What is Digg?180 Comments
- inactive, on 01/16/2008, -13/+131That's great. I can understand wanting to lighten up the mood after you just screwed up big time. They were quick to acknowledge the mistake and took measures to correct it. That's more than I can say for other companies that over bill and never say a thing unless the customer calls, not to mention credit the money back (I'm talking to you SPRINT!).
- DeviantDragon, on 01/16/2008, -4/+76I don't see why people don't think this part of the apology is sincere and helpful:
The serious part.
The end to this story is that of course, I’m very very sorry, we’re very very sorry, and I’m sure you’re very very sorry this happened. I really am. I understand the sort of problems that an unexpected large charge to your credit card (or worse yet, your debit card) can cause. If the tone of this blog post seemed a little light, I apologize I don’t mean to offend and I realize how serious an issue this is. I’ve been up since 3:50am trying to undo the damage and maybe I’m a little shell-shocked.
A new service is running right now (in parallel on all the controllers) that fixes all those future charges, re-enables your account if it was erroneously suspended, and if your credit card was automatically rebilled, refunds the payment automatically. You don’t have to contact us or your bank, and you’ll get an email when your account is finished fixing up. It’s going to take several more hours to complete. There are (or were, after this incident) a lot of you these days!
If, because of this billing mistake, you somehow incurred some fees from your bank or credit card company, please let us know after tomorrow (today we are just replying to all 10,000+ billing messages with a generic explanation) and we’ll do our best to make it right for you. - Bukowsky, on 01/16/2008, -5/+52At least they can admit to their mistakes, even find a humorous way to apologize... Although, I can see why some people may take offense to this apology.
- Hermiod, on 01/16/2008, -17/+50I was affected by this, and I'm somewhat annoyed. Their response could have been a lot more professional, certainly.
- ROCKMSOCKM, on 01/16/2008, -3/+36This response is very much in keeping with the entire easy-going-fun-workplace attitude they have over there - check out their blog and email newsletter - it's always light and fun... I think it's appropriate to the situation - I was double billed and as soon I as realized they already had an explaination and was working on the problem.
- jlimon, on 01/16/2008, -2/+35Yeah, I completely agree. The people who are "deeply offended" by DH's usual use of jokes to outline situations are getting annoying, and some of their blog comments are down-right offensive!
People love DH for their down to earth attitude about hosting and customer service, don't get offended when they use the same formula to try and break the news that they screwed up and are trying to make it right. - Skitzzo, on 01/16/2008, -22/+52Lighten up!
- iancorey, on 01/16/2008, -6/+28Those tightasses shouting about how was unprofessional the apology was are missing the point. What the Hell is an apology? It's a peace-offering, an acknowledgment of a mistake. The light-hearted attitude DH adopts in this scenario differs very little from their everyday tone. The only difference is the subject matter.
If you don't appreciate this every-day-man candor, use a different service, you don't fit in. Buggers. - poidh, on 01/16/2008, -0/+22I got this:
"Hi ****************************************************!
Ack. Through a COMPLETE bumbling on our part, we've accidentally attempted
to charge you for the ENTIRE year of 2008 (and probably 2009!) ALREADY
(it was all due to a fat finger)!
We're really really realllly embarassed about this, but you have nothing
to worry about. Please ignore any confusing billing messages you may have
received recently; we've already removed all those bum future charges on
your account (#******) and fixed everything up.
Thank you very very much for your patience with this.. we PROMISE
this won't happen again. There's no need to reply to this message unless
of course you have any other questions at all!
Sincerely,
The Foolish DreamHost Billing Team!" - vade79, on 01/16/2008, -2/+21For ~$10/month shared hosting, I expect a personal phone call!
- AriaStar, on 01/16/2008, -2/+19I'm surprised the Simpsons aren't public domain by this point with how often they are used in ways I'm certain aren't authorized by Fox.
- dianebl, on 01/16/2008, -2/+19From the blog post:
If, because of this billing mistake, you somehow incurred some fees from your bank or credit card company, please let us know after tomorrow (today we are just replying to all 10,000+ billing messages with a generic explanation) and we’ll do our best to make it right for you. - ivanisavich, on 01/16/2008, -3/+16Yea I don't know why this is such a big deal (at least, to those who weren't charged overdraft fees...or those who missed any other bill payments due to the removal of funds from their accounts)...the error was corrected, and the apology attempted to lighten the mood as you said. I'd rather be greeted by Homer Simpson and a down-to-earth apology than a formal, boring, written-by-a-robot apology.
- jlmillstein, on 01/16/2008, -5/+16"Jokes are NOT APPROPRIATE in this situation….Do you realize that for some credit cards, you have just pushed them over their max, meaning some people will pay fees, overage charges, higher rates PERMANENTLY, and their credit scores could be affected? Will you be reimbursing those charges?"
