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Do you straight terminate a non-paying account or suspend first?
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Do you straight terminate a non-paying account or suspend first?

Hi all,

Interested in what you guys do here. I've never had a host straight up terminate an account without suspending it first, and I often rely on the first suspension (which triggers a server down alert) to remind me to come in and pay. Yes, I know, I need a better system :-0

But I did just get a straight termination of account and bye-bye from a host the other day: (read from bottom up)

Wondering if any of you do this too?

Thanks!

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Comments

  • VyprNetworksVyprNetworks Member
    edited April 2016

    Suspend 7 days after overdue invoice, terminate 14 days after overdue invoice. A suspension should get the clients attention 7 days after than the client pretty much does not care enough to pay is what I think. Most of our clients we speak to daily so we know if something is going on with their billing that also helps but if your one who never checks your email or gets to know your provider then its only your fault. A provider doesn't really have to go our of their way to let you know your invoices are overdue a simple 1st, 2nd and 3rd overdue email should suffice. To specifically answer you though they should never immediately terminate your account that's absurd.

  • well to be honest the server/vps usually does get suspended first but if you wait until after/close to a month to pay off the server that is where I would and most every other host have to draw the line and terminate it since well we cannot have non-paid servers/vps on our nodes we still have to pay for; for close to or over a month without payment sorry but I am being honest on what I and every other host does on this specific point and I am being honest about it since some other hosts might not be so upfront and honest about it.

  • NyrNyr Community Contributor, Veteran

    I don't actively monitor that email address and rely on the servers going down to come in and pay.

    I don't think anything needs to be added about your attitude.

  • VyprNetworksVyprNetworks Member
    edited April 2016

    If you reply on servers to go down in order to pay why not just top up balance for a couple months then you won't need to worry about it for that time being.

    Do you reply on your gas or electricity to go off before you pay your home or office bills?

  • @Nyr @VyprNetworks Yes, the system isn't great, I know! I have around 30 LEBs and most of them are PayPal subscribe and I don't have to worry about them. But a few aren't and I often miss the invoices, especially if they are paid yearly as was the case here.

    This is the first time I've been straight terminated though and normally I can tell a payment is due when the server goes down. In this case it was also harder because the provider changed their name during the year, and I did actually see the invoice but didn't recognise the new name. As I have a few LEBs I've signed up for and never used, I assumed it was one of those.

    Hey ho! I'm not upset with the provider, just interested.

  • WebProjectWebProject Host Rep, Veteran
    edited April 2016

    Based on information provided it's been not first time and provider been abused, they did correct action.

    In our company all invoices are issued 20 days in advance and it's plenty time to pay invoice on time, we do terminate 3 days after invoice is overdue.

  • @d60eba said:

    A straight termination that's a bit silly tbh DEPENDING on how many days past due you were?? over 14 days I would of terminated you to but not before I suspended you at 7 days.

  • NyrNyr Community Contributor, Veteran

    d60eba said: Hey ho! I'm not upset with the provider, just interested.

    Then, I don't consider very reasonable to terminate a server for non-payment without suspending first and it's certainly not common practice.

    But I can read "Ryan B" in the ticket, so I guess this was one of those dirt-cheap yearlies... I wouldn't expect anything from it in the first place.

    Oh, and remember: when you don't pay the bills until you get suspended, provider needs to. This is just a VPS, but still a bit of a dick move to think like this. If you don't want a service, just cancel: it's less than a minute of your time and helps your provider.

  • d60ebad60eba Member
    edited April 2016

    @WebProject - straight terminate and bye-bye client or suspend first?

    @VyprNetworks - I imagine it was 14 days overdue (but without a suspension first)

    @Nyr - oops, sloppy pixelation there from me. Good point on the payment thing. I wouldn't ever cancel via non-payment, just tend to use it as a lazy-man's reminder system via my server alerts.

  • AnthonySmithAnthonySmith Member, Patron Provider

    Suspend 24 - 48 hours, auto terminate within 14 days, although the third and final overdue notice (72 hours) states your service can be terminated within 24 hours.

    Do I think it is reasonable in your case? depends on how long there was in between, I cant see that anywhere, if its exactly when its overdue then that's a bit harsh, if it is 24+ hours then yeah its strict, but fair.

  • ricardoricardo Member
    edited April 2016

    OP I do it the same way. Most suspend from what I've seen, unless you're on a grandfathered offer that they want to get rid of. Their loss if they terminate, just go somewhere else.

    Problem with doing it 'our way' is there tends to be a late fee of a dollar or two. That's where the reasonable middle ground is, IMO.

    added... if there was a standard timescale they sent reminders, I'd probably pay in advance, but often you can get the invoice straight up after paying the 1st one, or 30 days before, or 2 weeks before..etc etc. Prepaying like suggested is a good idea, though it's a bit of a balance spending minimal time dealing with billing and prepaying into a crapshoot host (as you never know with them LET hosts :))

  • That's some poor, rude support right there. We auto-suspend 24 hours after bill was due and auto-terminate after 7 days of no payment.

  • BradBrad Member
    edited April 2016

    What's stated in the terms of service? No one is obligated to keep you if you're behind on bills, especially if it is the case every time a bill comes around. Why use an email you don't monitor in the first place? Seems like the server was not that important if you couldn't even figure that out.

