{crossed posted to
[meu] [email protected],
[mrc] [email protected], and
[mru] [email protected] ...
sorry if you are on more than one of these}
A few weeks ago I had a problem with
YAHOO WEBSITE SERVICES ... I
forgot my Yallet Wallet password and
could not update my credit card particulars ...
YWS was so unhelpful and so unreachable
and so unresponsive when reached ... they
just did not give a care ... they refused to
do anything ... so I could not prevent my
site from dying ... Yahoo Website Services
dropped me and I'll never go back or
give them a recommendation again.
I asked members of the miva lists
for help in contacting YWS but
no one knew any telephone numbers that I
had not already tried in vain ... it
was like YWS was in some
witness protection program.
Members of this list suggested other service
providers and I promised that I would check
them out ... and I did.
One of them actually made second spot
on my short list and had a chance to get
to first place ... I am not going to name
that provider BUT (you know who you are)
here are the four reasons I did NOT pick them:
(1) after being burned by YWS, I had many
questions to ask ... I mentioned that
their toll free number did NOT work
from Canada and suggested they put
a non-8xx number on their site for
Canadians ... I was told (instead of
thanked) "this is the first time in five
years that anyone complained" ...
three weeks later, it's still a problem ...
free advice is worth what you pay for it ...
even less when you do not follow it!
(2) although they responded quickly to
my first e-mail, their second response
was slower (I had to ask twice) and
they responded "You emailed me
immediately stating your frustrations.
That simply does nor bode well for
our company nor our client base who
we take great efforts to insure timely
and accurate technical support. It is
difficult for me to go through your very
long emails trying to pick out pieces
in which to respond. It simply takes
too much of my time." ... while I could
appreciate that everyone is pressed for
time, this was too unfriendly for me.
(3) Their terms of use were frightenly
restrictive ... they stated that they
do "not allow the sales of products,
goods or services on any professional
hosting option. Sales can be conducted
only on [their] ecommerce hosting
options and dedicated servers." ... this
is unlike anything I've ever seen ... to
their credit, they wrote "We will waive
the restriction of selling software on
professional sites. You are allowed to do so."
(I sell services, hardware, software,
books, and custom software I write).
(4) Although their home page says: "Java (JSP)",
when I inquired above this service, they wrote:
"We do not presently implement java. Period.
It must be removed from the site." ... well,
THREE WEEKS LATER ... they have NOT
removed it from their site!
And the winner is ... http://canaca.com
because: their prices are fantastic
http://canaca.com/ourpackages.php
their specials are excellent ... for example,
last week's special (to yesterday) was:
U.S.$9.95 for
2000MB of Web Space
2000 Email Accounts
20GB of Bandwidth
I got TWO web sites for CDN$100 per year
LESS than I paid Yahoo Website Services
and BOTH of these websites have many
times more capacity than YWS doled out!
they are local to Mississauga so I can
actually visit their office and meet
their staff and see their premises
and, most of all, their president actually
and patiently took the time to meet
with me and answer all of my questions
to my satisfaction.
Again, thanks to all on the miva lists
who offered advice and suggestions.
regards,
gerry
gerry lowry, principal 905.821.7907
ability business computer services
1537 Kirkrow Crescent
Mississauga Ontario Canada L5M 3Y9
http://abilitybusinesscomputerservices.com
[email protected]