Redwood Asylum (emeritus)
...by the inmates...for the inmates...
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Cancelled My Homestead Account
My test account at Homestead ("your complete web site building and hosting solution") was coming up for auto-renewal in a few weeks. I called today to cancel because they do not allow on-line cancellation. Why blog this? Because Homestead screwed me, and many other customers, last year.
Flashback: Last year, I ended up with an auto-renewed Homestead web hosting account that I didn't want. I created the test account several years ago as one of Homestead's charter members. Started with a free account. Decided it wasn't too bad, so I upgraded to a paid account. Over the course of the following year I didn't use the account much and did not plan to renew it.
Unknown to me, Homestead changed their web hosting renewal policy during the year to activate auto-renewal on all accounts. They didn't tell their users in any proactive fashion. Homestead just changed the terms and conditions page on their web site and went on their merry way to the bank. This "change the policy page and nobody will notice" approach is hardly unique. They just followed the same user-hostile approach taken by many large companies. Modify an existing prepaid contract in mid-contract. Don't tell the other party in the contract. Post a new policy stating they'll change existing contracts whenever they please. The hell with the customers.
Homestead is happy, their lawyers are satisfied, their accounting department is grinning, and the customer gets boned.
Many users with no intention of renewing, such as yours truly, were auto-renewed without warning. To add insult to injury, the price was a substantial increase over the old rate. When I saw the charge on my credit card, I called to cancel. Turns out that another clause in Homestead's sneakily-revised contract states that you do not receive a pro-rated refund if you cancel. If they auto-renew your sorry ass with no prior notice, even if you cancelled the next day, Homestead still keeps the entire renewal fee. The customer service person's attitude was: "The policy is posted on the web site. It isn't our fault that you don't read the policy regularly and look for any changes that might apply to you." Customer service, my ass.
I called my credit card company, who said they would not reverse the charge. Homestead knew nobody would sue them over a $75 unauthorized credit card charge. Maybe they learned that trick from the porn web site vendors?
So, I used the Homestead web hosting account for minor testing and made damn sure to note the auto-renewal date on my calendar for this year.
Flashforward: Maybe Homestead got tired of the whining from the many customers they screwed last year. This year I received an email warning several weeks prior to the auto-renewal.
Called them.
Cancelled.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
"Homestead: Your complete web site building and hosting solution."
...by the inmates...for the inmates...
Tuesday, July 15, 2003Cancelled My Homestead Account
My test account at Homestead ("your complete web site building and hosting solution") was coming up for auto-renewal in a few weeks. I called today to cancel because they do not allow on-line cancellation. Why blog this? Because Homestead screwed me, and many other customers, last year.
Flashback: Last year, I ended up with an auto-renewed Homestead web hosting account that I didn't want. I created the test account several years ago as one of Homestead's charter members. Started with a free account. Decided it wasn't too bad, so I upgraded to a paid account. Over the course of the following year I didn't use the account much and did not plan to renew it.
Unknown to me, Homestead changed their web hosting renewal policy during the year to activate auto-renewal on all accounts. They didn't tell their users in any proactive fashion. Homestead just changed the terms and conditions page on their web site and went on their merry way to the bank. This "change the policy page and nobody will notice" approach is hardly unique. They just followed the same user-hostile approach taken by many large companies. Modify an existing prepaid contract in mid-contract. Don't tell the other party in the contract. Post a new policy stating they'll change existing contracts whenever they please. The hell with the customers.
Homestead is happy, their lawyers are satisfied, their accounting department is grinning, and the customer gets boned.
Many users with no intention of renewing, such as yours truly, were auto-renewed without warning. To add insult to injury, the price was a substantial increase over the old rate. When I saw the charge on my credit card, I called to cancel. Turns out that another clause in Homestead's sneakily-revised contract states that you do not receive a pro-rated refund if you cancel. If they auto-renew your sorry ass with no prior notice, even if you cancelled the next day, Homestead still keeps the entire renewal fee. The customer service person's attitude was: "The policy is posted on the web site. It isn't our fault that you don't read the policy regularly and look for any changes that might apply to you." Customer service, my ass.
I called my credit card company, who said they would not reverse the charge. Homestead knew nobody would sue them over a $75 unauthorized credit card charge. Maybe they learned that trick from the porn web site vendors?
So, I used the Homestead web hosting account for minor testing and made damn sure to note the auto-renewal date on my calendar for this year.
Flashforward: Maybe Homestead got tired of the whining from the many customers they screwed last year. This year I received an email warning several weeks prior to the auto-renewal.
Called them.
Cancelled.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
"Homestead: Your complete web site building and hosting solution."
10:12:44 PM