Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !!

KCNL · 15th Apr 2012, 11:46 AM

Hi,

I know a lot of you use hostgator for hosting but considering the f*kups these clowns made the last few weeks, i want to advise everyone not to use them for hosting your clients mobile sites and /or wordpress sites..

Why ?

Little report of what happened to my baby and reseller account in the last 2 weeks:

"Server update" temporarily whiped out total public_html folder..(taking down some 20+ sites for a whole day..)

Few days ago one of my sites went to a suspended page...explanation from hostgator: glitch in the system..

Also few days ago: forbidden 403 errors on 15 sites due to a tos/cpu story.

I apologize, but I was forced to suspend the directory /home/xxxx/public_html as multiple scripts inside were causing high loading issues on the server. Due to it affecting all of the other accounts on the system, we had to take immediate action for the health of the server.

Please be aware, we do not normally disable directories except in rare cases where multiple scripts are causing issues. We believe this is the only way to prevent a server crash and potential loss of data.

Guess what...i had no scripts running and the server load was 0.35 when i checked..

Anyway,,
Long story short..
Don`t risk your business by hosting your sites and your clients sites with them because they will cause you a lot of problems and will kill your business in a second..

That said, any tips for real professional hosting are much appreciated..

Thanks,
Charles.

arnauldpatrick · 15th Apr 2012, 11:56 AM

Gosh!!! This is scary. I will not want to be in your shoes. Clients will run away. I am a starter and wouldn't be able to explain this. I use hostgator as well as this was advised to me as the best on the market.
Any idea what to use??? Any suggestion: please share

Keithyt · 15th Apr 2012, 12:13 PM

Sorry to hear this and I can only imagine me being in this unfortunate situation.
Having once sat in technical support for Microsoft adCenter (and people wonder where my hair went to) there is no excuse for offering jargon as some excuse for what can only be described as an error.

You empathise with the problem. You solve the problem and then you offer some kind of health check.

To be honest, I have never had a problem with hostgator but I dread ever being in your situation with them and others in the UK I use. Let's hope this doesn't ever happen again to you. This kind of thing could mean $$$s down the drain. You have every right to be angry.

Kingfish85 · 15th Apr 2012, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by dinnap

Who do you recommend for hosting?

Who are you asking?

Leron Ford · 15th Apr 2012, 01:10 PM

I use Hostgator and (knock on wood) have never had a problem. Are the problems described by the OP something that could have happened with any host and the real issue lies in the fact that they handled the situation poorly?

Just curious.

Kingfish85 · 15th Apr 2012, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Leron Ford

I use Hostgator and (knock on wood) have never had a problem. Are the problems described by the OP something that could have happened with any host and the real issue lies in the fact that they handled the situation poorly?

Just curious.

It's possible, but like I mentioned above, when you choose a bargain host, there is only so much they are going to do.

tweettweet · 15th Apr 2012, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by dinnap

Hm... scary!
We have always uses them...

This is scary indeed. I have been a Hostgator subscriber since I went online. Though I have not experienced any of this kind, it is still good that we are given a heads up. In cases like this, we are the ones at the losing end. We lose visitors to our site who may not go back and check us anymore. Likewise, we will also be losing clients. As a result, we will be losing income. Web hosting providers will not care about this because we have already paid for it and they already have our money. As far as they are concerned, they already earned from us.

Kingfish85 · 15th Apr 2012, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by StupidButUseful

That is a great add for your hosting service VOPAHOST.
But I have have A host that only charges 50 bucks for the year plus a free domain name and it is unlimited! Yes you can host as many domains as you want! and you can have as many 250 mb email accounts that you want and it comes with a free cloud server back up for all your stuff! So if your tired of hosting in a swamp or dealing with your fat DADDY, contact me and I will turn you on.
The Stupid But Useful Husband

I'm not sure what you're getting at here... In this industry, you get what you pay for. If you think that I'm using this thread to advertise my company, you're insane. We don't need it. We provide quality services, not bargain plans.

Sure, your host might be fine, UNTIL your website actually requires resources. It also appears that the link you have there is all jacked up. Nothing works, 404 pages etc.

Unlimited? Go ahead and attempt to upload 20GB, 30GB or use a few 100GB of bandwidth on that account and see how quick you get shut off.

WillR · 15th Apr 2012, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Kingfish85

If you think that I'm using this thread to advertise my company, you're insane. We don't need it. We provide quality services, not bargain plans.

I disagree. That little line above in itself was a small plug. When the first words out of your mouth were...

"If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email at xxx@xxxxxx.com and I can point you in the right direction for both what I'd recommend as well as future planning/growth."

That looks fairly self promotional in nature to me. This thread is not to turn into an ad for hosting companies.

The fact is, I have been with Hostgator for the last 5+ years and have never once had a problem with them. It does not matter what company you are talking about, there will always be those who have had negative experiences and those who have only ever had positive experiences.

To warn people not to use Hostgator simply because you had an issue is not good business and it's not practical.

I've been with them for possibly longer than you and have hosted hundreds of websites with them no problems. Using your logic then people now should NOT leave Hostgator because I have only had good experiences with them, right?

Any webmaster worth their salt will always tell you if you ever hear someone complaining about having all their websites wiped, etc, it generally means the person had not backed up their stuff properly.

