Do you ever unsuspend non paying customers before they pay?

[easyhostmedia]

More and more people are trying to squeeze every last drop of patience and care that hosts have nowadays. I've seen a large trend in customers asking for extended stays as well.

I agree. If i have a customer ask for an extension to pay, then depending on why they needed this i will grant them this, but it will be a one off. If they ask again then it will be a no. I have never lost any client because of this.
I have had clients then come back saying 'i need my sites up as i am losing money and have no emails' my reply is simple, pay the invoice and your site/s will automatically be unsuspended. It is amazing how suddenly they find the funds to pay their invoices

 

[NickM]

I have had clients then come back saying 'i need my sites up as i am losing money and have no emails' my reply is simple, pay the invoice and your site/s will automatically be unsuspended. It is amazing how suddenly they find the funds to pay their invoices

The best way to go about clients talking about needing the website up, is put up a late fee with the payment, or be sure to tell them that your company does not like to handle late clients, and that in the future the account will not be re-opened.

Sometimes it's best to be harsh, because they will keep taking advantage of your hospitality.

 

[easyhostmedia]

The best way to go about clients talking about needing the website up, is put up a late fee with the payment, or be sure to tell them that your company does not like to handle late clients, and that in the future the account will not be re-opened.

Sometimes it's best to be harsh, because they will keep taking advantage of your hospitality.

yes i use late fees and i am harsh, but the first time give client the benefit

 

[remcom]

We have a pretty nice grace period so we do not make exceptions for suspends. If the account gets to that point it needs to be paid.

 

[easyhostmedia]

We have a pretty nice grace period so we do not make exceptions for suspends. If the account gets to that point it needs to be paid.

I find it strange that they get their invoice 14 days before its due and the account sets suspended 2 days after the due date, but they wait until the site gets suspended before contacting you asking for it to be unsuspended and more time to pay. if they wanted more time to pay then why not contact you when the invoice arrives or anytime within the 16 days

 

[Alex - A2 Hosting]

I find it strange that they get their invoice 14 days before its due and the account sets suspended 2 days after the due date, but they wait until the site gets suspended before contacting you asking for it to be unsuspended and more time to pay. if they wanted more time to pay then why not contact you when the invoice arrives or anytime within the 16 days

Do you send reminders during this 16 day period?

 

[easyhostmedia]

Do you send reminders during this 16 day period?

yes.

For New Clients

If order left unpaid then
After 1 day a First Overdue reminder is sent.
After 2 days a Second Overdue reminder is sent.
After 3 days your order will be cancelled and your IP blocked and reported.

For existing clients

An invoice will be generated and sent 14 days before the due date
A reminder will be sent 1 day before the due date
Invoice then resent on due date and then if unpaid
After 1 day a First Overdue reminder is sent.
After 2 days a Second Overdue reminder is sent.
After 2 days your account will be suspended and a 20% or £2 late fee is added to the invoice, whichever is greater.
After 3 days a Third and Final reminder is sent
After 14 Days you account will be terminated.
so basically from issue to termination you have had 28 days to pay the invoice or contact us
7 days after termination, if any invoices still remain unpaid, they will be passed onto Express Debt Collection and a £5 fee added to the invoice

 

[Rado_Ch]

I find it strange that they get their invoice 14 days before its due and the account sets suspended 2 days after the due date, but they wait until the site gets suspended before contacting you asking for it to be unsuspended and more time to pay. if they wanted more time to pay then why not contact you when the invoice arrives or anytime within the 16 days

If I have to believe most stories I have heard from clients, the simplest answer would be - because they don't check their mails or receive too many so the reminders slip through their attention. That is the most common excuse I've heard, apart from the serious personal or family matters. And we are talking about 5-6 reminders before suspension, not just a couple. :rolleyes2

Though your impressions about reacting only after suspension are spot on. Not only that, sometimes they react after termination and are shocked that you can take off the website that, as it turns out, ALWAYS brings them SO MUCH money. All of those guys have to be pretty rich to not notice a month income missing :rolleyes2

 

[4D Hosting]

You can always provide your long time customers with an extension if they need it. Things can go wrong, life happens, ect.. However, in our case, if the account is suspended, then the user is already well beyond their past due date. So the only way to get unsuspended is by paying the bill.

