"(BEWARE) Don't hesitate to file a complaint against 1 and 1 to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Under the for Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts and Practices (UDAAP).
My opportunity to renew the domain promptly due to the confusing 1 and 1 massive flooding of Marketing/Junk/Advertising emails sent to my billing email box; made it extremely challenging to distinguish essential billing emails from junk. An influx of marketing email from 1and1, definitely hindered my ability to made payment; due to new card had been issued with an updated expiration date.
After all, was said and done the wanted to pay a whole lot more to reinstate the domain and they then ridiculously hiked the price of the domain up so high that I let it go and now the domain is bidding for $ thousands of dollars higher online.
Should any of you experience this please file a complaint with the CPFB with the UDAAP in mind.
I had already asked them Countless times prior, to stop the advertising/ marketing email from them precisely because I was getting confused and they failed to do just that, and the results ended up with me losing a domain I had for nearly two decades. They blamed the mishap stating it was my fault anyway. I felt the deception of bait and switch for a higher rate. So please, if you experience this please file a complaint through the proper channels. Understand the UDAAP laws."
"They changed my account from basic $14.99/year to premium $3000 w/o my knowledge and won't refund the money. This isn't a real company, but a criminal enterprise."
"I cancelled my account, domain etc over a year ago. They attempted to debit my card on file the next year. I forwarded them the cancellation notice, but apparently their emails are not monitored and everything is web based. Not only will I will never recommend them, I am going to make it my mission in life to post a bad review everywhere I can about my experience. I have been on hold with their so-called 24/7 support for 20 minutes now. These guys are scum bags."
"I am a customer 1and1.com since 2010. I'm also a designer - developer. Therefore, I chose this company because of their quality web hosting!
I really was horrified when I saw so many aggressive comments. NB! We see at once, that the main problem of all people is inattentiveness.
They want something free or unreadable information. They are not oriented in your profile for work with web hosting. It's a fact! Or do not read what they choose. Because all for free!
All right!
1) Fast technical support. No conflict.
2) Good servers and double protection in different geographic locations.
3) Continuous improvement and development. Innovation.
As a result, the pursuit of quality, high prices!
Today, in the company's high prices for new gTLDs domains.
If you have many domains, their content will be expensive. This is the only negative that I see today! If you are domainers, then keep your domains here, not worth it...
Perhaps I'll be forced to move some of my domains to store to another provider. I'm talking about the annual payment."
"Like so many others I had found on the internet, 1&1's "free one month trial" had end up costing me well over $50, a blip on my credit score, and hours upon hours of time wasted being literally harassed by 1&1 reps.
Basically what had happened is their "free trial" isn't actually free. You have to pay and if you don't like then they refund you your money. So, I tried to build a website with their templates (which looked like cheap dirt by the way; everyone I showed my website to said it looks prehistoric), didn't like their service, and requested my money back.
They ignored me for a period of time, so I went to Paypal and reversed the charge.
Some time later, I start getting call and voice mail after call and voice mail from 1&1 saying that they want the $25 back that I "owe them." THEY WOULD NOT STOP OVER THE $25.
To keep things much shorter than they actually were, eventually, 1&1 CHARGED MY ACCOUNT AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY, AND SENT ME TO COLLECTIONS TO COLLECT THE $25, THEIR ADDED ON FEE, AND NOW THE COLLECTIONS COMPANY FEE AND THIS SHOWS UP ON MY CREDIT REPORT. ARE YOU KIDDING?
Normally every time I called 1&1, they simply told me "we want our $25 back" (yes, they said it verbatim like that) and that's it. At some point, I was connected to a high-up manager and he said that he still wants his $25 back, but after I pay everything off they will refund me their penalty. It's been almost a year and I'm yet to see that refund.
Absolutely terrible company. They harassed me endless for a mistake that they made. I don't think I've ever been as frustrated and upset by a company as much as 1&1. Really bad people here.
Please stay away. Oh, and like I said, their templates are garbage- they look prehistoric and the 30-or-so people I showed my site hated it."
"Horrid. I started my relationship with a salesperson, whose name is escaping me, and we decided on the basic 69.99 platform. This would allow me to get my feet wet with their company. He requested a Credit Card number to be kept on file. I directly posed the question "Will you be charging this card now?"... He respond with a confident "No, you will not be charged until you review the site and sign off on it."... This was a black and white dialogue, no room for a communication mishap. No more than 24 hrs later, a 99.99 charge is found on my credit card from their company. Wait a second; Didn't he assure me that I wouldn't be charged... Furthermore, 99.99??? What in the world is that figure? After a call to my salesperson, he explained that they mistakenly set me up for the 99$ platform... He requested a refund on the 99.99 charge, but first required me to contact my bank and get as much information regarding the charge... A Month or so transpires, I sign off on the website, all should be well... Wrong. Another charge of 99 appears... They neglected to revert back to the original 69 dollar platform. A Snapfu on their end, again... Since then communication with my salesperson has been non existent. I have received 2 more 99 dollar charges... I've spent an accumulated 2 hours on hold with the company and I have been transferred to the wrong department numerous times. Sounds like a bunch of thugs are working for this company, with the occasional well spoken rep... Please do not waste your time. "
"For the love of god do not use this company!! There is a reason that they have record profits, and it is not because of their service- which is terrible, or their web hosting (there are better free alternatives). They make it near on impossible for you to cancel your account, and then when you finally do, they will start chasing you for a 'renewal' which you agreed to when you signed up. It borders on harassment. Save yourself a nightmare and use literally anybody else but these guys."
