Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we have answered here in this section represent the most common questions asked by potential customers before and immediately after they sign up for an account.
A wider and more specific range of questions and answers relating to account maintenance and technical queries is available to existing customers by logging in to the members area.
How long will it take for my new account to be set up?
To allow for very busy times, our official 'line' is that all new accounts will be set up within 24 hours of the customer signing up.
However, over 90% of new accounts are set up within a matter of minutes rather than hours so, you can be confident that you will not have to wait very long for your new account details.
How does my domain and web site get to Powersoft from my old host?
Once you have signed up for an account with us, within a short space of time, you will receive a 'welcome' email. This email contains all the details you need to start using your new account, including details of our nameservers. You simply pass our nameserver details onto your old host and ask them to change the record. Once they have done this, your domain name will be fully functional on your account with Powersoft.
Until they have done this, we provide you with a temporary URL so that you can begin using the account and getting a feel for all the features.
Can I upgrade or downgrade to a different plan at any time?
Yes.
If you wish to upgrade, simply send an email with details of the extra resources you require to Customer Services. You will be advised of the cost and to confirm you wish to proceed. Following receipt of your confirmation and subsequent payment, the additional resources will be added immediately.
If you wish to downgrade, send an email to Customer Services (as above) with details of how you wish to downgrade and the account will be adjusted immediately.
There are no refunds available for downgrades that occur during the course of a paid-for plan. However, a reduced price will apply to the renewal of the plan when the renewal date arrives.
Why do you offer a 30 day free trial?
We are confident that you will notice a difference when you host with Powersoft. However, it's easy for us to say this and, despite what our existing customers say, we know that sometimes, people want the option to 'try before they buy', for that little bit of extra security.
Our free trial really is commitment-free for the customer. You don't have to pay anything during this time and unlike many other so-called free trials, we DO NOT ask you for any card details up front.
How many times have you signed up for something on a free of charge basis and given your card details 'just for security'? People lead busy lives these days and will often forget to cancel any mandates set up on a 'just in case' basis. That's why we don't expect you to pay and guarantee that you won't be charged a penny unless you actually want to stay with us after your free trial has expired.
How does the free trial work?
When you sign up for an account on a free trial basis, you will (often within minutes) receive full details of your new account. This account is a FULL working account and is exactly what you get if you decide to stay and pay.
Between 10-14 days before the free trial is due to expire, you will be sent an email asking whether you wish to stay with Powersoft beyond the free trial stage. This email will also contain details of how to pay if you do wish to stay.
If you do wish to stay, you may pay at any time between receipt of the email and the day before the expiry date of your account. Your credit/debit card account will NOT be debited until the expiry date of your hosting account.
If you do not wish to stay, you don't have to do anything. Of course, it would be nice if you could at least let us know this but there is no obligation to do so. Your free trial will continue until the expiry date and your account will then be closed and you will not be able to access it again.
If you come back after the trial account has been closed and request that the account is reinstated, extra fees are payable alongside the regular hosting fee.
Can anyone have a free trial account?
If they are a new customer to Powersoft - yes.
In general, the rule is, 1 free trial account per customer, per domain name.
In other words, if you've had a free trial in the past and decided not to stay for whatever reason, you cannot have another free trial.
Existing customers cannot have a free trial for other plans they may wish to purchase. They should log into the members area and view the options available to them there.
We will only host a free trial for a given domain name once, even if ownership of that domain name has changed.
Why must I give you a domain name to have a free trial of one of your accounts?
The rule used to be that if the customer didn't have a domain name at the time of sign-up, they undertook to supply one to us within 7 days. Unfortunately, this rarely happened and meant that some people were not serious about trialing the account and that we had to spend a lot of time chasing domain names from people. As we really don't have the time for this, we have had to stipulate that domain names MUST be supplied before any free trial account is offered.
It also indicates to us that the customer is serious about trying out our services.
The domain name supplied MUST be owned by the customer who is signing up.
Why have you asked me for a payment for MS Frontpage Extensions whilst I'm on a free trial?
If you have selected a Windows hosting plan to trial, this means that any additional software or features will carry license fees. These are levied directly by the manufacturer and not Powersoft however, we do have to pass these charges on as we will not be left 'out-of'pocket' with the possibility that the customer will not stay beyond free trial.
Any license fees of this nature paid during the free trial period are strictly non-refundable.
Why can't I call Powersoft for Technical Support?
At present, Powersoft do not offer telephone support. Keeping support to email allows us to keep our costs down and we pass these savings onto our customers via our hosting plans.
We have recently added an online 'CHAT' function where customers can raise queries or ask questions on a realtime basis.
We appreciate that this approach may not suit everybody which is one of the reasons why we offer a free trial. However, we would direct any potential customer who may be wondering about the effectiveness of this type of support, to check out what some of our existing customers have said about our service.
What level of technical support can I expect from Powersoft?
Current support times are as follows:
- Monday to Friday - 06.00 to 21.00 GMT
- Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holidays - 09.00 to 21.00 GMT
Support does differ for Planbuilder account holders. To find out how or to find out about our full Technical Support policy, please read Schedule 2 (Technical Support Policy) contained within our Terms and Conditions.
My new account has been set up but my domain name still points to my old host. Why?
This is because your previous host has not changed the nameservers to ours or, they have done it so recently that the changes haven't yet taken effect.
Our nameserver details are sent to you in your 'Welcome' email and it is these that you need to pass on to your previous host. Powersoft have no control over the speed with which another company will act so, until your previous host has changed the nameservers for your domain, it will not become active with us.
If I want to leave Powersoft Hosting will you charge to release my domain name and how long will release take?