Whoever this guy was, he kicked some ass with this comment. - FredFredrickson, on 01/16/2008, -4/+15For everyone who keeps spouting off a how "unprofessional" it is, what the hell did you expect? Even a cursory look over the DreamHost website would indicate that they are a laid-back group. You knew what you were getting when you bought into their service.
- jlimon, on 01/16/2008, -6/+16No, but human error is.
This wasn't a case of fraud. It was honest and simple human error that DH is doing everything to fix ASAP. - ukfoole, on 01/16/2008, -0/+10Actually, I have had something like this snowball bad. This is an experience from when I was in the US.
Being a heavy debit card user, I incurr a lot of little tiny $1 to $10 expenses on my card. One month, the bank accidentally double dipped my mortgage for a tune of $1800 from my checking account. Needless to say, that set me over the limit. Except the bank, decided to keep letting things process and charging me $35 per charge. The Mortgage bank was willing to refund the payment if I mailed in a copy of the fraudulent charge, but not the swarth of 32 overdrafts I incurred as a result between the time they pulled the cash and I could get more in and even when I did, the bank took 2 days to process it in. I'm talking over $1000 in fees for roughly $200 in charges made due to someone taking out more than they should have! Plus, that meant no purchases for the 6 days it took to get my account active. Try having to borrow cash to eat and get gas for 6 days, it isn't pleasent.
- joehobbes, on 01/16/2008, -0/+10'Coincidentally, in Dreamhost’s last monthly newsletter they talked about their new offices and joked “If your next web hosting bill from us is mysteriously tripled, now you know why.”
Indeed."
Wow -- that's bad. - Berry, on 01/16/2008, -4/+13I agree as well, as a customer that was overbilled. The jokes make it obvious that he's telling the truth. And that they're real people who try to do a good job.
It's fun, too. It was only last week that I found myself reading through an entire Dreamhost newsletter, even though its content wasn't really of any interest to me. - surfacewound, on 01/16/2008, -1/+9I've used Dreamhost for a year now, I love it. I received a confusing e-mail yesterday about a second bill for 2008, but within hours I received another e-mail apologizing for the mistake and confusion and to ignore the previous e-mail. Prompt, efficient, easy. That's all I could ever want.
- MacEnvy, on 01/16/2008, -1/+9As another DH client, I agree. And I'm sure glad that they did it this week instead of next week ... next week it would have overdrawn the account I have them pulling from. *whew*
It's really nice to get newsletters that you actually want to read. I'm so used to being beset by boring corporate-speak in my inbox that it's very refreshing. - redban2, on 01/16/2008, -3/+11Yeah its great I got charged almost $500 (instead of my monthly $20) from my checking account, and I STILL havent got it refunded, overdraft charges, and buying tacos with change is what I get to play with today as my web host laughs it up with homer.
- jcaino, on 01/16/2008, -2/+9some people were billed to the tune of thousands of dollars.
big customer, has a couple dedicated servers, or they're a big reseller.....could EASILY happen - ho0ber, on 01/16/2008, -0/+7Same here as the above three comments. I'd also like to note that this was a lot more than JUST Homer Simpson, there was a very complete explanation as to how this happened. I'm more than satisfied.
- joshhan, on 01/16/2008, -1/+7@CCHAPMAN
Yeah, because the whole 7.5 million was billed to like 10 people... - bradmac, on 01/16/2008, -0/+5I disagree that Dreamhost is doing "about 7.5 million in revenue per year." The money was only collected from customers with auto-bill turned on. I was a customer of theirs until recently, but wouldn't have been affected because only I could decide when to make payments. They must make more than 7.5.
- sickrubik, on 01/16/2008, -0/+5saying you will help with overdraft fees doesnt exclude the fact that it happened, and may have caused damage in the short/long term that is going to affect the person while the process of the issue being fixed is going through. Fixing a situation like this is not as simple as waving a magic wand.
- sleepwalkers, on 01/16/2008, -2/+7But whenever there's a possibility that you could ruin a customer's credit, push their card over their limit, etc. etc... It's a smart idea to approach the situation as a business entity with some seriousness. Joking about an error on your part that could result in far more than just an "Oops." is not a smart idea.
It could very well just be me, but I wouldn't be using Homer Simpson as my way of saying "Sorry, we could've *really* ***** you over."
*EDIT* Read some more of the comments, and they apparently made a comment about trying to handle any extra fees anyone incurred because of their error. Good on ya, Dreamhost, but I still feel the same way. - betobeto, on 01/16/2008, -2/+7As fashionable as it is to bash DH on this site and many others (Where are all your 101% trouble-free, always reliable 24/7 web servers BTW?) at least they have the balls to publicly admit they screwed up, apologize, and proceed to fix the issue. Which is a lot more of what big service companies with a lot more money and financial assets than a web host do. Yes, I'm a DH customer and no, I wasn't affected by this issue - but even if I were, I've known them good enough through several years already to know that they won't leave customer service to chance and that the fix will come sooner or later.
