flashgear
Sep 14th, 2002, 12:22 PM
Dear Friends ,
what I am about to write here is what I have been through for the past 1 month and more. I understand that there will always be people who might think that I am only a competitor to Zerosetup and hence trying to make them look bad. But , in actuality I am only a client trying to setup my own web hosting biz. And I know that there are several people like me here who come for Tips , Advices and Information before making their own decision.
Only 2 months ago , I started my search for a good Web Hosting company from whom I can buy a Dedicated Server and start reselling on my own. And I was Unlucky enough to find ZeroSetup's (http://www.ZeroSetup.com ) advertisement in the Dedicated Servers Special Offers (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=36) forum. They were providing 1 Dedicated Server @ $49.95 p.m + $299 (for setup)
From here I started my querries , firstly on WHT :
Me:
http://www.zerosetup.com/dedicatedcomparison.htm
There are no costs of Nameservers there
ZS--NameServer is just a configuration fee. We would need to figure it for you. Otherwise if you get a control panel it comes configured. But please call us for details.
Me:What happens if someone does a WHOIS check ?
ZS If you setup your own nameserver, they will see your information.
Me:[/ZS:So this means I am guaranteed that in no way any one will be able to locate / pinpoint that the ultimate source is Zero Setup ?
ZS---Yes, if you register the nameserver under your name. THe IP doesn't go to ZeroSetup. It is hidden.
PLease could you specify what things are exactly will be there already installed or you people will help me install without additional chargges .... and what are chargeable
---If you want all these services I would suggest you get Hsphere control panel. Otherwise it would come installed, but there's no graphical interface for you to use unlesss you know unix, windows, etc...
Again after this we exchange some more info here only ...
ME:OK .. thanks I have some more querries ...
I noticed yo also have a Merchant Account Free program going on ... if I take this server , am I elligible for that too ?
ZS Yes , you are .
secondly , I am in India .. how will I access my Server ? who will house it ?
ZSWe will . you will get root access.
I am already a customer of Infinology ... so do I get the $100 affiliate off ? or Do I have to sell other accounts after taking this server to get that ?
Do I have to pay the full price for 12 months upfront or will I be charged monthly ?
This was discussed on Chats and Email I will show below
I am getting H-Sphere myself ... buying it directly from PSOFT.net and paying them for the Installation . So , will that be good enugh ?
ZS: That suits us fine.
With this , I get down to Email them and have AIM chats with Jason from Infinology(ZeroSetup) . And the price for my server is fixed . They send me a Contract in the form of PDF where it is specifically mentioned that I will be provided a Deidcated server
configs : 1.0Ghz Duron 256MB SDRAM PC133 80GB Hard Drive for which I will have to pay on a 4 quarterly basis . Due to the break down of cost in four qiarters , i will have to pay a finance charge of 10% extra . To this we agree .
My credit card and all neccesary info is submitted/Faxed on 10th August 2002 . But I get no confirmation . SO I mail --
Dear Jason ,
I have faxd the Contract Form u sent on last nite in the afternoon. Do acknowledge the same . Waiting for your reply and further advuice on the steps I need to follow henceforth .
- Arindra
18th august
Hello Jason ,
What is happening ? In spite of Zerosetup mentioning on www.zerosetup.net you have recieved my payment and someone called Derek has been assigned to my case , I am yet to recieve any info on how to access my server . More than 1 week has passed since the FAX and reciept of payment .
20th August
Are you guys joking or something ?? WHats wrong with you ? When Do I get my account ? In spite of repeated Emails , you provide no replies. Nor here on email , neither on the forum
22nd August Jason(Infinology/Zerosetup) replies :
Dear Arindra,
I apologize for the frustration you are receiving; however, your server should be built. I will email a request to system admin and hopefully they will reply. -- Jason
23rd. August Another Sys Admin called Derek mails saying Sorry for the delay . Your Server will be setup within today . So next day i.e somewhat 48 hours after that I request to know what is the status ?
26th I mail again since I am yet to recieve any info from them .
Me:
" You people should stop selling Dedicated Servers .... at least support / service is not certainly your forte . I can't even talk about the Product since I haven't had the (good/bad ... ? ) fortune of possesing that -- Arindra "
after this , Jason mails me and asks :
Is your server up and running yet? :p
So I mail by saying
Well , even today I am yet to recieve any information from ZeroSetup , nor any of its employees, System Administrators or any Data Centre people . I have lost contract of 3 clients in the past week worth $300 USD . And all of this because of your incompetence . Your system administrators go out on holidays(they apoligised and said that themselves :p) without completing the work I have paid for . None of you (ZeroSetup) have the minimum courtesy of notifying me ... your client .But all that gave me was losing my existing and new clients , my credibility not to mention my valuable time !!! How do you expect to compensate that ??
If my Server is not up within the next 24 hours and all my neccesary information is not sent to me , I think I will have to take this matter real seriously and in a more grim way .
Amazingly , on 26th August , I recieve mail from Derek(Zerosetup)
" Arindra,
I am very very sorry. I have been out of town since last Thursday and instructed someone else to handle your account while I was gone. Apparently there was some sort of mix-up. I'm not exactly sure what yet, but I'll get to the bottom of it. Now, your server is up. Here is the information you need: ..... "
Well , this is only the first installment .... I will add more of what happened later .
* I haven't yet got my Merchant account which I was supposed to acc. to ther deal
* I have been billed twice and that matter has not been solved yet .
* I have recieved only 1 IP from them , hence I amnot being able to put my site up for the world :p they ask me to put Infinology's IP's on my Domain settings !!!
I will categorically post the various exchanges I have had with them where they always accept their faults and apologise and say we will try to help you soon . But nothing progresses .
