Now, I am no computer whiz.  However, I do own an SEO company and have had over 100 websites in my time.

When I got started back in 2006, I exclusively  used Hostgator for all my hosting needs.  The amount of money I have spent over the years would be an eye-opener as I created a separate account for all my clients.

But times have changed and so has Hostgator.

The host decided to “partner” with a website security company called Sitelock and began pushing the new company passionately.

They neglected to mention of course that the same entity owned both companies.

About a year ago, I began to receive notices from Hostgator and Sitelock that my account was compromised and I should contact Sitelock to clear the Malware from my account.

Strangely though, I could find no evidence of malware with any other plugins including the impressive Wordfence, nor did Google Webmaster toosl show any malware.

I did nothing.

Inexplicably, my account was banned including two clients who depended on their website for their livelihood.   Support offered one solution:  Have Sitelock remove the malware.

They had no scan results that I could see, no evidence of anything  that I could check.

I immediately moved all sites to another host.

Little did I know that this host was ALSO owned by this scam company.

So the process began again,  First the scare tactic letter, then the account banning.

Finally, I just got a VPS with separate Cpanels and life was good again.

Or was it?

Fast forward a couple of weeks and the email barrage begins again from Sitelock saying they are partners with Hostgator  (TRUSTED partners mind you!) and that a scan of my sites had revealed malware on 3 different sites.  This continued for a few days.

As a HOPE teacher at a local high school, I was in the gym teaching class when my cell phone rang.  Not an unusual occurrence, I checked the number to ensure it wasn’t the front office searching for a student.  The number was from Arizona, I clicked it off and returned to my duties.  I listened for the ding that signals a voicemail but none came.

No more than a minute later, the phone rang again, same number.  A little concerned, I went ahead and answered it.

You guessed it, a Sitelock salesman!

I left my class with another teacher and asked the pushy salesman how he had gotten my private information including my websites, phone number and email.

“We are partners with Hostgator”, he proclaimed.

I responded that I had signed a contract with Hostgator years ago and had not signed one with Sitelock which meant they should not be allowed to contact me using private details.

“Well, we are partners with Hostgator, he proudly exclaimed this time.

I asked him why he was scanning my sites in the first place considering I had left Hostgator over a year earlier.

“Well, Google scans your site everyday, and we are partners with Hostgator”

“So you are comparing a search engine protecting its results to your scammy company looking to scare people into paying large sums of money for unneeded work?”  I retorted a little to angrily I’m sure.

“Well, we are partners with Hostgator and we can clean those sites for you.”

“Do you work on commission”  I asked.

“Well, all jobs are performance based” He responded.

I congratulated him on deviating from the script and saying something new.  I also assured him that not all jobs were performance based as I was in a hallway talking on the cellphone when I was supposed to be working.

He missed the sarcasm and inexplicably began telling me what a great deal he could offer me to get the malware of my sites.

I began berating him with an energy that would make a meth user proud.  However, he just continued to offer the Services of Sitelock.

Was this guy human or possibly a cyborg? He was unflappable.

Finally after adding a few choice words that I learned from watching “Real Housewives of New York” with my wife, ( it’s called “loving” your wife)  I hung up the phone.

The next day?  Two more emails despite him telling me I would not be contacted again.

Sitelock and Hostgator have quite the scam going on.  Hostgator tries to sign up every new customer with a monthly payment of Sitelick, er I mean Sitelock for the life of your contract.  Here are the monthly plans…

Then they methodically go out and began emailing customers informing them of the malware on their websites and the benefits of Sitelick, oops.

Sitelock then contacts the customer repeatedly until they give in and hire a bunch of amateurs to “remove” malware from the sites.

If you refuse the extortion, they will shut down your hosting account due to complaints or the dangers of malware.

Sadly, the entity that owns Hostgator and Sitelock also own about 150 other hosting services.  Before choosing a host, ask if they have a partnership with Sitelock.  If you need someone to remove actual malware from your site, email me here and I will give you a name that works so fast, it is scary and charges almost nothing.

Don’t fall for this scam.  Boycott Hostgator and Sitelock!!

**The opinions posted here are mine.  So in case I get taken to court, this post is just an opinion post.

In a nutshell, my opinion is that Hostgator and Sitelock suck!!

The post The Sitelock Hostgator Scam appeared first on Easy Street Marketing.