30-day hosting money-back guarantee. No-questions-asked refund.
How many times have you come across such marketing and sales gimmicks when buying a product online?
Chances are most of us don’t ever usually get to that point, but at those rare times when we have to, the experience is not always pleasant, to say the least.
When I recommend a product, I ensure I do all kinds of testing before recommending it to millions of ShoutMeLoud users. Bluehost is one such web-hosting which is on our list of recommended WordPress hosting. I like it because it has many unique features to offer. This article, however, is not about what Bluehost hosting offers but its marketing gimmick and how reliable it actually is.
I thought of testing out how effective Bluehost money-back guarantee is. I’m sharing the exact steps and my overall experience with canceling a brand new Bluehost hosting account and getting the refund.
The story behind the idea of trying to cancel the Bluehost account
3 weeks ago I purchased a new hosting package from Bluehost to test out their new features. I purchased a new hosting package and have been playing around with it. Only yesterday did I realize that it had been over 25 days since I purchased it and that is when the idea of testing their refund policy came into my notorious mind.
Why am I doing this?
Usually, companies make it really difficult for users to cancel their accounts, and not everyone has a blog to share their experience.
Therefore, I took it upon myself to find out what its like to cancel the Bluehost hosting account and whether or not I will get a complete refund.
Let’s get down to business
I was hoping to find an account cancellation form. However, Bluehost offers account cancellation over the telephone. Their cancellation department is based out of USA and I had to dial the USA number from my country.
And we all know how much time tech support usually takes.
I used Google voice to call Bluehost account cancellation department and for the extra info, you can make free calls to the USA using Google voice.
I called 844-853-6296 and the operator on the other side was Daniel.
Here is how our conversation went: (I’m editing the pleasantries and focusing on important stuff)
Operator: What’s your domain name?
Me: *******.com
Operator: The last 4 digits of your password?
Me: ****
Operator: I have sent you an email with Validation Token. Kindly provide me with the information.
Me: 304522 (Tip: Keep your email open and your Bluehost account password handy)
Operator: Is there anything I could do to change your mind?
Me: Thanks but I would like to go ahead with my account cancellation and get the full refund.
(… Waited for 30 seconds)
Operator: Alright! Would you like to keep the domain name or cancel that as well?
Me: If I cancel the domain, will I get a refund for that as well?
Operator: Nope. Domain money can’t be refunded.
Me: Alright. I would like to keep the domain name.
This is where he put me on hold for a minute and then…
Operator: I have canceled your account. You will get the full refund within 3-5 working days.
I acknowledged that and hung up.
Was that for real, I asked myself! It took me a few minutes to soak that up.
In no more than 8-10 minute I was able to cancel my account without any questions being asked. Usually, account canceling experiences are never one worth talking about.
Another thing is, depending on your payment method, you can get the refund within 24 hours as well.
According to Bluehost account cancellation page, if payment mode is:
- PayPal: Refund will be processed within 24 hours of account cancellation.
- Credit card: Refund can take up to 10 days, depending on your card issuer.
Conclusion: Bluehost account cancellation is swift
Overall, I was impressed by the whole process of Bluehost account cancellation. It was smooth and actually a no-questions-asked refund. The only thing not likable in this process, also a feedback to the Bluehost team, is the lack of a confirmation email as soon as the account is canceled. However, you can verify your account status by visiting the billing section of your Bluehost account dashboard.
Overall, Bluehost scored well in this experiment and they definitely deserve a big round of applause for being customer-centric.
Have you ever tried claiming the full refund with Bluehost or any other online services? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.