If you have a client that is late and gets their account suspended, and you go ahead and unsuspend the account before they pay you. What is to stop them from taking their files and leaving for another host with YOUR money?

The answer is, nothing... :smash:

I agree there are the odd few times that there is a legitimate reason beyond the norm, but generally you here similar excuses.

It is also important to build good relationships with long standing customers as sometimes things do go wrong and a little understanding goes a long way.

 

[stjohns2004]

I have only twice for two customers that have been with us for quite some time done that. One, did not have a card at the time and as soon as the new card came in she paid. The other had the wrong email and we got the correct email and within a few days she paid, now both of wich were actually domains and the one person who did not have a card will forget to pay on the due date But we just send her a reminder and she is usually pretty good to go.

 

[easyhostmedia]

If as some say 'why suspend my site its my only source of income, so i am losing £££ every day its down' then i would say it you rely on the site then make sure you pay your invoices on time or set up subscription payments.

 

[web-project]

if a customer is not serious about hosting his project, why we should provide a free services? in our business all invoices are generated 20 days before the due date, plenty time to pay bill on time.

 

[easyhostmedia]

if a customer is not serious about hosting his project, why we should provide a free services? in our business all invoices are generated 20 days before the due date, plenty time to pay bill on time.

Exactly, from invoice generated to suspension is 16 days with us ( 14 days before due date, suspended 2 days after due date). we dont terminate an account until 14 days after due date, so in effect a client has 28 days to pay their invoice, even after termination if the invoice is still unpaid it is passed to a debt collection agency

 

[VMakerHOST]

Never feel bad for suspending non-payment users, however some time your older client ask for extra 5 to 10 days for payment i think they deserve that kind of favor

 

[easyhostmedia]

Never feel bad for suspending non-payment users, however some time your older client ask for extra 5 to 10 days for payment i think they deserve that kind of favor

Yes if they ask before the account gets suspended, no good asking after the account get suspended. they have had 16 days since invoice sent to ask. also maybe do this once, but if they keep asking this then it will not wash.

 

[HostiServerJohn]

Terry,
we have almost the same policy, and I do consider it to be best practice. )

 

[easyhostmedia]

Terry,
we have almost the same policy, and I do consider it to be best practice. )

i had one client who refused to pay because he stated he and others could not access his website, yet all server checks and DC checks showed no issue with his site or the IPs and all could access his site. his IP was not blocked by the server, even when he did ping tests all showed his connection reaching his site. i have other clients in his town and even using the same ISP who had no issues reaching their sites or even his site.

I concluded he was just pulling a fast one and thought I would host his site for free as he asked for his site to be unsuspended and he would pay the following week. As their was no valid reason for this i refused and his site was eventually terminated. This was in 2012.

then out of the blue on 23/8/2014 i get a guest chat which asked 'hi i cant login to *****' 2 years after the site was terminated. at first the site never rang a bell, so checked and found it was the terminated site and when i checked the domain it was still listed with our servers nameservers ( he must have thought i gave him 2 years free hosting) even though he was sent at the time a termination notice. but in the chat when i asked which client he was he never replied.

 

[Medusa]

I suspend after 14 days. Rarely do they pay up.

 

[cdd.hosting]

Sometimes we get requests from the client that there will be delay of 4-5 days or even 2 days in making the payment. Based on our relation with them we simply adjust the due dates of the invoice.

 

[easyhostmedia]

I suspend after 14 days. Rarely do they pay up.

14 days in my books is too long ( its 1/2 way through the following month) so they will take a lend of you. suspend 2 to 3 days past due date will have more effect on then to payup.

yes cdd.hosting as long as they contact us before the due date we will extend the due date unless its a regular thing and then it wont get extended.