Webspace deleted - why no warning?

[#1]

Hi - got a call this morning from someone who'd checked my site to see the message "Your site has been removed because you have exceeded your webspace allowance." The fact that I was over my limit is fair enough, it has been a very busy couple of weeks for me, and I've had to deliver a couple of large files that I've not yet had time to remove. My question is why was the site deleted without warning me first? Just a simple email would have prodded me into action, but this response to my 'severe abuse' (I could only have been 30-40Mb over limit) has caused me massive inconvenience and a lot of wasted time re-supplying files using other web space I have available with other companies.
Obviously PlusNet have the right to do whatever they like with my webspace, but if the service can be removed with zero warning or consultation then how am I meant to rely on it in the future? What sort of customer service is it that I have to spend time hunting around their website to find out how to restore a service that I've already paid for? I might as well be with TalkTalk or some cheapie operation, the whole point of me paying £22 per month for this 'Premier Option' is that I'm meant to have some sort of confidence in the service.
Very annoyed. Chris

[#2]

I think a warning would be appropriate considering the huge amount of time and effort put into many sites.
However
<Devil's Advocate>
I would also consider it prudent to take local backups of sites in the highly unlikely event of PN's servers failing and no on-site backup is available
</Devil's Advocate>

[#3]

Let me think about that suggestion: I put up a large video which gets very popular and suddenly it's clocking 50GB per day and affecting all the other websites on homepages. I get a warning in the first instance- and the site taken down 24-48 hours later when I've done nothing about it.
A good idea - I think not!
There has to be two levels: go over a bit and you get a warning, go over a lot and the site gets pulled to protect all the other sites on homepages. What we need to debate is where the break is between those two actions.
Edit: Just in case people didn't realise that is the way it works at present - it's just the band of overuse where you get a warning is very narrow.

[#4]

Quote from: jelv

Let me think about that suggestion: I put up a large video which gets very popular and suddenly it's clocking 50GB per day

Sounds like time to move to a dedicated hosting site

[#5]

Just to clarify, I've got no problems with PlusNet deciding to take action against websites that contravene their usage limitations.
The files in question that pushed me over the limit were just accessed by one person, so it wasn't a bandwidth problem, it was just that my total files went well over the allotted 250Mb. And sure, PlusNet isn't a hosting company - although I do pay well over the odds to get the additions to their basic services. The problem I've got is with their appalling customer service, an automated email surely wouldn't be too hard warning the user that they're over the limit. Just turning the website off without warning shows zero appreciation for the customer that may actually be relying on this service, it's the first time in the six or seven years I've been a P/net customer that I've thought about looking around to see what else is available.
Anyway, this is mostly venting, I'm trying to get some satisfaction from their online ticket system, but no dice so far.

[#6]

My example was rather extreme - but it is just the sort of thing that happens. People have a 200MB video clip, put it on their website and send links to all their friends (who send the link on to more people).

[#7]

@ChrisCousins
How far over the limit had you gone?

[#8]

Quote

it was just that my total files went well over the allotted 250Mb.

surely in that case, it is your responsibility to ensure file sizes fit the allocated space?
There are alternative methods for transferring large files which wouldn't impact your webspace, so if the need arises in future, why not try one of them?

[#9]

www.yousendit.com is a useful site with a free lite account facility.

[#10]

Quote from: geofftswin

surely in that case, it is your responsibility to ensure file sizes fit the allocated space?

I agree - as mentioned, my issue isn't that there's a size limit that I'd exceeded (pretty badly, by around 100Mb) - the problem is that one day I wake up and I have no access to my webspace with no warning that I've exceeded anything. It wasn't a sudden change, it had been building up for two weeks as I sent these large files to a client, I'd just not got around to doing my housekeeping and deleting old files.
I always remember Plusnet having pretty good customer communication, that was one of the reasons I chose them in the first place, but that seems to be in the past.
For the record, my ticket got answered in the end, but I was still without access to my webspace (and unable to remedy the problem) for the four and a half hours it took to get the issue addressed.

[#11]

Question to Plusnet: I know the checking script hadn't been running for a bit. The user has said "It wasn't a sudden change, it had been building up for two weeks as I sent these large files to a client". Is it the case that the user had missed out on the usual warning messages that are sent when you are a little over because when re-running of the script started he had by then gone way over?

[#12]

A similar set of 'issues' caused PUGIT 366 "Improved Web Hosting bandwidth rules" - to be raised back last September.  A quick response from PlusNet generally supported the idea but wanted some additional priority from the UserBase.  Since then 'nowt!
This problem keeps resurfacing every few months - is there much support for pushing PlusNet to up the priority in resolving the issue?
Your vote in PUGIT will help

[#13]

FWIW If my bandwidth goes over the limit I would EXPECT to get a fair warning before having my site taken down.
On the bright side it could be oh so much worse, I seem to recall back in 2004 or 2005 someone in the USA put up a video clip of the tsunami and got so many hits they got a $6000 bill from their host for excess bandwidth use.