My expirience with ServerMatrix. Will I be able to receive a refund?..
 

I've had sad expirience with ServerMatrix team and apparently they're not going to listen to me on their board, so I decided to tell my story here, so maybe they have better time understanding me.

So I'll begin with my story (it's kinda long, but details are MUST):

I've purchased a thumb-tgp site in the begining of june and decided that I need a server with cheap bw to run my tgp there.
I've seen alot of recommendations for ServerMatrix at GFY and decided to give them a try.

Since I've been planning to use the server in a long run, I've decided to go with "Super Server 2.4" and pay the setup
fee for $299 and have $79 fee monthly.

I've placed an ordered and on 03.06.2004 my credit card was charged after I received a call from them to my
specified phone number checking the CC info. The girl on phone said I'll receive the welcome info in 24 hours.

I've waited 4 days (including sunday and monday) and jumped onto their support board at http://forums.servermatrix.com/ where I posted this topic:
http://forums.servermatrix.com/viewtopic.php?t=7723

I gave them a call on the phone specified in the reply. I've jumped into a conversation with their sales person, who said that they sent the welcome e-mail on 04.06 and when I replied that I received nothing she forwarded me to their tech. After almost 30 minutes talking with tech and him trying to send me emails to my different e-mail accounts from their main box (I received NONE) he decided to try send me email from the box I ordered so he created a user there.

NOTE: I had no access to the box and they did not deliver the master account info over phone, though they checked my CC info
before even talking to me.

I received nothing this time also. International calls are pretty expensive and I asked him about online messenger ID, so I could continue
figuring out what's going on via cheap internet chat.
He said me his MSN ID, but I never been able to find him online when I got off the phone.

What I had left to do: my CC was charged, I got no server and they were not able to help me.

I've jumped back into the forum and messaged one of the tech's showed there and explained the situation, he replied me that he will check it again, but as you may guess it did not work he adviced me to contact my hosting company and check my email configuration with them. I have contacted my NatNet support, they checked my email boxes, sent tests from different email addresses and it worked fine. I have forwarded the testing results to SM tech over board again, he said he is sorry that it didn't work.

6 days passed since my order and I was not given access to the server and was not able to start moving my purchased tgp site. I've contacted the tech again and asked how I can receive my money back, since I did not receive the service I have purchased. He gave me a contact to the SM Rep on the board and I have messaged her explaining the situation from the beginning on 9/jun. She adviced to email their night manager, so I did and sent a copy to her via board aswell, since emails were not going through me to them. She said she forwarded my refund request to Eric (night manager) and I shouldn't worry, since they're taking care of it.

While time goes, I decided not wait anymore and purchased a server from a different hosting company and got setup in 1 (one) day, without any problems of receiving emails from them.

On 17/jun I have messaged Connie (SM Rep) again asking how's the thing going, on what she replied asking if I still cannot login.... After I explained the situation from the beginning again she said she will ask how's the thing going from that night manager again.

Yesterday (23/jun) she forwarded me the message from Eric via board:

"The server that you purchased was apparently used by you or someone that you have given the userID to. The reason that we make this statement is a user ID was created by someone with access to the server and therefore that is why we cannot refund your money.
We are not responsible if your local ISP/Connection cannot receive the emails that were sent from my auto-provisioning system. We have verified the system sent the information to you by tagged confirmation of the email address.
If you would like to cancel the server and cannot do so by the orbit portal please send a faxed letter to our Accounting Dept. stating that you wish to cancel the server and you cannot login into orbit to do so.
Also we need to have you sign the letter so that we have signed confirmation of the account closure.

Thanks,

Eric W. Clark
ServerMatrix Sales
1-800-377-610"

and then this message:

"We consider this matter closed until you formally fax in your cancellation request. No need to reply to this thread or personal message.

Thanks,

Eric W. Clark
ServerMatrix Sales
1-800-377-6103"

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So what I have now: my credit card was charged for 367.73 USD

I have no server

I got accused for using the server (though I have absolutely no info how to access it)

I received decline on my refund request.

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What would you do in this situation?

Ring your bank, explain the situation and charge it back. :2 cents:

You've just done it and have you faxed your cancellation request?
If you have and still no joy, charge it back.

Chargeback?

By the way I use them and I've never had any problems.

That's aweful. I'm hosting with ServerMatrix and The Planet (same company) and I have never had any problems. So I'm very surprised and disappointed to hear such an aweful story about them.

First off, if you haven't already, I would follow their procedure for at least cancelling the server. Secondly, I would keep records of everything and print everything incase you decide to seek a lawyer .. but since you are overseas that may not be an option.

I would formally write to them (print a letter and mail it) and threaten to keep going public. Explain that it is not a matter of the money but about princple. That you didn't receive any service and you feel you deserve your money back. The Planet is a reputable company and I'm amazed that they've pulled this kind of crap... but they shouldn't get away with it either way.

ive never heard of this kind of problem with SM, they are good people in my books

btw that server is now available without the 299 setup fee, could this be a reason you are pissed off?

Thanks for the replies..
Unfortunately I'm overseas and it wouldn't be possible or too expensive to take legal actions against them.

I'm working on cancelling the server right now and consulted my bank regarding the chargeback. This is the last thing I would do, but since like not much understanding from the SM, so I have left nothing else to do.

I decided to go on boards before charging back so maybe they appear and explain the situation in a Service-Customer manner.

If he really hasn't had any access to the server, then the setup fee shouldn't even come in to it.

Asher, nope, this is not true. I have told the actual reason already.

Call and request a refund once more. If none is given, charge back.

I really do not understand companies who try to keep, whatever the reason, unhappy customers just to earn a few hundread buck. This will hurt them many times more along the way.

Send a letter to your bank and charge it back. Visa and Master card have a no questions asked policy on charge backs, that means automatic refund to your account and automatic penalty for them also.

Sucks, charge back....

What hosting company did you choose btw?

Andre

Well it really isnt there fault you did not get the e-mail. You may just be on one lonley little black list and it is causing you not to get them. Stuff happens in the internet world. But I do think they should give you a refund. I would contact them and tell them you are about to do a charge back and demand a refund before you do one though.

ServerMatrix are thiefes.

:321GFY

chargeback for sure and get a decent host, ps you might wanna check the whois on that domain and change it to some real info if you dont want to get it frozen one day... just my :2 cents:

Use zanycash.com for bannerless free hosting & hosted galleries.

you mailed from there boxes thats why

Clearly the second person doesnt know that the first person logged onto your box locally and created the user ID.

Tell them to give you the IP of the person who created the user account. Doh, it was their own tech guy.

Good luck.

The more I look at this the more pissed I get on your behalf.

Godamnit man, tell them it was their own fucking tech guy who logged onto your fucking server because the fucking server doesnt fucking work! :321GFY

LMAO damn! :1orglaugh

Ok, good to go :winkwink:

Tom_PM, thanks, this is what I figured out also.

But Eric's message that he is not going to talk with me anymore has pushed me to make this post.

I have put link on their forum to this thread, hope they will read and understand that keeping track of team's each member is a must. I got really tired talking with their different tech's and sales persons and explaining everything from the beginning.