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SCAM ALERT: Carrier-4.com / DataDatum.net / GoNode5 in Houston TX
I found this colocation hosting company in Downtown Houston TX called DataDatum after a few emails back and forth and paying initial invoice I was all set to drop off my server which ended up being a BIG mistake.
Everytime I've communicated with this company it was always with Joshua Prout. He is the person that I met the first time dropping off my server and then picking it. Which I later found out that he was the person behind VyprNetworks. When I first signed up it was through DataDatum but the billing system and most newer emails all came from Carrier-4.net domain.
Time Line:
03/06/2017
- Initial Communications / Paid First Invoice using my Credit Card ($90
Racking fee and $90 for first month) - Agreement was for 1gbps connection 5TB bandwidth, /28 IP
Allocation, 1U 2amps. $89/month and $89 racking fee.
03/10/207
- Had a scheduled drop off @ 12:15. It took them an hour for them to
meet me down stairs to get the server.
03/13/207
- My rails where messed up so I had them use some of their Universal
Rails ($60) which they were out of stock on. No big deal at the time.
03/17/207
- They finally get the rails and get it hooked up. Major connectivity
issues with the server only getting 25mbps down / 4mbps up. I'm sure
this WHT Thread has a lot to do with the connectivity issues
this day,
03/20/207
- Connectivity issues partially fixed. Only getting 100mbps up/down. I
would follow up on this every few days and would always get the same
answer. They would blame Cogent for a networking switch issue.
04/05/207
- Something happened with their Stripe / Paypal payments and everybody
that paid through those gateways were refunded. Only other option to
pay was with Check or ACH. Image of Email - They tried to have me do a Google Wallet payment to them but since
that does not work with credit cards I was not able to pay. I told
them I will have to pay with check on the 13th.
04/07/2017
- I let them know that the server is still having connectivity issues.
They respond by telling me that they currently have Cogent here
working on the connection. - SERVER IS DOWN. Never comes back online.
04/10/2017
- I let them know that My server was still down and ask for an ETA of
when it will be back online. - Their response "Hi Robert we are currently working on the network
connection we had a major issue with the upstream provider and their
router/pop at our location. However we do have redundancy at our
distribution level and top or rack level switches. The connection
should be up within the next few hours ill keep you updated."
04/11/2017
- I let them know that the server is still down in the morning. Their
response is they have no ETA and that a cogent technician are here
working on the connection. - I send am email that night since the server was still down that I no
longer have faith in their services and want to remove my server. - They try to convince my to stay by promising that I will have a 1gbps
connection and they will give me the next month free. I turned down
the offer since I've done some research and learned about Joshua
Prout
and the whole
VyprNetworks
scam. - They tell me I can only pickup servers on Fridays. I convince them
to let me pick it up on Thursday since it was a holiday.
04/12/2017
- They inform me that I HAVE to bring a money order for the remaining
balance and $90 for unracking the server. Total: $326 when I pickup
the server. - $326 is for $89 for first month, $89 for Inital Racking, $59 for the
Universal Rails and $89 to unrack it. I tried asking them to wave the
$89 for unracking since I was never told that there was an unracking
fee and that the server was never hookup up correctly to begin with.
They just completely ignored that email.
04/13/2017
- I goto the post office to pick up a money order for $326 so I can get
my server back. - Me and my wife goto pickup the server in Downtown Houston. I have her
backup the truck. When Joshua comes out I flash the money order in my
hand so he knows I have it. I load the server in my wife's truck and
tell her to drive off. I kept the money order and handed back the
Universal Rails and walked off. - I posted this same thing to this WHT Thread and someone named Stephany pretended to
be unrelated to them post and Hilarity Ensues
Comments
Joshua Prout lol.. How i'm not surprised at all that hes in a sex offender list for forcing oral sex on a 9 years old girl..
So.. hes still scamming servers from colocators?
Youre lucky that you even got the server back.. couldve been ended much worse.
The WHT post is pretty controversial seems like you walked off with money that you owed them I'm not related in anyway but honestly if your posting this you should probably also specify the fact that you walked away without paying for services.
It's Joshua Prout.. @jarland should instead reward him for pulling off such a scam on that person. He deserves all the shit from the entire hosting industry for running away with so many customer servers.
