Over the years I have tried a couple of different hosts. Last year I briefly gave one.com a try, but found their services too restrictive and moved the one web site I had with them (they only allow one) to my favourite host. So I was surprised when I received an invoice for my upcoming renewal for my hosting plan at one.com. I sent a friendly e-mail explaining that I have stopped using their services a long time ago, and that I had moved the domain name as well. One.com replied that I had to pay anyway, even though my account was now closed – because you have to terminate your account 45 friggin’ days before the renewal date. That’s like half a digital year. Obviously that clause is there for the sole purpose of extracting money from disgruntled customers.

Well, it served its purpose. I paid the bill, and I am now an (annoyed, bad-tempered, beefing, bellyaching, cranky, critical, disappointed, discontent, discontented, displeased, dissatisfied, griping, grouchy, grousing, grumpy, irritable, irritated, kicking, kvetching, malcontent, malcontented, peeved, peevish, petulant, put out, sulky, sullen, testy, uncontent, ungratified, vexed) ex-customer. Now effectively I had to pay 24 months for a service I used maybe two of.

One.com is neither the cheapest, the fastest, the friendliest, the most open, most flexible hosting provider out there. I for one (sorry for the cheap pun) recommend Media Temple.

For Norwegian google users: Ikke bruk one.com; one.com suger.