www.stopthesanity.com

I have been dealing with moving a couple of our websites off our property and onto a remote host.  We ended up choosing pacifichost.com because they offered postgresql as well as supporting wildcard DNS entries.  Both items I needed for some of the features of the sites we had, and because I didnt want to migrate our database over to mysql or some other database.

Because the migration process is one that I can't really stop once I start it, I needed a couple days clear of schedule to get it done and deal with any buglets and problems that might have come up.  But sadly, several times I attempted to start the migration, and ended up having to postpone it.

So, I go to set up the postgres database.  And I cant.  There is no option set up in cpanel (their management software) to let me do this.  So, I get on their support site and open up live chat.  Only to find out they cant help me, I have to do a trouble ticket.  Ok, trouble ticket submitted and after a few hours I have access to postgres control.

Ok, I go in and try to set up my databases and connect from my workstation with the admin tool for postgres.  well I can set up the database but I cant access from work.  Ok, I try their webased tool.  no go, it goes into a constantly page refreshing loop asking for a password.

So, I go to live chat and ask for help.  They tell me to submit a trouble ticket.  Ok.   I do, and end up having to delay my migration of the sites yet again.  A few days later, a few emails back and forth as we iron out the problems and I can access stuff from our tool locally and their web tool.

Now I purchase a dedicated IP for the hosting account, but, when I started up, they didnt bother to tell me that they cant have multiple SSL based servers in one hosting account, so I had to purchase another account with them to handle it.  Yay for spending more money.  So now I have two hosting accounts and have to connect across from one to the other for the common database.  Yeah, annoying but can be dealth with.

Now with dedicated IPs handy, two hosting accounts, I schedule up the migration again.  Only now postgres stopped working again.   And all my databases are gone.   I go to live chat for help, only to get told to submit a trouble ticket.  Ok, I can do that.  They get the databases working again and again I schedule the transition.

Only, now... the databases are missing again, and I cant access the databases from local or their web tool.   Please insert yet another live chat interlude ending with "submit trouble ticket" ending here.   I am not happy, and I let the live chat tech know in no uncertain terms that it needs to get fixed, it needs to stop breaking, and it needs to happen soon or we would be demanding our money back and leaving.

Now... finally everything is working (again), I have assurances that it wont break again.  Strangely I am not so positive on that front, but I plug ahead anyway.

Now, I start the migration and I have the SSL certificates installed, I have the two hosting accounts, I have the database talking right, I have each site talking to the database... its all going swimmingly... until I test the SSL connection.  Going to the secure version of the site on the second account takes me back to a subdirectory on the first account.  A relic of having them both on the same account I assume, from back when they hadn't made it clear they need a seperate account and seperate setup for each dedicated IP address.

I go to the support site, and load up Live chat again.  At this point I can only claim that i have a hope within me deep and hidden somewhere that they can help me in a fast manner...but, you guessed it...  submit a trouble ticket.  You would think by now I would have just gone that route.. but it sure would be nice if I didnt have to wait the hours (or days) to go through this process and could just talk to a live person to get it done.

In frustration I asked them what live chat COULD help me with, and after some pushing I got them to admit that anything related to the configuration of the hosting required a support ticket.   Then, what does that leave?  it's not like I want to go to live chat for the social aspect.

All in all, I have had over 25 emails back and forth with them for the trouble tickets relating to problems with postgresql alone, and another 20 or so for other issues.

One trouble ticket response was the icing,  they totally misunderstood what I had asked them.  The catch?  the person who replied to the trouble ticket was the same guy I talked to in live chat 2 minutes before I submitted the ticket...  who I had explained it all to and who seemed to understand what I had described.

One suggestion pacifichost... lose the live chat.  It isn't helping your customer service reputation any.

Yes, I have deliberately not made references to their website into links.

Recently (read it here) I blogged about Phone Power and my difficulties on getting their service working.

While looking for an alternative I found out that Qwest is now offering VOIP service for $19.99 a month. It also gives you unlimited local and long distance calling, and you can choose an area code in any area code that they provide in their service areas.

The main two reasons I want a solution like this is because I want unlimited out of area calling to be able to talk to most of the people I know in AZ who are out of area to me, and for my mother to be able to call me in an emergency. This lets me get an areacode identical to her, allow her to call me with a local call, and allows me to call her and my friends with no LD costs.

Sure, I could get unlimited LD calling for $20 a month, but that doesnt solve the inbound calling issue... this does.

I got the Qwest device last week, plugged it in, and it just worked. Easy peasy.. unlike certain other (Phone Power *cough* *cough*) providers... setup was a snap... literally just plug it in and it worked.

If you are interested in checking out Qwests VOIP offering, you can read more about it here: http://www.qwest.com/residential/products/voip/

When is a guarantee NOT a guarantee? when you have to pay for service that doesn't work for you, and still have to pay to return equipment.

"26. SATISFACTION GUARANTEE. Phone Power proudly stands behind our service with our 30 day satisfaction guarantee. Within the first 30 days of your activation you may upgrade or downgrade to any of our current promotional rates or cancel your plan with absolutely no hassle. If cancelling, all we ask is that you return our hardware and pay the initial month of service at the standard monthly rate for your plan. Shipping, handling and activation fees, if any, are non refundable. "

Yes kids, this means that if Phone Power doesn't work for you, you still have to pay for shipping, handling AND an entire months service... even if you never were able to get their device to work.

They have rave reviews several places, and I am sure in some cases do indeed live up to those reviews, but for me? DOA.

Their equipment would not work, even though I have had 2 different VOIP providers working from exactly the same configuration of my network. I tried every variation their technicians and FAQ/Knowledge base suggested, even putting my DSL into bridged mode and setting their hardware up as the PPPoE authenticator with nothing.

The last two providers? Plug it in and it just works. No DMZ configuration, no complete and total revamp of how your network works... they..just..work.

For me? Phone power just doesn't work.

That gets a 0 out of 5 VOIP stars from the brand new StopTheSanity VOIP rating system.

edit 2009-12-29:
They did finally agree to give me a refund of my money, which is a plus in their favor. Sadly, having a guarantee that does nothing for you, causing you to have to argue over a week or more to get a refund is more than a little annoying.