I have mixed feelings. I agree you have been right to an extent and Joshua deserves this but i feel you should pay a small fraction of what was used. From what I gather the server was fully working for at least 1-2 days without network issues? Those days should be paid for. As for other days when server was offline or slow performance they should not have been paid for. The racking and unracking fee, again mixed feelings $90 is too much to rack a server and unrack a server.
So @rbooth84 scam is justified because a CEO of a company has scammed in the past? how is that ethical? Jesus everything in this post besides the payment situation is radical good luck sorting it. I'd have to agree though the guy Joshua is a total scum but scam + scam don't do any good for anyone.
Good luck to all parties involved.
The entire time my server was hooked up it never got the 1gbps connection that it was supposed to have. When it was working it only got 100mbps up/down. I've had no problem paying them for the services that I did receive but they refused to work with me and demanded that I pay the full $326 amount.
At least we know his latest scam is "Carrier-4.com" - He likes to use names similar to other brands so that people confuse them...
Just been informed his site is also stolen from http://rackcrate.com/
Ye hes using account "Stephany V" and "Steph V" to answer these threads..
Then again,
lol..
@rbooth84 Did you actually see the datacenter or is the entire website/brand just a setup to get people send over colocated servers into random locations he would pick them up at?
That's totally understandably I feel you man I would of just written out a money order for whatever I felt they deserved and gave it to them and said hey look the services wasn't the best so this is what I feel is deserved.
Reading up on the guy Joshua id be glad I got my hardware back to be honest looks like he usually keeps peoples things.
Glad everything worked out for you but again never scam just because someone is a scammer never works out good for either party but in this instance the guy is obviously hated so your flaws will be overlooked.
They made it perfectly clear in the email communications that I would not get the server back unless I paid in full. I got the money order in the full amount and took it with me. As soon as I got my hands on the server I placed it in the truck and told my wife to drive off so there would not be any confrontation.
I recommend Oplink.net as a replacement, they seem to have their shit together.
No. They are scam because they failed to fulfill anything they promised to their colo client. This is a waste of time (and time means money and effort) by their client, maybe a loss of a job or clients of him.
What is a colocation? Some cable tv subscribe? Or a tiny vps used for dun? C'mon! OP was trying to find a colo offer to let there his server. Having several weeks with effort to colo the server and setting up the node for his needs, without the ability to have a valid and sustainable service, is a reason not to pay for a fraction of the service but to demand compensation for lost time and the possible loss of profits.
And, no, it's not only the payment part. Network and uptime issues in a service that was up just a couple of days, is not something that can be sorted of.
I only have a month experience, but @CenTexHosting seems WAY better of an option. Not in Houston though.
My apologies I misinterpreted what was stated in original post. I thought there was a period where the service was working fine. In the event there was personally I feel that should have been paid for however that's just what i see. After reading into this guy on this occasion no nothing should be paid regardless and I'd like to change my previous opinion and state I fully support the OPs position and stance.
@aaraya1516
Thanks its been great working with you as well. Your other server will be up tomorrow when your rails come in.
I am so glad to read this part of the story. The guy needs to find a new hustle already, or just give up. He's got the ambition but he's dumb as a rock.
For crying out loud, keeping your server in a leaky shed is a better option than colo-ing with prout.
Btw nice catch @qps
I can't understand how facilities keep letting him in...
Greed, idiocracy, or he used one of his 100 alter egos is my guess. This day in age none of it would suprise me. I wonder if he changed DC's. @rbooth84 - what facility was this at? Do you know any more information about the rack or upstream providers?
It was at 1301 Fannin Street, Houston, TX, 77002. I'm thinking Alpheus Communications.
I wonder if facilities check online forums for peoples reputation or would they be more inclined to actually checking a persons financial state and company stability?? So if he is financially stable and paying his facility fees would they literally kick him out due to reputation?
I wouldn't let him in my facility but hell id probably never own one guy should be in jail already to be brutally honest and to say the least. Why has no one filed charges on him yet? Doesn't @jarland have enough proof already or multiple people report?
Well, his last schenanigans were at Carrier1, I think they know better at this point. Pretty comical he can't keep any of his payment processing in line.
Joshua prout should just lease a dedi from CC, he can they bypass any broken rule punishments or bans here and make a fortune.