Moderator
James Huff
(@macmanx)
Volunteer Moderator
Thanks for the notice, if you got there from https://wordpress.org/hosting/ would you please send that to hosting-feedback@[this domain]?
Can you tell us on which page you started the signup process? I checked Bluehost.com but I can only find standard 3.95/month plans or a 2.75/month plan here: http://www.bluehost.com/cgi/info/wordpress
Did you get it from a referral perhaps?
Moderator
James Huff
(@macmanx)
Volunteer Moderator
Did you get it from a referral perhaps?
I’m assuming it was from https://wordpress.org/hosting/ but the plan offered there isn’t $3.75.
@senff – here:
http://wordpress.org/hosting/
Click through on the BH link for the details.
This is an affiliate link for WP.org, as per the text on the noted page.
I just tried to sign up following this link: http://www.bluehost.com/cgi/info/wordpress
Then during the signup process (where you enter your personal info, etc.), there is a dropdown where you have to choose the plan, and it has these options:
- 12 Month Price – $3.75/mo.
- 24 Month Price – $3.50/mo.
- 36 Month Price – $2.75/mo.
- Pro 12 Month Price – $18.95/mo.
- Pro 24 Month Price – $15.95/mo.
- Pro 36 Month Price – $13.95/mo.
- Wp_blogger VPS 1 Mo – $24.99/mo
By default, the third option is selected. Are you sure you changed this to the first option?
Yes, it can be a bit deceiving to have another option selected by default, but this is also “common” sales practice so it’s not something that just Bluehost does (and I wouldn’t really call it a “scam”).
However, what IS kinda weird is that they don’t want to help you after you said it was a mistake. Did they give a reason why they can’t give you a refund?
I just signed up, and after selecting the first option (3.75/mo), I was charged $45.00.
So I don’t understand why (where?) they forced you to pay for 3 years… Maybe you want to get in touch with them again and ask them why, because obviously the 3.75/mo plan IS available through the WordPress.org affiliate link.
Wow , thanks for all the feedback. Last post confirms first option works and is available. Yes, I did change from 3rd option to 1st. I captured screen shots of sign up pages / when back paging from sign up completion. I have been provided a cancellation form to complete and will process according with the “affiliates department!?”. The reason I wanted to start off @ 12 months is to confirm Bluehost performance, service and admin management function meets my requirements. Three years is a long time to stay with an over subscribed hosting service
Cheers all.
S:)
Some feedback from Bluehost support below – only adds to the confusion.
“We checked wordpress.org and it does say $2.75/month, but it is for a 36 month term. We do not offer a 12 month term for $2.75/month”
“You are speaking with billing, not the affiliates department. Billing does not have access to affiliate rates. If you would like billing to switch you to a 12 month term, we have the promotional sign up rate of $5.95/month for hosting. We unfortunately do not have the ability to switch you to the $3.75/month rate for 12 months since it’s an affiliate rate. Affiliates are here Monday-Friday 9am-5pm MST. There is the option of calling in during those times to speak with them. Or you can submit a ticket for them to look into the situation”
Update – DAY 2
I was instructed to contact Affiliates department for help and sent an email link. This link sent me to a cancellation login authentication page. I did not log on to this page.
For some reason my account is now terminated. With no information provide on BlueHost site on how to contact “Affiliates department”, I logged an email support ticket – asking my request to be sent to the Affiliates department as previously directed. This error was presented to me when sending the email tick “Error There was a problem in completing your request. Please contact support with incident ID: D53F5A8A6CCE7166B88E741967054836.”
So back to the On-line chat support again.
Resent my support request. Online support now advise I need to speak with our Verification department regarding the issue. Email address handed over.
Humm.. Three Bluehost workflow on-line processing systems failures down. Lets see what Day 3 brings tomorrow in response to my email
