Was I scammed? Sure looks like it

[Camron]

Hello,
I just bought a vps server from virpus a less than 72 hours ago and I have less than 7 shoutcast servers running at low bitrate with no more than 10 listeners evened out on them and now they say I have used over 5000GB Bandwidth? What is going on here seems like a scam.
Here is there site http://www.virpusservers.com/

Here is the chat message:

Camron: servers offline?

You are now speaking with Kenneth O. of Support.

Kenneth O.: Camron, do you have a number I can reach you on right now?

Camron: Phone number?

Kenneth O.: yes

Camron: Well actualy I usualy don't talk to people online via phone as I have to pay for long distance.

Camron: And my cell phone was stolen....

Camron: Well is it really necessary to do this via phone as why not do this here.

Camron: Are you there?

Kenneth O.: I am, one second

Camron: Just making sure because sometimes we get cut off from live chat

Kenneth O.: Did you know you have utilize 10mbps of bandwidth?

Camron: What??

Camron: This means?

Camron: I have went over bandwidth?

Kenneth O.: Thats over 3000GB of bandwidth

Camron: Impossible

Kenneth O.: You went hella over.

Camron: Thats impossible

Kenneth O.: Have you seen any suspecious activity on your VPS?

Camron: No I have not. But I have been monitoring all of the shoutcast so its really impossible to have 8 shoucast not getting over 40 listeners to get over 3k gb bandwith, was I hacked?

Camron: My friend knows how to edit the config file for bandwidth overages since he is cheating his customers, he has acess to my vps maby he did it?

Kenneth O.: Your VPS is the only one that isnt started right now. Right after I stopped it, there was a dramatic decrease.

Camron: Wow this is very crazy I have no idea how this happened.

Kenneth O.: Nick would like to do further analysis with you on live chat.

Camron: Thanks.

Kenneth O.: One moment please.

Camron: Ok

Please hold while being transferred to Nick R. of Support.

You are now speaking with Nick R. of Support.

Nick R.: Hello

Camron: Hello Nick,

Nick R.: One moment

Camron: Thanks.

Nick R.: Ok, you understand your bandwidth usage was over 9.1mbps correct?

Camron: Well really I had no idea until I just came into live chat.

Camron: It is virtual impossible to have this happen since I am only hosting a few very small shoutcast servers

Nick R.: how many shoutcast listeners do you have? at how many kbps each?

Camron: Lets see

Camron: The only big one I have is bluestarfm which is broadcasting at 64kbps and about 40 listeners, the rest is about 1-20 listeners at 54kbps.

Camron: Only 7 total about.

Nick R.: 20 x 7 x 54kbps

Camron: 7MB?

Camron: 7.5

Camron: Only running for about 3 days?

Nick R.: Do you understand how bandwidth is distributed?

Camron: Not really but I am just very careful about using it.

Camron: I watch bandwidth like a hawk thats why I make sure I am not going to go over, but 3kGB is very rediculous.

Nick R.: Well, bandwidth is measured per second

Nick R.: for example 1mbps is 1024 kbps we buy in bulk from the providers

Nick R.: All of our vps servers have a 10mbit dedicated port

Camron: Can I ask this, I had way more shoutcast than this on another server running 24/7 for 30 days and it did not even use 100GB

Nick R.: I don't know anything about it unless you can provide me some logs to it

Camron: Well I have left my old provider and to you because of better service. So what happens now.

Nick R.: You will need to purchase at least an 8mbit line to continue service

Camron: How much will this cost.

Nick R.: One moment

Camron: Alright

Nick R.: You will be looking at about 700/mo

Camron: Wow....

Nick R.: You were on course to use over 8TB of bandwidth this month

Camron: Can you provide me with logs that I went over bandwidth?

Nick R.: 8,192 GigaBytes

Nick R.: Yes

Camron: Alright I would like to see them please.

Nick R.: Not a problem let me get them and I will get you a copy

Camron: Ok thanks.

Nick R.: I will also show you our graph of 5 minutes before your vps was turned off and 5 minutes after it was turned off

Camron: Ok

Nick R.: Do you know howto read military time?

Camron: Also there really is no way that I used this much, maby there was a way that someone hacked me. My friend knows how to edit bandwidht logs in directadmin and he cheats his customers. he has acess to my vps, maby he did this? Maby you should ask the datacenter if w ereally used this much instead of looking at logs.

Nick R.: I am looking at the port graph right now

Camron: Ok thanks.

Nick R.: [email protected] ?

