Moral: Read the small print with Fasthosts. Especially if you trust them.

I was a satisfied user of Fasthosts services for many years. Always appreciating that they offered their hosting services on a monthly basis as my requirements change frequently. One day they offered a Dedicated Server hurry-quick special offer and I bought the monthly option as usual. A month later I attempted to cancel but they would not let me. Apparently there was, this time, some text in the sales process which said this was a minium contract of 1 year. I remonstrated but got nowhere and in the end, rather than risk a negative credit rating I duly paid my month on month fees. I didn't use this server at all. It was no longer needed. Utter waste of a lot of money.

I phoned twice and emailed twice to confirm that account cancellation was to go through as soon as allowable. But No - I must wait a year and cancel then. So last week I emailed my cancellation. But no - I must ring a special number. Now I phone 5 more times - getting nowhere each time - calls transferred to extensions which do not answer - phones not answered after more than 30 minutes. Finally, today, I got through. They emailed me a form full of contractual requirements for cancellation. Duly completed. Do you suppose this will succeed ? I do hope so. This is the first time I've ever felt like complaining. Now I have. Hope I feel better about this rather than just highly annoyed at having to spend a full years worth of dedicated server charges for a machine I no longer needed. And having to phone so many times talking to young lads and lasses reading determinedly from their script without leeway or discretion.