*Edit: Read this first, then check out my latest post to see what REALLY happened and why Clook are nice guys after all*
< AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!! >
OK, so towards the end of last month an affiliate programme that had been going great guns for me suddenly stopped converting so well. We hadn’t changed anything, and the affiliate manager said they sometimes had a drop off at the end of the July sales. “Odd”, I thought. “We don’t usually see this kind of drop off.” However, with all the bad weather in the UK I thought perhaps people were just miserable and not spending.
Enter Clook Web Hosting - The Villan Of The Piece
Today I finally get round to some site maintenance prior to my Fiji trip. Guess what? Every single one of my links to aforementioned merchant (and a couple of others) IS GOING TO THE WRONG PLACE!!!
I use a single file to manage all of my links for database sites. So without letting me know, it seems Clook in their wonderful wisdom have performed some kind of maintenance to the server… and re-uploaded all of my files on July 20th. In doing so, Clook’s wonderful tech staff uploaded an old version of my links file. Thereby ensuring my sites still worked, but none of the links went to the products I have so carefully been preselling.
I would have been better if the site had gone down TBH, I’d have worked out something was up a lot quicker.
And why am I ranting on here instead of contacting Clook? Because their Contact Us page isn’t bloody working!
I’m kicking myself for not having checked my links sooner, but when traffic is still getting through to the merchant, sales are coming in, and I haven’t changed anything it’s not the first thing I think of.
So What Have I Learned From Clooks Incompetence?
- That I probably need to perform random link checks every other day.
- That I need a new web host (which I totally don’t have time to deal with right now!)
- Always investigate thoroughly when there’s any sort of issue. Third party morons may be at play.
So guys and gals… if you use Clook Internet I urge you - think again!
< / AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!! >
August 10th, 2007 at 9:39 am
I’ve used clook for a year now and I’m unsure whether i’m totally happy, but i’m not looking to move for the moment. I’m only on a small reseller account though so they seemed good value for UK hosting.
I know they have been doing some work recently, but I sometimes wonder how big a company they are and I’m worried its too much of a small time company where not many people are doing all the work. They seem to normally respond to support tickets though, so try http://www.clook.info to contact them.
August 10th, 2007 at 10:02 am
What’s a hosting company doing fiddling with your files anyway? Unless you’re doing something against their T&Cs they’ve got no right to be updating your files without your specific consent.
August 10th, 2007 at 10:19 am
interesting post I just moved alot of my sites from 1&1 after nightmares with them read my post here
http://www.affiliates4u.com/forums/web-hosting/62454-help-1-1-close-my-sites-due-pressure-their-server.html
So moved a few key sites to clook to spread my risk.
I must say clook have been great so far replying to tickets within 5 mins any hour of the day.
Although the issue you have had kirsty I can see happening to me and it take a time to notice.
I think the answer is definitely to spread your sites across a couple of host providers
August 10th, 2007 at 10:26 am
It’s nice to know that other people have server problems too! LOL!
I’ve looked at Clook’s website and their home page mentions not accepting new customers and links to http://www.clook.info/forum/showthread.php?t=6079 which explains they are no longer growing. When the servers are full, tough.
If I were you, I’d look at getting out. This looks to me as if it will fold soon. Seems very fishy.
August 10th, 2007 at 10:41 am
It’s all decidedly odd. Myself and Duncan are now questioning ourselves as to whether it was something we did… but it’s just not possible. There’s only ever one version of the file that stuffed us up!
August 11th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Ouch, that sucks. I’ve been in the hosting business before and if we were doing any maintenance we’d stop service, create a backup, do the maintenance, then restore that backup.
If you’re looking for a good host Media Temple is amazing. I’m on the Grid Server package ($20/month), and I’ve never had a problem.
http://mediatemple.net
Email me if you want to be nice and would like to use my affiliate link =D
August 11th, 2007 at 9:41 am
[...] Well, looks like I was wrong about Clook in my last post. [...]