Camron: Yes

Nick R.: Ok I have emailed it, please let me know when you recive it

Camron: Ok

Camron: I have not recieved it yet

Camron: Ok I got it im going to look at it now

Nick R.: I am also getting your log

Camron: I see no where it says 3000gb?

Nick R.: look at the mbps

Camron: Oh ok

Camron:

Nick R.: You are the only customer on this box as of today
(ps ^^ lies)

Camron: Can you also check into this more

Camron: Possibly it was a http bomber sending multiple things to the site jumping the bandwidth?

Nick R.: One moment

Nick R.: I was wrong you were actualy looking around 5,500 GB
(now he wants more money eh?^^)

Nick R.: at peak average 3200gb

Camron: Can I ask you a blunt question?

Nick R.: Yes

Camron: Why are you trying to scam me. I just had 2 people look at this and they said this "no way in hell you used that much" these 2 people are both graduates for computer internet technology.

Nick R.: I had a system admin call me about your bandwidth usage I assure you it is not a scam

Nick R.: Every system admin virpus networks deals with has at least 10 years experiance

Camron: How old are you Nick?

Nick R.: I am 18 years old

Camron: So you started working on servers when you were 8 years old?

Nick R.: I never said I was the tech did I?
(yes he did ^^)

Nick R.: We have several employees, and independant contractors

Camron: Dont get smart with me, Who owns this company?

Nick R.: I do

Nick R.: Look it up

Camron: Because it looks like your domain was registered this year...

Nick R.: Registered

Camron: Yes

Camron: So are you getting money from people and running with it?

Nick R.: LOL, I have contracts with dell longer than you could imagine

Camron: Really, how long. Since you where 8?

Camron: Tell me I am interested

Nick R.: We have plenty of customers that are still very much fine

Camron: Until they find out they have used over 5T bandwidth?

Nick R.: We are happy to allow this, we just must contact the client and make sure they know about overage charges for huge spikes

Camron: Well then, I do not think this is a funny situation. Because I did not get my "months worth" of hosting, can I have my $20 back.

Nick R.: I can provide you any form of evidence you wish sir, We have your complete history documented

Camron: Thats fine, But still I would like to request a refund. I only purchased 3 days ago and any item sold in the usa purchased within 72 hours can be refunded exactly stated by the government

Your party has left this session.

I was scammed...

I just dont have good luck these days, 2 scams in 1 month

 

[stuart_domains]

That is incredible.

I would like to give this Nick person a peace of my mind, do u have a contact?

 

[Camron]

His aim is BDWarr6, I am chatting with him at the moment, All I am getting is some lame excusses.

 

[W-M]

It looks like you have been scamed. The nerve of some people.

 

[Camron]

Yes and he is very active in this forum. Great services at first, but now its just trash. I guess I should not have choosen a company that started 1 month ago.

Now he warns about sending me a letter from his etterny? I doubt this will happen but I am prepared I have just printed out all chat logs.
Thanks everyone

 

[Virpus]

This customers VPS account was a self-managed VPS. The client reported in live chat initially that his VPS was going slow. We then investigated, and could not find anything. We then logged into the bandwidth graphs, and noticed a huge spike since Monday of this week. Right after this we starting to audit customers on the same server as him, and found no results, so we were forced to disable VPS's one by one, with no luck, UNTIL we disabled his VPS.

For those who know how to read graphs, you can go to http://www.virpusnetworks.net/VPS106.gif

We pay good money for our bandwidth, as our company mission is to never sacrafice money for a low end product. Anyone who knows about the Internap network knows how expensive this is to us.

The main dispute in this case would be that he thinks he should be compensated for him going over his bandwidth (as he states, he wants a refund) We will be paying several hundreds of dollars for his mistake, and as well we passed down a bandwidth overage fee to him, which he has declined.

We have done nothing wrong in this instance, and the topic starter should have posted the facts instead of what he thinks happens.

 

[Camron]

As stated in chat:

Nick R.: You will need to purchase at least an 8mbit line to continue service

He says above I only need to pay to continue services, now he says I have to pay no matter what? This is outrageous.

http://www.virpusnetworks.net/VPS106.gif
These can be easily made because the are png file formats and you can make them with php

 

[msfedxx]

Indianapolis Office Mailing Address:

Virpus Networks, LLC.
ATTN: Virpus Hosting
PO Box 421341
Indianapolis, IN 46241 Corporate Phone:

1-877-4-VIRPUS

E-mail Directory: thats on his site

 

[KPR]

Why do you say one thing then change it like this

Nick R.: You are the only customer on this box as of today

Then in your post say

Right after this we starting to audit customers on the same server as him, and found no results, so we were forced to disable VPS's one by one, with no luck, UNTIL we disabled his VPS.

