My legal battle with Streamline.net
Streamline.net
I have been contacted by Andrew Dollamore who has asked me to point out that he left Stremline.net in May 2008 and from that date Fasthosts had complete ownership and control of the company.
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At the start of this year www.vinylonthe.net moved its hosting to Streamline.net who offered …
very powerful hosting packages
and promised
great stability
No sooner had the site transfered to them than the problems started. The site would often run slowly, but worst of all it was frequently going offline, often more than once a day and sometimes for many hours at a time.
I’d fill in the support tickets but it was soon apparent that the support staff left at 5pm and I had to wait up to 17 hours to receive their stock reply informing me my site was now working normally.
The support staff were totally unprofessional. As I kept discovering their policy was to deny everything first and then think later, so many times after they’d deny there was a problem there’d be a notice on the Service Status about the very issue that they’d denied existed earlier. They’d also not answer questions regarding specific problems, they either couldn’t answer them or weren’t reading the emails properly, prefering to just return the stock answers. For a great article on their incompetence click here.
So unreliable had the service become that Google drooped the average number of pages it crawled a day from nearly a thousand to almost zero; which, for those of you who know anything about search engine optimisation will know that spells disaster.
I then did something I should have done earlier and investigated online to see if there was any information about Streamline’s business practices. There were lots, seems they were stealing money from people’s accounts, had illegal terms and conditions, provided an abysmal uptime and a useless customer service.
I was getting so sick and tired of customers complaining about the site not working properly and with all complaints to Streamline falling on deaf ears I quit after 5 months and with 19 months on my contract remaining.
So, I asked for a refund on the remaining 19 months but they refused so I took legal action.
Here’s how the scam I fell for works. They take in 100 customers. They put say 10% onto a decent server, look after those customers, they’re happy, they leave testemonials. The other 90% get a shit service on their overloaded servers (they don’t even own the servers the sites are hosted on) and leave with Streamline pocketing their money. Only a small precentage do anything about it, thereby making Streamline.net a lot of money.
I’ll update this with further progress in the forthcoming weeks.
I have noticed an odd thing, on there testimontial page they actually have a testimonial that someone has left (appearently) saying that they will stand up in court! How stupid are the guys at streamline!! – Why would you put something like that, from there point of view that is not a good way to attract new customers. I think its a kinda dig at all the customers who have complained and want there money back.
It’ll be a fake testemonial. They’re obviously getting swamped with legal action and investigations from Trading Standards, OfCom etc. and are trying to stem the flood of legal action.
Good site. It appears on the 2nd page of google search results for ‘streamline.net’ currently. We can only hope more people see this and all the other sites before handing over their credit card numbers to these thieves.
I fell for their trial membership scam where they charge you for 2 years worth of hosting that you do not want and will not refund. They are not going to get away with my money without a fight, that is for sure.
I have also wondered about their testemonials. I just assumed they were faked, but that is a good theory if they do actually put 10% on the fastest servers. It is the same on their facebook site if you google that, but with that I have noticed that if anyone leaves a bad posting on their wall (which happens very often), then it is usually removed by the following week.
Check out the following site:
http://www.streamlinewebhosting.co.uk/
It’s a protest site against streamline.net
I’ve just been contacted by one disgruntled customer who says:
I phoned Derbyshire trading standards last week to ask how they were progressing against streamline. Derek Rudeforth has apparently retired, but they have a bunch of letters addressed to him including the one I sent. They are apparently meeting up with Streamline very soon to discuss *issues* with their terms and conditions.
Never mind “discussing”, they need prosecuting.
Streamline.net , fasthosts.co.uk and Ralph Dummermuth of United Internet AGI
I had my bank account wrongfully debited by a webhosting company, streamline.net, that refused to cancel a three-month trial period then sneakily took a one-year premium hosting package cost from my account – I tried to indict for contravention of the Theft Act, but the Chief Constable of the area of the offence passed it to a subordinate who in turn passed it on to the Derbyshire Trading Standards Office and my money was bounced back into my account – it is illegal, a criminal offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison to wrongfully or deceitfully debit an account (and using steamroller pressure can be termed a form of deceit if use of the law is unfounded and becomes forcefully intimidatory : it is also illegal to use the law in pursuance of an offence, and the law comes down on this like a ton of bricks.
