Tech Support

Dreamhost has really unbeatable web host pricing and features that you wont find anywhere else for the price....Unfortunately I think they have oversold there services so much and the prices are so low that they cant provide decent support. It will take an average of 12 - 24 hours should you have a problem. Thank god mine have been simple email issues, but unlike any other host out there you can actually talk to they have actually said "We dont outlook express" support. I have had a few problems with using outlook support and usually something wasn't checked right and EVERY OTHER HOST that I have had has gone over seatings and even given alternatives for their server. But all Dreamhost can say is that they are too busy to help me.

The funny thing is that the one time I got great customer service from them, like within a short time they really upset me in a previous tech email and I wrote back and acted very unprofessional and called them names. Then they actually answered quickly

Why bother Dreamhost with Outlook Express questions? Why not bother Microsoft, or Outlook user forums/groups? Dreamhost did not develop Outlook Express, therefore they aren't responsible for supporting it.

Because its not really a technical problem with outlook express software, its a connection problem and in the past when I have had this problem it usually was a server issue and had to change server information to get this to work.
I am at least experienced with the problems and have tried out various solutions to get this to work.

I would hate to be a newbie to the internet and drawn in because of their low prices. I actually got a friend to sign up and she's having problems so I wrote in on her behalf and have been asked for her credit card info so I can do tech support and twice now they haven't bothered to check history in support and have told me that they cant give me any information.

Outhouse Excess is a crappy, non-standards-compliant mail program, which you really ought to dump in favor of something better. However, it ought to work with Dreamhost as well (or poorly) as with any other provider that uses standard mail protocols.


-- Dan

This is a good mail program.

Agreed, Thunderbird is a great email app. Two points on it for our original poster:

1. I use Thunderbird to access my DH mail everyday and I haven't had any problems, or at the very least, I could walk you through the set-up.

2. Thunderbird's interface is similar to Outlook, so it'll be a breeze switching over.

3. Thunderbird is not integrated with Windows, so you have less change of activating a security exploit by opening an email.

4. Thundebird is just better.

Wylde - why not go then and pay the extortionate prices charged for a plan with tech support that guides people like you in every little detail.

Give them a break...

I have given them a break....I have a business to run and thats the #1 priority. I have invested time and money into Dreamhost and I expect to recieve everything they claim, such as "We offer the same unparalleled technical support free to all our customers, no matter what your plan!" So far they have the worst customer service I have seen with any host. They say they have bee busy and will give them time, but I think anyone new should come in with their eyes open

DH is pretty up front about support taking up to 24 hours for an initial response, so you shouldn't feel like you've been duped.

I think it's unreasonable to ask a host to provide tech support for third-party products, especially a microsoft product... since DH is also upfront about its commitment to open source technology.

if you are really unhappy with the situation, they do offer a 91 day money back guarantee.

Here's an eye-opener for you:

I can easily and efficiently pickup my DreamHost email with every email program that I have, except Outlook Express (which I never use). So, either bother Microsoft about it, or use another email app. This is clearly, beyond the shadow of the doubt, not DreamHost's problem.

Hey wylde

I have about 40 sites on dreamhost, and almost all of them use outlook or outlook express as their mail program. Yes, due to 'whichever' internet service provider they use, i do have to do a bit of changing on the outgoing mail server information. but never on the incoming. Also, i have never had any of them have a problem once I set up their email (with the exception of a few mail servers going down.)

What exactly is your problem with receiving or sending mail?

You mentioned "it usually was a server issue and had to change server information to get this to work." What exactly were you needing to change? Was it in Outlook's outgoing mail server information?

I do agree, a better, more extensive guide to setting up mail in Outlook and Outlook Express would be good, plus listing which Internet Service Providers block port 25 (ie. cox, comcast, bellsouth, etc.)

Edited by gonewthewind on 01/13/05 12:49 PM (server time).

"However, our customers generally agree they'd rather send an email and have their solution within a few hours" Didn't say 24 hours there did they?

Since you need help here is the dictionary definition of unparalled - radically distinctive and without equal; alone, beyond compare, champ, consummate, exceptional, greatest, incomparable, matchless, rare, unequalled, unique, unmatched, unprecedented, unrivaled, unsurpassed without equal, world class

And its not software support, its connection support or help that EVERY OTHER HOST would help you on.

And no I fixed the problem with help or they actually did what they were supposed to and turned on the right switches on their end.

