When you can’t find it on Google.

Zepfanman.com faces 5 days of downtime

Just thought I’d give a quick report about this site’s downtime since Wednesday morning. I’ve used 1and1.com as my webhost since early 2004 and this has probably been my longest outage (just came back online early Monday, today). I can remember a couple of other outages, but rarely is it more than a couple hours.

I don’t have much to compare their service to, although I had a site on Dreamhost for a couple years. I seem to remember not wanting to continue with Dreamhost, probably from reading negative reviews. Although, as can be expected, if you search “1and1 reviews” you’ll get mostly negative feedback, as well. It’s rare that you find customers who will rate a service when they haven’t had any problems with a product. In the end, I guess I stuck with 1and1 because they offer a great deal for $3.99 or $4.99/mo whereas Dreamhost is $9.95/mo (less if you prepay more than a year). Since this website is just a hobby for me, I can’t justify shelling out much more than I already do. I did just notice that Dreamhost is having a Memorial Day sale for $9.24 for the first year of a new service. Jump on that!

One other thing I want to note about 1and1 is their customer service. I called them the first day that the site was down last week and I got an Asian customer service rep. They gave the typical “we are working on it” canned response. I called back a couple days later and got the same response, although this rep said I could email complaints@1and1.com. I was surprised to get a response back a day later where a rep offered a free month in compensation of my wait. This was nice, but in the end how does it take 5 days to restore a server back to working order? That’s pretty pathetic.

On a positive note, this incident made me realize that I should monitor my site’s uptime. I discovered mon.itor.us and have found it to be quite a nice tool! I’m hoping that the alerts will work in the future when the site is down for more than 30 minutes.


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One response to “Zepfanman.com faces 5 days of downtime”

  1. warthpublishinginc Avatar
    warthpublishinginc

    I have come to the conclusion that I made the dreadful error of choosing a company because it had a 5 page ad in a popular computer magazine. I believe I have put my trust in a straw man. In my opinion 1and1, with CEO Oliver Mauss, is a horrible company and many customers have voiced a host of complaints on various blogs.
    It should be a warning that when their phone is answered by a recording that tells you if you have gotten a notice from NCO, a collection agency, to press a certain number. If they are a reputable business, why do they have to send so many accounts to a collection agency?
    Patrick Frey (Patterico) of the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office alleges his domain was high jacked and put up for auction on SEDO. SEDO is an associate company of 1and1.
    Patterico: “I believe I’m facing massive incompetence, thievery, or very possibly a deliberate combination of the two. It feels like evil intent — but not for political reasons. It feels like cyber extortion — people going after the almighty dollar. Commenter’s have pointed out corporate ties between 1&1, which can’t seem to process my timely renewal, and Sedo/Domcollect, which stood to profit from 1&1’s failure. Usually, corporate incompetence does not earn the corporation money — but 1&1 and its related companies have found a way to make money off of their own slipshod procedures.”
    Patterico was able to regain his domain.
    Also Investigative journalist, Kelli Jack, has written 30 articles about this company and has a suit pending against them. Kelli alleges that 1and1 stole her domain name and sold it. Kelli states: “1and1 should be shut down.” As of today Kelli is working with the Pennsylvania Attorney General.
    I have filed complaints with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Trade Commission, Eastern Pennsylvania Better Business Bureau, and others. I recommend everyone else having a problem consider doing the same.

    The Washington DC, Pennsylvania Better Business Bureau has given 1and1 their lowest rating: “F”
    Google “1and1 customer care” for the lowdown from many furious customers. Read comments on the BBB why. Read some customer comments on Red Flag.
    Don’t bother trying to access my 2 URL: warthpublishinginc.com, Migraine-Abort.com
    They are gone with my money and numerous 730 domains I had at 1and1.

    Warth Publishing Inc