PSA: HFB Servers - took (y)our money and ran

[danile666 6]

So has anyone been able to contact these guys and get their clanpay money refunded?  I have a lot in there as well and am just trying to get it out.  I would hate to have to go to small claims over something like this.

[jaynic 15]

If you paid through pay pal, then I suggest filing a dispute over it. There are tools specifically for it, and my guess is that since they are incommunicado - you will get your money back. 

Sooner rather than later is my reccomendation

 

EDIT:

I have filed a dispute with them. The email on record is going to Anthony@hfbservers.com - I dunno what's going to happen here. If he has the money, then he has no desire to give it back, and he will most likely not respond in hopes that I will forget about the issue before it automatically closes on Jul 14, 2014. Or he may send it to the new owners, or just not care...

Either way, I have set a reminder for myself to escalate the ticket by that time.

Edited June 24, 2014 by JayNic

[TG ! Jimmy 216]

So has anyone been able to contact these guys and get their clanpay money refunded?  I have a lot in there as well and am just trying to get it out.  I would hate to have to go to small claims over something like this.

I've had no such luck...

[SL@Y3R 1]

Hey guys I just wanted to touch base with you all since we all have the same issue. I admin/mod for multiple Rust servers and all of the HFB ones are down as well. One of my main servers which is owned by a good friend of mine lost its control panel access for about 10 days but the server continued to run. Two days later the HFB control panel was back but the following day the server went down. It has been 4 days now that the server has been down and HFB has canceled every support ticket. There has been no correspondence from them whatsoever. During the time that the control panel was out their website was offline as well. Their website is up and running ATM and ready to take your money, but it would seem that they don't actually have any working servers that I am aware of at this time. 

 

My main reason for posting here is because I googled "what is going on with hfb servers" and it led me to your forum. I strongly suggest that everyone file a Paypal dispute since its been weeks to months now since HFB has not been offering the services you have been paying for. You could always give Paypal a link to this thread as evidence that something is going on.

Edited June 27, 2014 by SL@Y3R

[TG ! Jimmy 216]

Hey guys I just wanted to touch base with you all since we all have the same issue. I admin/mod for multiple Rust servers and all of the HFB ones are down as well. One of my main servers which is owned by a good friend of mine lost its control panel access for about 10 days but the server continued to run. Two days later the HFB control panel was back but the following day the server went down. It has been 4 days now that the server has been down and HFB has canceled every support ticket. There has been no correspondence from them whatsoever. During the time that the control panel was out their website was offline as well. Their website is up and running ATM and ready to take your money, but it would seem that they don't actually have any working servers that I am aware of at this time. 

 

My main reason for posting here is because I googled "what is going on with hfb servers" and it led me to your forum. I strongly suggest that everyone file a Paypal dispute since its been weeks to months now since HFB has not been offering the services you have been paying for. You could always give Paypal a link to this thread as evidence that something is going on.

You're absolutely correct on that.  

 

Sadly, my server was all funded via group-pay so I don't actually have a direct single transaction to file a dispute over.  I have requested cancellation and refunds from May 18 through now, and heard nothing.  The service isn't canceled and there's no refund.  At the time I posted the request we had $45 in the group pay fund (our credit). 

 

I can't get a reply, or get my service canceled...but they sure as hell had no problem taking more money from the group credit for an invoice it generated and paid automagically.  

 

Frustrating.

 

Cheers,

Jimmy

[SL@Y3R 1]

You're absolutely correct on that.  

 

Sadly, my server was all funded via group-pay so I don't actually have a direct single transaction to file a dispute over.  I have requested cancellation and refunds from May 18 through now, and heard nothing.  The service isn't canceled and there's no refund.  At the time I posted the request we had $45 in the group pay fund (our credit). 

 

I can't get a reply, or get my service canceled...but they sure as hell had no problem taking more money from the group credit for an invoice it generated and paid automagically.  

 

Frustrating.

 

Cheers,

Jimmy

This just sickens me. In the end we are all screwed. I run a business and as an owner I would never screw anyone out of anything. Karma is a bitch and it does come back.

 

Screw HFB. I did a quick google which led me here. I hope this site continues to be on the high end of the search engine so that people don't waste their money on HFB. There are other options out there.