So the problem is solved, you just can't believe everything you read.

Here is an eye opener for you:

Every hosting company should provide customer service and tech support for connection issues (and 99% do) when email programs (OE,Outlook, Thunderbird) can not connect to their servers. It could be a problem with their servers, problems with passwords and logins, etc. But when they are hard to reach and you get one help email a day it gets frustrating.

Its nice to have no problems, but when you do have them its nice to be able to get help

http://www.dreamhost.com/support.html

In reply to:

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We strive to answer all emails within 24 hours, and most are answered in subtantially less time.

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http://www.dreamhost.com/aboutus.html

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Our choice to not provide Microsoft operating systems for any of our hosting products is one that is a common subject of inquiry. We feel strongly that the best products available for the job of serving Internet content are those based on UNIX TM, and that the efforts of the open source community specifically (Linux, Apache, MySQL and so on) are best of breed. To use any Windows or related products would be to us a vote of no confidence against the very technology that made it possible for us to compete in this industry in the first place! It turns out that once our customers give open source alternatives a chance they are overjoyed with the performance and feature set available to them. Of course, some will decide to go with someone else, and we respect their decision.

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I'm not trying to get into a flamewar with you, but caveat emptor. Before I pulled out my credit card and paid for Dreamhost (4 years ago), I made sure I fully understoood what I was getting into. Same for my cell phone or my computers' warranty/service contracts.

And I thought I new what I was getting into as well, so far I have not seen substantially less (ok, when I got so upset because a tech didnt bother to read history and I wrote a nasty email, I got a responce quickly). On every other email so far it taken 20 - 24 hours or longer.

And yes you should know what your getting into, thats why I wrote the first one. If you want great customer support you need to go somewhere else should there ever be a problem. Dreamhost is great for space, traffic and other attributes. But with having a 9 month "sale" you can understand why they cant provide quicker customer support. Again I refer to unparalled.

uh? I have never seen someone w/so much anger over an email issue that can be taken care of by a google search. I have over 200 sites, 40 on dreamhost and moving more and more as the sites end their current hosting.

When you send email supports to Dreamhost, you let them know how critical the issue is...to you! Get it?

I was ready to help, ready to show you the ropes on Outlook. But you just took a good support and turned it sour...

Someone needs to end this thread...obviously, he figured out where the problem was and fixed his / or her issue.

I have had many issues, mostly my error or an error w/ my operating system or my computer (macintosh.) So far I am amazed w/support at dreamhost, and their users (who help guide me more than they should.)

If you want support in the forum (I know I shouldn't say this) ask. Don't just damn the world, but ask for help. We were and still are here. We have been through it and are willing to help. But durn, you are a stubborn one.

Gone W. The WIND

Actually I am well over my anger with Dreamhost and their customer service issues. My current anger is with people that cant read posts. After trying three email programs its obvious that no google search is going to help server connection issues with dreamhost. Since my emails all of a sudden started working I am sure my emails to tech support had them check there settings...but it did take a few days.

And thanks for the offer to help but theres not much I think you could teach me. And I am glad your satisfied with the service you have gotten. Call me spoiled I am used to having emails responded within hours and actually being able to talk to someone when there was a problem. I hope you dont need phone support during holidays...

And actually this isnt a support forum if you look at the title. I just stated my experiences.

So you came just to bit** and not look for any help? What a waste.

Again, I point you to http://www.dreamhost.com/support.html.

In reply to:

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Can't find an answer in our knowledgebase? Browse through our discussion forums. Some of our more knowledgable customers and a few of our employees frequent the forums on a regular basis.

Chances are if you can't find it in the knowledge base, it's already been answered in the forums!

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It's pretty short-sighted of you to think that a problem you're encountering hasn't been worked through by anyone else. GWTW was being pretty cool when he stepped back from the people criticizing and offered a hand... you just slapped it away.

If all you want to do is vent, you probably shouldn't bring it to this forum.

This isnt a forum for support, its a forum to find out information about dreamhost. See the title?

I'd like to say that I've been experiencing longer than normal support times and longer than normal dealys in setting up new users, accounts, subdomains etc lately as well. Key being "longer than normal" though.

I too assume this is due to them "overselling" as you've put it.

But key being "longer than normal" - I have every confidence they;ll get back to to business as usual, I've been here a long while, and they always do!

Hopefully that provides you with something to look forward to :)

jason