What do you do if you can't get them to cancel your service?

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Posted by Kersus, 03-04-2014, 12:38 AM
So, I've worked with Hostpapa support for four months to no avail, gave up on them and started a reseller account at Crocweb. My problem is that I can't get Hostpapa to cancel my reseller account. You might ask why it would matter. It's not like they'll refund any of my money for the wasted hellish experience with them, so why not just let it end on it's renew date? Well because as long as the reseller account is open, they have my domain locked so I can not move it. I can't change nameservers or in fact do anything with it. The irony being it's not even the host account for the reseller account and I've paid for it's hosting separately. Add to this that one of my clients is with hostpapa and now with me. I have his site running on my reseller account and thankfully his domain was registered elsewhere and easy to deal with. So, what does hostpapa do to his account? They bill him twice instead of cancelling the service. Who's fault is it? Mine. I said I'd transfer it for him and bang, now I have three accounts locked at hostpapa with little hope of freedom and costing me time and money. 1. Reseller account. 2. My domain/hosting. 3. A client's hosting. To me, it's a big flag why they shouldn't be allowed to keep credit card data on file. Any thoughts? Thoughts beyond Kersus is an idiot. That I know already.
Posted by PremiumHost, 03-04-2014, 12:58 AM
First thing to do is contact domain registrar to transfer domain out. Provide proof of domain registration through Hostpapa, payment receipt ... What is email address in domain administrative whois contact?
Posted by Kersus, 03-04-2014, 01:15 AM
If you mean contact hostpapa, I have through phone, live chat, email, and tickets. If you mean tucows (who hostpapa uses) I have not yet. mydomain.com@contactprivacy.com is the admin email address. EDIT: I emailed tucows compliance department. Last edited by Kersus; 03-04-2014 at 01:19 AM.
Posted by bruc, 03-04-2014, 02:06 AM
You buy your domain through Hostpapa and have a reseller with them too? Maybe Tucows can help you. Good luck.
Posted by HostingSprung, 03-04-2014, 02:25 AM
I'm not positive on this but I believe this can be considered unethical. I know domain registers can prevent the transferring of a domain but can not restrict the changing of nameservers unless specified in some policy. If they can, well that is absurd and they should just let it go out of good business since after all you did business and paid them for four months. Try contacting a member or owner from inside the company there ought to be one on one of these forums. If they have a viewable policy have you checked it? By the way on the credit card part this is allowed if they are PCI compliant.
Posted by JixHost, 03-04-2014, 08:03 AM
There is the Uniform Domain Dispute Resolution, however it is costly. Like going to divorce court for a disputed divorce...I know that one all too well. http://www.icann.org/en/help/dndr/udrp
Posted by Atlanical-Mike, 03-04-2014, 08:48 AM
They aren't legally allowed to keep your card on record, you can contact your bank to ensure they don't pay them, or get a new card. You can contact the registrar Tucows who can help with the domain. You could threaten to take legal action against them and they might budge. I had the same issue with FastHosts ages ago when they kept my card on record and you couldn't remove it or change it.
Posted by WHF-Rado, 03-04-2014, 05:24 PM
They actually are, if they are PCI compliant. And a chargeback is a possibility, but from what I see the issue here are not the money, as much as locking the service. But why do they deny the access to the service if your account is still open in the first place? And how did they respond to the communications you started with them? I don't know why the issue occurred to begin with, but one thing you should not be denied access to is the actual domain. If it was registered under your details then you are the legal owner and should be free to move it as per your needs. Hopefully Tucows would be able to help more on that and you find an agreeable solution with them for the hosting accounts.
Posted by Kersus, 03-05-2014, 01:03 AM
Finally got the reseller account closed (the story of trying to work with them for four months would make a good sit-com). Tucows responded quickly about the domain which is still locked. Not sure what they'll do. Hostpapa support says I have to cancel the web hosting and the domain will pop out on it's own (followed their directions). I'm ready to transfer it but no EPP code and it's still listed as locked. The client hosting package... they double-billed and when I sent a ticket asking them why, they apologized for refunding him and billed him a third time for the same service (the three amounts aren't even the same). Sigh. Is this why you never offer to transfer someone's account for them? "I will absolutely host your web site sir, here is my quote, send me the backup file and I'll get working. Uh, will I log in and cancel your service for you, NO!"
Posted by DWS2006, 03-05-2014, 09:13 AM
This is another example of why it is best to register domains directly through an ICANN accredited registrar and not via a third party reseller. As long as you can prove the domain is yours Tucows should transfer the domain for you, unfortunately this process never completes as fast as you'd like.
Posted by Kersus, 03-06-2014, 12:41 AM
Hostpapa seems to purposefully drag it out. Tucows told me they've contacted Hostpapa and that they have 2 business days to comply. Apparently then I have to log into opensrs. Hostpapa has after much badgering finally closed my hosting and ended access to my email addresses but no EPP code yet. They tell me it will come. It would have been nice to move the domain first and then close the hosting, or at least been able to redirect the nameservers in the meantime. I expected downtime but not quite this much. My site is up and hosted at Crocweb now, but I'm stuck until I can transfer the domain to Varial. @DWS2006, I hear you and lean toward agreement however I am moving to Varial which uses Enom.
Posted by Kersus, 03-24-2014, 02:50 AM
Well, I got moved. My client wasn't as lucky but i'm still working on it. I'm hosting him for free until I exhaust myself trying to work out something acceptable with hostpapa. Unfortunately, none of the full backups from hostpapa were actually full backups. I lost a lot of emails. The web site I keep my own backup for.