- Zedizdead, on 01/16/2008, -1/+6wow. you're an idiot
- Baelorn, on 01/16/2008, -1/+6I never used this host but I did look into it and it is very easy to tell that they're an easy-going company. I don't know why people are so surprised with their response.
- ryodoan, on 01/16/2008, -2/+6Dude, lets say I paid with my credit card, since I just got it, it has a $500 max. Many people were billed in excess of $400. So, lets say I used my credit card to fill up my cars gas tank 3 times (once a week) at $40 a fill-up thats $120 on my card already. Toss in an automatic charge of $400 and suddenly we have a big problem.
- notcarsondaly, on 01/16/2008, -5/+9It wouldn't matter how they apologized. There is always someone who would take offense and stick there hand out for what they believe they are owed. That's the society we live in.
I was affected by this. All of my hosting is with Dreamhost. I thought they handled the incident very well. I caught the billing mistake when checking my own bank records as I regularly do (and most of the people who are complaining probably do not). I sent an email asking about the charges. I received a quick reply explaining the situation and what was being done to resolve it. I am now tracking the refund status through the Web Panel and my bank's website. - laserdog, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4First impressions are important.
- joshhan, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4l2read.
He said checking account. I keep the bare minimum amount in my checking account to cover the checks I write. I don't use a debit card but I did use it to pay for my hosting, I would have been charged a rather large overdraft fee if they charged me $500 instead of the anticipated $20. - wattersm, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4It's pretty typical for Dreamhost, they're a very laid back company.
- ubernoggin, on 01/16/2008, -14/+18D'oh! (had to be said)
- Brady, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4Oh and they shouldn't have posted the picture of the guy that made the mistake. My first reaction was "Thats the guy I'm trusting with my credit card information?"
- Spiffness, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4I'd been a dreamhost customer since late 2004 until yesterday. I really like the company, I like how its run and I think the style is fun and refreshing. However, this is a HUGE mistake. If my card info on DH wasn't expired, the charge would have cleared and very important bills would have bounced. Thats just not ok. I've heard reports of people who's mortgage check bounced. A permanently raised rate and bad credit is no good.
- cougar618, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3Went through the same thing when the bank decided to hold my pay check dispite the fact that it had no problems.
- gamebittk, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3I got that too.
- jlimon, on 01/16/2008, -10/+13If web hosting is the one thing that can put you over your limit with a card or bank account, you should seriously re-evaluate your finances and remove yourself from ALL automatic payment systems.
I'm a struggling college student and I know my bank account won't always have the funds to make payments whenever various companies send me an invoice.
I'm not trying to put the blame on the customers in this situation, just begging from middle ground, especially amidst the crazies screaming "class action lawsuit." - Brady, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3I do think it was great to use a little humor to lighten the situation a little bit... but they went a little overboard. This was a very serious accident which will likely cost them a lot of business. Their apology was really just a joke with an "Oh by the way, we are sorry" at the end.
- benzoenator, on 01/16/2008, -1/+4Crap. DreamHost bills me on Mum's debit card, which had no funds in it. Now I have to go and see what the overdraft fee was, and email them before tomorrow >_>
- benjie, on 01/16/2008, -6/+9I'll say what I said on their blog. The short version is, shut up:
I have to wonder about all you people who are now overdrawn or over the limit. Do you max out your credit cards and keep no cash in the bank? To not be able to absorb an accidental $4-500 charge (much less the more common $80) for a day or two while things get straightened out if unbelievable. If your finances are in that bad of a shape, you have no right to criticize ANYONE regarding financial matters. And no, I’m no millionaire. I’m a college student, who works for a living and just happens to also not be a retard.
As far as the tone of the post goes - shut up. This isn’t nearly as light as most of the stuff DH sends out. It’s really pretty serious. He explains the problem, admits fault, apologizes profusely, and promises restitution - what more do you want? - teh_techie, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3lol... forgot the /sarcasm switch...
- aggrazel, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3You know this did happen to dreamhost but it COULD happen to anybody. Let this be a lesson to those who allow services to store their credit card data on their site with a blanket authorization for recurring charges. Yes its more convenient but this could really happen to any company. You're even dumber if you put a recurring payment on the same card linked to an account you pay important things on like a mortgage or something. You never know when someone's going to fat finger a mistake and send it spiraling.
- surfacewound, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3Damn that really sucks.
No offense of anything, but this is EXACTLY why I have an Amex; It's basically a financial firewall to protect me from this sort of thing ever happening. At the VERY least, any charge can be immediately suspended and put off to the side (don't have to pay it) until it is investigated. And since it's a charge card and not a credit card, it still forces me to be responsible with it (have to pay the balance off every month). To me that protection & service is totally worth the annual fee. - inactive, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3hahahahaha - that makes it even funnier.
-
Show 51 - 100 of 177 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is