Founded in 2010, ServerClub is a Florida-based hosting company that offers dedicated and virtual private network (VPN) servers.
Review
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Sales
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ServerClub takes pre-sales questions by telephone and email. In somewhat of a hurry to get a server online, I first called ServerClub. Though I called during business hours on a Tuesday afternoon, nobody picked up the phone. Repeated attempts to get in touch with ServerClub by telephone produced the same results. I finally shot off an email to ServerClub. I received a quick reply—less than 10 minutes—and ServerClub answered all of my questions completely. When asked why they don’t answer their phone, I was told that ServerClub doesn’t really offer phone support, despite the fact that they have a phone number listed on their website. Email support was excellent, but I’ve docked ServerClub one point for advertising a phone number that isn’t really a part of the ServerClub support system.
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Setup
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ServerClub offers instant setup, which is just what I was looking for. According to their website, "the quick server setup option is automatically triggered when you fill in the 'customization' option on the order page.” As it turns out, the instructions on the order page say the exact opposite, suggesting leaving the customization page blank in order to have a shorter setup time. My server was available to me just seconds after paying when following that second bit of advice. Smooth, but ServerClub needs to have better instructions.
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Billing
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ServerClub allows payments by wire transfer (minimum $100), Webmoney transfer, PayPal and all major credit cards. I paid with PayPal and was billed appropriately each month. I had no issues whatsoever with the billing department and I was able to easily cancel my account after one year.
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Pricing
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ServerClub inventory changes frequently. At this time, dedicated servers (1x Xeon E3 with 3100MHZ and four cores per CPU, plus 4GB RAM and two 500 GB SATA drives) start at $149 per month and VPNs are $250/month. ServerClub has a decent selection of hardware choices with endless hardware and software configuration options at good prices.
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Reliability
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My server was steadfastly reliable over a one-year period. There were a few hiccups in the ServerClub network, but nothing that wasn’t sorted out within minutes.
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Help & Support
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ServerClub offers 24/7 support through an online ticket system and by phone. Once again, as was the case with my sales experience, I was never able to reach anyone by telephone. The phone just rings and rings and rings, never even going to an answering service. Trouble ticket support, however, is excellent. All of my tickets were answered within a 15-minute timeframe and I always felt that I was in good hands.
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Uptime
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According to my premium uptime monitor, ServerClub held a 99.97% uptime rating over one year.
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Guarantee
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99.9% uptime guarantee.
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30-day money back guarantee.
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Terms of Service
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The Terms of Service can be read online. Highlights include:
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Spamming forbidden.
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Hosting accounts must be manually cancelled.
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Accounts may be suspended for non-payment.
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Bottom Line
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Advantages
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iPhone app available to manage server.
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Money back guarantee.
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Good network.
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Good value for the money.
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Support is quick to answer tickets.
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Disadvantages
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No phone support available.
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Website has some confusing and conflicting information.
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