Web Hosting Scams
Where there's business, there are scams. The web hosting industry is no exception to this rule. So many people are looking for free or cheap web hosting companies, that it's almost too tempting for scammers. Before you sign up for any web hosting provider, take a look at these well-known scams.
Web Hosting Scams: Biased Reviews
You can trust a review site, right? Only if the content has been written by established writers with a reputation to uphold (yes, like this one!). If you come across a random review site, be wary of rankings. Many web hosting companies will set up individual ranking sites, just so that they can place their own web hosting site on top of that review chart.
For example, if I owned a company called XYZ hosting, I might set up a website called “honest web hosting reviews.” On that site (which would not be related to my current site), I'd rate XYZ hosting as the top hosting site around. See how that works? How can you find a legitimate review site? You can start with this one; or just ask friends and family members what web hosting companies they trust. You can also conduct research, which is never a bad idea.
The Free Template, Domain, or web Hosting Scams
Listen carefully: nothing, but nothing, is ever for free. Even freedom isn't free, if you think about it. So, why would a web hosting company offer anything for free? That free website template you are using? It belongs to the company that created it. That domain name? Yep; that belongs to the company too. Your site? You got it.
You might think that you are getting something for free, but you really aren't. You are really being scammed out of your own website! Take my word for it, nothing is free — and that definitely includes web hosting!
Web Hosting Scams: The Money Back Guarantee
It's kind of hard not to laugh at this scam. After all, everyone “in the real world” knows that most money back guarantees are nonsense, right? Interestingly, a lot of people fall for this scam when it comes to the Internet world. What is the money back hosting guarantee?
It goes something like this: a web hosting company promises your money back if you aren't happy. But, the fine print states that you will only get a portion of your money back. You will also have to pay for your site or domain name when you want your money back. Money back? Not quite!
Web Hosting Scams: Uptime All the Time!
Websites have to shut down occasionally. That's just the nature of the update beast. Some companies promise — no, many, many, companies promise — a 99.9% uptime. Or, a site that is running nearly all the time. Very few companies have been proven to live up to that promise. The rest are simply giving you lip service.
Web Hosting Scams: Protect Yourself
Education is the only defence against scams. Learn about those companies that are trying to get away with your money. Find out what scams look like. Read the articles on this site. Arm yourself with knowledge, and you won't fall for any of these cons!
