This is best explained through correspondence sent and received:
******************
April 30, 2008
1&1 Internet Inc.
701 Lee Road
Suite 300
Chesterbrook, PA
USA 19087
ATTENTION: ANDREAS GAUGER , CEO
Dear Sir:
RE: loftydesigns.net
Customer ID: XXXXXX
I have had my domain hosted with 1&1 for about 4 years. For the most part I have been happy with the company and have referred a number of people to 1&1 for their hosting needs.
However, when it comes to billing and payment, your company’s billing department is the rudest and most inflexible department that I’ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with!
My web hosting comes due in June and I need to make alternate arrangements for payment of my hosting fees. I would like to pay by money order, but your billing department informs me that the only methods of payment which are available are:
1. Credit card;
2. Bank debit card;
3. Bank wire transfer;
4. Pay Pal Billing Agreement.
However, currently, none of those methods work for me.
\t\t
1. Credit Card
\tWhen I first came to 1&1 Internet, I had a credit card and that is how I was paying for my hosting. However I am currently on long term disability and while I tried to avoid it, the tolls of a fixed income and increased costs of living, forced me to declare bankruptcy. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but it was my only viable option at this time. So I no longer have a credit card and I do not qualify for one.
2. Debit Card
\tMy bank does issue me a “Debit Card”, but it’s not the type that expires or has a security code at the back and it does not have a “Visa” logon on it.. It’s simply a card that my bank issues to allow me access to their other branches as well as local bank machines.
3. Bank Wire Transfer
\tIn December 2006 when my hosting fee came due I was not able to make the payment via credit card as I had done in the past. At the end of January 2007 I made the payment via the only other option that was available to me, bank wire transfer. Because of the cost of a wire transfer, I asked your company to bill me for a full year but was told by your billing department that it was not possible, and that they only bill for 6 months at a time. As a result I ended up paying a $25.00 bank wire transfer fee for a $30.00 internet hosting bill!
\tWhen the hosting fee came due in June 2007, I once again made payment using my credit card. However, that card was closed in November 2007.
\tIn December when my hosting came due, your company had a Pay Pal option. I set up a billing agreement and as such managed to pay my hosting for that month via Pay Pal.
4. Pay Pal Billing Agreement
\tIn February 2008 my Pay Pal account was hacked and as a result I felt it best to close that account and open a new one.
\tI tried to set up another billing agreement with 1&1 for my new Pay Pal account, but because I no longer have a valid credit card, and my bank debit card is not the kind that Pay Pal accepts, I am not able to put a billing agreement for Pay Pal into place.
I contacted your company on March 18, to make alternate arrangements for payment IE: bank money order. I was told in no uncertain terms that your company does not accept money orders and that if I can’t make payment using one of the methods above that I should find myself a web hosting company that does.
I asked what the difference is whether I send the bank wire transfer and it’s deposited into 1&1's account, or if I send a money order to the bank with instructions to deposit the money into 1&1's account. All I was told was that if I did that the money would be refused, and once again told that if I didn’t like the current billing options, that I should go elsewhere for my web hosting.
What kind of company tells their customers to go elsewhere?!
I have been very happy with 1&1. I want to continue with 1&1 as my hosting company, but I need an alternate method to make payment.
I would like to send a money order for my June hosting bill. As CEO of the company in question, I believe you have the authority to be able to make that happen, which is why I am contacting you directly.
If I am not able to make payment by bank money order, I will have no choice but to close my website despite my ability to make payment using a method of payment that your billing department refuses to accept.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter,
Regards,
******************
I got this from their billing department just now:
Dear Linda, (Cust: XXXXXX)
Thank you for contacting us.
We have received your letter, and regret to inform you that we do not
have another option for you to pay at this time. The only other option
we may be able to provide to you, would be going to your closest Citi
Bank location, and depositing funds directly to our account. A quick
search of Citi Banks website indicates that there are no locations in
Manitoba, and the closest location would be near Grand Forks, ND. If
this is an option you would like to pursue, we can provide you with
additional information.
If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us.
--
Sincerely
Ian Morris
Billing Department
1&1 Internet Inc.
******************
You know, I don't get you people at all.