The fact is things like this happen. Most webmaster are aware of that. They happen on a daily basis all over the Internet. Nothing is perfect. Not technology, not you. Mistakes happen and if you carefully read the Hostgator terms you will find they also say they cannot 100% guarantee no mistakes will happen because the reality is, they do... and a lot of the times they are no one's fault.

It is up to you to have the proper backups of all your websites and if you don't then there's no one to blame but yourself. It may sound harsh but it's the truth. It's your business at the end of the day and if all your websites are wiped the only income it effects is your own -- it's not like Hostgator are going to lose any sleep over it. So YOU need to take the proper precautions and in this day and age that means daily, or at the very least weekly backups of all your sites. I'm not talking about the backups your webhost creates, I am talking about you creating your own backups and storing them somewhere on your end.

I know how annoying things like this can be but take it as a lesson learnt. There's no point complaining about things. Move on and make sure you create regular backups of all your sites in the future.

Kingfish85 · 15th Apr 2012, 06:46 PM

I disagree. That little line above in itself was a small plug. When the first words out of your mouth were...

"If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email at xxx@xxxxxx.com and I can point you in the right direction for both what I'd recommend as well as future planning/growth."

I have chatted with people here on the forum via email, given them pointers and recommended other hosting companies that fit their needs, not just us.

That looks fairly self promotional in nature to me. This thread is not to turn into an ad for hosting companies.

I can see what you mean, but that was NOT my intention.

The fact is, I have been with Hostgator for the last 5+ years and have never once had a problem with them. It does not matter what company you are talking about, there will always be those who have had negative experiences and those who have only ever had positive experiences.

This doesn't mean anything. I personally have had accounts with HostGator back when they first came on the map. Their customer service & environment quality has consistently decreased over time.

To warn people not to use Hostgator simply because you had an issue is not good business and it's not practical.

I have stated 100% facts, not making things up or lying about the company.

I've been with them for possibly longer than you and have hosted hundreds of websites with them no problems. Using your logic then people now should NOT leave Hostgator because I have only had good experiences with them, right?

Exactly how long have you been dealing with web hosting? HG is not the right host for everyone, if you read through my threads, you will also see where I have pointed people towards HostGator.

Any webmaster worth their salt will always tell you if you ever hear someone complaining about having all their websites wiped, etc, it generally means the person had not backed up their stuff properly.

I never said anything about the OP not having their own backups. The OP said that their web host "did some server updates" and the files disappeared. It's very apparent that most of the HG techs haven't a clue to what they're doing and reading a script.

The fact is things like this happen. Most webmaster are aware of that. They happen on a daily basis all over the Internet. Nothing is perfect. Not technology, not you. Mistakes happen and if you carefully read the Hostgator terms you will find they also say they cannot 100% guarantee no mistakes will happen because the reality is, they do... and a lot of the times they are no one's fault.

It is up to you to have the proper backups of all your websites and if you don't then there's no one to blame but yourself. It may sound harsh but it's the truth. It's your business at the end of the day and if all your websites are wiped the only income it effects is your own -- it's not like Hostgator are going to lose any sleep over it. So YOU need to take the proper precautions and in this day and age that means daily, or at the very least weekly backups of all your sites. I'm not talking about the backups your webhost creates, I am talking about you creating your own backups and storing them somewhere on your end.

I know how annoying things like this can be but take it as a lesson learnt. There's no point complaining about things. Move on and make sure you create regular backups of all your sites in the future.

I don't know if all of this was directed towards me or not, so I may have replied to some things that were not. If I did, my mistake. My intention wasn't to "advertise". I pay my fee for WSOs, ads and advertising elsewhere. I was simply trying to help the OP out. I also couldn't begin to tell you how many times I have helped members out with Wordpress security issues here on the forums via email.

Since I am in this industry, I don't think I was out of line to respond to this thread with relevant information.

WillR · 15th Apr 2012, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Kingfish85

I don't know if all of this was directed towards me or not, so I may have replied to some things that were not.

It wasn't all directed at you, no. Just that first part

I understand you might be wanting to help people but it's when that then turns into getting people to email you privately, etc then it starts to look a little self promotional and lead generating. This is a public discussion forum. If you want to offer advice, just do it right here on the forum like everyone else does -- there's no need for this behind door stuff unless you are trying to direct people to your own company.

Originally Posted by Kingfish85

Exactly how long have you been dealing with web hosting? HG is not the right host for everyone, if you read through my threads, you will also see where I have pointed people towards HostGator.

I hosted my first site back in 2003, nearly ten years ago now. I now have both Hostgator dedicated servers and shared plans as well.

Originally Posted by Kingfish85

This doesn't mean anything. I personally have had accounts with HostGator back when they first came on the map. Their customer service & environment quality has consistently decreased over time.

If what I said means nothing then what you just said means nothing as well. The reality is they are both just opinions. I have never had anything but the best of help from Hostgator and if anything, I have only seen their support and customer service get better over the years.

Considering you warn people against Hostgator that would tell me you are NOT one of their customers. So who are people better to believe. Someone who is trying to advertise their own hosting solution on the forum or someone who has nothing to gain from supporting or dissing Hostgator but who is indeed a Hostgator customer and has been for nearly ten years now?

