1and1

[schenz]

I have been using 1and1 for about a year now, and have been happy with the uptime and have had very few problems. The downside has been the few times I do have problems the only way to contact them is by phone, and then your on hold for about 30 minutes. They need more staff to handle these calls, and they need an online chat system for support.

Anyone else have an opinion on 1and1, or a recommendation for another service?

Brandon Schenz

[Josh-A]

Hello Brandon,

Before signingup with any host you should check there support system like whether they provide 24x7 support through live chat, ticket and 24 Hrs toll free phone support and also check for uptime guarantee and money back guarantee.

[GettingRicher]

I've never been with any other service but GoDaddy. I've heard there are betters, but I've no complains about it, so I guess I'll stay with it.

Why don't you call 1&1 and tell them to get more staff If I were them, I would appreciate my customers tips.

[Josh-A]

Why don't you call 1&1 and tell them to get more staff If I were them, I would appreciate my customers tips.

Nice point but Brandon has already mentioned "I do have problems the only way to contact them is by phone, and then your on hold for about 30 minutes." And it's really annoying to stay on the line for 30 mins.

[lwhitmore]

My short answer is to avoid 1and1 if you can. I've been with them for around 3 years - and they've got steadily worse. They're okay, until you need support. I thought their prices were reasonable, and one of their main advantages - but they're not actually that cheap, and once they've got you involved in a billing cycle, it's very difficult to get rid of them.

Changing web-hosts is a hassle – but after being pushed a little too far by 1and1, I decided that enough was enough. After doing some research I found a superb web-host who charge half as much as I was paying with 1and1; I'm completely shocked how much better a host can be.

I dislike 1and1 for the following reasons:

billing errors
I've had emails and billing responses sent to me in error - requesting I pay x-amount of money. Responses have sometimes been completely unintelligible half-complete replies to other customer's queries. I got to the point where I had absolutely no confidence in the company at all.

unexplained downtime
There have been times when I've been unable to access my webspace / website, and databases associated with my account; unluckily for me this occurred while I was demoing a site to a client. I received no apology or explanation from 1and1; rather than own up, their policy seems to be to hope customers won't notice.

automatic account locking
At one stage I was unable to make a payment because the billing departments IT system was down. Subsequently my account, was locked and sent to a debt recovery agent, making all my domains and sites unavailable for nearly a week.

no flexibility
To get anything more than basic hosting, expensive upgrades are needed. The level of functionality vs. cost often seems arbitrary; for example - why should I pay over £72 pounds a year extra just to receive SSH access?

no follow up to complaints
I've sent complaints on numerous occasions and not received responses. When I have received replies, they've been 'stock' replies - standard templates. They don't listen and it's impossible to speak to anyone who can actually help. Everything is run according to scripts.

automatic rebilling
I cancel my account - they respond; not by refunding me the money I'm owed, but by re-billing me for each domain previously registered, using brand-new two year contracts!

I sound like I'm ranting - and I suppose I am. I'm just deeply dissatisfied with this company - and still slightly shocked that they can get away with such levels of incompetence.

Avoid 1and1 like the plague - there's no such thing as a free lunch.

[compt121]

i was with 1&1 and I found them expensive. I switched to www.4uhosting.com they are much cheaper and the support was great I think

[Futile]

I think the best strategy to adopt is simply try a few different companies as you embark on new projects then the ones who you prefer you can give more business to long term.

[Tempe SEO Solutions]

I seem to have almost daily problems with their webmail... and when it works it is very slow...

[shadee]

Anyone else have an opinion on 1and1, or a recommendation for another service?

I am a former customer of 1and1. They are good hosting company. Some times they take long time to respond to customer's problems. However now i use hostgator.