Complain About Hostway - learn how to file a complaint

Best ways to complain to Hostway

Navigating their support system can feel like a maze. Here’s a direct path to getting your issue heard.

Honestly, getting a quick reply feels like winning the lottery. But here's what you can generally expect.

🔍 Tips to Get a Quicker Response from a Complaint

• Call early: Try calling the moment their phone lines open in the morning, Central Time, to get ahead of the queue.
• Be specific: In your support ticket, include your domain name, account ID, and a clear, concise description of the problem. No rants.
• Use keywords: Start your ticket subject line with words like "Urgent," "Billing Dispute," or "Website Down" to get it routed faster.

How to Escalate Your Complaint

If you're getting nowhere with their standard support, it's time to escalate. First, try asking for a supervisor or a manager on the phone or in your ticket. Be polite but firm. If that doesn't work, take it public.

Your best bet is filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It's a public forum, and companies often respond to avoid a negative mark on their record. The process is straightforward: you file online, the BBB forwards it to Hostway, and Hostway is asked to respond. BBB works, but prepare to wait. Hostway might need a nudge or two before they even reply.

For issues related to misleading advertising or unfair business practices, you can also file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). While the FTC doesn't resolve individual disputes, your complaint helps them build cases against companies with a pattern of bad behavior.

Email Template to Complain to Hostway

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Unresolved Issue on Account [[Your Account ID or Domain Name]]

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing again to resolve an issue with my hosting service. Despite contacting your support team on [[Date of first contact]], my problem remains unsolved, and frankly, my patience is wearing thin.

On [[Date of incident]], [[Clearly and briefly describe the problem, e.g., my website went down for 5 hours, I was incorrectly billed for $XX.XX, a support ticket #XXXXX has been ignored]]. This has caused significant disruption to my business, and the lack of a resolution is incredibly frustrating.

To resolve this, I require you to [[State your desired outcome clearly, e.g., issue a full refund for the incorrect charge, provide a credit for the downtime, fix the technical issue within 24 hours]].

Please be aware that if this is not resolved within 48 hours, my next step will be to file a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau and dispute the charge with my credit card provider.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

[[Your Name]] [[Your Account ID / Domain Name]]

Additional Helpful Tips to get Your Complaint Resolved

• Always ask for a ticket number. If you're on the phone, insist they create a ticket for your issue and give you the number before you hang up. It's your only proof.
• Go public on X (Twitter). A short, clear tweet tagging @hostway about your issue (and how long you've been waiting) can sometimes get the attention of a social media manager who can escalate it internally.
• Mention the competition. One user on a web hosting forum mentioned they only got a senior tech to look at their problem after stating they were migrating their 15 client websites to a competitor by the end of the week. It shouldn't have to come to that, but it can work.

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