Ipower - Don't Bother!!!!!!!!!

[Chris]

My experience with ipower last few days:

I needed to renew a domain that I was worried would expire and get bought by somebody else.
I lost my login details so I tried the "lost details" links, but they didn't work. I went into Livechat with ipower, and asked for my details, the guy said he'd send them through email. 24 hours later - nothing. I did Livechat again - this time I had to email the transfer department. Another 24 hours - nothing. I visit Livechat again, this time I am told to email the Sales department. I am losing all patience by this time, so I demand better, I am informed the details will be sent through email. Nothing arrived.....

So I decide to CALL them, despite the fact it would be an international call (I'm in the UK). 35 minutes of "your call is important to us...." and I hung up. I tried again later, but gave in at 10 minutes. I revisited Livechat and demanded better, finally my details are sent, and I can login.

I login to my centralized login system (for all my domains), but can't find the authorisation code (I wanted to switch hosts - don't ask why or I'll hit you). Back to Livechat. I apparently have to login to the INDIVIDUAL domain login system for this. So I try that and it doesn't work. Livechat again, and they send me login details.

So I login, but I find out that I might not be able to transfer in time now, so I decide to swallow my pride and renew the domains I really want to keep. I go to Sales Livechat where I am told to call the sales department. What's the point of Sales Livechat? Who knows! Anyway, I tell them I tried and was on hold for 35 minutes. The guy says "try again, maybe it will be less", I'm like "maybe it won't!". Argh. I ask if he could give me a direct number, to skip all of the holding, because of the urgency of the situation and the hassle I've had to deal with. The answer is no.

So if you're considering using Ipower - please reconsider. Their customer service is a joke!!! And their system is faulty!!!!!!!

[Chris]

I just thought - maybe I couldn't get through to sales because of President's day???????

I didn't realise until now.

Still doesn't excuse anything.......just a partial explanation.

[berlinlife06]

Chris Wrote:I just thought - maybe I couldn't get through to sales because of President's day???????

I didn't realise until now.

Still doesn't excuse anything.......just a partial explanation.

Hey Chris! I'm sorry you had to go through all that! I understand you perfectly since I was dealing with abad customer service the whole day today here in Berlin. But in their case it is plain bad service, because Presidents Day doesn't mean people are not working. In Any case some banks are close to the public, but most EVERYBODY is working.

[Sophie]

I'm sorry you have to go through that! That's bad customer service.

Is ipower the same as ipowerweb? Or totally different?

[DomainCroc]

Performed a search on I-Power and was sent here:

FindHosts.com - Shared Webhosting - iPowerweb Reviews

Chris,

It is amazing that we as customers, are treated this way.
I am so sorry for what you are going through.

Seems, you are not alone.

You may want to post your experience at the above listed site, also.

That is why these forums are so important, so that we can help one another.

Please read what a fellow named Rick, experienced:

[

Quote:B]We have several hundred domains for our business as part of our marketing and branding strategy[/B].
Reviewer: Rick 02-14-2006
We have several hundred domains for our business as part of our marketing and branding strategy. Over 100 are through iPower because of the low cost. I do not plan on registering any more domains through them as the time and expense of trying to deal with them is not worth it.

Unlike Network Solutions where you can manage all your domains through one account dashboard, iPower gives you a separate username/password for each. You use their Vdeck to log into your control panel for that domain. Don’t try to bookmark the Vdeck link as there is a different one for each domain though the landing pages all look the same. If you want to have full control of your domain you have to send them an email requesting it be unlocked. Plan on sending several emails as it seems to take them a minimum of three tries before they get anything right. They will then send you back another username/password to get into the extended control panel (yet another link). All this means that with one domain registration you have two sets of logins and two links to manage the domain. Multiply that by a few and you need a spreadsheet to keep track of it all.

They want to do everything via email which wouldn’t be so bad if they handled them promptly and efficiently. I sent them an email for one issue and got back a reply on something completely different. This is typical of them. Its like they are in a bizzaro world. Their replies come back in a poorly composed form-letter email. You have to scroll down to a specific space in the email and insert your reply otherwise they ignore it. On a typical issue with them that should have been resolved with one round-trip email it took 11 emails instead before they corrected their error.

They have an online chat also but it is as frustrating as email. No matter what issue you address to them online they always end up telling you to phone their billing or transfer departments. Its totally worthless and more of the same bizzaro world as they ignore your issue and give a non-sequitur reply.

So that leaves phoning them as they last communication option. The several times I tried this over a three week period and during different times of the day I was on hold for an average of 90 minutes before I got a live person. But once you do you might as well be speaking to a robot. It’s as if they are reading from a script. Their reply will be from whatever script they can find that is closest to your issue—more bizzaro world. BEWARE: don’t let them put you on hold for anything because YOU WILL get dumped back into their automated attendant and never hear from the support rep again. If you call back you’re into the same loop again. Nothing ever gets resolved.

The funny thing is that they routinely send you automated emails asking them to rate their service!

I consider it my duty to warn anyone thinking of using them. Do not use them. You will regret it. Their service is shameful and might actually be a scam. Watch your credit card billing carefully and keep track of when domains are due for renewal. If you do use them expect to be abused, expect to get really angry, and expect to get more frustrated than in your worst nightmare—which is what they are.

[zach]

So did you renew your domainsat IPower or did you manage to get them transfered? or did you lose them....?

Everytime someone renews their domain, they end up having a bad experience. Almost all of ipower's customers got there because of the cheap domains, and almost all of those customers TRY to leave before the registration period ends.


Hope everything worked out in the end

Zach

[tcm9669]

Waw, what a hell of an experience! I think that you felt bad, too bad man. Hell that sucks, any ways hope that your domain is ok now...

[Chris]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your responses.

I had quite a positive outcome in the end. I decided to call the "billing" department today. After a full wasted day yesterday, I decided this would be my second last option, my final option being to go to Godaddy and pay extra to snap up the domains when they become available - and cross my fingers...

I talked to a very helpful and nice guy, he cancelled all the domains I didn't want, and renewed the one domain I was worried about. I was concerned they'd bill me for all the other domains that were cancelled but he reassured me it couldn't and wouldn't happen, because the billing is specific to each domain and he had only made amended the credit card details to the one I wanted.

So it looks like I have kept ahold of the domain I thought I'd lose.

I still wouldn't recommend ipower, overall their service is very bad, and their website software doesn't work very well. I was just lucky that I got connected to a very helpful guy who I thanked quite profusely!

[Sophie]

Great ending!

Thanks for sharing your experience here Chris.

[tcm9669]

At least.. You ended up in a good way. So now you still with them?