Web Hosting Scams | The CaymanHost Web Hosting Directory

Posts Tagged ‘web hosting scams’

Honest Hosting Reviews – Do They Exist?

Written by caymanhost on December 13, 2008 – 1:26 am

Honest hosting reviews: is there any such thing? There are plenty of people who will have you believe that there is not and some will go as far as discrediting virtually any hosting review website. As a site that obviously falls under that banner I thought I should address the issue here on these pages.

Before I go any further, check out this video. For some this will be an eye opener whilst for others it is probably old news. However, before refuting any claims or arguing the case for web hosting review sites I think it highlights some very important facts.

Interesting huh? But hang on you’re saying to yourself, why would a web hosting directory site want to highlight such alleged rottenness in the hosting review game? Well, I think it is important for people to understand the pitfalls, misdirection and even dishonesty that is sometimes associated with review sites of all kinds. Review is often synonymous with “selling” on the internet and the way some sites go about this, unfortunately reflects badly on some of the decent operators out there.

The video illustrates quite clearly that some sites sell rankings to hosting companies, at at quite a considerable premium. The examples given are quite staggering to a small website owner like myself. $2000 per month for a top spot is a pretty lucrative slice of real estate and proves just how much money and competition exists in the hosting sector. Make no mistake, it is very big business. Is it wrong for the review sites to operate in this way? Some would say emphatically “YES”, others would agree that it is certainly misleading and some would perhaps shrug and say, “that’s business”.

Personally I think that if you profess to be a review site, you should endeavor to provide impartial comments and critiques from people who have had first hand experience as a customer.

The other aspect the video focuses on is affiliate links, and this is where I often find myself taking issue with the anti advertising brigade. If you read my disclosure policy, it is made perfectly clear where I stand on this point. My website is commercial in nature and I see no reason to be ashamed of trying to earn a living. This site is designed to earn affiliate commissions, and it is done openly and honestly but it is also designed to give people a forum for discussing and rating the companies we feature. Comments, both negative and positive are given an airing on this site and it is my hope that these will help others when they are trying to make a purchase decision. Hopefully the service provided will encourage them to buy through one of my links, but that is entirely their choice.

Interestingly, reviews are very thin on the ground to date. We are not one of the big boys with huge budgets to spend on advertising and design, but I do hope that the site provides a platform for people to have their say. I have only ever declined one comment regarding a hosting company as it had obviously been written by a very angry customer and publishing it could have been damaging to all concerned. It is only on occasions such as that when I consider editing or removing feedback.

The producer of the video alleges cases where any positive reviews of competing companies (i.e. those competing with their paying advertisers) were being deleted. This sort of practice is really a thorn in the side of sites that try to offer genuine customer feedback and is sad that it goes on, but I have no doubt that it does, just as I have no doubt that some reviews are posted by representatives of hosting companies as a form of shady marketing.

I suppose I have made this post in defence of my own humble site. I do not have the clout to pull in huge advertising checks from anyone and am like many small time affiliates attempting to make money by providing a useful service and platform for webmasters, bloggers and hosting customers. To this end, there is no table of top hosting companies. I do not believe any hosting company can be in “the top ten” or twenty or whatever, because every person buying hosting has uniquely individual needs.

There are no fake reviews or comments posted here and I am often surprised by the large number of reviews some sites manage to pull in. I’m sure that in some cases the ability to leave a review on a high ranking site is abused by those with an interest in tooting their own horn but then again maybe I’m just a tad too cynical! I myself have only written one review from first hand experience of my own hosting company who, I am pleased to say, have always performed admirably and never given me cause to shop elsewhere.

My recommendation for anyone shopping for hosting is to do your homework. We have links to many of the top forums as well, so you can ask your questions about particular companies and other people’s experiences. Be warned though -- like all forums they can be populated by trolls, snake oil salesmen and cheerleaders and you shouldn’t assume that all advice received in forums is either impartial or sometimes even very accurate.

