Escape from iPowerWeb: How to leave iPowerWeb
Escape from iPowerWeb: How to leave iPowerWeb.
After countless hundreds getting in touch with us over continuing iPowerWeb problems, we decided it was time to write a thorough guide on how to cancel an iPowerWeb account.
The success of our free ipowerweb transition program hasn't gone unnoticed, so we're still continuing it.
Below, we'll document the movement process step by step! It's a surprisingly simple process and the only arduous part of the journey is actually cancelling with iPowerWeb. If you follow the guide below, you should be able to get over to a new web hosting provider within 24 hours.
Choosing a new web host: The first step
The first step of getting out of iPowerWeb is to choose a new web hosting provider. In order to have a place to move your content and domain name, you'll need a new web host. Given the thousands of reviews Hostjury currently has from real clients, you've come to the right spot.
You can check out our web hosting reviews to help you select a new provider. There's a number of companies that clients moving away from iPowerWeb have had success with including:
You're certainly more than welcome to research your own though on our site. There's more than enough information here to get a good idea of who is who in the web hosting industry. Remember to thoroughly research each web hosting provider that you're considering -- after all, you don't want to be stuck with another iPowerWeb. There's a number of other companies out there actually owned by the same folks at Endurance International Group as well including PowWeb, so be very careful!
Here's a list that we know of:
AccountSupport
BizLand
BlueDomino
DomainHost
eHost
EntryHost
FatCow
FreeYellow
HostCentric
HostYourSite
HyperMart
ImOutDoors
iPowerWeb (iPower)
NetWorksHosting
PowWeb
PureHost
ReadyHosting
USAnetHosting
VirtualAve
Xeran
Avoid the above companies like the plague!
Try testing the companies support prior to signing up. The more testing you do, the higher the likelihood you'll end up with an excellent web hosting company. Once you've selected one.. you're ready for step two!
Retrieving your domain name
This step only applies to those clients who have registered their domain name through iPowerWeb. If you haven't, you can skip this step entirely and move onto the next one. If you have, the information below should allow you to get the access details to manage your domain name.
The first step to retrieving your domain name is contacting the OpenSRS Compliance Officer. OpenSRS is a domain reseller system owned by Tucows. It's also the system in which iPowerWeb sells domain names through so you'll need to get in touch with Tucows to retrieve it.
The compliance officers' contact details are:
E-mail: compliance@tucows.com
You'll need to explain that you've exhausted all methods of retrieving your domain name details & that you're just looking to move at this point. The provider will give you what are known as 'OpenSRS' login details or at the very least -- they'll resend them to the original e-mail on file. You may need to provide them with some additional information in order to verify your identity, but as long as you're the contact on file you should have no trouble with Tucows.
Unlike iPowerWeb, they're a great company.
Once you've retrieved your login details, you'll be able to access their OpenSRS system through the following link:
iPowerWeb Domain Management Panel
Inside you'll find all sorts of goodies including the ability to manage your nameservers / DNS. As long as you can modify your DNS / Nameservers, you can change hosting providers fairly easily. Now, onto step three!
Moving your content
Now here's where things might just get a bit tricky. In fact, that's why we have our free ipowerweb migration assistance program for users who need help moving. A number of the providers we have on our review list probably won't hesitate to assist you move though, so don't be bashful and forget to ask! It might save you a lot of hassle.
Moving your content itself though is essentially as easy as reuploading your data. If you have your new account details, you can FTP your information using them & that should just about sort everything. One step that a number of users may need to take though if they have dynamic sites like forums & other content management systems though is 'backing up your database'. Backing up your database through iPowerWeb can be done via your control panel.
Once inside your iPowerWeb control panel, you'll see a mysql or database management section. You'll need to login using your databases' login details (Contact us if you don't have them, this part could be tricky!). Once inside follow the directions at this site for backing up and restoring databases from phpMyAdmin. That part isn't necessarily going to be a cakewalk, so if you have any questions at all don't hesitate to contact us at feedback@hostjury.com and we can try to help.
Once you've moved all of your content, you're ready to point your domain name!
Pointing your domain name
By now, you should have received an e-mail from the Tucows Compliance officer about your domain name if you registered it through iPowerWeb. If you have access to openSRS, these changes can be made via the 'nameservers' panel there. If you've registered your domain name elsewhere (you smart cookie, you!) you can manage them through your specific panel.
You'll want to switch the nameservers over to your new providers' (the one they've given you) only after you're sure that 100% of your content and databases have been copied over. You'll also want to ensure that any e-mail accounts you require have been created ahead of time to avoid any e-mail loss. The rest, of course is history!