    I'm not going to have my landlord to come over every month and tell me I'm late on payment. Sooner or later, they will be tired.

    Thanked by 2zafouhar TheOnlyDK
  • @VyprNetworks said:
    they should never immediately terminate your account that's absurd.

    Not as absurd as the OP purposely disregarding bills.

    Thanked by 1zafouhar
  • Is this the first time with this company, or has they suspended you every month for the last x months? And you have then gone and manually made a payment? or is this a new provider of yours?

  • BradBrad Member

    @AshleyUk said:
    Is this the first time with this company, or has they suspended you every month for the last x months? And you have then gone and manually made a payment? or is this a new provider of yours?

    Probably a yearly. Ryan said emails were sent out a month before the due date.

  • I suspend, after 10 days, charge a $15.00 suspension fee, keep charging their regular fees and after two to four months , depending on space needs, terminate them. If they want it turned back on I charge a $10 fee to turn it back on (plus all back charges) All of their data is still there till termination. About 50% pay up, and believe it or not most are thankful that their data is still there and look at $25 as a cheap lesson.

  • NyrNyr Community Contributor, Veteran

    jnelson3149 said: I suspend, after 10 days, charge a $15.00 suspension fee, keep charging their regular fees and after two to four months , depending on space needs, terminate them. If they want it turned back on I charge a $10 fee to turn it back on (plus all back charges) All of their data is still there till termination. About 50% pay up, and believe it or not most are thankful that their data is still there and look at $25 as a cheap lesson.

    Honestly I see that as a shitty practice.

    I don't think I have ever had to pay a bill late from a company, not only in the hosting field. But if one time I am in that situation and my provider wants to hold my data hostage until I pay a ridiculous fee, it's very likely that I am not going to renew that service, nor any other I could have with that company.

    It's also true that I hold backups for any important data, so my only interest would be in keeping that particular service with the company.

  • Don't be lazy please.

  • Nyr You may think $15.00 is a ridiculous fee, but do you work for 38 cents per hour and / or have no overhead? I give them 10 days with no late fee at all, which I think is more than generous. As I said the ones that pay it are glad to pay it, thankful that their data is all there untouched and ready to go. The ones that don't pay it would not pay anyway, so fee or no fee it does not matter.

  • WebProjectWebProject Host Rep, Veteran
    edited April 2016

    d60eba said: straight terminate and bye-bye client or suspend first?

    suspend first and 3 days later termination, but if the customer continued taking a piss - every month waiting for termination, we charge him £25 as administration fee and removing any discounts as per terms and conditions.

  • @Nyr said:
    if one time I am in that situation and my provider wants to hold my data hostage

    The first second your bill goes unpaid after the due date, they're doing you a huge f'ing favor, not holding your data "hostage".

  • NyrNyr Community Contributor, Veteran

    @Microlinux said:
    The first second your bill goes unpaid after the due date, they're doing you a huge f'ing favor, not holding your data "hostage".

    Not really.

    @jnelson3149 said:
    I give them 10 days with no late fee at all, which I think is more than generous.

    Oh, that's more than reasonable, yeah.

  • BunnySpeedBunnySpeed Member, Host Rep
    edited April 2016

    @Microlinux said:
    The first second your bill goes unpaid after the due date, they're doing you a huge f'ing favor, not holding your data "hostage".

    Exaggerating, are we?

    A huge favor would be what Azure did for me once when my card stopped working with their system and they kept me online for a couple of months. It was just a few dollars in the end, but they actually just deleted that balance and helped me migrate to a new account.

    But I guess keeping someone online after missing an invoice for a day is a huge f'ing favor. :) I'm perfectly happy waiting a couple of weeks for someone to pay if the invoice isn't that huge.

  • MicrolinuxMicrolinux Member
    edited April 2016

    BunnySpeed said:Exaggerating, are we?

    Not in the least.

    BunnySpeed said: But I guess keeping me online after missing an invoice for a day is a huge f'ing favor.

    Absolutely it is. You aren't born into the world deserving of anything. Responsibility is a bitch, then you die.

  • BunnySpeedBunnySpeed Member, Host Rep
    edited April 2016

    So the first moment my server goes down I'm doing the host a huge f'ing favor staying with them?

  • @Nyr said:
    Not really.

    If your services aren't paid up, they have no obligation to you. That's not sentiment, it's reality.

  • @BunnySpeed said:
    So the first moment my server goes down I'm doing the host a huge f'ing favor staying with them?

    You could look at it that way. Reality sucks, doesn't it?

  • BunnySpeedBunnySpeed Member, Host Rep
    edited April 2016

    @Microlinux said:
    You could look at it that way. Reality sucks, doesn't it?

    Strictly technically speaking I guess I would agree, but in practice, I would not call these huge favors and saying reality sucks. Every sane normal personal would understand that sometimes these things happen and some patience goes a long way. Or is that just me? :)

  • VirMachVirMach Member, Patron Provider

    Immediate termination is good way to lose your customers. At a glance we've had about 2% of cases where a customer paid the bill late. Sure, there's a higher percent where they don't and we held their service for a few extra days but I think the customers you kept covers the cost of keeping services in a suspended state for a few days. Plus I can't imagine how many tickets people would make if you just terminate them immediately. Seems like it's not worth it in any way (time, money, customer satisfaction.)

    Thanked by 1BunnySpeed
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