Website problems

I'm sure some of you have noticed that the YarnMaker website is down for the second time this week.

The first time I was told it was something to do with volume of email I'd left on the email server having exceeded some limit. I don't know what the limit is, they have never sent me written details of the service and so I'm not clear in my understanding of how it works. I deleted all emails on the server on Monday, now the website is down again, maybe because the printers emailed me a message with a large attachment yesterday - the final proof copy for the first edition of YarnMaker, However, I think I ought to receive a warning before they do anything like take my site down, or if I need to upgrade my account to prevent this happening, again I ought to have been told.

YarnMaker is due on the press early next week, copies should be delivered to me on Tuesday ready for dispatch to everyone who has ordered one or subscribed.

If you want to know the name of my unreliable web host service, it is The Phone Coop. I would welcome recommendations for alternative, reliable, providers.

Friday 6th August

Some progress: I'm pleased that The Phone Coop tech. department looked at my problem and re-instated my website first thing this morning, however, it was down for 24 hours and I still can't see it or access the associated webmail account as it seems not to have been picked up by intermediate web servers yet.

I am looking at alternative providers as I want 24/7 tech. support and The Phone Coop is day time only, Monday to Friday.

I raised the question today of why they offer "technical support by email and telephone" on their website, and yet I can't ring up and speak to someone about a problem. The way their system works is that I ring up, speak to someone who logs the fault and wait for someone to contact me, or alternatively I can send an email and wait. Sometimes I have waited two or three days for a response. Sometimes they respond by email and I am denied the opportunity to discuss the problem.

I have learnt that I must give the fault logging person my phone number everytime, as if it isn't on the fault report they don't know how to contact me. I have also learnt that I must be careful to make sure the person logging the fault has noted down the exact words I want using to describe the problem, as they seem to be slow typists and so inclined to paraphrase or abbreviate my description.

We have also had a problem with The Phone Coop putting my web hosting and domain name onto my boyfriend's account, not mine, because although they had my name and account number they saw I using an email address on his account and so associated everything with his account. It took around 3 months to get a refund on his account and the domain name and web hosting transferred to mine. They have also replied a couple of times to my fault reports by phoning him, not me. As we have separate accounts I would have thought this is in breach of the Data Protection law, however, last time I checked they haven't registered with the Information Commissioner and so maybe it's no suprise that their systems don't seem to comply with the legislation.

Although the standard of telecoms providers in the UK is generally low, I originally signed up to The Phone Coop because I had heard their customer service was good and so it seemed until recently, have they changed their priorities?