 

Wish you all the best of luck and lets continue to spread the word about HFB.

 

SL@Y

[simplyphilip 1]

Thanks for this information, I was unaware. My servers went down yesterday, no reply on heat ticket, and I have now filed a dispute with paypal. HFBServers were awesome to me, but reading this it looks like they are a thing of the past now :(

[benski3@hotmail.co.uk 0]

we run our altis life server for arma 3 on game servage, quick response usually with in a our from posting a ticket not had problems so far either, and if your a noob on setting up server they will happily talk you through it.

British company too.

 

http://www.gameservage.com/

[Uncle Zed 272]

I left HFB a while ago because their support was always horrendously slow and they never seemed like they knew what they were doing. I'm very happy with Vert Hosting now.

[Uncle Zed 272]

HFB has shut their doors.

fective July 12th, 2014

HFBServers LLC will be ceasing operations indefinitely

 

All active services will be terminated on or before July 31st, 2014.

All Recurring Paypal subscriptions of clients have been cancelled.

All Recurring Credit Card payments have been cancelled.

Edited July 13, 2014 by BetterDeadThanZed

[worm425 1]

For anyone hosting through HFB servers I highly recommend fucking that and going with FPSplayers.

 

I've been with FPSplayers for about 1 year now and I've never been more happy. They offer LIVE teamspeak support and my tickets are always answered within the 4 hours if not within the first 5 minutes!

[nismo1969 0]

I had 2 servers and Teamspeak with them. They where great until about 2 months ago when products kept shutting down and going into an "unknown" state. They wouldn't respond to support tickets but somehow the server would restart after a couple of days. I have requested action from Paypal nothing as of yet but just received this email (here is a link to the web version).

http://m4tj.r.mailje.../nl/m4tj/s.html

Firstly I think it's very bad business practice to take the email list from a company you worked for and then spam them with mail promoting your supposed new product.

Secondly the name is shit because when your server goes down it goes into an "unknown" state. What marketing moron would think up that name for a server provider.

 

Well that's my 2 cents

Cheers

 

[kichilron 8550]

However much you dislike the fact that HFB shut down and left you powerless and pennyless - I don't think it's fair to judge the new host, that is - as stated - disconnected from HFB.

Especially calling them names is completely uncalled for and there is no space for that on this Forum, as it's abusive. Spam is part of the Internet and this does not fall under spam, it's not forcing some penis-pills down your throat. It's merely letting you know, that there is a new serverhost with extremely capable people working on it (as Pwnz0r was the one developing the Private Hive Packages anyway).

You don't have to buy anything from them, but they have to advertise their business in some way, do they not? I thought it was one of the better mails at that, so I am not too worried.

[nismo1969 0]

Firstly the statement "Disconnected" is a very sketchy word to use. They state this but are quite happy to take the email database BEFORE they "disconnected" so as to send (spam) our inbox with their offer. I never ticked a box our agreed to receive email promotions from HFB let alone a third (disconnected) party so here in Australia we call that spam.

Secondly Yes they have the right to advertise but do it like everyone else does by subscribing to forums just like this or sponsoring mod development etc.

Thirdly I'm worried because if the most honorable Pwnz0r could run of with the emails then who else has got them. I don't won't my inbox full of Viagra spam and the like. I regard my email privacy very highly thanks.

 

Just very disgusted that HFB never told any of us about anything then we receive this from an ex employee.

Cheers

[pwnoz0r 12]

Firstly the statement "Disconnected" is a very sketchy word to use. They state this but are quite happy to take the email database BEFORE they "disconnected" so as to send (spam) our inbox with their offer. I never ticked a box our agreed to receive email promotions from HFB let alone a third (disconnected) party so here in Australia we call that spam.

Secondly Yes they have the right to advertise but do it like everyone else does by subscribing to forums just like this or sponsoring mod development etc.

Thirdly I'm worried because if the most honorable Pwnz0r could run of with the emails then who else has got them. I don't won't my inbox full of Viagra spam and the like. I regard my email privacy very highly thanks.

 

Just very disgusted that HFB never told any of us about anything then we receive this from an ex employee.