I now know that streamline.net were sellers-on of the talents of fasthosts.co.uk who bought streamline.net’s customer base last May/June. I now know that fasthosts.co.uk sold out to United Internet AG for 90 million euros (£61mill) in 1999, or more to the point, sold out to Ralph Dummermuth, the German internet billionare who founded ‘1 und1’ and who is the main shareholder of the owning company United Internet Ag.
Today I sent emails to the board members of fasthosts.co.uk, Andrew Michael CEO, Michael Hogan Finance Director, Mark Cowne Sales & Marketing Director,
Steve Holford Press, and Billing, and Support, informing them of my intention to apply for their indictment and the indictment of the actual instigators, for theft if they do not return money continually taken from my bank after I had cancelled my Distance Selling contract with them due to their poor support. Google the Distance Selling statute and you will see just how the steamroller these companies use is a cover, a camouflage for their ignoring the demands made on them by the statute and just how they have drifted into dangerous ground given the Theft Act – google this as well!
I also sent a copy of the email to [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] (the board) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] .
The greater the number of the more detailed type of emails the board and their minions receive from disgruntled customers that suffer because of the ‘robust’ methods for making a billion or two they seem to have exported into the UK the US and not forgetting the poor sods in Germany who my research tells me have had it harder for a lot longer, the more Herr Dummermuth might come to realise the role that good old honest customer relations might play in him keeping a euro or two.
What say you?
I’ve had the same issues with Streamline.net failing to cancel my account & charging my card. I’ve had no joy pursuing their complaints department, so have sent details of my case to OfCom & BBC Watchdog & will be contacting Derby Trading Standards tomorrow.
They are useless – you may find my blog on Streamline.net of interest. http://www.mrcrip.com/blog/streamlinenet-cheap-web-hosting-is-crap/
just found this on the ‘blackdog’ forum on page 2 of streamline.net pages
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I have also had exactly the same problem with andrew dollamores streamline.net, but here is some good news for you, I have contacted trading standards and the authoraties, apparently streamline has breached four trading legislations and ofcorse the law, hence the police fraud team will be soon seizing all of the companies assets for investigation, followed by court appearences that will result in a trading injunction that means they will not be able to trade ever again, whatsmore the fines and jail sentence is hefty, and I’d say the powers that be are very angry with streamline, which might explain such a great response to my case!, they will be made an example of by the media also, I’m making sure of that, your 100% right when you said to them that they belong in jail, it seems they have been hurting families financially for a long time, and lets not forget that we are in an economic crysis at christmas time, thanks to gordon brown ‘BORROWING’ 450 billion from us! then demanding an increase in government ‘BORROWING’.
I have used this company for too long now they are absolute thieving bastards who have stolen without my permission from my Credit cards – ANDREW DOLLARMORE is the owner he is a multi-millionaire total ASSHOLE!!! NEVER USE HOSTING ON THIS SHITE COMPANY
Am I just very naive??? I thought it was just me. Then I was reading some testimonials on the streamline website as mentioned above talking about ‘going to court’ and about the ‘bad publicity streamline receives on the internet’ so I did a google search and bingo it isn’t just me! I would not have thought to look had I not seen those testimonials.
I too took out a 3 month trial and decided at the end to upgrade to the ‘Home’ account but when I logged on the account had already been upgraded to unlimited. I had left it till the last day of the trial but tried to update at around lunchtime on the last day. I complained and pointed out that in most walks of life a trial expires ‘after’ and not ‘before’ the date given. I used the analegy of a library book, if taken back on the day due there is no fine to pay etc. All I received by way of reply was the stock answer refer to the terms and conditions. I copied and pasted the T&C back in the support ticket highlighting the words ‘after’ the trial I pointed out that I was not able to upgrade before the end because it had already been done at their end. I asked for the matter to be refered to a manager. This was a mistake as I have not heard from them since!
This is when I do appear very thick, because I then upgraded to a bulk user and created more sites using site wizard. I have had endless problems with whole websites just vanishing with no support whatsoever. Because I copied the code back into the ftp files the sites appear okay, so I get messages back from the support team saying I had obviously fixed the problem.
Going back to taking money, this week I tried to set up a trial account for someone else, in their name and address, but paid with my card, when I realised halfway through the process that both addresses would need to be the same so I stopped the process. I checked the domain name I was trying to register was still available so assumed that nothing had gone through. Today I found out that they have charged me for the domain name to be registered despite the fact that the domain name is still available!
So it is good to know I am not alone, any recomendations for a good alternative host when my 2 year sentance is up?