I sure know who I would be listening to. I understand you might be trying to offer your sincere advice but when your signature is littered with links to your own hosting company one can't help but think your opinion might be just a little biased.

Kingfish85 · 15th Apr 2012, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by WillR

It wasn't all directed at you, no. Just that first part

I understand you might be wanting to help people but it's when that then turns into getting people to email you privately, etc then it starts to look a little self promotional and lead generating. This is a public discussion forum. If you want to offer advice, just do it right here on the forum like everyone else does -- there's no need for this behind door stuff unless you are trying to direct people to your own company.

I hosted my first site back in 2003, nearly ten years ago now. I now have both Hostgator dedicated servers and shared plans as well.

If what I said means nothing then what you just said means nothing as well. The reality is they are both just opinions. I have never had anything but the best of help from Hostgator and if anything, I have only seen their support and customer service get better over the years.

Considering you warn people against Hostgator that would tell me you are NOT one of their customers. So who are people better to believe. Someone who is trying to advertise their own hosting solution on the forum or someone who has nothing to gain from supporting or dissing Hostgator but who is indeed a Hostgator customer and has been for nearly ten years now?

I sure know who I would be listening to. I understand you might be trying to offer your sincere advice but when your signature is littered with links to your own hosting company one can't help but think your opinion might be just a little biased.

This is going to be my last post, so that we're not hi-jacking this thread with an argument. As far sa "what you said means nothing", I should have worded that differently, and right now I'm not exactly sure what I meant. I think I was typing out loud about something.

I was also with HG in the early 2000's, and still have accounts with them, and other providers. We use these for side by side testing & performance analysis. I see what you mean about my signature.

Anyway, have a good night.

BrianFL · 16th Apr 2012, 12:38 AM

That's really the risk of any hosting these days. A few months ago Amazon's entire web services hosting environment went down and took out a number of high profile sites, even Wordpress.com IIRC.

I've had my share of inconsistencies with HG, but nothing biblical and their support has always been there promptly to help me out.

gatorbrent · 17th Apr 2012, 12:02 PM

Hello,

What is your ticket number on these issues? It sounds like there's a lot more to this story that I'd love to get to the bottom of for you as owner of the company.

Please let me know, thanks!

Sincerely,

Brent

HypeText · 17th Apr 2012, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by KCNL

Hi,

I know a lot of you use hostgator for hosting but considering the f*kups these clowns made the last few weeks, i want to advise everyone not to use them for hosting your clients mobile sites and /or wordpress sites..

Why ?

Little report of what happened to my baby and reseller account in the last 2 weeks:

"Server update" temporarily whiped out total public_html folder..(taking down some 20+ sites for a whole day..)

Few days ago one of my sites went to a suspended page...explanation from hostgator: glitch in the system..

Also few days ago: forbidden 403 errors on 15 sites due to a tos/cpu story.

Guess what...i had no scripts running and the server load was 0.35 when i checked..

Anyway,,
Long story short..
Don`t risk your business by hosting your sites and your clients sites with them because they will cause you a lot of problems and will kill your business in a second..

That said, any tips for real professional hosting are much appreciated..

Thanks,
Charles.

If you are using Wordpress and hosting Wordpress Sites then you had scripts running. Thats one of the things about Wordpress...multiple installations place a heavy load on a Server...especially in a shared Hosting environment.

I use A2 Hosting, been with them for almost 4 yrs and have never had a single problem...

If one chooses cheap hosting solutions then occasional down time is going to be a factor. Servers fail, Internet hubs go bad, people make mistakes. It happens...

The solution is to make sure you have redundant backups...if something goes wrong with a server it only takes a moment to restore a site.

HypeText · 17th Apr 2012, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by BrianFL

That's really the risk of any hosting these days. A few months ago Amazon's entire web services hosting environment went down and took out a number of high profile sites, even Wordpress.com IIRC.

I've had my share of inconsistencies with HG, but nothing biblical and their support has always been there promptly to help me out.

Amazons servers have more ups and downs than any Yo yo I have ever seen! lol

They don't stay down more than a few moments...but it happens a lot!

gatorbrent · 17th Apr 2012, 03:23 PM

Hi Charles,

Thank you for providing me with your ticket number. There is no question that your 220 domains on a baby plan were crashing the server. You may not have realized this but your 22 installs of wordpress with SEO plugins were most definitely running.

I don't believe you ever would have had any of the mentioned problems had you not installed the seo plugins. I believe all of the described issues are due to us disabling your html folder / multiple suspensions. At this point there's two choices…….

1. Agree to not install and or run any more seo plugins.
2. Upgrade to a vps and or dedicated server. Based on your usage I don't believe a vps will be powerful enough to seo farm on your 200+ domains.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

gatorbrent · 17th Apr 2012, 03:50 PM

I'm sending you over a PM with proof of over 2.4 million mysql row reads in just one single 5 minute period!! This is waaaay to much for a shared hosting environment no matter what shared host your with.

WillR · 17th Apr 2012, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by gatorbrent

I'm sending you over a PM with proof of over 2.4 million mysql row reads in just one single 5 minute period!! This is waaaay to much for a shared hosting environment no matter what shared host your with.

Why I am not surprised there was way more to this than met the eyes. I hate it when people tell others not to use something because they have had issues with the service through no one else's fault but their own.

It's misleading and it's bad business.

