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
Dot5 (Dot5 Hosting)
DomainHost
eHost
EntryHost
FatCow
FreeYellow
HostCentric
HostYourSite
HyperMart
ImOutDoors
iPowerWeb (iPower)
NetWorksHosting
PowWeb
PureHost
ReadyHosting
Startlogic
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
Tue, 29 January 2008, 08:59
I have had nothing but problems with IPW for as long as I can remember. Thanks you you fine folks, I am not a member of discountASP and on the way to rerouting my nameservers as I type this. Question though: I registered the domain initially through gate.com and never transferred it. I would change the nameservers through them, right? Not IPW?
Mon, 28 January 2008, 15:31
Christine,
You're more than welcome, I'm glad to have been of some assistance. Best of luck with your new web hosting provider, adieu!
Mon, 28 January 2008, 15:23
London,
If you give their 'corporate' number a call you might be able to get a full refund on your remaining time. They've done it for a few other users.
Serwind,
I have a feeling they haven't been reading them, after ipowerweb's representatives posted fake reviews here last year we blocked their network thoroughly.
Linda,
I don't happen to have your e-mail address, could you send me an e-mail to feedback@hostjury.com and I'll see if i can help you sort things with OpenSRS if you haven't yet?
Thanks & sorry to hear about your problems with ipowerweb.
Mon, 28 January 2008, 00:45
h Hooray for this blog, I just signed with hostgator, great tip for a new host, you guys are all over it, thank you.
I had a good experience with iPower generally, until recently that is, they just dived eh!
Will be leaving IPW early this week, do they refund the outstanding? I haven't been able to access the vdeck on londonstarmap.com for 6 weeks, and these new security checks with the last four digits of a card I had 2 years ago and now have NO idea what they are is a joke!
Thankfully the maps have been selling throughout, still gonna kick up a fuss tho.
Endure the exodus yo!
Sun, 27 January 2008, 21:47
My site's been down since about 10 PM, Sat, Pacific. At first, couldn't access the control panel on "Live Assistance". Now I can. Error Log keeps saying it can't read .htaccess file. Check, rechecked. Okay. Can't FTP into site. Called twice today (Sunday). Got through early this AM. Told it would be fixed within 4 hrs. 5 hrs later, not fixed. 45 mins holding for assistance. Says my ticket's been ecalated to high priority.
Plus Ipower's "Transition Kiosk" fluctuates. One day it says, I've been transferred. Another day, says I haven't.
I agree with everyone else in this blog: If your site generates income, and Ipower is preventing your site from being displayed, go somewhere else.
Hope Ipower's President reads some of these comments!
Sun, 27 January 2008, 05:47
I am another who wants to leave iPower, after they allowed my whois record to expire even though I paid for 2 years of hosting, last January.
I tried accessing my domain information with OpenSRS, and it tell me that my domain does not exist with OpenSRS.
I am able to access the nameserver fields in my control panel, but do not know otherwise how to get the AUTH/EPP code. If you can help, please send e-mail. Thanks!
Sat, 26 January 2008, 20:28
THANK YOU!! to Hostjury and all the Ipower customers who were willing to share their experiences here. I'm free of Ipower and I feel GREAT! Your guide was a terrific help.
Sat, 26 January 2008, 04:04
I'm patient. Back in December my site didn't go down, I just couldn't administer it. After half hour wait tech told me how. Then my site went down. Something wrong with MySql another half hour call he said it was set to incorrect authority so he reset it and it worked. I decided to request a transfer to the new Vdeck. Couple of days and then databse disappeared again half hour call later I got answer it just wasn't there, like it was my fault. OK, I'm easy. I've got a backup and besides I want to try Drupal 5. Then I get a job requiring Joomla. Set it up localy, works fine. Upload to Ipower web. First my password no longer works. Get new one sent, when change get strange message about password not synched, go to Domain Manager. Nothing there like they say. Later I find that just means it will take 12 hrs for this domain password to be updated. Then the database connect string no longer works. I used to use localhost but now there's a new name. No notification, little cryptic message at bottem of a box had the name a) how was I to see it, b) how was I to know that replaced localhost? The whole vdeck interface looks like crap. Much of the problem is communication. Too little, too late. I'd be fired if I did what Ipower did.
Fri, 25 January 2008, 19:36
This is insane!!!