Hi Web Des,
I would certainly take issue with your “We use only top quality hosting from” comment on your site! I got an email from Streamline the other day saying they are starting to listen to their customers and have made their service better bla bla bla. Is that an admission that it’s been crap up until now?
In late November I received correspondence from the bailiffs advising that they couldn’t find the Streamline.net premises. I spoke to them and this didn’t resolve the matter, so I advised them that I’d visit the premises and clarify it’s location, which would also have given me the chance to confront Dollamore.
So, on Thursday 4th December at 2pm I was in Melbourne, I had no problem finding their office it was just off Castle Street in a small area called The Stack Yard opposite 63/65 Castle Street and beside a veterinary surgeons.
What I can reveal is that the offices were empty, no-one was answering and on the reception desk there was a pile of opened mail and some ‘Sorry you were out’ cards from the Post Office. It was immediately obvious that it was once a busy office (boardroom tables, plaques on walls, photocopier etc.) but that apart from the occasional visitor (probably Dollamore senior who lives on Castle Street) that all meaningful sales and logistic operations had been moved elsewhere.
Anyway, I was able to map the location and photohgraph the offices for the bailiffs.
Imagine my surprise when I returned home to find correspondence from the bailiffs saying that they’d received a cheque from Dollamore Ltd and were awaiting its clearance!
The cheque from the court arrived yesterday and I’ve uploaded the attached paperwork in the original posting as I can’t add images to this post.
When fasthosts.co.uk bought streamline.net customer base last year on behalf of United Internet AG, did they not also by all the associated problems?
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One Way To Get Your Money Back From An Obdurate Fasthosts.co.uk
Or how a German billionaire’s diktat succeeds in cheapening the laws of England &Wales and himself.
A letter that forced the return of money wrongfully taken from my account and the deserved follow-up letter after return of my money, and submitted in the hope that it may help sufferers of a similar fate.
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1]
For – Mr Andrew Michael, CEO Fasthosts.co.uk und Herr Ralph Dommermuth, CEO United Internet AG, and all officers of the linked companies : under UK law ‘where an offence occurs, all businesses are counted as one’
Sirs,
I received a ‘phone call Friday 14/11/2008 on your behalf Mr Andrew Michael, seeking ‘communication’ with me. I have to assume this meant ‘communication’ regarding my attempts to claw back money wrongfully and continually taken, even after warnings not to, from my bank account after I cancelled my ‘Distance Selling’ contract with the company you run due to unacceptably poor support. But I have made myself perfectly clear on this subject continually : I do not ‘communicate’, deal in any way or form whatsoever, with thieves – as Mr Andrew Dollamore of streamline.net will attest. So I informed the caller that I had no interest in communicating, asked for money wrongfully taken to be put back into my bank account, and I put the ‘phone down.
I have found that dealing with such people is simply a way for them to propagandise their rationale for thievery, no matter how feeble or unlawful. A perfect example of this was communicated to me by one of the four people from around Europe currently in contact with me (there have been many) regarding money taken wrongfully from their accounts by both streamline.net and fasthosts.co.uk – one person has been told that the communications regarding the cancellation that should have stopped the money being taken from his account was not made by him to the correct department nor in the correct manner (the person does not agree with this assessment, but how do you make progress against the obdurate?) But Distance Selling legislation is clear and distinct on this matter : the onus lies with the company to internally communicate the customer’s cancellation – even to the extreme of the customer simply ‘communicating’ to the company’s last known address and being able to prove this (emails do this rather well) the onus still lies with the company to institute the customer’s cancellation.
So what can be made of such an excuse, such a perverse and unlawful rationale for taking money from a customer’s bank account without neither the customer’s knowledge, nor permission, nor expectation? The obduracy with which the position is held, namely ‘we have your money and you are not getting it back’, speaks volumes. And it is absolutely pointless to engage in any ‘communication’ where such obduracy is displayed.
But in my case you have gone even further than law ignoring obduracy!
You have ignored the Distance Selling legislation, you have ignored The Theft Act, and not only have you taken money from my account, but you have continued taking my money even after I had pointed out and several times that you were in fact contravening the law, and, even further, on the last occasion, and when my bank refused you payment, you used subterfuge to extract the payment.
I expect the money wrongfully taken from my account to be repaid into my bank account within the week or I will indeed proceed with seeking indictment of all company officers of ‘all the businesses that are one business’.