Last year in January I asked for the banking information so that I could
MAIL a money order to 1and1's bank (Citi Bank) and have the funds deposited
directly to 1and1's account. I was told that I could only send by wire
transfer and the wire transfer information was provided to me. I asked
again about sending a money order providing all of the proper information
and having it deposited directly to 1and1's bank account. I was told "NO!
ONLY WIRE TRANSER!"
I asked again on March 18th about sending a money order to the bank and
having it deposited directly to 1and1's bank account. Again I was told "NO!
ONLY WIRE TRANSER!" and that if I tried to send a money order to have it
deposited directly to 1and1's bank account, it would be refused and returned
to me. And when I asked again, I was told to go elsewhere if I couldn't or
didn't want to use any of the current billing options that 1and1 has
available.
I wrote to the CEO of the company who seemingly doesn't seem to care that
his customers are being told to go elsewhere if they can't use any of the
current billing options available, and throws it back over to the billing
department of which I was complaining about, and now I get a letter from
the billing department saying I could physically go into a Citi Bank and
deposit funds directly to 1and1's bank account.
Wasn't that what I was asking about before by saying I wanted to mail a
money order to Citi Bank and have them deposit the funds directly into
1and1's bank account? What the heck is the difference if I mailed a money
order and instructed them to deposit the funds it directly into 1and1's bank
account, or if I walked into the bank and presented them with that same
money order and asked them to do the same thing?! I'll tell you the
difference. None! You just told me that I could do what I've been asking
about for the past 16 months!
Kindly provide me with the 1and1 Citi Bank account information that I would
need to deposit funds directly to 1and1's bank account without having to do
it by wire transfer. I will get a US currency bank money order, and make it
payable to 1and1 Internet and mail it to Citi Bank in North Dakota or even
New York, with instructions to have the funds deposited ino 1and1's bank
account based on the information that you provide to me.
Thanks in advance,
Linda
******************
The nit wits argue with me for 16 months about this situation, and in the end they tell me that the only other option I have to the 4 current billing options is to go into one of the branches of their bank and make the payment into their account! Duh!!! That's what I have been wanting to do, but via US Post and a money order! Same thing, different method of getting the money there! What idiots!
******************
April 30, 2008
1&1 Internet Inc.
701 Lee Road
Suite 300
Chesterbrook, PA
USA 19087
ATTENTION: ANDREAS GAUGER , CEO
Dear Sir:
RE: loftydesigns.net
Customer ID: XXXXXX
I have had my domain hosted with 1&1 for about 4 years. For the most part I have been happy with the company and have referred a number of people to 1&1 for their hosting needs.
However, when it comes to billing and payment, your company’s billing department is the rudest and most inflexible department that I’ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with!
My web hosting comes due in June and I need to make alternate arrangements for payment of my hosting fees. I would like to pay by money order, but your billing department informs me that the only methods of payment which are available are:
1. Credit card;
2. Bank debit card;
3. Bank wire transfer;
4. Pay Pal Billing Agreement.
However, currently, none of those methods work for me.
\t\t
1. Credit Card
\tWhen I first came to 1&1 Internet, I had a credit card and that is how I was paying for my hosting. However I am currently on long term disability and while I tried to avoid it, the tolls of a fixed income and increased costs of living, forced me to declare bankruptcy. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but it was my only viable option at this time. So I no longer have a credit card and I do not qualify for one.
2. Debit Card
\tMy bank does issue me a “Debit Card”, but it’s not the type that expires or has a security code at the back and it does not have a “Visa” logon on it.. It’s simply a card that my bank issues to allow me access to their other branches as well as local bank machines.
3. Bank Wire Transfer
\tIn December 2006 when my hosting fee came due I was not able to make the payment via credit card as I had done in the past. At the end of January 2007 I made the payment via the only other option that was available to me, bank wire transfer. Because of the cost of a wire transfer, I asked your company to bill me for a full year but was told by your billing department that it was not possible, and that they only bill for 6 months at a time. As a result I ended up paying a $25.00 bank wire transfer fee for a $30.00 internet hosting bill!
\tWhen the hosting fee came due in June 2007, I once again made payment using my credit card. However, that card was closed in November 2007.
\tIn December when my hosting came due, your company had a Pay Pal option. I set up a billing agreement and as such managed to pay my hosting for that month via Pay Pal.