I'm a reseller for Ipower and they don't even talk to me or answer emails/calls
I have way too many sites hosted through them including one for a multi million dollar resort!
Monday I will start the proccess of leaving Ipower and don't expect it to be pain free as alot of my sites are .ca names.
If you can leave Ipower you best do it fast becuase they are imploding as I type this...days are numbered for Ipower for sure. A mass exodus.
Fri, 25 January 2008, 13:59
Bonnie,
You might want to contact the Tucows compliance officers, as they'll be able to deal with your e-mail contact being 'changed'.
In this case I doubt the change was criminal or even malicious -- a number of their users opt in for 'privacy' to hide their whois information. If you never requested it, that would be another situation altogether.
Fri, 25 January 2008, 09:40
I found out that Ipower changed my admin email contact to (myURL)@contactprivacy.com. Isn't this illegal?
Now they have totally blocked my access to the webhosting service I paid for up to March 2009. My login is "not valid" somehow.
I have written to everyone (transfer@ipower.com; tucows; Arizona Attorney General) and tried to call the numbers listed in this blog - nothing. I am also located overseas, so it is costing me $$$$
Hopefully this blog will give me some new information, in the meantime STEER CLEAR OF IPOWER AND ENDURANCE INTERNATIONAL!! By the way, did anybody notice that Endurance International is just a recycle of Ipower people? The legal advisor is the same guy listed as a contact on IPW terms and conditions.
Wed, 23 January 2008, 18:49
Laura,
Yes, I've noted that a great deal of them look like they're with OnlineNIC -- which is not good.
They don't appear to be all that responsive, Tucows on the other hand tends to be during 9am-5pm EST
Wed, 23 January 2008, 17:14
Just an fyi, some domains registered through Ipower may NOT be handled by Tucows. My domain for example is handled by OnlineNIC Inc. Or, at least, that appears to be the case. I don't know for certain since I cannot get anyone to give me any real information, if they respond at all. So far the people at Tucows and OnlinNIC Inc are about as helpful as the people at Ipower. This is just ridiculous.
Mon, 21 January 2008, 23:42
When you finally get to leave iPower you have to call several times and talk to several of the reps to be sure that you account(s) are completely closed. Be sure to have them email you a notification that the account is closed. I had them call my one Saturday night at 9:41PM, just after I went to sleep. They did not identify themselves as iPower... The rep said that he was calling in reference to 'my website name' and that the card ending in 'last 4' was denied. Remember, I was woke up with the call. I assumed that it was my new Host Provider because that payment was about due. I gave him a good card number and the call ended. I was bothered by the call so I got up and checked my bank statement online only to find that it was iPower and not my new Host Provider. Needless to say iPower claimed that I reopened the account so they would not immediately return my money. It took 6 days to get it back when it only took a few moments to take it from me. I was taken, don't let them take you.
Sun, 20 January 2008, 15:12
North Country,
Feel free, I'd appreciate a link back but beyond that: As long as you're helping people get their stuff back in order.. fine by me!
Sun, 20 January 2008, 14:29
Hi:
Just found your blog. This is great. So many people want to leave IPower but don't know how to transfer their site or who to go to that is reliable and priced fairly. I'd like permission to advertise this. I have experienced the same nightmares as everyone else with threats of either "migrating" to VDeck 3 by March 31 or being shut down completely despite my account being prepaid. The outages have become impossible and "customer support" is non-existent, outsourced through Nova Scotia and wherever. We're trying to organize a class action lawsuit against IPower but in the meantime, we need to help people move their sites. I have posted a lot of the complaints etc. about IPower on my website www.northcountrygazette.org. I would like to include your information in my next article. Thanks.
Fri, 18 January 2008, 20:00
Another big THANKS! My site and email have been down over 48 hours, I can't reach Ipower by phone or chat, no matter how long I wait. So I moved to HostGator. Very helpful folks, good prices, site should be back up in a couple days!
Thu, 17 January 2008, 13:44
Justin,
You're more than welcome.
Thu, 17 January 2008, 06:30
THANK YOU!
Currently in the proccess of leaving ipower-hell right now, thanks to your guide.
Sun, 6 January 2008, 22:27
As you can see I've cleared out from iPowerweb. I had two previous domains with iPower forced to vDeck3. I got an email from iPower that cubville.com was going to be forced to vDeck3. I called, cancelled my account and waiting for a refund. I cancelled 4 account with iPower when forced with vDeck3.