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2]
Dear Sir,
Fasthosts.co.uk’s return, under threat of indictment for contravention of The Theft Act of money wrongfully taken from my bank account, after their repeated contraventions were adumbrated to the board members of fasthosts.co.uk (buyer of streamline.net, incorporated in 2002 at the same address) and owner Ralph Dommermuth’s United Internet AG, Germany.
Thank you for your email informing me that all the money wrongfully taken from my account has been returned.
But you seem to have detached yourself somewhat from reality in your email : you state that you are returning all payments taken from my bank account as an act of goodwill, and by saying I had not complied with the conditions of the contract that existed between us you imply that you had no need to return my money, thereby conveniently ignoring the fact that had I not bombarded the 16 email addresses of United Internet AG and fasthosts.co.uk, I would A] still be without my money and G] you would still be trying to wrongfully take money from my bank account – ‘where there is an offence, all connected businesses are to be regarded as one’ The Theft Act
You act continually on the basis that fasthosts.co.uk contracts have an unquestionably inviolable validity – a diktat from above, without doubt. And this is patently nonsense! Because according to the related law of England & Wales, a non-compliance with Distance Selling law invalidates a contract ‘it is as though no contract had existed’ (I have mentioned you should check out ‘best practice’ and by, for example, buying something from ‘distance sellers’ Marks & Spencers.) As does a customer’s cancellation negate contract where services are ‘not fit for purpose’ – a door-to-door non-distance selling salesman would get a boot up the backside as he was shown the gate if he tried some of the stunts me and your customers complain about. So it is patently obvious that this nonsense is the product of diktat from above in its reflection of your constant need to continually ignore the related laws of England & Wales in the enforcement as inviolable of contracts the law can render non-inviolable contracts, and that can be seen reflected in fasthosts.co.uk’s wealth of irate customers. But it is by the laws of England & Wales that fasthosts.co.uk is governed and to which fasthosts.co.uk and its connected companies will be answerable.
Herr Ralph Dommermuth may indeed have 7.3 million contracts to wave proudly about as the basis for a 2007, 1.372 billion euro turnover, and his billionaire worth. But if the standard of the fasthosts.co.uk diktat contract is a reflection of the standard of a Herr Dommermuth diktat contract, then he’s not worth a toss!
Sincerely
Is it not now the case that streamline.net exists only in name alone, and is in fact now being run from the fasthosts.co.uk building at 154 Southgate, Gloucester?
Anyone owed anything, in terms of service or complaint or finance,should they not now be addressing fasthosts.co.uk for resolution or redress?
The assets that allowed streamline.net to exist are in the building in which streamline.net was incorporated in 2002, the year of the first person to be ripped off by streamline.net.
Certainly started as they would finish!!
I’ve also had terrible experience with Streamline. I left them to transfer to another company (OxyUK, now Young Expert), who had even worse practices. They’ve just stopped all of their hosted websites from working, and have no communication.
The worst thing about Streamline is they don’t register their domains in their customers names. So You have to transfer it in to your name, which costs money.
I’m currently in a legal dispute with Streamline, and OxyUK to get ownership back on my domain. Thankfully, the company that regulates domains in the UK (Nominet) is absolutely fantastic. One of the best customer relations departments I’ve ever had contact with.
I find it incredibly hard to find reliable hosting in the UK. And after all the debacle I’ve had with the above companies, it’s important that they are in the UK with a working phone number.
Having some troubles with streamline myself but I am rather fortunate in that I cancelled the card I registered with them before they could extort me. They are refusing to close the account until the balance has been paid, and of course I am not going to pay it in a million years. They denied that I ever attempted to close the account (which is rubbish), but there is not a lot they can do. I am expecting them to spew some legal babble at some point but as it has been mentioned on this site already, they hardly have a leg to stand on.
I’m in the same position but I paid with cheque so they cant extort money from my card 😉 .I have sent email to trading standards and will be contacting many other organistations to have action taken against streamline.net and further more pay me for wasting my time and trying to scam me. I will do my best that they do not get away with entrapping other customers for services they do not wish to use.
I have used them for about 3 years and have not had a lot of trouble. Sometimes the mail server is very slow, but generally ok. Must be one of the lucky ones
Richard
One of the lucky 10% Richard? lol 😉
I also currently in a nightmare with these people. the horrible thing is i never even uploaded a single file, they are trying to charge me £124 just for filling in some web on the internet. HA!!! my credit card did not have enough funds, so gutted streamshite!!! and i will now cancel it, you will not get a penny from me. and Unfair terms laws can sooo easily be applied to their crap terms! they are wholly unethical and totally will not listen to reason and always reply with the same answer! SO incredibly annoying.
