent from our system at that exact time and date. Specifically, the excerpt stating "You currently are set up with our "pay as you go" plan meaning you only pay for your servers when they are in "ON" status. We guarantee *****% uptime." is not present in the automatic PSA email that was sent to you from our system on January 13, 2021.
  
  Our system shows that the initial confirmation email from Jan 12, 2021 advises that the contract costs are post- paid per month, with a $300 starting credit promotion, with Terms and Conditions attached.  Before placing an order, there is a section of our website that highlights our Cloud Server features. One of these features is labeled "pay-as-you-go".  The information pop-out explaining this feature states "When a server is deleted, the package price will be calculated to the minute. Billing is monthly, at the end of the billing period." This sets the expectation that costs will be incurred after the server is ordered, and billing is only stopped once the server is deleted. Another feature listed in this section is "Load Balancer", and the information pop-out describes this feature stating ************************ rates across multiple servers to ensure short access times for visitors to your websites." As you have previously mentioned, you were actively using the servers for this feature after the orders were placed, during which time the servers remained active on your contract, as they were not deleted. The invoices on your account accurately reflect the costs of service based on your orders and use.
  
  The above term "servers" is a reference to the additional dedicated server resources that were ordered through your Cloud Panel after your initial contract order. Please note that customers must also agree to terms of service and costs each time a new server is added through the Cloud Panel, which also sets the proper expectation for monthly costs.  Once a server is ordered and available for use, the dedicated server resources are allocated to the customer and billing is active. Per the information on our site, there is no required term, and the servers can be canceled any time, however, billing is only stopped after a server is deleted.
  
  We always aim to provide a great customer experience and help the best we can, however, we do have our limitations. Our apologies again for any misunderstanding with regard to the billing of your product.  As mentioned, per our terms of service, the information provided on our website and the contract confirmation email, we find your account's invoices to be valid and due based on the services provided. We're sorry that we're unable to offer you the compensation and resolution you're seeking, however, we hope this additional information proves helpful in clarifying the issue, and we appreciate your understanding.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Solutions Manager
  IONOS
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have been received a collection letter from ****** global solutions llc on behalf of Ionos by 1&1 for 20.00 and a copy of a statement that does not reflect there collecting fee of 18.95. I thought I had this dealt with over five weeks ago upon receiving the same documentation by ****** global collections and speaking with them and then billing department at Ionos I was told everything was taken care of. Until today June 15, 2021 here comes the same collection again. It is for the main space from February 25, 2021 through February 25, 2022 I do not even own a computer nor have I for over I was told everything was taken care of. Until today June 15, 2021 here comes the same collection again. It is for the main space from February 25, 2021 through February 25, 2022 I do not even own a computer nor have I for over 9 years I do not belong to any social media I only have one email I am looking for and asking them to clear this off of their system. Nothing more. Security won’t answer. Fraud

  

  Business response

  06/25/2021

  Dear ***** *****, 

  We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and that we were unable to address your concerns prior to escalating to the Better Business Bureau.

  I want to confirm that the account in question has been confirmed fraudulent and we are having the balance removed from ******. The process of removing a balance from collections and clearing it from our system is not automated, so you may receive notifications about the balance still being due in the interim but these can be disregarded. I also wanted to confirm that when a balance is passed to collections, we stipulate with the collection agency that it have no effect on the customer's credit history and the balance is not reported to credit bureaus.

  If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: [email protected].
  
  Once more, we apologize for the inconvenience caused.
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  Michelle S**** 
  
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  https://www.ionos.com
  

  Customer response

  06/28/2021

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The IONOS web hosting company is a pitiful excuse for a business. It displays a beginning price for the package you choose and then once purchased when trying to use said package features, requests more payment (although they were stated to be included). Such as web builders, business emails, SSL for all domains and it says unlimited domains, I got 1 domain , had to pay extra for more and no SSL on them included like stated. Also when trying to set up business email, prompted to pay. I contacted support because then I couldn't attach my domain to my site that I had paid for. It was fixed but then and now I can not edit my site in any way shape or form. That's the entire purpose I signed up. After days of trying I attempt contacting them again, it said schedule call back then would not allow me to set a time nor was the chat available. I couldn't get in touch. I wanted a refund (supposed to be 30 day money back guarantee) no. Terrible customer service,terrible site management, false inf

  

  Business response

  06/18/2021

  Dear ******** *************, 

  Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and on behalf of 1&1 IONOS, I am sorry your experience with our company has not met your expectations. We appreciate your feedback regarding the difficulty experienced in understanding the included features within our product offerings. Direct feedback from the customer is an important resource as it helps us focus on the aspects of our products and services that need the most attention. Please note, our Sales Team is available Monday through Friday from 8am-8pm EST to assist in determining the products and services to best meet your needs. They can be reached via telephone at **************, via chat, by visiting https://www.ionos.com and clicking the Live Chat icon located at the right-hand side of the browser window, or via email at [email protected].  
  