Later ... :(
- Arindra
what I am about to write here is what I have been through for the past 1 month and more. I understand that there will always be people who might think that I am only a competitor to Zerosetup and hence trying to make them look bad. But , in actuality I am only a client trying to setup my own web hosting biz. And I know that there are several people like me here who come for Tips , Advices and Information before making their own decision.
Only 2 months ago , I started my search for a good Web Hosting company from whom I can buy a Dedicated Server and start reselling on my own. And I was Unlucky enough to find ZeroSetup's (http://www.ZeroSetup.com ) advertisement in the Dedicated Servers Special Offers (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=36) forum. They were providing 1 Dedicated Server @ $49.95 p.m + $299 (for setup)
From here I started my querries , firstly on WHT :
Me:
http://www.zerosetup.com/dedicatedcomparison.htm
There are no costs of Nameservers there
ZS--NameServer is just a configuration fee. We would need to figure it for you. Otherwise if you get a control panel it comes configured. But please call us for details.
Me:What happens if someone does a WHOIS check ?
ZS If you setup your own nameserver, they will see your information.
Me:[/ZS:So this means I am guaranteed that in no way any one will be able to locate / pinpoint that the ultimate source is Zero Setup ?
ZS---Yes, if you register the nameserver under your name. THe IP doesn't go to ZeroSetup. It is hidden.
PLease could you specify what things are exactly will be there already installed or you people will help me install without additional chargges .... and what are chargeable
---If you want all these services I would suggest you get Hsphere control panel. Otherwise it would come installed, but there's no graphical interface for you to use unlesss you know unix, windows, etc...
Again after this we exchange some more info here only ...
ME:OK .. thanks I have some more querries ...
I noticed yo also have a Merchant Account Free program going on ... if I take this server , am I elligible for that too ?
ZS Yes , you are .
secondly , I am in India .. how will I access my Server ? who will house it ?
ZSWe will . you will get root access.
I am already a customer of Infinology ... so do I get the $100 affiliate off ? or Do I have to sell other accounts after taking this server to get that ?
Do I have to pay the full price for 12 months upfront or will I be charged monthly ?
This was discussed on Chats and Email I will show below
I am getting H-Sphere myself ... buying it directly from PSOFT.net and paying them for the Installation . So , will that be good enugh ?
ZS: That suits us fine.
With this , I get down to Email them and have AIM chats with Jason from Infinology(ZeroSetup) . And the price for my server is fixed . They send me a Contract in the form of PDF where it is specifically mentioned that I will be provided a Deidcated server
configs : 1.0Ghz Duron 256MB SDRAM PC133 80GB Hard Drive for which I will have to pay on a 4 quarterly basis . Due to the break down of cost in four qiarters , i will have to pay a finance charge of 10% extra . To this we agree .
My credit card and all neccesary info is submitted/Faxed on 10th August 2002 . But I get no confirmation . SO I mail --
Dear Jason ,
I have faxd the Contract Form u sent on last nite in the afternoon. Do acknowledge the same . Waiting for your reply and further advuice on the steps I need to follow henceforth .
- Arindra
18th august
Hello Jason ,
What is happening ? In spite of Zerosetup mentioning on www.zerosetup.net you have recieved my payment and someone called Derek has been assigned to my case , I am yet to recieve any info on how to access my server . More than 1 week has passed since the FAX and reciept of payment .
20th August
Are you guys joking or something ?? WHats wrong with you ? When Do I get my account ? In spite of repeated Emails , you provide no replies. Nor here on email , neither on the forum
22nd August Jason(Infinology/Zerosetup) replies :
Dear Arindra,
I apologize for the frustration you are receiving; however, your server should be built. I will email a request to system admin and hopefully they will reply. -- Jason
23rd. August Another Sys Admin called Derek mails saying Sorry for the delay . Your Server will be setup within today . So next day i.e somewhat 48 hours after that I request to know what is the status ?
26th I mail again since I am yet to recieve any info from them .
Me:
" You people should stop selling Dedicated Servers .... at least support / service is not certainly your forte . I can't even talk about the Product since I haven't had the (good/bad ... ? ) fortune of possesing that -- Arindra "
after this , Jason mails me and asks :
Is your server up and running yet? :p
So I mail by saying
Well , even today I am yet to recieve any information from ZeroSetup , nor any of its employees, System Administrators or any Data Centre people . I have lost contract of 3 clients in the past week worth $300 USD . And all of this because of your incompetence . Your system administrators go out on holidays(they apoligised and said that themselves :p) without completing the work I have paid for . None of you (ZeroSetup) have the minimum courtesy of notifying me ... your client .But all that gave me was losing my existing and new clients , my credibility not to mention my valuable time !!! How do you expect to compensate that ??
If my Server is not up within the next 24 hours and all my neccesary information is not sent to me , I think I will have to take this matter real seriously and in a more grim way .
Amazingly , on 26th August , I recieve mail from Derek(Zerosetup)
" Arindra,
I am very very sorry. I have been out of town since last Thursday and instructed someone else to handle your account while I was gone. Apparently there was some sort of mix-up. I'm not exactly sure what yet, but I'll get to the bottom of it. Now, your server is up. Here is the information you need: ..... "
Well , this is only the first installment .... I will add more of what happened later .
* I haven't yet got my Merchant account which I was supposed to acc. to ther deal
* I have been billed twice and that matter has not been solved yet .
* I have recieved only 1 IP from them , hence I amnot being able to put my site up for the world :p they ask me to put Infinology's IP's on my Domain settings !!!
I will categorically post the various exchanges I have had with them where they always accept their faults and apologise and say we will try to help you soon . But nothing progresses .
Later ... :(
- Arindra