UBB.Developers Forums Community Development Programming Web Hosting Dedicated Server - Customer Alert! "Superb.net or SuperbServers.com"

Please keep in mind that I have registered with this site in order to get the word out to all dedicated server consumers. I may or may not see any feedback on this post. You may however reach me at [][email protected][/] should you wish to know more. Thank you.

I had a UNIX virtual account with them for quite some time. They're not bad in that area of
hosting. In fact, I resold for them for some time due to their low priced hosting. Though, I put all this money into my Miva Software, only to find out they didn’t have the back end support for the payment module set-up correctly. In Return, they blamed Verisign and Miva. Had no problem installing the module on my friends site, with another hosting provider. I must add as well, they don’t comprehend simple requests very well. Most of them speak broken english and have the attitude of “Customer is always at fault”.

Anyway, my reason for such a low score is the dedicated server end. The first week of Sept. 2003 I decided to move my site(s) over to a dedicated server via superb. I was a newbie as a dedicated server customer. Yet, not such a newbie that I hid under my desk each time something unfamiliar came up. I have always been one who learned platforms rather quickly. I had plenty of Red Hat 7.3 - 9, apache and other books to keep me on top of it all. My complaint is their customer service, their lack of commitment..... My IPs for the server were a terrible pair. In fact, I have (3) documented statements from superb technicians via Superb’s trouble ticket system stating this fact. One ticket states their looking for a new IP set for my server. Than the following trouble ticket states it has been escalated. Sure it has been escalated. The technician says; everything appears fine????
The same technician whom recently could not get into my server
Yet, my passwords remained the same since the initial set-up, LOL!
When I got fed up with paying for work on the server that I felt was due to their lack of commitment I decided to can my account with them. Of course, having apparently become to big for their britches they email me back stating I don't belong on a dedicated platform. Additionally, I got a response from one of their staff stating; that they have done their job by giving me a server! Sure, there is some truth to that statement???? After my dealings with them I urge all of you to find someone else. I personally feel they don’t deserve to be in business if they can’t honor they’re customer(s). Unless of course you enjoy giving money away? After the Annual 1,800 I gave them for the server, I must of paid well over 300.00 for reloads and trouble tickets. The best of luck!

Thanks for the information Karin! It is great for people to post experiences with hosts so others can learn from your mistakes (unfortunate for you though).

This is just a good reminder for buyers to beware! Before making a commitment on something such as a dedicated server, always ask around for recommendations and search the web for complaints. Always contact their sales/support before making a purchase. And finally, look for red flags.

These kinds of flags are things like an insane amount of bandwidth for very low cost. For example with the host mentioned here, they are offering 500 GB/month starting at 99 dollars a month. This is for the most part, very inexpensive for dedicated server bandwidth. Chances are they are assuming that 90% of their customers will never use more than a couple hundred. So they can make this very low price offer to lure in customers. But if you actually do start to use your alloted 500 GB/month, you are going to hear from them telling you that you need to pay more for their upgraded "unlimited" line, which is over 350 dollars a month extra!

Another red flag is to pay for support, They give you FREE 1 hour of support. As Karin mentioned, spending a ton of extra money on contacting support for issues they could have easily fixed is just a big no-no. Especially if you are new to the dedicated server world. Yes, control panels make things much easier, but there will still be times when you may need to contact support regarding some issues. So beware. In my opinion, it is best to shell out a few more bucks a month with a hosting provider that provides prompt and helpful FREE support. I mean, what would you rather do, pay 99 bucks a month and spend hundreds of extra dollars contacting support over and over while your problem still doesn't get fixed properly? Or would you rather pay 150/month and have an 800 number you can call 24/7 or a helpdesk you can email and get your problem fixed right away?

Another thing to look at before deciding who to go with is the general pricing in this market. If you look at a dozen or so dedicated server providers, you will see the low range of around 99/month. The high range will be 500+ dollars a month (of course all depending on the server and features). But as a general rule of thumb, try to avoid the lowballers. These will a lot of the times be the ones who hassle you with poor support, added fees you aren't told about, and shoddy performance. This isn't ALWAYS the case, but many times it is. So I try to tell people to narrow their choices down to about 10-12 providers. Then automatically remove the lowest 3 prices from your list. Then remove the top one or two (if they are very high compared to the rest of your pics). And then study the half dozen or so leftover in the mid-range to make your final decision

It is just a shame to see good people get yanked around by companies like this, and it's great to see people reporting in with their experiences, whether good or bad so less people can make these mistakes in the future

Disclaimer: While I am a web host, I do not currently provide products or services to the dedicated market. So this is all an unbiased opinion based on my time and experiences in the industry.