I have had problems with them for some time. I have just this minute spoken to Derbyshire Trading Standards who say they have an on-going case with them.It seems thay are trading from an address that is not Derbyshire. And that the case is in the process of being sent to the new area,were-ever that is. I intend to look at companys house and find out.
Here is a list of fasthost director history,they are parent of streamline.
Company Filing History Include Allotment of Shares
Type Date Description Order
288b 20/11/2008 DIRECTOR RESIGNED ANDREAS GAUGER
288c 24/10/2008 DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY’S PARTICULARS MICHAEL HOGAN
288a 26/08/2008 DIRECTOR APPOINTED DR OLIVER CHRISTIAN MAUSS
288a 10/12/2006 NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
363s 27/11/2006 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/06; FULL LIST OF MEMBERS
288b 13/11/2006 DIRECTOR RESIGNED
288a 13/11/2006 NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
225 21/09/2006 ACC. REF. DATE EXTENDED FROM 31/10/06 TO 31/12/06
288b 06/06/2006 DIRECTOR RESIGNED
AUD 06/06/2006 AUDITOR’S RESIGNATION
RES01 06/06/2006 AUTH ALLOT OF SECURITY 15/05/06
ALTER ARTICLES 15/05/06
AA 06/03/2006 FULL ACCOUNTS MADE UP TO 31/10/05
AA 06/03/2006 FULL ACCOUNTS MADE UP TO 31/10/04
363s 12/12/2005 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/05; NO CHANGE OF MEMBERS;DIRECTOR’S PARTICULARS CHANGED
288b 05/12/2005 DIRECTOR RESIGNED
288a 21/06/2005 NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED
288b 21/06/2005 SECRETARY RESIGNED;DIRECTOR RESIGNED
288a 20/06/2005 NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED
288b 20/06/2005 SECRETARY RESIGNED;DIRECTOR RESIGNED
288a 11/04/2005 NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED
288c 11/04/2005 DIRECTOR’S PARTICULARS CHANGED
288b 11/04/2005 SECRETARY RESIGNED
363s 10/12/2004 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/04; NO CHANGE OF MEMBERS
288b 06/08/2004 SECRETARY RESIGNED
288a 06/08/2004 NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED
AA 02/06/2004 FULL ACCOUNTS MADE UP TO 31/10/03
AAMD 08/04/2004 AMENDED FULL ACCOUNTS MADE UP TO 31/10/02
363s 22/11/2003 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/03; FULL LIST OF MEMBERS
AA 28/08/2003 FULL ACCOUNTS MADE UP TO 31/10/02
288a 05/06/2003 NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
363s 30/12/2002 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/02; FULL LIST OF MEMBERS
RES01 09/07/2002 ALTERATION TO MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES
288b 01/06/2002 DIRECTOR RESIGNED
AA 28/02/2002 FULL ACCOUNTS MADE UP TO 31/10/01
363s 05/11/2001 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/01; FULL LIST OF MEMBERS;SECRETARY’S PARTICULARS CHANGED;DIRECTOR’S PARTICULARS CHANGED;LOCATION OF DEBENTURE REGISTER ADDRESS CHANGED
288b 12/10/2001 DIRECTOR RESIGNED
122 16/07/2001 S-DIV
31/01/01
RES12 16/07/2001 VARYING SHARE RIGHTS AND NAMES
AA 31/05/2001 FULL ACCOUNTS MADE UP TO 31/10/00
288a 17/04/2001 NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
288b 17/04/2001 SECRETARY RESIGNED
288a 17/04/2001 NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED
288a 17/04/2001 NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
395 03/04/2001 PARTICULARS OF MORTGAGE/CHARGE
287 03/04/2001 REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 03/04/01 FROM:
60 KINGS WALK
GLOUCESTER
GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL1 1LA
288a 09/03/2001 NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
MISC 20/12/2000 AMEND 882-250 X 10P SHAR 13/9/00
363s 28/11/2000 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/00; FULL LIST OF MEMBERS
WRES13 19/09/2000 SUB DIVISION 13/09/00
122 19/09/2000 S-DIV
13/09/00
288b 29/06/2000 DIRECTOR RESIGNED
AA 22/04/2000 ACCOUNTS FOR ‘SMALL’ CO. MADE UP TO 31/10/99
288b 09/03/2000 SECRETARY RESIGNED
288a 09/03/2000 NEW SECRETARY APPOINTED;NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED
363s 06/12/1999 RETURN MADE UP TO 26/10/99; FULL LIST OF MEMBERS
A lot of resignations
3 days after incorporatin look who resigned.