KCNL · 17th Apr 2012, 08:16 PM

Will,
If you get that upset about it why don`t you remove the post then ?

Its not my own fault becuase i don`t know whats causing these sql row reads.
The sites don`t even get much traffic so there must be a glitch somewhere..

MUNK26 · 17th Apr 2012, 08:35 PM

I for one can vouch for the service at hostgator because I've had the same thing happen to me when I was installing a directory. I was putting in plugins and making changes I wasn't too familiar with all because of a guide I had ordered. Well I ended up using too much server resources and had all my sites go down but only after they emailed me notifying me of the excessive usage. Within a couple of hours the whole ordeal was straightened out after one of the phone techs actually checked out the site and told me exactly what I needed to do and actually did it himself while we were on the phone. So long story short it's not when you or what your using falls short but how you or they handles it is what makes the difference.

Kingfish85 · 17th Apr 2012, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by WillR

Why I am not surprised there was way more to this than met the eyes. I hate it when people tell others not to use something because they have had issues with the service through no one else's fault but their own.

It's misleading and it's bad business.

You know, I may have made some bad press in the previous posts, but after Brent said what he did, they absolutely made the right call.

I too, had no idea the user was running that much. ANY web host will shut you down when your sites start affecting the other sites/servers.

tedw · 18th Apr 2012, 12:45 AM

You might have been really frustrated KCNL but you can't blame them for all of it before you know the cause of all the problems. If they haven't help you solve the problems or they've taken days to respond that's different.

Hardware failure aside, the level of customer service I receive from a web host is ultimately going to be the critical factor I use when determining whether to stay with a web host or not. I know I'm not alone here.

With a low fee for hosting - the support desk may not be proactive but they still need to be attentive, easily accessible (24x7), respond quickly in a crisis AND keep you updated about a current hosting problem/situation affecting your sites.

BestofVeronica · 18th Apr 2012, 12:49 AM

I have been using Hostgator since last 4 years. Other than some small time issues, everything has worked fine for me. But sometimes they act weird!

KCNL · 18th Apr 2012, 05:05 AM

There is no question that your 220 domains on a baby plan were crashing the server. You may not have realized this but your 22 installs of wordpress with SEO plugins were most definitely running.

Why do you advert with unlimited domains on a baby plan then ?
90% of that domains are only used for redirects so there is not anything on them.
Of the 22 installs there were about 6 wp sites active not getting more traffic than 400 visitors combined a day.

The wp sites had all in one seo plugin and automated keyword generator plugin installed which i removed now..
I removed a lot of redundant wp installs and addon and subdomains..

Helpdesk told me to install w3 cache plugins which i also did.
So i`m doing everything i can to solve this..

Tip for newbies: Don`t install w3 cache plugins on older wp installs, that can wipe out your entire site..and you have to start all over again with a fresh wp install. (i had too anyway this weekend)

I don`t even dare to run anything like autoblog scripts or datafeed scripts or anything automated because i know from the past that can cause problems..

A few years back when i started as a newbie i learned the hard way not to put too much on a little HG account.

At one moment all my sites were hacked and newbie that i was i thought HG had made recent backups, but...when you use more then 100.000 inodes on that account they don`t run backups anymore..

Whats my point ?

As soon as i saw the inodes move in the direction of the limit i opened another baby account and even a reseller account..( to be on the safe side and not have all my sites on one account)

So i use my accounts very conservative and don`t put crazy things on them that can jeopardize my account and sites.

I don`t even dare to run anything like autoblog scripts or datafeed scripts or anything automated because i know from the past that can cause problems..

Being accused of abuse is therefore a bit unfair in this case i think..

Charles.

KCNL · 18th Apr 2012, 05:12 AM

Actually i should have started the topic with Don`t use a hostgator baby account if you want to put up more then 25 wp sites..

I guess using a little script like Wills mobile scripts 100 times on a baby account won`t get you into trouble..

One thing i`m sure as hell not going to do is build mobile sites for clients in wordpress in the future hehe.

Charles

AlisonTaylor · 18th Apr 2012, 05:25 AM

Wow, I've never had any problem using Hostgator. We use them at my office and have never had any downtimes whatsoever. I couldn't imagine what kind of nightmare this must have been for both you and your clients. I can only hope you had them sign monthly contracts prior to this.

globalpro · 18th Apr 2012, 06:01 AM

Always glad when the details to a situation come out.

Like others here, I have used HG for many years and have always been happy with them. This is after having been through a lot of other hosting companies, even to considering setting up my own home based server.

The thing I appreciate about HG is their support.

Are they perfect? No, but at least with them, I feel like they care about me as a customer. The thing to remember is they are a continually growing company who is always working towards maintaining the solid reputation they have.

Any time I have ever had a problem (been very few over the years), they have always taken care of business. If it was their fault, they took care of it. If it was mine, they took the time to help me sort it out.

A little tip. If you have a problem, call their 800 number (at least in the US). It's quicker and easier.

If the tech you get doesn't seem to be as helpful as you need (maybe a new hire), then ask for an admin (more experienced).

If that doesn't work, move up the line. But always treat them with respect, they are there to help and will if you let them.

If nothing else, look at the fact that Brent (the owner) took time to respond here. Not surprised, but am impressed. I do know for a fact, that he is a regular responder on their forum, and will take the time to sort out complaints there. Usually ends up being a situation like this and is resolved in the end.

