I’ve been hosting my website with Globat for some time, and have been having problems with their marketing methods, but never with their tech support. Maybe because before I decided to start blogging every day I haven’t really had much need in a technical support for a 10-page website. Consequently, I have not paid much attention to things like occasional server downtime, slow page loadtime, or errors in accessing website’s databases.
This year I have had a chance to experience the full measure of how terrible the hosting experience at Globat can be. The larger my blog grew, the more frequently I’ve been experiencing downtime and errors. On May 22, Globat decided to migrate my website to a new server, and lost 10 days of my May posts: from 13 through 22 May (see how there are gaps here? the rest of them I revived by memory, and resurrected the deleted comments by re-entering them one-by-one by hand). When I first realized that the whole website is down, and called Globat about the problem, their support team told me that I must’ve forgotten to set up the proper DNS server, or maybe even “forgot to add” the domain to my control panel, and that was why the site was not showing. It took me half an hour of proving my case (by showing them the WhoIs data, Google cache records, etc) to get them to admit that “in the process of migrating the website to a new server” they dropped the very domain out of it’s control panel. I added it as a new domain, but then discovered about the loss of 10 days of posting. I called back, opened a ticket, and then the wait began… I was told that the problem could not be resolved by “level 1” technicians, and it was passed on to “level 2”, and then there was a weekend, and a Memorial day… So, not having much hope I started working on reinstating those posts by memory (brought them all back to life, except for one). I never ceased calling them and asking for the reinstatement of posts and comments from the backup files (hence, this poll, where back then I voted “spontaneously”), but the issue just dragged on an on (with Globat support team assuring me that “it’ll be taken care of”). Some two weeks after the opening of the initial ticket, it just got closed and disappeared from my CPanel’s interface. Yes, simply vanished!
This morning my website went offline again. In the “live chat” conversation with a tech support gentleman I just couldn’t keep silent, and told him that this was the last drop. Here’s a part of our chat that so clearly illustrates the fact that Globat just doesn’t care:
They saw that the posts were getting back, and they just thought “Okay, why bother”…
Goodbye, Globat! I’m gone. You (and especially your customer support and technical support teams) lack the two most important elements of a good and reliable hosting service:
- Fast response time
- Reliable tech support
…oh, and also, tell your customer service assistants to never blame the user for something caused by your tech support (like that website migration brought up in the foregoing). This is just not right! You talk about the “Globat.com’s dedication to customer service and technical support” [source]. Having a 24/7 phone line just does not cut it. It has to be a true support line. Not a line the other end of which is telling me (in response to: “This is simply unacceptable. I am going to terminate my relationship with you): “Can I offer you two months of free hosting?” Why would I want two more months of unacceptable support?!
Oh Geno – I feel your pain. There is nothing as annoying or as frustrating as dealing with a hosting company’s lack of customer/technical support. I know for a fact that you have been experiencing some major downtime. I visit your blog almost daily and here lately (on numerous occasions) I haven’t been able to access your blog at all.
Okay, the lost threads and comments is totally unacceptable. That’s just scary to think about. I think I’ll go backup my blog when I finish posting.
Well, I hope you have a much better experience with your new web hosting company.
msladybug, to say that I was furious (after loosing 10 days of work) is to say nothing. And Globat just didn’t care.
This post already ranks #5 in Google for “Globat hosting service”, and #8 for “Globat hosting”. Maybe at least this will catch their attention. Maybe they will make improvements based on the lessons learned. Maybe not… The way things are being handled now is simply unacceptable.
And yes, now I backup all of my blog’s data every time I see any change in the blog (new post or comment), and I’ve also made it a rule to backup all of my data on a daily basis.
Your not alone.
I also lost a complete multipage web site. Luckly a friend who is also using Globat gave me a heads up to back up everything before Globat did their migration to new servers. Both myself and my friend lost tons of stuff.
As I type this, (June 15, 2009) Globat is down and my web sites are unavailable.
I’ve had it. I am looking for a new hosting company even though I’m payed up with Globat for another 2 years!
Bill, I feel your pain. Sorry to hear this, but what you’re saying is just all too familiar… I highly doubt that Globat will restore the data for you. Not their style.
Run, and run far away from them! If I had more time I would’ve provided more proof (including videos of FTP load time) of how lousy the Globat’s hosting service is. I just don’t want to waste any more of my life on them.
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