Hosting Research..

 

OK, so I have had my domain (www.rodslair.com) and website hosting through GoDaddy for many years. For a long time, everything was just fine. It was super easy to FTP my HTML and images to the web server. All I had to do was FTP in, and there were all my website folders for the main page, TNA, and everything else. No muss, no fuss.

They included UNLIMITED emails as part of the package. It was great. I could have separate emails for things like Ebay, Etsy, Redbubble, Fine Art America, and so on. I had several of them along with mine and Jo’s main email addresses.

If I needed help with anything, I could actually pick up the phone and talk with someone I could understand, and who understood me. You know, an AMERICAN.

All was well.

Not any longer.

Now I have to navigate my way through a buttload of oddly labeled folders when I try to update the site via FTP in order to stumble onto the right one. GoDaddy wants me to use their confusing and pre-formatted "Website Builder" so my website can look exactly like everyone else's And trying to get help from their support? See below....

Then, a couple months or so ago, I got a notice from GoDaddy that “to improve our award-winning service, we are converting your email to Microsoft 365! You don’t need to do anything – we’ve got you covered!”

Yeah, you sure do.

Now those “included in the package” emails are going to cost me $26.95 a year – for EACH address! I had 8 of them. I’ve set 6 to cancel when they renew later this month.

And now, of course if you have even the simplest of questions, you get to wade through the wonderful experience of trying to get the automated chat-bot to understand even the simplest of questions. (And when / if you do get an actual, breathing life-form? Read on...)

Like:

Me: “Why am I being charged $299.00?”

Chatbot: “I do not understand your question. Type it in a different way.”

Me: “WTF?? Are you a bunch of F#%^&%& morons? Wachoo wanna rob me blind for?? You no unnerstan da englis, or whut? You some kinna dummy?” 

There. How’s that?

Chatbot: “I do not understand your question. Type it in a different way.”

Me: “How about this…… Let me talk to a human being.”

Chatbot: “I do not understand your question. Type it in a different way.”

Me: “A different way? OK, I’m standing on my head while I type. Cool?”

Chatbot: “I do not understand your question. Type it in a different way.”

Me: “OK, I’m typing backwards. That’s different…”

Chatbot: “I do not understand your question. Type it in a different way.”

Me: “LET ME TALK TO A F##ING HUMAN!!!!”

Chatbot: “I do not understand your question. Type it in a different way.”

Me: sigh…

You get the idea….

When I finally do get connected with an “Agent” his name is Rahamadeenguptablotnoid. And his grasp of the English language makes the chatbot seem like your college English Professor.

Rhama…. : “I help you fix your account, OK?”

Me: “My account is not broke. Yet. Why am I being charged $299.00?”

Rhama…. : “I have your customer order number preese?”

Me: “I don’t have an order number. I didn’t order anything.”

Rhama…. : “You no order, you no be charged.”

Me: “My ‘cart’ has $299.00 charges in it. For what?”

Rhama…. : “what you have in cart?”

Me: “ I have NOTHING in my cart. Do you understand me? Nothing in my cart.”

Rhama…. : “Something in cart or not make $299.00”

Me: “10….. 9……. 8…… 7……”

Rhama…. : “What you counting?”

Me: “The nuclear missile I’m about to launch to land in your lap…”

Rhama…. : “Aieeeeeee….” (footsteps fading away rapidly…)

 OK – that was a teeny bit facetious, but you see where I’m headed…

 Anyway… As with far too many other business entities, GoDaddy has become far too big and greedy over the years. They have signed on to the “Charge more, provide less” train that seems to be picking up speed, and running coast to coast. Non-stop.

The gist of all this keyboard-generated jibber-jabber is that I’m going to be doing some research into another hosting / domain provider. I’m still a couple years from renewals with GoDaddy, so I have plenty of time. I just don’t want to wait until the last minute – like I have with so many things in the past.

Later!

Rod