Is there a perfect hosting solution out there? No, but I think HG comes close. Like it was said above, Amazon's servers went down recently, so it can happen. Also have a friend who uses Rackspace (very expensive, very reputable hosting) that lost his site for 2 days.

I guess at the end of the day, my advice would be, if you don't like a hosting company, dump them and move on, rather than coming here and ranting about them.

Makes life for others a lot easier.

Thanks,

John

PS Thanks Brent for taking time to clarify things.

WillR · 18th Apr 2012, 07:12 PM

Charles,

Originally Posted by KCNL

Will,
If you get that upset about it why don`t you remove the post then?

That's not how a forum works. We don't delete things because we don't like them.

Originally Posted by KCNL

Why do you advert with unlimited domains on a baby plan then?

You didn't honestly think that 'unlimited' meant unlimited did you? Why on earth would a hosting company have higher plans if their baby plan was truly unlimited? Whenever you see the word 'unlimited' used in advertising there is almost always a set of terms and conditions to go along with that, called a 'fair use' policy. Hostgator have one just like most other companies. These are things you need to read before purchasing your account and if you choose to not read them (like most of us don't) then you can't blame Hostgator for not telling you.

Originally Posted by KCNL

Being accused of abuse is therefore a bit unfair in this case i think.

No one is having a go at you personally but here you are saying you don't like being accused of abuse yet you were fine to accuse Hostgator of abuse in your very first post of this thread. I'm not sure I see the difference? You opened this thread accusing Hostgator of something for which you were actually a big part of the problem. You may not have realized that at the time, and that's ok, but the fact remains you were running resources that were out of the scope of their baby plan and that's why you had issues.

For that reason I stand by my original statement. For you to open a thread and tell everyone never to use Hostgator because you had issues with them is just not how you should be conducting yourself in business. I've been with Hostgator for many many years and host more domains than you do and I have never once had an issue with them because I am fully aware of the limitations of each of their hosting plans and I abide by those limitations.

Just sayin'...

sqnwk · 18th Apr 2012, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by KCNL

Hi,

I know a lot of you use hostgator for hosting but considering the f*kups these clowns made the last few weeks, i want to advise everyone not to use them for hosting your clients mobile sites and /or wordpress sites..

Why ?

Little report of what happened to my baby and reseller account in the last 2 weeks:

"Server update" temporarily whiped out total public_html folder..(taking down some 20+ sites for a whole day..)

Few days ago one of my sites went to a suspended page...explanation from hostgator: glitch in the system..

Also few days ago: forbidden 403 errors on 15 sites due to a tos/cpu story.

Guess what...i had no scripts running and the server load was 0.35 when i checked..

Anyway,,
Long story short..
Don`t risk your business by hosting your sites and your clients sites with them because they will cause you a lot of problems and will kill your business in a second..

That said, any tips for real professional hosting are much appreciated..

Thanks,
Charles.

I thought they run a weekly backup

xlfutur1 · 18th Apr 2012, 09:18 PM

I've had alot of issues with Hostgator over the past year or so. I usually get things resolved but shutting down an entire site because I have an ajax shout out plugin running is ridiculous. They always claim some "drain on the server". They need to buy some new damn servers and put less websites on each one. The only good thing is their customer service, live chat etc. At least things get resolved fairly quickly but something happens way too often.

kian boon · 21st Apr 2012, 06:51 AM

It must really feel bad to be in your position but it provides us with a valuable lesson - Always Perform Regular Backups!

claytonvox · 23rd Apr 2012, 03:42 PM

I did have a similar problem but all is well again now. I've been with Hostgator for over 3 years and I've had some stressful moments but that's down to my lack of knowledge. Hostgator have always helped me out with the techie stuff so I can't complain!!

TDogger · 23rd Apr 2012, 03:46 PM

HostGator has one of the best reputations on the web. I use them myself and have never experienced any type of problem.

Great Saiyaman · 25th Apr 2012, 12:29 AM

Well, it seems to all have happened due to your lack of knowledge in what's going on in your site. I have generally never had any serious issues with HG, they seem to be quite stable

ejunkie · 25th Apr 2012, 02:03 AM

I am a Hostgator customer, and i have to say they have been very helpful & co-operative all the while.

I agree with some warriors who said the post is misleading because all the blame is put on the service provider without even thinking that the issue might have been with the customer himself.

Of course, a customer has every right the vent his or her anger if he/she thinks the service providers are at fault. But in this case, the OP has jumped his guns without giving careful thought to his whole situation. I do not mean to argue or offend, but just expressing my thoughts.

I am glad that Hostgator has cleared the air by letting us know the real reasons behind the situation.

6figure101 · 25th Apr 2012, 11:41 AM

I've had a Hostgator account for at least 5 or 6 years and I have been lucky not to have any major issues. I will admit the one or two times I needed support, it was not the simplest of tasks... but once I finally got a hold of someone, they took care of the problem immediately.

My 2 cents

Anita Clark · 25th Apr 2012, 01:01 PM

Like many others, I've been using HostGator for years without a hiccup.

wpo1408 · 28th Apr 2012, 06:22 AM

I have a problem which is only related to this thread.

