WEB INTELLECTS AND THEFT

As per my long story that I wrote yesterday early, I've now got additional information about the unreliability that is a hosting service called Web Intellects located in Vista, CA (near San Diego, CA).

My billing cycle with Web Intellects (no link from me but they're easily identified) began on November 09, 2004 (midday, day I first engaged my credit card with their company) and took effect for the thirty days (or "month") service period to follow. My statement/their billing activity reflects the following activity:

April 11, 2005
March 10, 2005
February 11, 2005
January 10, 2005
December 11, 2004
November 10, 2004

for the monthly amounts of $24.95 each for webhosting services the month ahead.

I closed my account with Web Intellects Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at just about noon (I have copies of the written transactions) and advised them that I would not agree to and/or authorize any more payments on my credit card from them and any content of mine was removed from their server by around 1:30 P.M. (even the Name Servers were redirected before noon yesterday, away from Web Intellects' servers and to my new host servers).

I received an email from Web Intellects confirming to me that they would not make any more charges to my credit care, effective that date, May 10, 2005.

I checked my online financial statements this morning -- 3:00 A.M. PST -- and there's a charge there by Web Intellects dated "05/10/05" in the amount of $24.95, which WOULD be (if I was still their customer and client, which I am not) for services today, 05/11/05, through June 10, 2005.

However, I am no longer their client and/or customer and am not purchasing any services or goods from them and have their confirmation email stating that there would be no charges "effective today" (that was May 10, 2005) to my credit card.

But there are charges to my credit card by Web Intellects, and dated May 10, 2005 and for services I am not using, purchasing, buying nor have plans to do any similar.

In other words, Web Intellects is charging me another month's service just because they're thieves and have access to my credit card and are resentful because I departed their servers because their servers are not reliable and their "technical support" is vile.

What about the many lost hours of "webhosting" due to the many down events by their servers? What about some sort of credit for that, not to mention time and troubles caused by their servers. Not so much as a peep or a cough trying to avoid expressing gratitude for patronage...I just can barely believe the barbarism of Web Intellects and companies similar, as if a consumer's patronage was some sort of service to them, obligation. I hope they enjoy their benefits and salaries because no one would have so much as their rent and car payments in webhosting (and other) companies without customers. And customers don't like to be stolen from any more than people with those benefits and servers do.

Theft and Web Intellects. Beware Web Intellects, beware theft. I don't see any difference between a $24.95 cheat and someone who steals from a local store. Problem is that merchants can and do steal from consumers and don't receive citations, while the local market thief ends up with a criminal record. But, there's no difference in the violations, either ethically or morally. And certainly not criminally.

All that after I hosted a friend for free on my account at Web Intellects. Something about an act of generosity drives the darkness crazy, no doubt -- whatever; I don't know what it is but the fact that they'd even begin to present charges to my credit card for a month's service AFTER I discontinued service is truly hideously either stupid or criminal (probably both).

So, Web Intellects, here's the publicity that the $24.95 theft reflects.

How it is I ever end up with these crooked merchants is beyond me. Cox Communications sent me double billing (same service period, two billings, one account) and overcharged me by over a hundred dollars. I paid the dishonest charges although I didn't and still don't agree with them, in principle or in fact. Cox Communications is a large corporation so they assume they can be dishonest and reap illegitimate monies from consumers, "or else." Probably just as has Web Intellects.

(LATER EDIT: Found this article, among many others, as further confirmation for my supposed 'individual' experiences where Cox Communications is concerned...)

How businesses in our country can act this way and why, is also beyond me, but why these two worst experiences of mine are with companies who are located in San Diego is even moreso beyond me.

Ugly Americans such as these businesses make the country awful for everyone else. Beware Web Intellects. Mind your invoices from Cox Communications and file complaints as and where you can. For these twenty-five and one-hundred dollar thefts, however, from single consumers, it's a sad fact that no one stops their thefts, and so the thieves continue unabated, and consumers such as myself have to learn to do without because our pockets get fleeced by pick pockets with business licenses.

Note: Saint Nicholas of Myra, Patron Saint of thieves. Maybe he can help them out because this morning, I can't pray for them. The anxiety and shock and insult that thieves inflict on those they target for their crimes is hard to forgive.



LATER EDIT...

Comments closed by this date (07/04/05); however, someone submitted a comment writing, "why don't you just ask Web Intellects for a refund? Maybe the last charge was a mistake."

Which, given the ugliness that WI displayed toward my account, is a naive thing to suggest. When the account was closed, there was a resentful allegation by WI that I would not be billed after the date I closed the account. The guy on the phone emphasized, and unpleasantly, the words "after."

The next day, WI submitted charges for another month's service on the account since terminated by me the day before.

Another thing: tolerating site down experiences every single day (just about) over the history of any hosting account means the server/s involved have some issues. WI never so much as offered a credit or an apology for the recurring down times, and began even refusing to discuss them ("your account is fine now, is there anything else we can help you with" when I'd write ongoing inquiries as to the site 'being down').

I'm just saying, not everyone does business like that. My current host notifies me ahead of planned maintenance as to when and for what duration that can be expected to last (once in one month and it lasted about four minutes to my view but I was notified well in advance that it was planned and for what range of minutes and I appreciated them doing so), my site has yet to experience so much as a whisper of a delay with my current host, and, my current host provides regular invoicing with confirmations of account payments and so much more that I am now wondering how and why I ever tried to host with Web Intellects by comparison.

My account experience with WI was one of such underservice and poor service or some combination of those two, and particularly now in comparison with my current host (AQHost), who provides such excellent technical and customer account service that the problems with WI appear even worse than when I wrote this thread in May.

So, no, I didn't ask for a refund. And WI never asked for my permission to take money form me that was not owed to them. A credit for loss of site would have been reasonable, and appreciated. Didn't receive that, either.