Prime Hosting / UH Hosting / M247 .... bad experience

Scots

I started hosting sites with UH Hosting many years ago. I can't actually remember when but at least 10 years.

At first when it was just a small company things were ok. I gave them a bit of slack because they were new and the main man James Smith seemed particularly keen to make things work.

He made himself available in various ways so that should a problem arise you could either email him, post on his support forum, speak directly to him on IRC channel, raise a ticket through the support system, or even phone him.

Then a couple of years ago things started to falter. The servers kept crashing, sites going down. The support forums full of people complaining.

I stuck with him. In fact whenever there was a problem I would try and help by suggesting what the problem was, or sending him logs so that he could fathom the problem.

Mostly the issues were resolved quickly. I had to change servers a few times to keep things working.

You could tell things were getting too much for him. It was like the problems were mounting and there was not enough people to plug the holes.

Then at the beginning of this year things got really bad. So bad the three websites I was maintaining for other people either didn't work or worse their email was not working.

I got several calls from irritated people wanting to know when their email would be working again.

I spent time figuring out the problem myself and even posted the solution on the support board. But by now the support board was getting zero attention from James or anyone else.

The IRC channel existed but there was nobody in it.

Emails went unanswered as did support tickets.

What was also confusing is that UH Hosting had changed name to Prime Hosting, and not only that it had another name too M247.

Go to the Prime Hosting site and you will see there is now no IRC channel or Support Forum offered. No wonder, as by now the old UH forum was full of unanswered complaints.

As nobody seemed to be doing anything about the failing emails I had no option but to open a new hosting account with another company. I started with HostPapa and moved all my affected sites over to them. Not an easy task. That was in April/May of this year. I have not had a single issue with Hostpapa.

My final posting in the forum stated that I was giving up with UH/Prime Hosting and moving to another company.

My renewal date with Prime Hosting was beginning of July.

On 4th June I got a reminder email saying the payment would be taken automatically in July.

I responded to that email saying I did not want to renew.

However on 4 July a payment was taken from my account and I received another email from Prime Hosting confirming this.

I immediately emailed the company and told them I did not want the service and I wanted a refund.

They have refused to give me any refund, stating that I have not followed the correct procedure for cancelling.

Despite several emails to both the support system, and to James Smith directly the company steadfastly refuse to give me my money back.

The amount in question is £72

I have told James to keep the £72 if he is that desperate for money.

But as long as he keeps it I will endeavour to advise as many people as I can to avoid this company at all costs. Which is a great shame since I spent the last 10 years advising people that it was really good company.

But it just goes to show what kind of person James really is when this is the thanks he gives to a loyal supporter and somebody who has helped him in the past.

Enough to make you sick.

Please if you want good trouble free hosting do not use Prime Hosting. The only other company I have experience with is HostPapa and they so far have been 100% problem free for me.

texranger

it looks like a one man band which started small, so could manage, as business grew he cant cope he has PRIME 365 LIMITEDCompany number: 5360382 and M247 LTD Company No. 04968341 which have different addresses and for some reason Prime hosting is listed as part of M247 Ltd.

The servers i run i have as managed, so if their is anything i cant sort out and fix, which is very rare i have the backup of requesting help from the DC tech support

pikachoo

Agree completely with OP. I was very glad to find UH around 2005 and the service was solid. James was very obviously the positive driving force behind the company. If you've done the tour of 'ebay' hosting then you'll know that a reliable hosting service can be like finding the holy grail.
About 12 months ago things started going to hell. Servers down, no support, etc. I got sick of apologising to customers and losing money myself and so cut them lose late last year.
They are still sending invoices from prime hosting (just found out that they had changed name again from original post).
If James ever decides to ditch this new crowd, I'd be onboard immediately.

Scots

Funny you should say that, because like you I really liked being with James, and I agree things have gone down hill since he got involved with this other lot.

I told James that he was being shortsighted in refusing to refund me because I would go back to them if they get things sorted out.

But no way now would I touch them. He has simply !!!!ed me right off.

And all for a measley amount. What stupidity.

Scots

post removed

Scots

Update, the guy who runs Prime Hosting is a member on here, won't give his forum handle just yet, maybe you can work it out, dunno. But anyway over a week ago now he PM'd me on here making an offer to refund plus giving me all sorts bs about what a grand company he has and how sorry he is blah blah blah ..... I responded but never heard another squeek out of him.