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View Full Version : Horror story - Yahoo hosting and domain



roedel
08-10-2006, 08:57 AM
I have had Yahoo for parking for 5 domains (since 2000 and 2001) and my website, finefurnturemaster.com (for about a year). Yahoo lost their domain records and multiple billed me each year since 2003, with the result that the domains are renewed now through 2008 and 2009. The response from their customer service people - cannot change it - cannot give you a $$ credit. If you don;t like it, cancel the domains. Then they cancel the webparking also, effective immediately, even though I have paid for several years. Doesn;t sound right, does it?

But it is, according to their systems. I have escalated this to the highest levels in Yahoo - same song and dance. One person in their support group said this happens a lot - and that the only way around it is to go back and complain to the credit card company, and they will remove the charges.

This I did, but they cancelled one of my domains (without even an email) and then 90 days later, told me I had to get a new credit card number, since that one was blacklisted, since it had been charged back.

Luckily, I have control over the domains with Networksolutions, since Yahoo used to allow you to have direct control over your websites with them. No longer.

The webhosting thru Yahoo I thought was ok - minimal downtime etc, but their customer service was horrible. I had to wait over 2 1/2 hours several times (yes, just put it on speaker phone and go about your business until someone picks up) and in all the years with Yahoo, was never able to sort out several problems that seem endemic to their way of doing business. So I looked over the terms of agreement, and it says I can get the registry keys to the domain name for my hosting site. So I call them up and ask for them.
Response - you cannot get them unless you cancel your webhosting plan.
But your TOA say I can have them... Yes they do, but we cannot do that unless you cancel. If I cancel, the website goes down immediately. But I do not get keys for 48 hours, if even then. Problem...

The net result is that I moved my hosting to another service, cancelled Yahoo, got the keys to the domain registrar's account, and got back up and running, losing any $$ I had already paid them. (remember that they never give refunds) Just horrible - hope you never have to go thru this. But after talking with their low level customer service people, it sounds like lots of people have these problems. Would be interested in any other stories of people paying Yahoo for services that Yahoo then refuses to provide.

Lots more details here, but I have gone on long enuf - stay away from Yahoo if you can.

danosd
08-10-2006, 08:24 PM
Thanks for the warning, a lot of people are tempted because of the $2.99 domain. I sure am glad that I went with GoDaddy instead.

Martie
08-11-2006, 03:35 PM
roedel,
Well Im happy you were able to "exit" from them. We've been in business since 1999 and Ive heard quite a few horror stories about yahoo hosting.
Mainly trying to transfer domain registrars and as far as thoe hosting side of it goes, they have not been known to offer very good support.
There are quite a few threads regarding yahoo over at webhostingtalk.com