Be Excellent To Each Other

Can anyone recommend a good web hosting service?

I've never had a website before so somewhere simple would be best.
I'll just be using it for a personal page (http://weightshift.com/memo/the-personal-page) and then maybe hosting a blog on it.

Currently looking at these guys https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/ but I'm open to suggestions.

UKHost4U

All my hosting is with them and not had any major issues so far. Not the cheapest out there but it's a UK-based server at least.

Blimey. Wish I'd got round to asking before just renewing with 123-reg because I had about five minutes left.

I use Flump. There's a cheap Starter package not displayed on the main page, and the support is good as well (adding a database for me when I'd not originally included one on the order).

Blimey: Free Domain, Unlimited Bandwidth, 512 MB Space... not bad for £20 = ukhost4u.com

A database and scripting in that, too - I'm genuinely a bit gutted.

To be honest, they're all much of a muchness at the cheap end of the scale. Just avoid uk2.net if you can.

And Dataflame. Avoid them like the fucking plague.

Heh.

SUSPICIOUS.

I am SO TEMPTED by the £80/yr package right now* - 3 years for 2, and a "free domain", make it actually only £5/yr more than I pay 123-reg (if I buy the domain I want separately).

I'm so tempted I might just throw away the 123-reg package.

* I already have 4 domains, 3 of which just redirect to the 4th, so the 4-domain package with a new domain would leave me aliasing anyway and only be £20/yr (before 3-4-2) cheaper.

I've gone with that budget option. Free domain plus infinite bandwidth. Google for 10% off code as well, but don't forget to add VAT.

No, that is in fact a lie - 123-reg put their prices up, so it'd actually be cheaper to get the vastly better UKHost4U package. Argh!

@Russell - wait, they don't include VAT in their prices?

No, so that 20/yr package was actually 21.49 or something after I got 10% off.

Nowhere does it say VAT exclusive. That's illegal.

They say the 3-for-2 isn't compatible with other deals, so that's the better deal for me, with my "pointlessly wanting loads of independent domains" requirement.

It must be somewhere. I done read it before I clicked order.

http://www.ukhost4u.com/shared-web-hosting has one mention of VAT, and that's the registration number. (As I'm sure you know - you've talked about (being in) retail on here before right?) Advertised prices must include VAT or be accompanied by a VAT-inclusive price.

That's an extra £32 on the package I'm tempted by. Dammit.

Edit: It mentions it in the 'sales faq' linked at the top. Which isn't good enough. I think.

http://www.quidco.com/ukhost4u-com/
25% cashback!

HM.


HM.

Damned "opps finger." They've invoiced me for the "free" domain I chose, at full price. I wonder how I go about getting that refunded. The third year is credited during activation apparently.

So, after QuidCo that should be £140 for 3 years hosting for 8 domains. Can't argue really, given the billy-basic-1-domain-no-sub-domains-no-databases 123-reg package would be £135 for the same (inc. the new domain).

Edit: Except that UKHost4U tracked the VAT-exclusive ("free"-domain-inclusive) amount to Quidco.

That's pretty shady - the site doesn't make that clear at all, it only says "This offer cannot be used in combination with any other discount coupon", and ordering didn't require me to enter a coupon code in the coupon box.

Chinnyorganisation is now on Flump. Much better than my old Fasthosts setup.

They get 950 Bananas. If they had a nicer stats interface they'd get a few more.

You can choose from about three in cpanel. You just have to activate them.

They all look shit and work like shit compared to the Fasthosts stats panel. And since Fasthosts have had the same interface for at least 6 or 7 years there is no excuse why Flumps stats system looks like something from 1998.

Well, other than the excuse that their stats systems are from 1998

Get Google Analytics installed on your website, chinny. Kicks most other stats packages in the balls, is host-independent and is free.

Excellent - despite doing as they said is best and filling in credit card details during signup, enabling payments to be automatically taken as due, they're now hassling me about my unpaid invoice. No contact from my credit card issuer or blocking of the card, both of which are standard when they decline a payment.

My UKHost4U experience is definitely scoring a solid 2/10 so far.

Ah yes - there will be instructions in that email about setting your card up in the billing area, but, if I remember correctly, something is missing from the instructions - you have to tick a box maybe? Can't remember.
So do that, then reply and moan about it.

[edit]Reply to the email, not to me!

I did reply, and they've processed it. I couldn't see any boxes, and had tried doing an "update" of my details in case that triggered.

Still, at least they still hadn't switched off my high-tech default page, on the fifth non-payment day.

I had considered dragging it out until my next card payment period, in 8 or so days. Bad Bik, naughty Bik.