4. Pay Pal Billing Agreement
\tIn February 2008 my Pay Pal account was hacked and as a result I felt it best to close that account and open a new one.
\tI tried to set up another billing agreement with 1&1 for my new Pay Pal account, but because I no longer have a valid credit card, and my bank debit card is not the kind that Pay Pal accepts, I am not able to put a billing agreement for Pay Pal into place.
I contacted your company on March 18, to make alternate arrangements for payment IE: bank money order. I was told in no uncertain terms that your company does not accept money orders and that if I can’t make payment using one of the methods above that I should find myself a web hosting company that does.
I asked what the difference is whether I send the bank wire transfer and it’s deposited into 1&1's account, or if I send a money order to the bank with instructions to deposit the money into 1&1's account. All I was told was that if I did that the money would be refused, and once again told that if I didn’t like the current billing options, that I should go elsewhere for my web hosting.
What kind of company tells their customers to go elsewhere?!
I have been very happy with 1&1. I want to continue with 1&1 as my hosting company, but I need an alternate method to make payment.
I would like to send a money order for my June hosting bill. As CEO of the company in question, I believe you have the authority to be able to make that happen, which is why I am contacting you directly.
If I am not able to make payment by bank money order, I will have no choice but to close my website despite my ability to make payment using a method of payment that your billing department refuses to accept.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter,
Regards,
******************
I got this from their billing department just now:
Dear Linda, (Cust: XXXXXX)
Thank you for contacting us.
We have received your letter, and regret to inform you that we do not
have another option for you to pay at this time. The only other option
we may be able to provide to you, would be going to your closest Citi
Bank location, and depositing funds directly to our account. A quick
search of Citi Banks website indicates that there are no locations in
Manitoba, and the closest location would be near Grand Forks, ND. If
this is an option you would like to pursue, we can provide you with
additional information.
If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us.
--
Sincerely
Ian Morris
Billing Department
1&1 Internet Inc.
******************
You know, I don't get you people at all.
Last year in January I asked for the banking information so that I could
MAIL a money order to 1and1's bank (Citi Bank) and have the funds deposited
directly to 1and1's account. I was told that I could only send by wire
transfer and the wire transfer information was provided to me. I asked
again about sending a money order providing all of the proper information
and having it deposited directly to 1and1's bank account. I was told "NO!
ONLY WIRE TRANSER!"
I asked again on March 18th about sending a money order to the bank and
having it deposited directly to 1and1's bank account. Again I was told "NO!
ONLY WIRE TRANSER!" and that if I tried to send a money order to have it
deposited directly to 1and1's bank account, it would be refused and returned
to me. And when I asked again, I was told to go elsewhere if I couldn't or
didn't want to use any of the current billing options that 1and1 has
available.
I wrote to the CEO of the company who seemingly doesn't seem to care that
his customers are being told to go elsewhere if they can't use any of the
current billing options available, and throws it back over to the billing
department of which I was complaining about, and now I get a letter from
the billing department saying I could physically go into a Citi Bank and
deposit funds directly to 1and1's bank account.
Wasn't that what I was asking about before by saying I wanted to mail a
money order to Citi Bank and have them deposit the funds directly into
1and1's bank account? What the heck is the difference if I mailed a money
order and instructed them to deposit the funds it directly into 1and1's bank
account, or if I walked into the bank and presented them with that same
money order and asked them to do the same thing?! I'll tell you the
difference. None! You just told me that I could do what I've been asking
about for the past 16 months!
Kindly provide me with the 1and1 Citi Bank account information that I would
need to deposit funds directly to 1and1's bank account without having to do
it by wire transfer. I will get a US currency bank money order, and make it
payable to 1and1 Internet and mail it to Citi Bank in North Dakota or even
New York, with instructions to have the funds deposited ino 1and1's bank
account based on the information that you provide to me.
Thanks in advance,
Linda
******************
The nit wits argue with me for 16 months about this situation, and in the end they tell me that the only other option I have to the 4 current billing options is to go into one of the branches of their bank and make the payment into their account! Duh!!! That's what I have been wanting to do, but via US Post and a money order! Same thing, different method of getting the money there! What idiots!