Once the switch takes place there will 'potentially' be some availability of your domain name for DNS propagation but that's almost ancient history these days. If you change your dns and still can't see your new site, try clearing your DNS cache on your local computer.
For windows uesrs, it's simple:
1. start, run, type: cmd
2. ipconfig /flushdns
3. try reloading your site!
For the rest of you, google it!
Once you're done with that, bravo. You've escaped from iPowerWeb.
The remainder of the steps are fairly easy.
Cleaning up with iPowerWeb!
The last few steps are just insurance of sorts. The first thing you'll want to do after escaping from iPowerWeb and seeing your site back up and online is cancelling with iPowerWeb. Cancelling is surprisingly easy and can be done via phone. On average it takes about 30-60 minutes to cancel so be sure to have some free time before sitting down.
“In order to discontinue your services we will need for you to contact our billing department at 888-511-4678 or 602-716-5399. Our billing department is available 24/7.”
Be sure to have your customer ID, mother's maiden name, city of birth & last 4 digits of your credit card number available before calling. They'll help you through the process fairly promptly. Note that a number of users have experienced 'rebilling' from iPowerWeb even after cancellation in the past so keep an eye on your credit card payment logs.
After cancelling, you'll want to transfer your domain name to another registrar. I'd personally recommend using the one with your provider or Namecheap. The only information you'll need to perform a transfer is the AUTH or EPP code from your OpenSRS panel. The information is readily available there & Namecheap and other companies should be able to provide you with instructions for transferring.
Enjoy the new provider, thousands of others already are.
Escape from iPowerWeb
Unfortunately I didn't read all of this until my problem got very deep. I too had issues with service from ipowerweb. I was able to move the service and point the name servers to a new host but didn't realize I had to change the service as well to a new company. My domain expired on 2/25/08. Now Onlinenic won't answer my emails and ipowerweb says I have to start a new account with them reactivate the account. I point blanked asked the ipowerweb online chat person if that was the only way to get the domain name reactivated and they said YES and then ended the chat promptly.
Is there anything I can do?
Similar scenario here. We have been with them for about 4 years or so . things were fine for all that time. Last year we stopped being able to enter our control panel at all. Our usrnames and passwords were all changed for no apparent reason and many things were in turmoil for weeks. No matter who you are with or what problems you have you should have some customer service and these simply do not. I have spent can you belive 35 hours on the live chat this wek alone, usually to just get kicked off by someone spinning me around in circles. To make thinsg worse they let our account close even tho on auto payemnt for years and then have charged us 3 times the going rate for domian name renewal after we had it free with our package for 4 years!
IM looking as we speak for alternative providors. Im shocked at the treatment we have had. Hostgator seem popular in the states. odologic in canada and clook and unitedhosting in the uk. These seem to be the companies that can hamdle thier clients with due respect.
Avoid ipower like the plague at the moment seriously. I rarely make negative comments on things but here i implore peope with genuine business interests at stake to look elsewhere whether you are already hosted with them or not.
I am on the last step of this process, and I want to thank you for putting this guide up. It has helped out a great deal, especially the domain management panel link!! They would not give this out.
Right now, I have been on hold for billing for 72 minutes. I used my cell phone to call sales, and they answered in ONE RING.
What a horrid company.
Thanks for all of the info. I signed up with IPW not a week ago and after reading all of this I am going to make the most of the 30 day money back guarantee. So not cool, now I have to find someone else!!
I have been using IPowerWeb as the host for three websites for since 2003. IPowerWeb was great for the first couple of years but since then I have experienced major problems every year at renewal time.
In addition to that, IPower moved one of my websites to the new platform in December 2007. Since that time I haven't been able to use FrontPage extensions at all despite numerous emails and phone calls. The website became totally useless. The new control panel is impossible to use.
So when renewal time came around this month, I decided to move to a local webhost here in my hometown. I called and cancelled the website and was told that I could transfer the domain name but I would have to have the user name and password for the domain name. I told the woman at IPower that I had never had a user name and password for the domain name. All I had was a user name and password for the control panel.
She said they could email it to me and then I could email them back with the same information and they would unlock the domain name so that I could transfer it. I did receive a user name and password from them as promised but whenever I recontacted them to unlock the domain, I get the run around and they would tell me that I didn't have the correct user name and password. I have been going back and forth with them for over a week.
Through my own efforts, I did find out that the domain name is registered through OnlineNIC but when I contacted them about transferring the domain name, they said I would have to contact IPowerWeb.
Does anyone know how to tranfer a domain name that was registered through OnlineNIC if I don't have the user name and password or don't have the correct one? I am totally at my wits end.
