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customer service

Transfering Hosting from IONOS to Fasthosts

By Creativity, Technology, The WebNo Comments

I recently departed company with IONOS, after being a loyal customer for years. Here is why I left this hosting provider:

  • Their SPAM blocking features in email were rubbish. They blocked people that I regularly email, yet didn’t block clearly SPAM and potentially harmful emails.
  • Their WordPress websites were slow and full of bloatware.
  • They started adding things (at a considerable cost) to my contract, without my permission or at least a discussion. For example, they added PHP Extended Support.
  • They kept changing billing amounts and billing dates. This was making it impossible to keep track of my money and led to a couple occasions where they were paid late.
  • Their prices had increased significantly without any explanation.
  • The IONOS account was constantly trying to sell me products, often ones that I wasn’t interested in or weren’t relevant to me.
  • The customer support agents didn’t always call back when they said they would.

Here’s why I choose fasthosts:

  • They’re UK-based (although the Customer Support isn’t always).
  • They offered a money back guarantee.
  • They offered a reduced price initially, which is perfect when trying something new.
  • They offered WordPress specific hosting.
  • They focus on high performance, quick loading websites.
  • They gave all the standard features I needed: email, access and the ability to upload my own files to the server, SSL certificates, daily back up/restore, etc.
  • Their security and protection of my account is second to none.

I can’t lie, the transfer over wasn’t easy. After having a blog and a domain name for such a long time, challenges were to be expected, but at times it felt maddening and frustrating.

Fasthosts backend could be a little bit easier to use, for example I signed up to two additional contracts for email, before sussing out with the help of Customer Support that I already had email as part of my WordPress Hosting Package. It just wasn’t where I would have expected it to be (i.e. under email).

Fasthosts Customer Support have been brilliant at helping me with my teething problems transferring over. But they could enhance their offer to potential customers by offering a managed WordPress transfer.

Only time will tell is fasthosts turns out to be as good as I hope it is. But I’m more than happy at this moment with their service and products.

If you want to sign up to fasthosts use this link. In the interest of full disclosure I get credit on my account for everyone that signs up using this link, through a referral programme.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Sunday 4 June 2023

Adios Vodafone – After A Nightmare Trying To Upgrade, Hello Giffgaff

By Life, Money / Finances, Shopping, Technology, ThinkingNo Comments

Recently my old iPhone 5 battery started dropping it’s charge. So as a loyal long term Vodafone customer, one that had been with them for years, I decided to speak to them about an early upgrade. They said I could and I opted for Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus (64GB, GOLD) as a new handset, which they said would be delivered the next day.

After three weeks of telephoning Vodafone customer services practically on a daily basis and receiving many broken promises, I still had no new handset. I felt frustrated, that the order was no further forward and like anything that they said to me on the phone would be a lie. Despite how I felt, I always remained pleasant and patient. But I decided to cancel my telephone upgrade order and re-order the upgrade in store.

My local store had Apple iPhone 6 Plus (64GB, GOLD) in stock. Hurray! But wait, I couldn’t have it because of their IT systems still showing the original upgrade order as open – despite me cancelling it and reassurances from Vodafone customer services on the phone that I would be able order in store. I tweeted my frustration to them, not that the staff in store, on the telephone or on twitter seemed to care.

I’d lost my trust in them. A search online revealed that I wasn’t the only one experiencing issues upgrading. Vodafone’s problems seem to be:

  • Their IT systems. An order gets canceled because they don’t have the handset in stock, but the order still shows as open and gets stuck.
  • The warehouse stock levels, warehouse management (in terms of ordering more handsets before they run out) and distribution.
  • No complaints department or way to escalate order issues to get them sorted.

Up until this experience, Vodafone have always been good with me. But this experience felt like a bad joke. I decided to show them what I thought of this experience by walking away and taking my wallet with me.


Get a free giffgaff Sim

giffgaff-logo A friend on Facebook recommended that I sign up with GiffGaff. I did and everything went smoothly. The handset was delivered the next working day as promised. It’s been a brilliant, easy and enjoyable service so far.

Here are some advantages of being with GiffGaff and how they are different to other providers:

  • They do sim only deals or handset and sim deals.
  • You buy the handset as a credit agreement. Meaning you can pay a small or larger deposit, choose the term of the credit agreement and it’s all really clear and easy to understand.
  • All handsets come unlocked, so can be used on any network.
  • You buy monthly goodbag packages, rather than having a fixed term contract.
  • You can leave GiffGaff at any time by turning off the auto-renew goodybag and getting a sim card for another network.
  • They’re competitively priced – cheaper than most other companies from the prices that I’ve seen.
  • Free GiffGaff to GiffGaff calls.
  • They regularly listen to customers and take their ideas on board.
  • And much more…

So if you’re looking to switch mobile phone providers, I’d highly recommend GiffGaff.

Blog soon,

Antony


Get a free giffgaff Sim

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Friday 19 June 2015

Wall of Fame & Wall of Shame

By Shopping, The WebNo Comments

Hi all,

I love to blog about good products & customer service and equally rant about bad products & poor customer service (see The value of customer service). I have often thought about having a Wall of Fame and a Wall of Shame on the site.

But while looking for a decent hair dressers in Manchester I found this site: Review Centre. It’s real people reviewing products and services.

So got something good or bad to say about a product and or service? Try Review Centre.

Write soon,

Antony

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Wednesday 4 March 2009

The value of customer service

By Amazon, Money / Finances, Rants, ShoppingNo Comments

Many companies these days under estimate the value of good customer service to it’s customers. I have over the last 12 months experienced very poor customer service from serveral large companies including: a well-known British Telecommunications company, a mobile phone company (containing a 2 in it’s name) and a bank (which has singing bank managers in their adds). I thought about creating a wall of shame to name and shame these companies, but I wouldn’t want to give them the publicity. The problem with these companies ofcourse is that they have millions of customers most of which will put up with this poor customer service.

Well not me. I change companies, even if I have to pay more. That’s the value of customer service to me!

However I have decided to name some companies that would go in my Hall of Fame, if I had one. Two companies that have always given me excellent customer service are Amazon and ASDA. Of course you only test a companies customer service when you have a problem with their goods / services. I guess I am lucky that most of the time I don’t have a problem with goods / services that I purchase.

Where does this post come from? You are probably asking yourself. Well over the weekend David and I ate at a resturant. I was dissatisfied with the mash I ordered with my lamb cuttlets. It was suppose to be freshly made (for the price we’d paid) but it turned out to be smash. You know, the horrible instant stuff out of the packet. I complained and got the drinks for free and the meals half price, with an apology. That for me is excellent customer service.

Rant over.

Antony

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Sunday 28 September 2008
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