Powersoft make absolutely no charge whatsoever to transfer a domain name into our company or to transfer it away to another provider. Either request is dealt with promptly and the same day.
However, we do advise customers to check the small print on their existing hosting contracts as some hosts DO charge to transfer domain names away from them. Check your small print!
I've seen many web hosts out there offering unlimited bandwidth. Why don't Powersoft offer this?
Bandwidth is an allowance that enables you to transfer web pages from a web server to the computers of visitors to your website. There is a limit to the amount of data that can be transferred in this way at any one time. Likewise, the hard drive of a web server has a limited amount of space determined by its size.
Many hosting companies state that they offer 'unlimited' plans but you need to be aware that there ARE limitations to this, contrary to what the initial claim made seems to suggest!
Most websites only use a very small amount of bandwidth. Any company that offers 'unlimited' bandwidth as a feature is relying on the probability that you won't use very much. We would always advise that you check the terms of any company you are thinking of signing up with, to make sure you are aware of exactly what their policy entails.
If you have a small website and know that it really won't use up much in the way of resources then 'unlimited' is probably OK for you although there may be restrictions on the types of files you can place there (again - check the small print).
However, if you know your site receives lots of visitors, you have many downloads, an e-commerce facility or you expect your site to grow at a reasonable rate, then choosing an 'unlimited' plan may cause you problems. You will at the very least, find yourself billed for any excess use (over and above the 'safety net' figure stipulated in the host's terms and conditions) and you may even find that your website gets suspended.
As a rough guide, try and calculate what resources you will need and double the figure just to be on the safe side. It is always easier and cheaper for our customers to upgrade their resources than to find themselves exceeding their quotas.
Can I buy a domain name from you without any web hosting
No.
Powersoft do not sell domain names unless purchased as part of an 'Ultimate' plan.
Do I have to pay by card? Do you accept cheques?
Yes, we do accept cheques for some payments but the instantaneous nature of purchasing on the internet means that card payments are the only 'instant' option for purchasing some types of plan.
For example, if you require a 'Planbuilder' or 'Ultimate' Plan, we need to receive payment before we can set these accounts up, especially as in the case of 'Ultimate' plans, we are purchasing domain names up front.
However, if you are on a free trial and wish to pay by cheque you can do this provided the cheque has reached us and been cleared before the expiry date of your free trial.
Existing customers can also pay by cheque for their renewals with prior arrangement.
A fee of £25.00 is levied to customers where cheques are not honoured by their bank upon first presentation.
I have paid via Worldpay but you have asked me for additional information before you will set up my account. Why?
Unfortunately, due to an increasing number of fraudulent card transactions that we are experiencing, there may be occasions where we have to request further proof of identity from the customer/cardholder prior to providing the service requested.
These extra checks are performed mainly on overseas transactions but there may be occasions where we also have to further check the identity of a UK purchaser, particularly if the sign up address and cardholder address that Worldpay provide do not match or, if the transaction is above a certain value.
What happens if I exceed my account quotas for diskspace and/or data transfer?
We would always encourage customers to be realistic and upgrade their resources prior to going over on an unauthorised basis. This is cheaper and creates more goodwill between host and customer. However, there will be occasions when resources are exceeded and the charges for this vary according to whether the customer has a regular hosting plan or a 'Planbuilder' hosting plan.
Details of the charges may be viewed in our Terms and Conditions as follows:
- Regular Hosting Plans - Sections 4.5.1, 4.5.2 and 4.5.3
- Planbuilder Hosting Plans - Section 6.5.1
In most cases, you will receive either a personal or server-generated warning when you have reached 80% of your quota for any given month. In some cases, this warning will also offer you the chance to upgrade. If the account is not upgraded and exceeds quota for the month, it will be suspended. There may not be a warning of this prior to it actually happening! If in doubt - upgrade!
An extra 1GB of data transfer each month will cost you just £5.00 per year! Much cheaper than excess fees!
I am already a customer and have forgotten my login details. What should I do?
Simply send an email to Customer Services stating exactly what information you would like re-sending and we'll send it.
With so many web hosts out there, why should I choose Powersoft?
Good question. The only real answer to which would be to try us for yourself and find out.
We believe that Word of Mouth is the most powerful recommendation there is, and are glad that a wide variety of our customers are pleased to convey this to others. We are a small company and feel that we offer a friendly, relaxed, efficient and professional service to our customers.
For some of the other reasons we think set us apart from the others, check out our 'Why Choose Us' section by clicking here.
Do you allow any form of adult content on your servers?
No. In no form whatsoever.
This a policy we are very strict on and enforce rigorously. Any adult type content found on any account will result in the offending account being terminated without notice.
The Powersoft Companies work closely with various agencies and others to try and forge ahead in the cause to make the internet a safer place for all and in particular, children.
As such, we are proud to sponsor the SAFERNET ROADSHOWS, a series of exciting events taking place around the country aimed at raising awareness of the issues involved in making the internet a safer place for everyone.
To visit the Safernet Roadshow website, please Click Here.
How do I know whether I should go for a Linux or Windows hosting plan?
This subject is covered in great detail in the 'Windows or Linux?' section.
I want to open an account and am outside of the UK. Will this affect the account opening process in any way?
Possibly.
If you are signing up for a free trial account and have supplied your full name, address, email address and domain name then your account will be set up in our usual timescale.
However, if you are purchasing an 'Ultimate' Plan with a domain name, a Planbuilder Plan or your order is above a certain value, we may have to request additional information to verify the purchase and prevent card fraud.
We do not accept cheques from customers outside the UK.
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