288b 29/10/1998 SECRETARY RESIGNED
NEWINC 26/10/1998 INCORPORATION DOCUMENTS
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS & REGISTERED OFFICE
DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
They increased my bill from £18 to £38 in 2 years. I called up to cancel but because i didn’t do it in writing they rolled my account over and say i owe them a years subscription. Now they wont let me have my domain back and are threatening legal action regarding the out standing balance.
There terms and conditions are a joke. Its practically impossible to leave. I’m not an expert but I’m sure there not legal.
I can only echo what everyone here has said, I am a programmer and University student. I took out the hosting after a battle with another hosting company who tried the same trap of.
30 day cancelation period
a day over and we will renew your contract and theres nothing you can do about it.
I am yet to cancel with streamline but am doing so now, me and my friend are with streamline and are very disapointed with the customer services.
It states “you may not cancel within a term period”
I have a right to cancel when I want without a refund aslong as I give 30 day notice ?. I imagine they are going to make it VERY hard for me to cancel and try and get me to renew.
Streamline used to host my two sites. Almost every problem described above happened to me. If you are interested in a real support thread I had (I think it is hilarious see this post of mine from May 2007.
Here’s the real sneaky bit though. When you are a customer the only hope of getting any sort of reply is to use the snail response support ticket system. I tried to use this to cancel my accounts. I was advise that I had to call a premium rate (0844) number and, you guessed it, sat in a queue for 30 minutes with no answer at the end. I can’t wait to see how much it cost me – certainly more than next year’s hosting subscription.
I recently had an email from Streamline saying that my 2 yearly subscription was due. I activated the link in my streamline account and assumed that everything was OK. It certainly was not. When I had a look at my bank statement I found that instead of my inclusive premium of £32.87, I had been debited with £51.74. When I complained via a work ticket, I was told that an email had been sent on 1st January 2009 advising of the increase. I certainly did not receive a copy.
What do I do now? Almost £20 adrift. Not too concerned about the amount, but enraged at the way it has been done.
I shall certainly not be renewing again.
It seems streamline.net’s old customer list is being trawled in the attempt to frighten people into paying for hosting accounts that should never have been allowed to have been cancelled by the customer, and according to a contract which can never run out according to the heavies trying to get money out of the people they contact – I have had 2 people contact contact me inthe last week or so with exactly this problem. So who is doing this, fasthosts, the owner, or Herr Dommermuth (founder of 1 und1) of United Internet AG that actually bought fasthosts? This very ‘heavy loan-shark’ tactic ignores the Distance Selling statute that gives the lie to Herr Dommermuth’s belief that his ‘contracts’ are inviolable.
I had an account with this sham company that was cancelled 3 years ago due to there inefficiency, just to cancel the agreement took about 30 support tickets numerous phone calls and letters however after 3 months I received a letter from them apologising for their mistakes and comfirming cancellation of the contract, they even sent a free Streamline chocolate bar as compensation (such generosity). For the last 2 years money for both the domain name and webhosting services has been taken from my account. The bank won’t do anything as they say it is a debit card transaction and tell me I will have to reclaim direct from streamline.net. I have contacted streamline and you just get the standard fill in a support ticket. How can I fill in a support ticket when I can’t even log into an account and what is the point because they totally ignore the tickets anyway. The only support ticket I can complete is one that goes to there so called sales team who refuse to show the person sitting next to them my complaint and refuses to supply an e-mail address. All he will supply is a telephone number, even though you have told him you will not waste time and money phoning a fool who will just tell you there is an account and that is why the money has been taken. My advice to anyone is steer clear of this company unless you are willing to have money continually taken from your account for a non existent contract.
Les,
two addresses that will sort your problems once and for all
Fasthosts.co.uk own streamline.net now, and this ‘trawling’ for money is being pursued by them
Fasthosts.co uk -Owners streamline.net
Discovery House,
154 Southgate Street,
Cloucester GL1 2EX
Chief Constable of Gloucestershire
Dr Timothy Brain OBE QPM BA PhD FRSA
Gloucester Constabulary
County Police Headquarters
No 1 Waterswell
Waterswell Drive
Quedgeley,
Gloucester GL2 2AN
They must be within shouting distance of each other.
