HostGator

0 Stars – Overcharging and Pushy Upselling I’ve been a HostGator customer for nearly 20 years, and this most recent experience left me extremely disappointed. All I wanted to do was downgrade my hosting plan to Hatchling since I only run a couple of small websites. The site is intentionally designed so you cannot downgrade on your own, forcing you into a support chat. Instead of making the process simple, I was questioned repeatedly, delayed, and subjected to upselling attempts—even after I made it clear that I am on a fixed income and don’t need extra services. For years I’ve been overpaying for a plan that allowed 50 sites when I only needed a fraction of that. HostGator never once reached out to let me know there were cheaper options. In the end, I had to spend far too much time in chat just to get the downgrade, and I was denied any credit or consideration for years of overcharges. The rep even tried to pitch me a “discount” that still cost significantly more than their advertised prices for new customers. This is not how you treat loyal customers. The experience felt unethical, frustrating, and like a money grab. I will seriously consider moving my sites elsewhere.

This company is unprofessional. They have very bad support they wouldn't even assist me and told me to try to chat box. I paid for restoring emails 2 times and no action was taken to assist me!

HOSTGATOR STOLE MY MONEY ❗❗. Update and warning to the community ⚠ ⚠. After two weeks, they couldn't activate my domain. They wanted to ask for personal documents like my passport and proof of address to activate it (a total red flag 🚩🚩🚩. I've bought many domains and I know those documents aren't necessary). They told me it was the reseller's problem, the payment provider's problem... they said it was everyone's problem except their own. They also didn't offer me any alternative solutions. When I asked for a refund because they had delayed my project, they told me they couldn't give me my money back because their "policies" don't give refunds to people who paid by wire transfer or Upay (deposits at ATMs and stores). The truth is, those policies only benefit them. It's not difficult at all to deposit my money into my bank account. It's really not difficult at all, but they decided not to provide me with good service and then not to give me my money, keeping it for themselves. I used these channels to publicize to the entire community that HostGator violates and abuses its users instead of helping them do something simple like getting a domain and a website. I tried to resolve it using their technical support. When I saw that they had no intention of helping me, I felt abused as a consumer who trusted them. I hope it never happens to anyone again because it was two weeks of exchanging messages, tickets, and emails. Two exhausting, tiring weeks, full of frustration and confusion where HostGator played with my mental health. If you’re a freelancer or small business owner trying to launch a project, I highly suggest avoiding this provider. You’ll lose time, money, and peace of mind.

Your phone support agents and chat support agents are holding the line to avoid poor survey's. Just had your outsource chat and phone support unable to solve a simple email connectivity issue. Both held the line so long so the survey wouldn't come. The phone call even called back my line on a different line to get me to hang up. He finally waited me out and I suspected they are gaming the system. The airlines and many other outsource customer service people do the same thing. Just wanted you to know. I've been a happy customer for 20 years. Please take steps to improve again. Thank you.

They deleted my email account and refused to help me recover it. I lost a significant amount of business because I trusted this hosting company with my server and email.

I have the VPS Snoopy 4000. I upgraded to Snoopy 8000. Their team supposed to migrate all my websites to new server. They started from changing DNS. Websites DOWN.... I travel to their HQ... no access to the building. I will look for another hosting company

I have been with HostGator since 2010 and the last few years have been an absolute nightmare, but with numerous active sites, linked emails, and a busy small business, I didn't have the time to move. I figured it was better to just roll with the punches. My mistake. Stay away from this company. Get out if you can. Just save yourself. Highlights of life with Hostgator: 1. The support people lie all the time that they have fixed things that they never fixed, and then when you call them back, another support person will identify an entirely different problem, and they now will fix that problem because it was the real problem. Anything to get that good grade on the survey. 2. Your site will be so slow. Load time speed is plummeting. 3. Many times you call to fix one thing, something unrelated breaks. For example, one time when I needed to get my security credentials on one site, every image disappeared. 4. Another time when I needed to have the domain verified for a large newsletter list, not only was that improperly done but the next day my site was full of malware, which they promptly tried to sell me ridiculously expensive fixes for. 5. Another time my domain email showed up on a data leak right after a phone call. These sorts of things have been happening SO often lately, I realized I was scared to call them about anything because something random always broke on one of my sites afterwards. I have come to suspect that some support people hate the company so much that they go out of their way to mess with your sites. And I'm not a jerk to them--I'm really nice, actually, having worked in the service industry myself. 6. Recently I called about a suspicious charge and the HostGator person gave me the number for Dreamhost, which is also owned by EIG along with GoDaddy, etc. Are these support people pranking each other across departments? 7. For extra nightmares, I had a really old domain still connected to GoDaddy, and there was a whole night of fun being on the line with support people from Hostgator and GoDaddy with them acting like each other didn't know what they were doing, like war of the support staffs. People need to know that ginormous company called EIG bought them along with other giant hosts, and you need to run far, far away from them. That is my advice. Get out if you can. Needless to say, I'm switching hosts, and getting out has been its own nightmare and it's not over. I still don't trust my sites will survive the process, and I wouldn't be shocked if I lost a URL once things get unlocked as a precursor to moving. You can't trust Hostgator. They are worse than inept; they are actively malicious. Why then, you ask, are there all these good reviews here? Because when you give enough good grades to the support people, they send you a link begging for a review. I gave some good grades to a few people, mostly because I didn't know they were lying, and then two who genuinely tried their best--pity grades--and I got this link. DO NOT BE FOOLED by the good reviews here. Hostgator is the devil, and so are all other hosts owned by this megacorp EIG.

I had to do an update about my review. I just realized it's been 5 months and my site is still not working correctly. I'm not sure what kind of idiots they have working here, but they're not too tech savvy. I haven't been able to update or save my site all this year. There's something seriously incompetent about this company. I certainly wouldn't trust them with any sensitive data. I have to add my review of HostGator. Their service has really gone downhill in the last few months. Chat help is worthless. My business website has not been updating correctly for the last couple months and no one tries or even cares to help. They just discontinue the chat without even asking if the problem is fixed. I am very busy right now trying to keep my business going, but now I have to waste time looking for a new host. Shame on you HostGator!