Where did it go & can I get it back?

[D Lo]

This is extremely embarrassing, however.... I purchased a turnkey website in April. I was unable to work with the site, ie set up emails, enter products, tax info, etc due to family issues at the time but went ahead and paid a monthly web hosting subscription through paypal until Oct. In Oct Paypal sent me a couple of emails that stated they had tried to pay my subscription payment but there was a problem with the hosts account. THe subscription was then cancelled. I did not see these email's until the end of Nov. At that time I went to the website and was still able to view it and get in to work on it. A couple of days later I went back to it however it was gone and I am unable to access that webpage. Obviously I am not very experienced with the web and how things work. Do I still have a website somewhere? Do I just need to find a host and give them my domain name? I have tried contacting the previous host and have received no answer. I appreciate any direction that someone can give... I know this is basic beyond belief but I thank you for any insight you can give me, I honestly have no clue where else to go for information on figuring this out!

[JPnyc]

You need to contact your host and see if the files are still there. You should have had them on your pc as well, but if you don't then the only option is hoping that your host didn't delete them

[D Lo]

I have tried contacting the host they will not contact me back. I did not have the files on my pc - didn't realize I should, I am pretty computer illiterate. I really don't understand how this all works. If I do a search for my site I can pull the pages up on a ?search engine? but when I try to open them (like I would any web site I want to go to) it tells me that it can't. If I find a new host and give them my domain name can they access them? Thanks. I appreciate any advice you can give me. D

[JPnyc]

Can you post the link to your site that you get when you search?

[D Lo]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Sometimes it takes several tries to find it but usually I can find it on yahoo search. Do you mean by link? http://trail2rail-tacksupply.com/account.php or....? My domain name is trail2rail-tacksupply.com and I verified last night that it is still valid through March. I really appreciate your taking the time to respond - I have reached deadends everywhere else I've turned - thank you.

[JPnyc]

Both of those bring up "page cannot be displayed" errors. Who is the host? You say you contacted them but they never get back to you? Did your hosting package run out and you didn't pay to continue or something? Do you owe them money? Do they owe YOU money? I'm trying to find out if you've been swindled here, or if you just let the service lapse.

[D Lo]

So - what does that mean? "page can't be displayed"? I purchased the website through turnkeyresource.com which I believe is now "parked" and for sale. The individual's name that I bought from is Brenda Gibb - I paid for web hosting to her through another business name - barns2go.com and I believe this is still in business. I paid through Pay Pal monthly via a subscription to Brenda under barns2go. As I initially mentioned due to family illness etc I was unable to really get the site setup and going right away but I would check periodically to make sure I could still access it. In Nov I checked another email account that I have and noticed several messages from Pay Pal in regard to my subscription. The first 2 emails stated that my October hosting payment didn't go through because of problems with barns2go's account, the 3rd email stated that the subscription had been cancelled due to problems with the host's account. So long story long is no I didn't owe money, and no I didn't let it lapse. I finally had time to start getting the site going and suddenly my host is gone, no warning, no explanation, nothing... and evidently no website? I hope this clarifys the situation. I definitely feel swindled as I paid for the initial website, I've been paying for monthly hosting and the site is gone. I tried to find out more information through paypal but they won't give any information to me on the host's account, what happened etc. Just that there was a problem with their account. I have sent several emails to turnkeyresource, barns2go, and Advantage1 who's name I found at the bottom of barns2go as their host. Again, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me. I feel really helpless as to what to do as my computer/web knowledge is so meager but I want to make sure I cover all my bases and options before accepting defeat! Thank you. D

[JPnyc]

Well if the company is out of business and you don't have any of the files that made up your site in your possession, then I would have to guess that they're unrecoverable. If the host is out of business then they're servers are down and gone, and I would assume all the files stored on them are as well. Sorry

[D Lo]

Crapadoodie! Thanks again for your assistance. She is definitely not out of business - still going strong I believe. I keep hoping she'll do the right thing and contact me, but I know chances are slim. I hope others will be more saavy and beware of Brenda Gibb, aka barns2go.com, turnkeyresource.com, and I'm not totally sure but maybe advantage1hosting.com (I'm suspicious of them as well as they are linked to the other 2 sites and will also not answer my emails). Live and learn! I'll probably be spending alot of time here on this site learning from others on the do's and don'ts! Another question, if it isn't too detailed to answer easily. If I again have someone do a site for me how do I take control of the files? And if I have the files and a domain name and have problems with the hosting (God forbid!) how do I transfer to a different host if the current host is uncooperative? Thanks again! D

[JPnyc]

Well when you choose another host, don't get a combo site builder and hosting package. When the developer finishes your site he will give you the files for you to upload to your server, via an FTP program. You'll still have the copies on your pc. Or if he uploads it for you, go and change the password right afterwards. Then you can copy all the files to your pc

[asr_guy]

Deb,
Have you tried to call Brenda? Her tel# is on her turnkeyresource.com whois listing (for all to see) here:
http://www.whois.sc/TurnkeyResource.com

Maybe she has your files and you can sort it out together.

As for a new hosting company I have one listed on my resource page on my site below. A coupon is provided there too. I agree with JP - keep the hosting and site builder separate.

Regards,
Peter

[D Lo]

Awesome - Peter as_rguy - I had no idea there was a place to go to look this stuff up. I could have done all my "snooping" in a fraction of the time! Oh well, everywhere I go I learn something (now if I could just remember it all!). So everything I thought was correct - she does own all those sites - I just can't figure out why she won't contact me - too weird. I have emailed her several times from each of them. I will try calling her - thanks so much. And thanks for the link to your site! JPnyc - thanks for hanging in there with me. D Lo (hmmmm I wonder what a FTP program is!)