signs of a scam

NOTE: dew to some comments I would like to point out that this only applies for paid hosting.

There are so many hosting companies; it is hard to choose. Which is fake and which is legit? is this a scam or legit? Well, here are the signs of a scam company.

They don’t have:
php
Mysql
-Those are both free things, and paid host should have it. If it doesn’t, it is safe to assume they are scammers that don’t work hard.

A domain registered in their name
-That is absolutely needed, if it is not it is most likely a scam, however, some companies are owned by a bigger one, so always check out the company it is registered to.


If they claim:
That they give unlimited space or bandwidth
-It is simply impossible; there is always a loophole, which is a sure sign of a scam.

If they have flash, JavaScript or streams listed as a special feature.
-Those are both browser things, not server things.




If they charge ONLY by the year
-It is normal for them to want you to pay by the year, but if the yearly is the only one that means they don’t know if they will be around in 5 months. If they crash you lose your money.

They have NO reviews
-A hosting company that has no reviews (when searched on google) is likely a scam. And remember, the top ten hosts are (edit: near) NEVER legit, it is who paid the most. You should use an impartial review site like http://www.webhostingunleshed.com . Or the one I am making at http://www.theevilrepublicans.com/webhost/reviews.html


Any misspellings
-That is a sign of not being professional; don’t use them.

The only domain they support is from them
-One of the unwritten laws of hosting is ALWAYS register your domain elsewhere. It is normal for a host to offer a free domain, but it should NEVER be the only one. What they do is they register it in their name so if you ever want to leave them you must buy the domain from them or select a new domain name (hard if you have allot of users and no way to contact them).


And remember the universal law.
If it looks too good to be true, chances are it is

Some excellent points here Dan. I do have issues with these two though.

Originally Posted by dan1088352 They have NO reviews -A hosting company that has no reviews (when searched on google) is likely a scam. And remember, the top ten hosts are NEVER legit, it is who paid the most. You should use an impartial like http://www.webhostingunleshed.com . Or the one I am making at http://www.theevilrepublicans.com/webhost/reviews.html Any misspellings -That is a sign of not being professional; don’t use them.

The no reviews thing isn't really true. How can a brand new host get reviews? By getting customers. If your statement were true there would no new hosts because they would all be recognized as scammers and no one would join them, hence no reviews.
Also the "top ten are NEVER legit"? You'll need to prove this. These kinds of blanket statements make a person look foolish IMO.

As to mispellings, they happen everywhere. No one is perfect. Your link to webhostingunleashed is a perfect example.

Very Nice list man. It should really help out the people who are new to the whole online business pick the right host.
But, its also true what Woof said.
Nobody is perfect at spelling, even if they use a spell checker, it doesnt check if the sentece makes sense.
And, Top Ten Hosts are never legit? Thats the first time Ive heard of that.

Yeah, most of the points are decent. But those stated above are not really signs of a scam. Also, sometimes you can just see when a host looks unprofessional, but the design and wording etc. This doesn't mean it's a scam, but often bad quality. Good hosts can afford to invest in their website.

They don’t have: php Mysql -Those are both free things, and paid host should have it. If it doesn’t, it is safe to assume they are scammers that don’t work hard.

Right.. www.geocities.com must be a scam then! - well they're crap enough to be..

A host can have what it wants on the server, if it's main target audience aren't web savvy, theres no need for having stuff they don't need on the server.

"If it looks too good to be true, chances are it is." - Sorry, but it doesn't make sense... the chances are that it is true?? You should revise that part.

Also i recommend posting at forums and asking people about a host you've chosen. It is always better to seek out reviews from people on forums such as Webhostingtalk or this one, than trust the testimonials on the host's site.

Good luck, if you need help i'd gladly help you pick a host.

Dray it makes perfect sense.....

If something looks too good to be true, e.g If I saw i'm offering £100,000 to the first person to reach 1,000 posts on Talkfreelance (that would look too good to be true and it usually is!) Meaning, it's probably false.

sense... the chances are that it is true?? You should revise that part.

that is an age old saying, if it looks to good to be true, it likely is too good to be true.

Right.. www.geocities.com must be a scam then! - well they're crap enough to be..

and geocities is a free host, I am speaking of paid hosts


The no reviews thing isn't really true. How can a brand new host get reviews? By getting customers. If your statement were true there would no new hosts because they would all be recognized as scammers and no one would join them, hence no reviews.

most new companys are low quality anyway, most of them start off of users from a message board. www.bihira.com (awfull host) got most of his crowd off of gamefaqs.com.


Also the "top ten are NEVER legit"? You'll need to prove this. These kinds of blanket statements make a person look foolish IMO.

those top 10 are so many times a scam set up by the hosting company itself it is same to assume this. the big ones with underds of user submitted hosts are the ones to turn to.

edit: but I will change that.

As to mispellings, they happen everywhere. No one is perfect. Your link to webhostingunleashed is a perfect example.

most professional companys have quite a few people look at it. and I have no idea what your second statement is pointing at.

And, Top Ten Hosts are never legit? Thats the first time Ive heard of that.

ive seen plenty of 10 ten hosts the other sites say are awfull, see above point.


A host can have what it wants on the server, if it's main target audience aren't web savvy, theres no need for having stuff they don't need on the server.

I am speaking of paid hosts here, there are very few non web people that go into that

Ohhh. Sorry, I was confused. Thanks for clearing it up for me.