DerekTP’s blog

1and1, and their associated company FastHosts, don’t have a great reputation for customer service.  I’ve been using 1and1’s Sharepoint hosting service for a couple of years, and don’t have any real gripes with them for the service. But now I no longer need that service, and so want to cancel it.

1and1 have a comprehensive account system, and although a little complex, it does most of what you need to do. Except cancel a contract, of course. You can add to, transfer in, modify, upgrade, extend etc… but cancel? Oh no. Eventually, if you do a SEARCH on the FAQs (it’s not available in the contents list) you can find a document on cancellation. Seems you have to log in at an entirely different site (and know your 7-digit account number - the other logins are happy to accept any domain name you have registered under your account). The online part of cancellation is fairly straightforward; but then, just when you think you’ve done it, you’re at a page with a couple of links. Click one to send an email confirmation to yourself which contains a link that you follow to confirm. Fair enough, but why can’t that email be sent automatically? 1and1 obviously hope customers overlook that step and they can charge for another year.  To cancel any domains associated with the contract, you click ANOTHER link to open a PDF form which you must sign and FAX back to them.

Now, the page says that the fax number is on the form. It’s not. In fact, it’s not anywhere on the site. I did, after quite a bit more searching, find a fax number for 1and1’s contract department, and have sent my fax to that number. But of course they may complain that it’s the “wrong” fax number. So I hand-wrote a comment pointing out the omission of the fax number, and stating “Unless I hear from you, I will assume this instruction has been accepted by 1and1, and I will not be liable for any further costs as a result of 1and1’s failure to comply with this instruction“.  I was thinking, on past experience with 1and1, that they are likely to take ANY route to try and bill me again despite my best efforts to cancel. After sending the fax, though, I spotted a disclaimer on the form “Hand-written or electronic amendments to and comments on this form will not be taken into account and will be considered non-existent“. 

This is the electronic equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and singing “nah nah, I can’t hear you”.  I doubt very much it would stand up in court, but it underlines 1and1’s attitude towards customer service. You may draw your own conclusions.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 8th, 2009 at 11:03 am and is filed under hosting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.