I have earned $20 from my 100+ websites since the 24th and so I put it down to the recent G updates.

However, I had the time to check all of the sites today and only 4-5 did not rank on G1 (first page).

So that should n be the reason.

I contacted my host and they said no downtime.
I got back to them a few hours later and asked again.
'Oh, yes', I was told, 'it was down most of yesterday, but it's all right now'.

But it is not, my traffic et al has been dropping every day for 4 days and I suspect they are still having problems.

I don't like the way they lied to me either.

So, I was thinking of moving to Hostgator.

It seems that most people here would say that they are a good host.

Cheap hosting is OK until it goes wrong and I have lost more in the last four days than it would have cost me to go with a good host in the first place.

An aside: I often, usually, have two links on G1 back to my site: the index and a tag-category page.

I cannot understand why the tag-categoy page is ranked, but I suppose it keeps a competitor out.

Owen

SteveSki · 28th Apr 2012, 07:49 AM

I've been with Hostgator for years. They have the best customer support going!

wpo1408 · 28th Apr 2012, 11:22 AM

Well, I just wasted the last 5 hours with Hostgator.

I joined up; altered the DNS on 10 sites; altered the upload details in my ftp client; registered the domain names in HG and waited for it all to propagate.

Then clicked upload.
Nothing.
Minutes later I got an email asking for an image of my passport.
Just scan it in, said the helpful assistant.

I explained that I live in the middle of a rice field 15 mls from the nearest scanner, but that since my wife has a broken arm, we might not be able to get there for a week or so (she's the only one who can drive the motorbike).

That's alright, we can wait a month or two, he says.
But he could not unlock my a/c without a picture.

So, I have just cancelled my a/c and pointed the sites back at my old host.

I did not have to go through that red tape with my current host, why with HG?

A waste of a good Saturday evening.

Aristocratic · 28th Apr 2012, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by KCNL

Hi,

I know a lot of you use hostgator for hosting but considering the f*kups these clowns made the last few weeks, i want to advise everyone not to use them for hosting your clients mobile sites and /or wordpress sites..

Why ?

Little report of what happened to my baby and reseller account in the last 2 weeks:

"Server update" temporarily whiped out total public_html folder..(taking down some 20+ sites for a whole day..)

Few days ago one of my sites went to a suspended page...explanation from hostgator: glitch in the system..

Also few days ago: forbidden 403 errors on 15 sites due to a tos/cpu story.

Guess what...i had no scripts running and the server load was 0.35 when i checked..

Anyway,,
Long story short..
Don`t risk your business by hosting your sites and your clients sites with them because they will cause you a lot of problems and will kill your business in a second..

That said, any tips for real professional hosting are much appreciated..

Thanks,
Charles.

Could be the plugins you are using with your WP installs; I have had HG suspend a few of my autoblogs, but once I altered the setups and added the plugins they recommended (cache plugin was one and I forget the other off the top of my head), they restored them right away. I have used HG for 7-8 years now and have not had a problem with their service and/or customer service. I HAVE however tried many other different hosts that I always ended up regretting that I did; every time I 'try' another host to see about switching hosting accounts, I always end up going back to HG. I trust them more with client sites than my own even; I will put my own on other hosts to try or if I have a good 'deal' with the host, but I always put client sites on HG so it is definitely one less thing for me to worry about.

15th Apr 2012, 11:56 AM	#2
arnauldpatrick Warrior Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Gosh!!! This is scary. I will not want to be in your shoes. Clients will run away. I am a starter and wouldn't be able to explain this. I use hostgator as well as this was advised to me as the best on the market. Any idea what to use??? Any suggestion: please share

15th Apr 2012, 12:13 PM	#3
Keithyt Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Location: Liverpool, UK Posts: 78 Thanks: 72 Thanked 49 Times in 32 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Sorry to hear this and I can only imagine me being in this unfortunate situation. Having once sat in technical support for Microsoft adCenter (and people wonder where my hair went to) there is no excuse for offering jargon as some excuse for what can only be described as an error. You empathise with the problem. You solve the problem and then you offer some kind of health check. To be honest, I have never had a problem with hostgator but I dread ever being in your situation with them and others in the UK I use. Let's hope this doesn't ever happen again to you. This kind of thing could mean $$$s down the drain. You have every right to be angry.
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15th Apr 2012, 01:10 PM	#5
Leron Ford HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2008 Posts: 111 Thanks: 139 Thanked 10 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I use Hostgator and (knock on wood) have never had a problem. Are the problems described by the OP something that could have happened with any host and the real issue lies in the fact that they handled the situation poorly? Just curious.

16th Apr 2012, 12:38 AM	#13
BrianFL Active Warrior Join Date: 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 33 Thanks: 21 Thanked 19 Times in 16 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: That's really the risk of any hosting these days. A few months ago Amazon's entire web services hosting environment went down and took out a number of high profile sites, even Wordpress.com IIRC. I've had my share of inconsistencies with HG, but nothing biblical and their support has always been there promptly to help me out.