"Terrible customer service, I would never use these guys again. Go Daddy is my choice now. Save your sanity- don't use 1&1!!!!"
"BAD BAD BAD!
I registered a domain through 1 and 1. The price for the first year was great. Now, when I try to transfer the domain to another registrar they will do ANYTHING they can in order to stop me.
I completed all their technical requirements on day 1. today 5 days later I am still waiting for the to update my WHOIS records and release the domain to transfer.
I called three times and today they put me on hold for ONE HOUR and say I will need to wait longer until it will be updated.
Go anywhere else just not here!"
"I have had ongoing issues with 1 and 1 for months now. Last year I cancelled the domains that I had registered with them. Unfortunately they either dropped the ball or decided that they would not allow me to cancel. Later on, I received notices from 1 and 1 that my services would be cancelled, as the credit card they had on file for me was soon to expire. I decided that them trying to automatically renew my cancelled services must be a mistake, and since they had no way of billing me they would just cancel my services as I had originally intended. I was wrong. They decided to automatically renew the services that I had already canceled. Since they have no valid method of payment for me, they also now claim that I am in debt to them.
So to make it clear, 1 and 1 made the decision to auto-renew services that I cancelled, using an expired credit card. Since they have no way of billing me directly, they claim that I am in debt to them. I have no long-term agreement or obligation to continue using their services.
I would not recommend 1 and 1 to anybody. "
"--Update--
Raised from 1 to 2 stars. "supposedly" everything is taken care of. 1 Star = total rip. 2 star = put you through hell to cancel, but it is possible.
--End of Update--
I've was with 1and1 for over a year. I thought the hosting prices were fair, but they kept calling my house trying to sell add-ons. We asked them to stop calling numerous times.
After about a year, I realized I wasn't using their service anyway, so I decided I would cancel. I tried cancelling myself, but found it to be tricky. So, I contacted tech support. Tech support led me through "complete cancellation." I asked the lady about 10 times in 10 different ways if my account was completely cancelled, because her English wasn't great. Eventually she chuckled and I realized maybe she did understand, assuming she chuckled because she realized I asked if my account was cancelled so many times. It turns out, she did not understand English. I was billed again. Before payment was taken out, I sent them an email asking them to cancel it. They did nothing! I had to go to my bank and put a stop on their bills and will probably have to issue a chargeback. I should have read reviews on the net first, I just assumed the magazines and cable TV ads I've seen them in justified a LITTLE trustworthiness (assuming the big names wouldn't let scam artists place adverts in their material). I think that usually is the case, but maybe they're being duped too.
I just read another reviewers review and said they turned their customer into a collection agency. If they do that to me, I'll post back here. Maybe we need a class action law suit against these scam artists to get them to stop ripping people off?"
"TERRIBLE! I signed up and within 3 minutes realized their product did not work for my needs. I cancelled within 10 minutes of enrolling. I requested a refund but was denied. So be it... bad service in my opinion but whatever. Here it is a year later and they send emails multiple times a day threatening to send me to collections for non payment. When I look at my account status it says "Cancelled" yet the emails continue despite my multiple requests to cease them. UNBELIEVABLE. POOR PRODUCT. POOR SERVICE. UNETHICAL SALES PRACTICES. I will be reporting them to the Attorney General's office and the BBB. BUYER BEWARE."
"Horrible! I have put up with so many things with 1and1 in the past like: clueless technical support (i have found what I needed in Google, 3 times!), rude billing department (based in North America, no wonder) and server issues (by the time i found out my sites were down, it is usually a day prior to being fixed, but not acceptable in my view)
Right now, some of my websites are down because all of a sudden, their server can't read CSS files!! The issue has been forwarded to high tier support and i'm still waiting (24 hours already). THIS IS THE LAST THING I'M GOING TO PUT UP WITH.
I'm looking for a new hosting company. "
"I purchased a domain name with a free site builder included. Within seconds of purchasing, it was very clear that their solution would not work for my application. I called, within minutes of purchasing their product, and asked to cancel my plan since it would not work for my needs. They refused my refund request. I understand that I purchased their plan but there was no way to evaluate the builder without buying it. Very disappointed with my experience."
"This is a review for 1&1's Eshop packages.
First of all, the price for the Eshop is very good. After that, this has been the worst experience of my life with a web hoster.
The e-Shop that cost me 350 dollars for a year is useless. It offers absolutely no shipping options, contrary to what it says on the feature list before you buy.
Aside from the lack of shipping options, the lack of payment options is absurd as well, you can only choose Kredit Karte or Paypal which leaves you with no options.
Don't let the price fool you, go with somebody else because there are no good features that 1and1's eshop offers."