Cheers

This is exactly the reason I sent that email out. I wanted to inform everyone of the shutdown as well as offering a replacement service. HFB was closing their doors for good, and I was offering people another place to go to. The word "disconnected" wasn't the word used (because that does sound really sketchy), but it was "I am no longer associated with HFBServers in any way". Here is something I wrote on another forum regarding the same concern:

 

HFBServers actually went offline due to both owners abandoning the company while it was still profitable. While they were out swimming, I stayed on the boat trying to keep it afloat and only could do it for so much longer. Hence the reason I left after the agreed shutdown date and moved on with Unknown Servers. Prior to agreeing on the shutdown date, I haven't spoken to either owners for almost 2 months. Yes, I stayed with a company, trying to keep it alive, for that period of time without receiving a single paycheck.

As far as your information, no one besides me or the manager had access to it, ever. But as far as I know as of the shutdown date, all webservers and databases have been wiped. The list of emails that I grabbed were deleted right after the email was sent.

 

If you have any other questions/concerns, just let me know.

[TG ! Jimmy 216]

This is exactly the reason I sent that email out. I wanted to inform everyone of the shutdown as well as offering a replacement service. HFB was closing their doors for good, and I was offering people another place to go to. The word "disconnected" wasn't the word used (because that does sound really sketchy), but it was "I am no longer associated with HFBServers in any way". Here is something I wrote on another forum regarding the same concern:

As far as your information, no one besides me or the manager had access to it, ever. But as far as I know as of the shutdown date, all webservers and databases have been wiped. The list of emails that I grabbed were deleted right after the email was sent.

 

If you have any other questions/concerns, just let me know.

I can remember more than one instance, Pwnoz0r, in which you personally replied to--and/or--fixed trouble tickets with my service with HFB.  For that, I'd like to say cheers  :beans:

I would also like to mention that, although your efforts were in good faith, a lot of customers truly did get left hung out to dry.  Your work to keep the company afloat are commendable for certain, but long-time clients such as myself and others within this thread were left without answers for countless weeks.  Paying bills to HFB but getting no services in return, not even a reply to their tickets or cancellation requests.  I don't hold you personally responsible, but I also expect it would be a long shot to expect anyone to have faith in you as of now.  I mean that respectfully, and I do not mean it as a reflection on you personally--just the truth as I see it after this ordeal.  Sorry it ended like this, because I think you were one of the few at HFB who knew what they were doing and cared enough to do it properly.

 

I think the biggest hurdle will be the fact that many for HFB clients are feeling as though they had the wool pulled over their eyes, myself included.  We paid hundreds of dollars out to HFB, then our service became intermittent.  When the bills were due on HFB's side--our server would go down at no fault of our own.  Then HFB would pay the bills to the datacenter and the service would come back up.  Then HFB all but disappeared--and clients like myself put in cancellation & refund requests that not only were never completed...they were never even replied to.  

 

I've long since considered our money to be gone, but a reply with an explanation is what really burned the bridge.  Again, this isn't directed to be a critique of your personal work, I know there were many factors at play.  Just hoping to make our point respectfully, so moving forward your future endeavors are more fruitful for you.  My main point is that the way the situation played out is what caused the uprising from the former HFB clients, not simply the fact that HFB died out.  Clients like to see where their money is going, or at least have an explanation of what is happening when they aren't receiving what they pay for.  That being said, you've always done good by me, when you were able to, and I appreciate that.

 

Cheers,

Jimmy 

 

edit: cleaned up typos and format

Edited July 23, 2014 by TG ! Jimmy

[danile666 6]

Hey,

 

So keep in mind guys that you can file a small claims suit for like 50 bucks, and if they lose they are required to pay it.  So those of us who had hundreds of dollars on file could very easily sue hfbservers and force them to give our money back.  Unfortunately Anthony Henson is still the person on file with the state of ohio.  So you would be required to sue him.  You do not have to be left penniless here, and as a matter of fact you should do it in order to keep these guys from running off with your money.  

 

Also, dude who sent the e-mail about the new service.  Since you were in hfb when it closed, why dont you shoot us the contact info for the new guy so we can ask for our money back he ran away with?