Write to the chief constable…
” I am having money taken wrongfully from my bank account – and I am not the only one apparently – by a company which last year bought out a company I had cancelled my dealings with some three years ago. My bank said the company is exploiting the ‘direct debit’ agreements and can do nothing to stop them.
Out of the blue, this company is contravening The Theft Act (Amended 1996)by debiting money wrongfully from my account and for no valid reason. May I request your assistance in indicting them for such contravention ”
I believe you will get your money back and, if you have a little better luck than I did, you will see your particular thief/thieves get their collars felt
Amazing they are still at it. I changed my bank account to stop them.
Aidas contact me at [email protected] consumeractiongroup private messages are a mess – i tried for over half-an-hour to write you a message and failed!
Don’t mess about with the buggers, go straight to Gloucestershire Chief of Police
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If you google ‘streamline.net , legal’ go to vinylonthenet forum for example, you will find as history of complaints against Andrew Dollamore and his streamline.net before he sold its customer base to United Internet AG, Germany (the German internet billionaire Ralph Dommermuth) and now run by fasthosts.co.uk owned by United Internet.
Fasthosts.co.uk are now ‘trawling’ old streamline.net accounts for money.
I have suggested to others who have been ‘trawled’ to ask Gloucestershire’s Chief of Police for his assistance in indicting all the officers of United Internet and fasthosts.co.uk (where there is an offence, all companies are to be considered as one’ – The Theft Act 1996) for contravention of the Theft Act. (see my entries in vinylonthenet) Debiting anothers account without reason/deceitfully etc is a criminal offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
I got my money back off fasthosts.co.uk/United Internet by giving them a working week to put my money back into my account or be indicted for contravention of the Theft Act. I got my money back a year or so earlier from streamlibe.net by asking the Derbyshire Chief of Police to indict Andrew Dollamore, the self-syled ‘CEO’ of the streamline.net one-man band.
Google either ‘streamline.net , legal’ ‘Andrew Dollamore , legal’ or ‘Dollamore Ltd , legal’ and you will find masses of people who have been done by this bunch of pickpockets
Zip
Dear all;
Yes, same problem. Out of he blue, 114.98 went missing from the account. Debit card payment, I can only assume I signed for a three months trial, never usedit.They could not (or did not want to) find my card, name or anything in their system. Thank you for details about police as I will use it accordingly. Note to the webmaster: If interested, I will use extractions of communications about the poor service and fraudulent activity on my websites. There are clearly ways to get in touch with these morons or shut their business down.
I believe Streamline are thieving scum.
I had no problems with their service until I left. They are still (more than a year later) treating me as a customer & an idiot. They send me emails, they bill me for domains that are hosted elsewhere, that they are not even registrars for. My credit card company now automatically issues chargebacks for any charges they attempt to make. They email me but if I reply I never get an answer.
I no longer recommend streamline & will never do business with them ever again.
Oh great – I cancelled my account with streamline a week after opening it in June… today 15th September out of the blue £114.98 has gone from my account to streamline without warning. I have contacted my bank, trading standards, fasthosts and streamline I am also writing to Micheal hogan director of both fasthosts ans streamline.net to both his home address (which I got from companies house under fasthosts) and to their offices.. found these email addresses seem to work: [email protected]
Majority shareholder of Streamline.net is now Fasthosts.
Director of streamline.net is [email protected]
any telephone numbers thats not a indian call centre
Same problem here. The amount of £74.73 taken from my account without consent. I had actually been happy with the hosting service too, been with them a few years, but given that this is the second time they’ve charged me without notification I’m moving the site to another host. I’ll be issuing a chargeback through my bank and writing a complaint to some of the numerous addresses I’ve seen posted online for Chief of Police etc. My hosting account wasnt even due for renewal for another 3 months, which I would have happily paid had they notified me a month prior to expiring. I’ll make sure to help this page climb the google rankings by linking to it with the anchor “Streamline.net” on the other dozen or so websites I maintain 🙂
cant believe they are still up to their old tricks, this has been going on for years, they took my money but I got it back. At least two years ago, they keep emailing me every few months,
All I want to say is basically streamline is the worst ever. Since I started with them 10 months ago , they have consistantly been off line , consistantly been fobbed off with pathetic excuses , like it’s my fault , clear my cache, I have too many visitors on my site , change my sql etc…etc..etc…which I have all done but to no avail. Pathetic thats all I can say streamline.net is pathetic
Just examined my bank statement and surprise surprise. They have robbed me for £35 with no explantion and no items listed on their ‘invoice’. Contacted the director (hogan) just now. Lets see how long it takes to get a reply. Will keep you informed!