17th Apr 2012, 12:02 PM	#14
gatorbrent New Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: 2008 Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Hello, What is your ticket number on these issues? It sounds like there's a lot more to this story that I'd love to get to the bottom of for you as owner of the company. Please let me know, thanks! Sincerely, Brent

17th Apr 2012, 03:23 PM	#17
gatorbrent New Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: 2008 Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Hi Charles, Thank you for providing me with your ticket number. There is no question that your 220 domains on a baby plan were crashing the server. You may not have realized this but your 22 installs of wordpress with SEO plugins were most definitely running. I don't believe you ever would have had any of the mentioned problems had you not installed the seo plugins. I believe all of the described issues are due to us disabling your html folder / multiple suspensions. At this point there's two choices……. 1. Agree to not install and or run any more seo plugins. 2. Upgrade to a vps and or dedicated server. Based on your usage I don't believe a vps will be powerful enough to seo farm on your 200+ domains. Please let me know if you have any questions.

17th Apr 2012, 03:50 PM	#18
gatorbrent New Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: 2008 Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I'm sending you over a PM with proof of over 2.4 million mysql row reads in just one single 5 minute period!! This is waaaay to much for a shared hosting environment no matter what shared host your with.

17th Apr 2012, 08:16 PM	#20
KCNL Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Posts: 83 Thanks: 23 Thanked 29 Times in 24 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Will, If you get that upset about it why don`t you remove the post then ? Its not my own fault becuase i don`t know whats causing these sql row reads. The sites don`t even get much traffic so there must be a glitch somewhere..

17th Apr 2012, 08:35 PM	#21
MUNK26 New Warrior Member Join Date: 2007 Location: , , USA. Posts: 24 Thanks: 29 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I for one can vouch for the service at hostgator because I've had the same thing happen to me when I was installing a directory. I was putting in plugins and making changes I wasn't too familiar with all because of a guide I had ordered. Well I ended up using too much server resources and had all my sites go down but only after they emailed me notifying me of the excessive usage. Within a couple of hours the whole ordeal was straightened out after one of the phone techs actually checked out the site and told me exactly what I needed to do and actually did it himself while we were on the phone. So long story short it's not when you or what your using falls short but how you or they handles it is what makes the difference.
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18th Apr 2012, 12:45 AM	#23
tedw Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Posts: 57 Thanks: 17 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: You might have been really frustrated KCNL but you can't blame them for all of it before you know the cause of all the problems. If they haven't help you solve the problems or they've taken days to respond that's different. Hardware failure aside, the level of customer service I receive from a web host is ultimately going to be the critical factor I use when determining whether to stay with a web host or not. I know I'm not alone here. With a low fee for hosting - the support desk may not be proactive but they still need to be attentive, easily accessible (24x7), respond quickly in a crisis AND keep you updated about a current hosting problem/situation affecting your sites.

18th Apr 2012, 12:49 AM	#24
BestofVeronica Warrior Member Join Date: 2012 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I have been using Hostgator since last 4 years. Other than some small time issues, everything has worked fine for me. But sometimes they act weird!

18th Apr 2012, 05:12 AM	#26
KCNL Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Posts: 83 Thanks: 23 Thanked 29 Times in 24 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Actually i should have started the topic with Don`t use a hostgator baby account if you want to put up more then 25 wp sites.. I guess using a little script like Wills mobile scripts 100 times on a baby account won`t get you into trouble.. One thing i`m sure as hell not going to do is build mobile sites for clients in wordpress in the future hehe. Charles

18th Apr 2012, 05:25 AM	#27
AlisonTaylor Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 93 Thanks: 8 Thanked 53 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Wow, I've never had any problem using Hostgator. We use them at my office and have never had any downtimes whatsoever. I couldn't imagine what kind of nightmare this must have been for both you and your clients. I can only hope you had them sign monthly contracts prior to this.

18th Apr 2012, 06:01 AM	#28
globalpro John Burnette War Room Member Join Date: 2007 Location: S.E. USA Posts: 1,170 Thanks: 984 Thanked 270 Times in 223 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Always glad when the details to a situation come out. Like others here, I have used HG for many years and have always been happy with them. This is after having been through a lot of other hosting companies, even to considering setting up my own home based server. The thing I appreciate about HG is their support. Are they perfect? No, but at least with them, I feel like they care about me as a customer. The thing to remember is they are a continually growing company who is always working towards maintaining the solid reputation they have. Any time I have ever had a problem (been very few over the years), they have always taken care of business. If it was their fault, they took care of it. If it was mine, they took the time to help me sort it out. A little tip. If you have a problem, call their 800 number (at least in the US). It's quicker and easier. If the tech you get doesn't seem to be as helpful as you need (maybe a new hire), then ask for an admin (more experienced). If that doesn't work, move up the line. But always treat them with respect, they are there to help and will if you let them. If nothing else, look at the fact that Brent (the owner) took time to respond here. Not surprised, but am impressed. I do know for a fact, that he is a regular responder on their forum, and will take the time to sort out complaints there. Usually ends up being a situation like this and is resolved in the end. Is there a perfect hosting solution out there? No, but I think HG comes close. Like it was said above, Amazon's servers went down recently, so it can happen. Also have a friend who uses Rackspace (very expensive, very reputable hosting) that lost his site for 2 days. I guess at the end of the day, my advice would be, if you don't like a hosting company, dump them and move on, rather than coming here and ranting about them. Makes life for others a lot easier. Thanks, John PS Thanks Brent for taking time to clarify things.

