Complaint Review: HostGator - Houston TX

Today was the final straw with HostGator.  I was already leaving them because the quality of service has been going down from the first time I began doing business with them over a decade ago.

Apparently, they don't monitor their billing so I was being charged for an SSL Certificate I got for Free.  I paid them to install it and it took 3 weeks to do it when I was told it would be done in 3-days. Speaking with Tech Support I was told every lousy excuse in the world:

• They didn't receive the order
• They will write a tech support ticket so it can be done immediately (I got that response several times)
• One person even said there was no record of me doing it but strangely enough my Credit Card was debited for the install amount.

I then made a mistake and asked myself if things could get any worse.  It did!

HostGator has a practice of charging your credit card 5 days prior to the actual bill due date.  Stealing in my opinion so keep reading and I will tell you why.

I didn't notice this before today as the monthly amount is always correct.  However, as I was canceling my account the Billing support informed me "You are not entitled to a refund" it made me look at my bill and there it was hiding in plain sight. 

HostGator has been helping themselves to my money FIVE DAYS prior to its actual due date and I want everyone reading this, that are doing business with HostGator to check your bill and see for yourselves.  This is flat out stealing in my opinion! 

Naturally, I asked her why since the bill is due today and I have 24-hours to cancel, she said no and tried to make it seem she was helping me by saying "I will make sure you are not billed the day before 09-21, but make sure and check your CC company in case it's missed".  What the Hell!  So I looked at my billing history and this is what it looks like. (also see attached)

Due Date: 2018-08-22          

Date Paid: 2018-08-17

These thieves have been taking my money 5 days prior to the due date and there is nowhere in the fine print that says they do this.  At least I didn't find one and I am sure they will produce it from their butts after reading this.  I asked the employee over text, why do they do this and she stated that "we do this in case there is a problem with your card".  Can you believe this crazy!

On the surface, this would seem ok, but you pay for their service prior to using it. HostGator does not bill you after you've used their service.  They bill you before, so this made no sense to me.  If someone doesn't pay or if their credit card is maxed out, then they get no service. Simple!

This is outright stealing, and I have been using HostGator for years, so every month they steal my money five days before it's actually due.  However, this time they won't even refund the money after I canceled on the date the payment is actually due.  

I have a good friend working for a major Credit Card company and she asked me numerous times if I was sure so I took a picture and sent it to her.  She couldn't believe it either. 

I have written the Attorney General and I hope a lawyer reads this and begin a class action suit against HostGator. All Credit Card companies should know this as well.

HostGator is a Global company (over 200,000 clients) and enjoying the benefit of having all of their customer's money in their own bank accounts FIVE DAYS prior to its due date equating to millions of dollars.  

Do the math... If the average paid $5 per month x 200,000 = $1,000,000

Five days is a lot of time when you consider Stock prices, Interest rates, Investments, all to HostGator's benefit, simply because they are taking their client's money ahead of time.  This is an absolute disgrace  

Shame on you HostGator and the federal authorities needs to look into this unscrupulous business practice of theirs.

Actual Client of HostGator