Current Money-back Guarantees from Leading Web Hosting Companies

Choosing the right web hosting company for our new website is one of the most important decisions we have to make when it comes to getting that website live on the Internet.

We need stability, reliability, and features like one-click installation. We need good quality customer support, and above all, we need a price that’s well within our budget.

Unsurprisingly, most of the leading web hosting companies guarantee to do all of this and then some.

Yet that’s not to say they always live up to our expectations. Whether they simply fail to provide what they claim, or whether what they provide turns out not to be the best fit our website, there are times when what looked like the start of a beautiful friendship between ourselves and our hosting provider quickly turns sour.

When that happens, it’s helpful to know that we can quickly divorce ourselves from that relationship and move on in search of hosting pastures new. To that end, many leading hosts boast another guarantee: One that states you can get your money back if you’re not completely satisfied with what they have to offer.

Not all money-back guarantees are the same though, and if this is an important factor for you when it comes to picking the best web hosting company for your new site, you need to know what the score is.

Here then, is our quick guide to the current money back guarantees from leading hosting providers.

[Note: All of the following information is accurate as of March 2015]

Bluehost

Bluehost have earned rave reviews among website owners for the quality of their WordPress hosting solutions, but their commitment to giving you your money back if your not satisfied deserves at least small applause too.

The company are quick to boast that their hosting plans are non-contractual, meaning you can pull out at any time you like with no consequences to you.

If you find you’re unhappy within the first 30 days after signing up, they’ll give you a full refund, no questions asked. After that, they’ll refund you the amount of any time left on your current plan that you’re not going to use.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s refund policy is a little more complex than some, but it does work in our favour as website owners.

You can request a full refund for up to 45 days from the time you sign up for your account. If you sign up and pay for services whilst taking advantage of a free trial, you’ve got 15 days to claim your money back, which still ultimately works out as 45 days from the beginning of your 30-day freebie.

Beyond that 45 days, you won’t actually be able to get your money back, but can instead cancel your plan and claim in-store credit for other GoDaddy services.

iPage

IPage make a big deal of their anytime, money-back gaurantee, though it’s essential the standard offer that many top hosting companies provide: A full refund within 30 days, and money back for any unused time on your plan after that.

HostGator

Much like GoDaddy, HostGator give you a full 45 days to make your mind up over whether their shared hosting plans are right for you. If, at any time during that period, you decide you’re unhappy, you can request a full refund.

Unlike GoDaddy, the company will refund any unused fees to your card if you decide to cancel after that.

It’s perhaps important to note here that HostGator’s refund policy doesn’t apply to their dedicated server plans unless you submit a cancellation request on the same day that your account renews and the company accidentally takes money from you anyway.