  While we aim to help the best we can, we are limited in the type of assistance we can provide as the email address you are using is not associated with the IONOS account in question. For security purposes we can only make changes on the account or provide account specific information when contacted by the designated email address on file for the account. However, we have attempted to reach you via the telephone number provided and unfortunately were met with a message stating "the number you are trying to call is not reachable". If you are able to provide the best time and contact number to reach you, we will be happy to do so. For your convenience I have emailed the designated email address on file with more information regarding your request. You may simply reply to that email so we can continue to address your concerns. 
  If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: [email protected]. 

  Once more, we apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.

  Sincerely, 
  
  Michelle S.
  Executive Solutions Manager
  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  http://www.ionos.com

• Initial Complaint

  06/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I lost a lot of my domains due to phishing, which subsequently led to a mental breakdown where I was emitted in a hospital. ******.com I no longer own, *************.com I no longer own, they allowed some to take ****************.com, and such domains as *****.com. I want all of my original domains back that were under ********************** **********.com, and ************************* Plus, I want a check for my pain and suffering and neglect. They first were going to allow me to just pay a simple fund for ******.com for example after being threatened legal action. Once, the action occurred I was given a choice to just buy back the domain. Later, they reneged on that choice. I would have a great business thus far since 2017.

  

  Business response

  06/17/2021

  Dear *********************, 

  Customer satisfaction is our top priority, and on behalf of 1&1 IONOS, I am truly sorry your experience with our company has not met your expectations. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback.  Direct feedback from the customer is an important resource as it helps us focus on the aspects of our products and service that need the most attention. 

  While we aim to help the best we can, we are limited in the type of assistance we can provide as the email address you are using is not associated with the IONOS account in question. For security purposes we can only make changes on the account or provide account specific information when contacted by the designated email address on file for the account.  For your convenience I have emailed the designated email address on file on June 14, 2021 with more information regarding your request. You may simply reply to that email so we can continue to address your concerns. Alternatively, please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: [email protected]. 

  Again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused and look forward to your reply. 

  Sincerely, 

  Michelle S.

  Executive Solutions Manager

  1&1 IONOS, Inc.
  http://www.ionos.com

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered 1&1 IONOS,'s domain service on 29th Decerber Inc. for 12 $ /year. my file number is ********. contract *********. before the one-year contract ended, I deactivated the automotive renewal since I don't think I need it anymore. And I had also communicated with them that I want to deactivate the service. however the company still charges me 105,58 for nothing under my contract ( the domain service has been removed already), it doesn't make any sense!

  

  Business response

  06/10/2021

  Dear ************* *** (Customer ID # **********,  

  On behalf of IONOS, I would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience associated with your account.

  Our records indicate that the auto-renewal function of the domain name only had been turned off under your account. Please note, that the domain name and hosting services are separate entities, and as such, the hosting portion of the account would also need to be canceled, or, have its auto-renewal function turned off in advance, to avoid further invoices. As well, you had previously been advised to contact our Cancellation Team in order to cancel the account, but we have no record of any calls being made, or emails being sent to them regarding that.

  In order to assist you with this unfortunate situation, the account has been canceled, and we are pulling and waiving the balance of $105.58 from our Collection Team. Rest assured, that IONOS under no circumstances ever reports collection efforts to any Credit Bureaus, meaning that your credit score has not, and will not be affected.
  
  Moving forward, you will no longer be invoiced under this canceled account.
  
  If you require any other assistance, please feel free to contact us here in the Executive Solutions Team via email to: [email protected].
  
  Once more, we apologize for any inconvenience that has been caused here.
  
  Thank you.
  
  ******* *********
  Customer Care
  IONOS, Inc.
  http://www.ionos.com

*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. ↩