I received an email at xyz@prestonm.com, from HostMonster, that I need to renew my domain.
The email from HostMonster said “We have not detected a valid payment method on your account” telling to proceed to https://my.hostmonster.com/cgi/profile to update my CC info.
On the profile page, where I got a popup that read “The email address you’ve provided needs to be updated. Please choose an email address that is separate from your hosting account—like a Gmail address.” I clicked the [Update Now] button.
I discovered it was objecting to my xyz@prestonm.com email address. Indeed to any email address at the prestonm.com domain.
Off to HostMonster support I go …
| P: | Tech Support: Website Issues
On my account profile, I get a message that I cannot use xyz@prestonm.com as my email address. Specifically, “Cannot use an email in prestonm.com”. Does that not seem odd? Besides which, it is the only email I have. How do I resolve this? |
| A: | Anjaly joined |
| Uh oh. I already see a problem here … | |
| P: | hello |
| A: | Hi Preston, I apologize for the wait time.
please provide the last 4 characters of the Main account password to authenticate you as the owner of the account. |
| P: | abcd
Note: I am not trying to change my email address. It just gave me that message when I looked at my profile, fo an email address which both a) exists and b) was previously entered and accepted years ago. |
| A: | Thank you for validating.
May I know from where did you gt the mail? |
| P: | I gave it to myself, of course. It is my account.
The same account on which I recieved the HostMonster email telling me I need to renew my domain name, which is why I even attempted to login to my account. In other words, I am trying to solve a problem which is not even the problem I want to solve. |
| A: | Could you please paste message that you got? |
| P: | I already did. (See top / original message, above.) But I will do it again: “Cannot use an email in prestonm.com”
I refreshed the page. There is a popup that says “The email address you’ve provided needs to be updated. Please choose an email address that is separate from your hosting account—like a Gmail address.” When I click the “Update Now” button, it then tells me “Cannot use an email in prestonm.com” I literally have no other email address. That message is insane. |
| A: | You are seeing that message in the domain manger? |
| P: | https://my.hostmonster.com/cgi/profile
Every email address I have is {something}@prestonm.com , Gmail wouldn’t ask me to use a yahoo address to confirm my account, would they? See how silly that is? |
| A: | It seems like you are using the email address on file as one of the email associated with the domain.
Thus you got that message. |
| P: | OF COURSE!!! What other email would I use!?
One that does not exist for an account I do not have at a business I do not do business with!? |
| A: | It is recommended to use the personal email address on the file other than the email related to the domain.
Like gmail. |
| P: | I can read. I am also getting angry. I am not stupid. I have no other emails at other business. Please read what I wrote.
I can create a screwhostmonster@prestonm.com address and use that |
| A: | If you wish you can use the email account xyz@prestonm.com as the email address on the file.
Also please ignore the message in the profile. |
| P: | *bangs head on desk* … IT WON’T LET ME. Good Lord, all I want to do is renew my domain. |
| A: | I have added the renewal to the cart. Please check the cart and process the order. |
| P: | Not possible. The credit card on the account no longer exists — which is why I am on the profile page in the first place! To change the credit card number. |
| A: | You can close the message that pop up in the profile page and edit the card details. |
| P: | I did. It won’t let me. It keeps giving me the message about the email. The email issue — which still needs resolving — prevents my ability to save / modify other data on the page.
I just added a screwhostmonster@prestonm.com email address. When it is done creating the space for the email, I will attempt to use that instead. It is taking forever to create the email … |
| A: | Do you have any Gmail account? |
| P: | I have an honest question and I would like an honest answer: Have you actually read what I wrote? |
| A: | Yes, I read that you have email account associated with the domain name. |
| P: | I will repeat what I previously typed :
“I literally have no other email address. That message is insane. Every email address I have is {something}@prestonm.com . Gmail wouldn’t ask me to use a yahoo address to confirm my account, would they? See how silly that is?” This is going nowhere. I need to speak to a supervisor. |
| A: | I understand your issue.Since the email address on the file is xyz@prestonm.com and it is related with your domain in the account, it will not allow you to edit the details until you change the email address. |
| P: | I need to speak to a supervisor, please. |
| A: | Because it is recommended to use the email address on the file as other than the email address associated with the domain. |
| P: | I need to speak to a supervisor please. |
| A: | If something happens to the domain name then the email will not work and you will not be able to get any emails regarding the hosting account.
Thus you are recommended to change the email address. |
| P: | I HAVE NO OTHER EMAIL ACCOUNTS. I will ask for a fourth time: I need to speak to a supervisor, please. |
| A: | If you have no other email accounts, please create an email account with the gmail and update the email address |
| P: | I will repeat for a third time: “Gmail wouldn’t ask me to use a yahoo address to confirm my account, would they? See how silly that is?”
And I will ask for a fifth time: I WANT TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR … PLEASE |
| A: | Let me check if if they are available.
Thank you for holding. Unfortunately, there is no one is available now. Please contact us after some time. |
| P: | You have got to be joking.
I used to recommend HostMonster. No longer. I have gone from liking the servive to hating it with a passion. |
When I logged out, HostMonster asked me to rate their service from 10 (best) to 0 (worst). 0.
Then they asked me if my issue was resolved: No.
So, I try twitter …
| P: | @hostmonster: I am getting suboptimal assistance regarding my issue on your text chat support. Five requests to be bumped up; no supervisor? |
| H: | We apologize for the inconvenience this is causing you. Can you DM us your domain so we can better assist you? Thanks! |
| P: | You need to follow me before I can DM you. (I tried anyway: Did not work.) |
20 hours later, I still have not heard back from them, nor have they subscribed so I could DM.