18th Apr 2012, 09:18 PM	#31
xlfutur1 Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,112 Thanks: 13 Thanked 249 Times in 154 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I've had alot of issues with Hostgator over the past year or so. I usually get things resolved but shutting down an entire site because I have an ajax shout out plugin running is ridiculous. They always claim some "drain on the server". They need to buy some new damn servers and put less websites on each one. The only good thing is their customer service, live chat etc. At least things get resolved fairly quickly but something happens way too often.

21st Apr 2012, 06:51 AM	#32
kian boon Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Location: Singapore Posts: 49 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: It must really feel bad to be in your position but it provides us with a valuable lesson - Always Perform Regular Backups!

23rd Apr 2012, 03:42 PM	#33
claytonvox Warrior Member Join Date: 2010 Location: Bolton, UK Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I did have a similar problem but all is well again now. I've been with Hostgator for over 3 years and I've had some stressful moments but that's down to my lack of knowledge. Hostgator have always helped me out with the techie stuff so I can't complain!!

23rd Apr 2012, 03:46 PM	#34
TDogger Active Warrior Join Date: 2012 Posts: 81 Thanks: 9 Thanked 30 Times in 27 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: HostGator has one of the best reputations on the web. I use them myself and have never experienced any type of problem.

25th Apr 2012, 12:29 AM	#35
Great Saiyaman Warrior Member Join Date: 2012 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Well, it seems to all have happened due to your lack of knowledge in what's going on in your site. I have generally never had any serious issues with HG, they seem to be quite stable

25th Apr 2012, 02:03 AM	#36
ejunkie The Mercenary War Room Member Join Date: 2011 Posts: 144 Thanks: 47 Thanked 40 Times in 29 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I am a Hostgator customer, and i have to say they have been very helpful & co-operative all the while. I agree with some warriors who said the post is misleading because all the blame is put on the service provider without even thinking that the issue might have been with the customer himself. Of course, a customer has every right the vent his or her anger if he/she thinks the service providers are at fault. But in this case, the OP has jumped his guns without giving careful thought to his whole situation. I do not mean to argue or offend, but just expressing my thoughts. I am glad that Hostgator has cleared the air by letting us know the real reasons behind the situation.

25th Apr 2012, 11:41 AM	#37
6figure101 HyperActive Warrior Join Date: 2009 Location: On a beautiful BEACH in the caribbean Posts: 143 Thanks: 29 Thanked 27 Times in 22 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I've had a Hostgator account for at least 5 or 6 years and I have been lucky not to have any major issues. I will admit the one or two times I needed support, it was not the simplest of tasks... but once I finally got a hold of someone, they took care of the problem immediately. My 2 cents
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25th Apr 2012, 01:01 PM	#38
Anita Clark Active Warrior Join Date: 2012 Location: Warner Robins Posts: 41 Thanks: 6 Thanked 11 Times in 9 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Like many others, I've been using HostGator for years without a hiccup.

28th Apr 2012, 06:22 AM	#39
wpo1408 Amiable Dragon Join Date: 2006 Location: , , United Kingdom. Posts: 159 Thanks: 17 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I have a problem which is only related to this thread. I have earned $20 from my 100+ websites since the 24th and so I put it down to the recent G updates. However, I had the time to check all of the sites today and only 4-5 did not rank on G1 (first page). So that should n be the reason. I contacted my host and they said no downtime. I got back to them a few hours later and asked again. 'Oh, yes', I was told, 'it was down most of yesterday, but it's all right now'. But it is not, my traffic et al has been dropping every day for 4 days and I suspect they are still having problems. I don't like the way they lied to me either. So, I was thinking of moving to Hostgator. It seems that most people here would say that they are a good host. Cheap hosting is OK until it goes wrong and I have lost more in the last four days than it would have cost me to go with a good host in the first place. An aside: I often, usually, have two links on G1 back to my site: the index and a tag-category page. I cannot understand why the tag-categoy page is ranked, but I suppose it keeps a competitor out. Owen
	Behind The Smile ~ the Story of Lek, a Bar Girl in Pattaya, Thailand ~

28th Apr 2012, 07:49 AM	#40
SteveSki Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2005 Location: Great Barrier Reef, Queensland Australia. Posts: 807 Thanks: 238 Thanked 456 Times in 253 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: I've been with Hostgator for years. They have the best customer support going!
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28th Apr 2012, 11:22 AM	#41
wpo1408 Amiable Dragon Join Date: 2006 Location: , , United Kingdom. Posts: 159 Thanks: 17 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Don`t Use Hostgator for Client Sites !! Share on: Well, I just wasted the last 5 hours with Hostgator. I joined up; altered the DNS on 10 sites; altered the upload details in my ftp client; registered the domain names in HG and waited for it all to propagate. Then clicked upload. Nothing. Minutes later I got an email asking for an image of my passport. Just scan it in, said the helpful assistant. I explained that I live in the middle of a rice field 15 mls from the nearest scanner, but that since my wife has a broken arm, we might not be able to get there for a week or so (she's the only one who can drive the motorbike). That's alright, we can wait a month or two, he says. But he could not unlock my a/c without a picture. So, I have just cancelled my a/c and pointed the sites back at my old host. I did not have to go through that red tape with my current host, why with HG? A waste of a good Saturday evening.
	Behind The Smile ~ the Story of Lek, a Bar Girl in Pattaya, Thailand ~