OK.. I am 51 and it would be hard for me to relearn what I have worked so hard to learn in the past 2 years... ie., how to use ipower's vdeck etc.
On the other hand, if we don't get out of there, I'll have a heart attack.
I have 80 domains with them and 2 hosted sites, one of which is on a secure server.
Frankly I am frightened about changing anything... help.
As are many other, I am in the process of leaving ipowerweb now. I do have a question that I'm hoping someone here might be able to answer; I was able to gain control of my domain name, and after doing so I change my password and my domain auth code, as well as all the contact information.
After all that though, the reseller information listed at manage.opensrs.net still lists ipowerweb as the contact. I don't know if that's a problem or not and was hoping someone could advise.
(My domain is teamwasp.org if you'd like to look it up).
Thanks!
Thanks for this! Ipower sure was getting under our skin.
When I called the corporate office at 1-866-897-5421, they were really nice and got us the EPP/Auth code within five minutes.
Melissa,
You can use a site like http://www.v3whois.com to check where your domain is registered.
2. That, no one but them can help with. :/
I am getting away from ipower ASAP, i won't even start with the details. I have 2 issues, though:
1) I don't remember who I registered my domain name with, it might have been ipower but I don't think it was. How do I find out?
2)I can't bring up the mysqladmin in the control window to access the database so that I can make a copy. I've tried to explain this to ipower but they keep sending me to a website optimization site. I will keep trying to get through to them but I am a work-at-home, home-schooling mom & don't have time for hour plus hold times... Help!
I've actually had few problems with IPower, but for the last 7 days or so I haven't been getting any email through them (and TODAY they post a message on their sign in page saying, "If you haven't been getting any email, the problem is fixed now.") Because I'd messed with my Outlook Express on the same day it went down, I had just assumed it was something I'd done, and tried to fix it on my end. Now I find out it was indeed them.
Also, today I was moved to Vdeck 3.0 which is a piece of garbage. I can no longer create files within folders. I can only upload files, and the uploads don't go into Public HTML but rather the "top page" and I can't move them anywhere. I will be backing up my entire site tonight and moving it within the next week, I hope.
antipowerweb,
These aren't just random issues occurring, and no one said they're making millions: Obviously, everyone should find a solution that fits both their budget and needs...
At this point, sticking it out with ipowerweb seems painful.
John,
A quick fix is to e-mail compliance@tucows.com
They'll be able to sort things out for you, as long as you've got some proof that you're the registrant. Even with some you might be able to discuss it over with them..
Best of luck!
James,
It's possible to be honest, you could try using opendns:
http://www.opendns.com/start
Steamed,
One thing to note is that if they take too long to accept it, it'll 'expire'. You may need to reinitiate it a couple of times but at least take safehaven in knowing you're halfway out.
I can't view my website hosted with IPOWERWEB.
They are trying to tell me that the reason website won't show up is because of a router (opticaljungle) not having proper DNS information. I can indeed view my website through proxy server. Does this seem reasonable or is this a bunch of ^&%*?
I am going through typical iPower BS right now, trying to switch to a different registrar (I've already switched my hosting). To change the domain contact e-mail, I had to use their AWFUL live chat feature and get the operator to handle it. So, it can be done.
At the moment, I'm stuck trying to get iPower to accept the transfer. I'm switching the registration to GoDaddy, and all that remains to be done is for iPower to accept the transfer. If it happens in less than 7 days, I'll be pleasantly shocked.
Unfortunately iPower has found a very clever way of preventing people from leaving their service. They change your domain contact information to an invalid email address listed as "yourdomain@contactprivacy.com". This makes it utterly impossible to transfer your domain away from them, since all email (including the domain transfer auth codes) sent to the listed address are blackholed and vanish without a trace. The "contact privacy" feature cannot be disabled through the opensrs.net interface, either; attempting to do so results in an error message.
Dear readers, I TOTALLY HEAR YOU... i mean, I have a multi million dollar business and I have my website hosted with ipowerweb, and I've been having NOTHING but problems ever since I signed up. I mean commin, I'm paying close to $100 a YEAR!!! <-- this is the type of shit that baffels me. If you have a big business, dont be fucking cheap and signup with ipowerweb.. if your site is the main driver of your business, GO WITH SOMETHING MORE EXPENSIVE DONT BE A FUCKING IDIOT... you people are getting what you pay for, its less than $10 a month... i mean fuck.. use your fucking heads
Mark,
It's listed under 'domain extras', the odd little code there is your EPP / Auth. code.
I can't find my EPP authorization code on the open SRS panel. Where should I look.
IPOWER cancelled my site and I have moved it after tedious reconstruction, but need to transfer the registrar and cannot get ipower to talk