I thought his was only one on it.

 

[Camron]

Yes I know, fishy in a weird kind of way. I think they really don't know whats going on in there own business

 

[msfedxx]

whois info

Registrant:
Virpus Networks
PO Box 421341
Indianapolis, IN 46241
United States

Administrative Contact:
Virpus Networks
PO Box 421341
Indianapolis, IN 46241
United States
[email protected]
+1 3176277145

Technical Contact:
Virpus Networks
PO Box 421341
Indianapolis, IN 46241
United States
[email protected]
+1 3176277145

Record expires on 2007/01/14 UTC
Record created on 2006/01/14 UTC

 

[Camron]

Record created on 2006/01/14
First of this year. Seems like there a new company. No wonder.

As posted here: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?p=3757976#post3757976

VirpusServers, the conversation that you had with the customer clearly shows the lack of knowledge on your company's part.

"Kenneth O.: Thats over 3000GB of bandwidth"

You are running nodes with just 10mbit allocated to each, obviously you are going to have issues with that. Even lightly loaded shared hosting servers use more than 10mbit at peak times, and on a VPS node you have several servers.

This user DID NOT go over their bandwidth limit, they simply maxed out your small pipe. *You* should be the one giving compensation.

 

[OttoYiu]

In my opinion, how can you get sued? I am too lazy to read in the TOS but does it say they will charge for overages? I don't think so because I skimmed through it. It is highly unethical that you won't give one warning to the user which is Stackedtech that he was going over his plan bandwidth limit. I just e-mailed Stackedtech and he said that you are rejecting him his request to get back his Virtuozzo control back to see his traffic log which is the only thing he knows he goes over. Do you think its highly ethical to not give a dynamic proof rather than a screenshot that you can modified easily? I believe that Camron should request for a datacenter bandwidth bill from Colo4Dallas.

Just a tip, never go with a host that is only one month old. Hope you learned your lesson. And do not pay until you have proof from the datacenter. Even if they sued you, I don't think they will win.

-OY-

 

[Camron]

In my opinion, how can you get sued? I am too lazy to read in the TOS but does it say they will charge for overages? I don't think so because I skimmed through it. It is highly unethical that you won't give one warning to the user which is Stackedtech that he was going over his plan bandwidth limit. I just e-mailed Stackedtech and he said that you are rejecting him his request to get back his Virtuozzo control back to see his traffic log which is the only thing he knows he goes over. Do you think its highly ethical to not give a dynamic proof rather than a screenshot that you can modified easily? I believe that Camron should request for a datacenter bandwidth bill from Colo4Dallas.

Just a tip, never go with a host that is only one month old. Hope you learned your lesson. And do not pay until you have proof from the datacenter. Even if they sued you, I don't think they will win.

-OY-

Yes this is true. They would not let me in. The vps was off instantly and I had no proof of overages except what seemed to be a poorly edited jpg graph. I am not sure what to do next but zestnetwork you are right they should have gave me a warning before leting it go over, which it did not go over as many highly educated techs I have talked to said it did not.

 

[KPR]

Looks like your owed a refund.

If you cant get one at RapidVPS try http://powervps.com

 

[OttoYiu]

Exactly, the screenshot they showed you was the usage of the line, not the data transfer. They can't even figure out what is the difference between the both. Also, a VPS with 10mbps? I won't even go to them if they only have a 10mbps line. Even a light dedicated will use more than that.

 

[Camron]

Yes powervps looks nice but $44 gets you 150GB transfer and my main goal was to use it for shoutcast and I was going to get one at rapidvps with 300GB bandwidth for $30. So yea I think I can wait one day as they say they will have 70 in by the 24th.

 

[eh-stevo]

Record created on 2006/01/14
First of this year. Seems like there a new company. No wonder.

As posted here: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?p=3757976#post3757976

Just commenting on this, not the thread in whole. Everyone has to start somewhere, just because their a new business dosent make them bad right off the start.

Stevo

 

[OttoYiu]

It only means that usually, they have less experience. I have started being "nooby" at this. I agree everyone has to start somewhere.

 

[Camron]

Yes everyone does have to start, but when you start up your supposed to make good first impression right? Scamming people is not first good impression.