graham ohara
New Member
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts
+In 2015 I placed a website with a major hosting company. For the first few months everything was going smoothly. Then I received an email from the hosting company stating that my website had been hacked, therefore they had no alternative but to remove my website from the internet. That it would only be restored if I agreed to use the services of an online security company they recommended. I had severe doubts that the events were true but my priority was to have my website available to all prospective clients, therefore I agreed, even though I suspected it was a scam.
I have since discovered that the online security company were business partners of the hosting company.
The monthly payment for this online security quickly escalated to $150 pm. In June 2017 I instructed my bank to cancel the payment through my credit card. On the monthly date of payment for this service I received two telephone calls from the online security service. They were extremely nasty and threatening. That unless I resumed the payment my website was going down. I questioned how they could threaten this action when they were not the hosting company. They asked me if I would agree to resume payment. I refused. They then said once again that my website was going down. Both telephone conversations were similar.
Three days later without any communication from the hosting company my website was suspended and remained suspended until I contacted their support line which is based in India (don`t think Trump would be pleased with that). I had a lengthy chat questioning that though my website had been suspended for many months why was their company still charging me for a service they were not providing. That doing this was not legal. Surprisingly the website was reinstated yesterday.
During another chat with their Indian call centre yesterday their representative upon checking confirmed that my website had never been hacked. That there was a log ticket stating that the site was suspended due some malware files. This confirmed what I had always suspected. It was a scam. I have a full copy of that conversation. Makes you wonder if this is a standard practice with both companies?
Not only am I thousands of dollars out of pocket they have also denied the possibility of substantial profit. They have also ruined my business credibility.
Would greatly appreciate your legal advice. Thanking you in anticipation
I have since discovered that the online security company were business partners of the hosting company.
The monthly payment for this online security quickly escalated to $150 pm. In June 2017 I instructed my bank to cancel the payment through my credit card. On the monthly date of payment for this service I received two telephone calls from the online security service. They were extremely nasty and threatening. That unless I resumed the payment my website was going down. I questioned how they could threaten this action when they were not the hosting company. They asked me if I would agree to resume payment. I refused. They then said once again that my website was going down. Both telephone conversations were similar.
Three days later without any communication from the hosting company my website was suspended and remained suspended until I contacted their support line which is based in India (don`t think Trump would be pleased with that). I had a lengthy chat questioning that though my website had been suspended for many months why was their company still charging me for a service they were not providing. That doing this was not legal. Surprisingly the website was reinstated yesterday.
During another chat with their Indian call centre yesterday their representative upon checking confirmed that my website had never been hacked. That there was a log ticket stating that the site was suspended due some malware files. This confirmed what I had always suspected. It was a scam. I have a full copy of that conversation. Makes you wonder if this is a standard practice with both companies?
Not only am I thousands of dollars out of pocket they have also denied the possibility of substantial profit. They have also ruined my business credibility.
Would greatly appreciate your legal advice. Thanking you in anticipation