I fell for the same 3 month trial trick as so many others, but after 2 months I got the £115 they took charged back to my account and I hope that’s the last I hear of it.
I can’t believe Streamline has been allowed to stay in business after years of abusing its customers’ trust like this.
I too have (am) just falling fowl of streamlines auto renewal policy. I had no contact from them stating the account was up for renewal and no indication of when they would charge my card and for how much. I managed to send them a ticket on the renewal date (more luck than judgment) stating that I did not wish for another two year contract but they ignored this ticket all together and charged me just over £86. Money I fear I will not see again!
Looking over their terms seems to indicate that
7.1 Customers may not cancel their Service/s during the term of service;
– ok so you have to wait till the service is up yes! er no…
7.1 Customers may not cancel their Service/s during the term of service;
– sorry I thought they said I couldn’t cancel within the terms of service!
6.5 YOU AGREE THAT YOU THE CUSTOMER ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT YOUR SERVICES ARE RENEWED
But clearly your not as they do it without consent!
I fear a long battle that I will only win in two years when they have no info of me or my card!
Steve,
Consumer protection laws forbid the ‘booby trapping’ of customers; that is, all terms and conditions have to be up-front and visible. This is the law recognising that an act of faith and trust exists on a customer’s part inasmuch customers take for granted that the company being dealt with will respect that trust and do nothing underhand, use no ‘booby traps’ as the law commands.
The expectation of ‘fair and above board dealing is therefore a statutory right in consumer protection law, and cannot be undermined, and any attempt to so do is is an offence in law. Anybody or company that publishes anything that attempts to undermine a statutory right is committing a CRIMINAL OFFENCE, and is therefore indictable. T & Cs like the ones you quote from streamline.net are an offence against consumer protection law. In quoting their T & Cs in attempting to deny you the statutory right to cancel a contract where for example customer support is not fit for purpose, the streamline.net T & Cs may be considered as publishing of material that attempts to undermine to negate your statutory right to cancel a contract where customer support is not fit for purpose.
Keep your emails showing this attempt and tell them they are committing a criminal offence in publishing to undermine and negate a statutory right, your statutory right to so cancel.
The act of taking money from your account without your knowledge expectation nopr consent is a cotravention of The Theft, a criminal offence punishable by up to ten years in prison.
And what I have said above are only some of laws peope who go down the route of ‘booby trapping’ T & C are breaking, and which are meant to stop such activities.
I’ve just noticed in my account today that on the 18th Jan 2010, they’ve taken out £62 without emailing me with any notification. This was for a “renewal” or domain name and service hosting but they’ve never informed me of a renewal or asked me for consent or asked me if i even wanted a renewal. I’m really scared as to what they’ll try and do. But how incredibly sneaky is that of them to just take out money without notifying me 1st!?!?! I’m going to ring them up later today and try and get my money back! I’m really gobsmacked! Wish me all the luck in the world!
Well… No luck there, I am yet another victum of the streamline scam! I don’t trust them enough to let them keep my bank details and other card details so i’ve cut up and cancelled my card with my bank just to be on the safeside. Never again with these cowboys!
Sarah, who recently contacted me, found the vregistrant of her domain name is in fact Dollamore Ltd. So the streamline.net T & C lies blatantly when it says you will own your domain name.
hi i want to cancel my site and just was looking for the terms and came across this website. i’m really scared now. i just sent them an email through webmail saying that i wanted to cancel my account immediately, as i will soon have to pay for the next two years. when they say written notice do they mean by letter??? or is the email i gave them ok?
i didn’t know that my contract was going to be renewed automatically without any written notice, and today 23-02-2010 when i was going to change my hosting package i was informed by a technical help desk that my hosting and domain contract has been automatically renewed for another 2 years and i have an out standing bill off £127 , good thing was they were not able to take the money out my card because i lost my card some time ago and the card number was changed . is it not the uk law to let the customer know before the contract is to renewed …?, could some one please advice me on how to overcome this situation.