Screwed By Siteleader

I've been with Siteleader for several years, and they seemed okay, if not a bit slow and unresponsive for the last year or two. They billed me, however, $125/year to register my domain, and recommended also registering the .org and .net variations to protect myself, so another $125 each, with no advance notice of billing.

I always suspected this was run by younger folks who don't interact well with people, but it wasn't until I tried to setup online commerce that I really found their shortcomings. The OS Commerce software seems better suited to Europe since it lacks basic functionality for interstate commerce, shipping calcluation, sales tax, and is clunky in my opinion. As I struggled with it, invested in credit card processing, authorize.net, etc., and time to build the catalog, it just didn't work out. The credit card processing didn't happen despite all appearances that I set everything properly.

When asking for help and expressing frustration with the OS Commerce package one response (often without a name) from Siteleader was "we don't know every software program out there". Well, I was just asking for help with the one they were providing. Lack of follow up, promises to help and fix things, my disappointment with the whole ecommerce experience through them drove me to find another provider. A dozen emailed inquiries about ending service later I received a brief reply that indicated that I would be charged $495 (!) per domain to terminate services with their firm.

I tried desperately to reason with them, but emails went unanswered, their phone number goes to voicemail 312-324-0384. Another number, oddly similar, 312-324-0348 rings at a boutique in Chicago and the gal who answers says "Chris" does the computer stuff, but messages or him are not returned. I plead with siteleader via email for a phone number or for a return call so that I can speak with someone in person. (and I had received periodic calls from "Ron" who also answers the accounts@siteleader.com email address-when there is a name) who seemed polite, but I suspect these guys bury their heads in the sand and wait for someone to give up and just pay to leave.

I contacted someone at enom.com since that's where my domain name is registered, a fellow there indicated that since I was shown as the owner, I was good, he would notify them and in 24 hours he could let me take ownership and sign up direct with them. Well, Siteleader saw this "ticket" activity and changed the name of the owner to themselves so now this fellow at enom says there's nothing he can do.

I've been stressed and livid for the past two days. Convinced at first they weren't reading my emails at siteleader, then they'd send 2nd and 3rd notices that to cancel an authorized person would need to contact them and the fees would be due. Irony, since I can't effectively make contact with them.

Then, when I thought they were ignoring my emails, or they weren't getting through (understandable, since emails through my website don't always forward, courtesy of these same idiots) I received an email that just effectively said "pay up and then go work on your own business, go away", no name, but this from a supposed "legal and compliance department". I suspect there are no grown ups involved here.

I'm stuck looking at legal action. I did file with BBB, but it's so tricky with their addresses, though I found a P.O. Box that might work, they seem to merely dodge any customer service issues, yet penalize anyone who wants to leave for better service.