If you have found this post useful, please leave us your own thoughts and comments, and if you have something to say about any of the companies promoted on our pages, we’d love to hear from you.

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Web Hosting Scams – What Some Web Hosting Providers Aren’t Telling You

Written by caymanhost on October 7, 2008 – 11:29 am

web hosting providers are in abundant supply. Learn what to watch for to avoid getting scammed.

It’s hard to separate fact from fiction in advertising, and certainly no less so when dealing with web hosting providers. Bold, broad-sweeping claims are endlessly repeated in a shameless effort to keep you from reading the fine print. In an age where it seems there are almost as many web hosting providers as there are websites to be hosted, competition is fierce, and competing web hosting providers will say almost anything to get you to sign up with them.

That’s why you need to know what to look for, how to read between the lines, so that you don’t fall victim to any of the most common scams that plague the internet in the guise of once-in-a-lifetime offers you absolutely can’t refuse.

Free Web Space: Yes, some web hosting providers will give you 5 or 10 MB of web space for no charge, however (and we know you’ve heard this phrase before…) certain restrictions apply. Make sure you know what they are.

Unlimited Bandwidth: There’s no such thing, plain and simple. The web hosting providers themselves have limitations imposed on their bandwidth; how can they offer you any more than that? They can’t.

When web hosting providers offer “unlimited” bandwidth it means they’ve estimated how much usage their average customer could ever possibly need, thereby giving the illusion of unlimited bandwidth.

Free Domain Names: Sure, they’re free, but so’s dirt. You want some free dirt? We didn’t think so. Free domain names are about as valuable. First of all, they look something like this:
www. webhostingprovidersname.com/user/usersname.html (or some equally excruciating variation thereof).

Now, consider this:

First, most internet surfers are wise to these types of URLs; people know that companies with domain names like these are not usually the most well-established or reputable businesses online.

Second, the more slashes your URL contains, the lower your page rank.

And third, no one will remember the name of your website!

These are just a few of the reasons why free domain names aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

Domain Registration: Now, this by itself is no scam; to the contrary, it’s a useful and convenient feature many web hosting providers offer. Some, however, will actually register your domain in their name. This way, they locked you into service with them as switching web hosting providers now means losing your domain name.

Web Templates: Don’t mistake us, web templates are great. How else can the average computer user whip out a website that looks halfway decent without spending a fortune? But what web hosting providers don’t tell you about these templates could end up costing you later.

Any images or page designs or web forms or any other objects that originated from your web hosting providers database belongs to them. They own the copyright. If you ever switch web hosting providers, you can’t take any of it with you.

Not to mention, if you ever decide to hire a professional webmaster, many will refuse to work with template-driven websites, as they’re (ironically) harder to manage.

No Contact Information: If you can’t find on their website at least one way – email address, query ticket, phone number, mailing address – to get in touch with the web hosting providers you’re considering, stop considering them.

Discounts for Long Term Contracts: Before falling prey to this alluring gimmick, ask yourself, even if your website lasts as long as your contract, are you sure your web host will? Web hosting providers (like websites) are born and die every day, and they know it. That’s why most of them include somewhere in their Terms of Service that they won’t be held liable if they can’t fulfill their end of the contract.

So, if they go under, so does your website. And if you go under first, say goodbye to the money you paid for the long term contract. Either way, it’s no bargain. Stick with a year or two at most.

No Guarantees: Whether for web hosting providers or wetsuit manufacturers or weight loss programs, they’ve got to have a money-back guarantee. These days, it’s essential. And there’s zero reason you should ever pay for a product or service that doesn’t offer some form of money back guarantee or another. Really, now.

Hosting-Review.com is the premier resource on web hosting. Visit http://www.hosting-review.com for comprehensive reviews and rankings of over 50 web hosting providers, as well as informative articles about everything to do with hosting and the top-rated picks for different types of hosting packages.
By Sage Kalmus

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