Avoid the Hosting Money Back Guarantee Pitfall
When comparing web hosting companies, you will notice similar traits which indicate that many options have become standard on the market. One of the most common of them all is the money back guarantee. In fact, if you run across a provider that doesn’t offer it, you should probably click yourself away from their site as fast as possible. While a money back guarantee is certainly comforting, one should keep in mind that everything isn’t always what it seems.
What is a Guarantee?
First and foremost, you should take the money back guarantee for what it really is: an effective marketing ploy that helps reel in new customers. Just seeing the guarantee gives the customer a sense of security, making them feel as if they aren’t taking such a big risk. Once upon a time, guarantees were almost non-existent. This meant that with any product or service you wanted to purchase, tremendous risks were involved. While the merchant essentially had nothing to lose, the customer stood to lose everything if the purchased item wasn’t to their liking. With a money back guarantee, all those risks shift back to the seller, pressuring them to market offerings that deliver as promised. This is the overall concept from the web hosting business to many other industries. Unfortunately, these guarantees often come attached with more tricks than you can shake a stick at.
Types of Guarantees
Different web hosting companies will offer different types of money back guarantees. Some offer 30, 45 or 90-day guarantees while some take it the extreme with the “no questions asked” guarantee. The latter appears to be the most attractive but often tends to be the trickiest as well. When running across such a provider, it is highly unlikely that you will receive 100% of your money back. There is usually some stipulation be it a specific time period of services like domain registration that prevent you from getting the full amount. These conditions are warranted because when you think about it, the company actually stands to lose the most. If they offered unconditional guarantees, they would be at the risk of being scammed by unscrupulous customers looking to advantage of the offering. The flip side of the coin is the company that tries to scam you by taking your money and not living up to their word. Many customers have found it next to impossible to obtain an advertised money back guarantee, fighting back and forth with the provider in attempts to prove their case. After signing yourself into a contract, this could be a battle you just can’t win.
What Do You Do?
The question remains; should you go after the money back guarantee? By all means. Just make sure you know what you’re getting into before purchasing service. Grill the host with questions about how much you get back over a given time frame as well as the situations that would prevent you from receiving that amount. After gathering those details, choose a company that offers a respectable guarantee you feel comfortable with. This will give you enough time to test out the service and determine if it’s the best move for you.
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