Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer

Siteground insists: Pay up now or be cut off!

Chapter 3 of my futile negotiations and requests continued with my web host, Siteground, this morning. Chapter 1 was last Thursday (“Is this web hosting extortion?”) and Saturday (“Negotiations with Siteground for alleged shared hosting account ‘abuse’ continue.”) Given no other choices, I have opted to pay up for the Standard VPS package. Instead of paying $90 a year, I am now required to pay $100 per month for web hosting. Here is the message Siteground sent this morning:

Hello Wes,

Please accept my apologies for the delayed reply. Let me address your requests one by one.

>>>For 30 days to optimize my site and research my options for what I should do.

Unfortunately, we cannot allow you 30 days to optimize your site. Currently your site is endangering the overall performance of the shared server. The extension I gave you was an exception only for you and I’m afraid we cannot allow you more time.

>>>For direct access to monitor my site’s CPU utilization and execution statistics on the server.

Unfortunately, this is not possible. However, there is no problem to provide you with your account’s usage upon your request.

>>>For documentation of my site’s historical CPU utilization/execution statistics on a graph which does not have the X-axis labels obscured/covered up, so the graph can actually be read/interpreted.

The type of graph we provided you with is the only one we have. Alas, creation of custom graphs is not possible.

>>>For clarification about where contractual terms for CPU utilization/execution limits on my website have been spelled out for me, and what those terms specifically are.

The limits are defined in our Terms of Use > Linux Shared Hosting > the section Customer’s use of account resources

Please note that your account’s CPU usage is still over the desired limit. Your site is very popular and any optimizations will be more or less futile.

The best solution is an upgrade to a dedicated solution. This is the only way to guarantee the server hosting your account has the resources to serve such a popular site 🙂

Best Regards,

[NAME]
Senior Support Team
SiteGround.com

My reply:

[TECH SUPPORT NAME]:

I have submitted payment to Siteground to upgrade my hosting to Standard VPS.

Since I have an add-on slot for the additional domain stringandme.com and the Standard VPS account does not include an add-on domain, please let me know what my options are for it.

That site has minimal traffic. I paid $40 for it to be an add-on slot. If it could continue as a shared hosting account separate from speedofcreativity.org that would be preferable. Please let me know my options.

You have (obviously by intention) given me no option but to upgrade my account. As I stated previously I believe Siteground should provide customers:

1- With the opportunity monitor CPU usage directly from their account
2- With clearly communicated CPU usage limits in the advertised account details used for marketing purposes
3- With graphs of CPU usage which include time and date information in the X-axis so they can be interpreted and read by customers.

I hope you will forward these requests on to Siteground executives to consider.

I look forward to continuing my hosting relationship with Siteground. Please advise me about my options and the best course of action regarding my add-on slot, stringandme.com.

Thanks

Wes

I’ve changed the link in my right sidebar from “I love my web host!” to “My web host is Siteground.”

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6 responses to “Siteground insists: Pay up now or be cut off!”

  1. Ingrid Avatar

    I have three sites hosted with Siteground and will keep an eye on them in the near future. My tech friend recommends Slicehost if you’re looking to move in the future!

  2. Dean Shareski Avatar

    I would have switched companies. The question I have is are most shared servers operating under the same type of policy or is this unique to siteground? If that’s the case, may I never become as popular as Wes Fryer! 😉

  3. sullen Avatar
    sullen

    I’m having exactly the same problem with Siteground.

    They’ve turned off my site, won’t reply to tickets, and not giving any info.

    Switching to another hosting.

  4. Wesley Fryer Avatar

    I didn’t have any problem with Siteground responding to my tickets, they responded promptly to each.

    Sorry you had a similar situation…

    What host are you switching to?

  5. sullen Avatar
    sullen

    Switching to Jaguarpc.com , they said I can take shared after reading the specifications, but I think I’ll take semi-dedicated… I have been reading reviews of hosting companies for 2 days, contacted many of them, these guys were nice. It seems that actual people work there, at least they have a functional phone line… Siteground shut me down yesterday, I’m trying to make them give me my backups.

    Siteground does extortion, there is no other word… They have requested of me to go to dedicated exactly 3 months before my new payment, not before, although my traffic was way bigger during spring and summer.