| Brain Host |
| Brain Host My Creative Site Designs Deceptive, Misleading, Misrepresentative Promotion of Services & Sign-up Bait & Hook Internet |
| 28th of Apr, 2011 by User719507 |
In early 2011, I signed up for an Internet business opportunity called Auto Coupon Cash/Coupon Masters Course. The course itself was advertised at $37 with a 60-day money-back guarantee. As is so typical of these programs, once you're drawn into the sign-up process, suddenly you're presented with additional costs needed to enhance your potential for making money. I received a 50% discount at sign-up, or $18.50, rather than $37. Then you're encouraged to set up websites where you can post discount coupon ads to create income through affiliate marketing. There were add'l fees such as upgrading from weekly posts to daily posts for $297, auto updating blogs with unique content made and done for you for $97.00, etc. All these came with a 60-day unconditional money-back guarantee by Auto Coupon Cash. Along the way during the sign-up process, an ad popped up for a service to provide and host the recommended website/blogs which you assumed was a part of the Auto Coupon Cash/Coupon Masters Course and covered under the 60-day money-back guarantee as well. There was a set-up fee and domain registration fee. Then came the upsell for a higher level package which, of course, they encourage you to purchase to enhance your business. So, I signed up for the website and accompanying costs including an upgrade. This company turned out to be a third-party, Brain Host, with the websites created through their subsidiary called My Creative Site Designs. After a short period of time, I realized that this business was not a good fit for me. I actually found three pages of complaints relative to others who also signed up for this package and became disillusioned with the third-party web creation/hosting (Brain Host) as they were difficult to contact (which I confirm), didn't seem to be familiar with the Auto Coupon Cash program, and weren't even aware whether the website would be commerce ready. I did obtain immediate refunds from Auto Coupon Cash through Clickbank; however, Brain Host was more difficult. Despite signees' assumption that the entire package was covered by the 60-day money-back guarantee, this was not the case. Brain Host offered only a 30-day money-back guarantee on their basic package, but no refund whatsoever on their upgrade package where they make their money. They did offer to rearrange their services somewhat but would not issue a refund for their $241.90 fee, which I am now disputing with my credit card company. They did refund me a small amount of money for their set-up fee and the first month's hosting fee. So, now the website that was created for me has been taken down but I'm still expected to pay Brain Host $241.90. This is a ridiculous scam and exploitation by this company. I'm sure they are making quite a lot of money through the above tactics by riding on the coat tails of Auto Coupon Cash and taking advantage of people who are unwittingly led into the purchase of their products thinking they would be covered by the 60-day money-back guarantee provided by Auto Coupon Cash and not really realizing they were dealing with a whole separate entity outside of Auto Coupon Cash upon sign-up. I will continue to dispute the $241.90 as I believe it is unjustified and was a deceptive tactic of Auto Coupon Cash and Brain Host to couch Brain Host's ad within the Auto Coupon Cash sign-up site and exploit that initial opportunity. When you realize the business is not appropriate for you, obtaining a refund from Auto Coupon Cash was easy. However, Brain Host is a different matter. Why would you want to retain the website when you have no further use for it? So, you're either stuck with it, or should you attempt to get a refund, you wind up with a suspended site and you're $241.90 poorer! This is also to warn others not to get involved with the above "opportunity" unless you want to get involved in an eventual dispute with Brain Host. Please pass this information on to others as well.
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Hello, I work for Brain Host Customer Support. We've been working with you over the past month, so I'll re-post our response here. As far as your domain name is concerned, ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is the national association responsible for policing domain names and Internet policy. By law, you retain ownership of your domain name for one year after you register it, no matter what web host you use, whether or not you keep your web hosting. We cannot take back your website, and this is why we (and most other web hosts) do not refund domain registration fees, as is stated on our website and in our Terms of Use. Our entire refund policy, including the non-refund of upgrades, is also stated on our website and in our Terms of Use. Our reps have been in contact with you, and you with them, over the past few weeks to refund the remainder of your purchase price. We are not affiliated with Auto Coupon Cash, we are simply a web host. As a web host, we provide web space to people looking to get websites online. If you need support for Auto Coupon Cash or any other program you signed up for online, you'll need to contact the actual program that you signed up for. If you have any further questions about your Brain Host account, please feel free to contact us.
Jenny M.
Brain Host Customer Support
1-877-586-4694
support [at] brainhost.com
http://www.brainhost.com/help/ |
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| I think the point of user719507 's story is that they were mislead. They believed they were under a 60 day risk free trial... NOBODY reads the disclaimer. When we see 60 day risk free, we assume that you would hold up to your end of the bargain. A similar thing happened to me with your company as well. If I were your company, I would disclose the fees that are non refundable right along with the deal, that is if you want happy customers that you can retain. |
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BrainHost is owned by Vincent Edward Fisher, Mark Warren Jenney, and Victor J. Bierman III. They have been involved in a number of schemes and a number of law suits over the last few years.
http://www.cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2010/09/ohio_attorney_general_sues_thr_1.html
127 Complaints 71 Comments $646, 892 Total Reported Damages
http://es.scambook.com/group/view/1221/BrainHost.com
Brain Host also owns:
mycreativesitedesigns.com
freewebsite.com |
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