2 day maintenance !?!?!?! - Page 2

AndyW · 11 Nov 2005, 11:10 PM

I have been a paying customer for over 3 years and this is apalling.

Fastmail MUST have known how long it would take to restore mail in the event of a server failure such as this. A better process should have been in place.

lateplate · 11 Nov 2005, 11:44 PM

better communication and service is only necessary when your server goes totally haywire with absolutely no redundancy.

let's see, more features elsewhere? how about a better search, labels, threading, 2.5 gigs of storage, uber redundant, and free. i don't see gmail servers going down for more than a couple hours EVER, seeing how their hardware philosophy is built on the premise of redundancy.

Diniel · 12 Nov 2005, 12:26 AM

Fortunately it does not take two days to redirect MX records so my six Enhanced accounts will need to be checked on Monday to retrieve today's email, but at least I'm now starting to receive some email and tomorrow I'll be getting it all.

Six enhanced accounts is not a lot of money to Fastmail I'm sure but it did represent a lot of trust in the brand. It's all gone now though, and the changes to the MX records/explaining to customers cost ten times more than that in time and loss of standing so I'll feel no hurry to restore the MX records back here after Monday - I'd better just check that the accounts are set to manual renewal so that they die in their sleep.

Technicians are busy I'm sure, but no replies to requests for alternative mail redirection really hurts - both the trust in their brand and the business of my company and those of my customers. Two days is 36 hours too long.

lutje · 12 Nov 2005, 12:41 AM

My husband who is also paying for his email (full) as I do does not have any problem with fastmail. He might have been on the "right" server ?? !!!

But he has also been very clever (after the X° server down of Fastmail !) and has made an automatic transfer of all entering emails in his fastmail to Gmail (as the size of the mailbox is huge). Therefore he can still get his emails. I will do the same once I will be able to get back to my webmail ...and I already created a new Gmail account !!!!!

If anyone wants a GMAIL invitation (as this is the only way to get one) , just feel free to ask :-)))

DrStrabismus · 12 Nov 2005, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lateplate
i particularly like how the storage is obviously not redundant (can anyone say RAID) and every account on said server goes down with it. truly amazing.

Apparently three drives in a RAID-6 array failed at roughly the same time.

http://www.emaildiscussions.com/...240#post344240

infoghost · 12 Nov 2005, 02:52 AM

I am not happy with this either, but come on people. Breathe.

And for everyone flocking to gmail, everything is great there until it breaks. And if something DOES break, or go wrong with your account, good luck getting it fixed from a free email service in a timely manner, if at all. When I had something go wrong with my PAID yahoo mail account, it took them over a week to even return my initial email. And they never fixed it, which is why I left. I just got one form letter back after another.

I've tried all the major email systems, and fastmail is the best out there. I am sure they are not sitting around, bathing in our money and laughing. Yes, they should have had a better backup plan, and hopefully after this, they will.

**Sherry** · 12 Nov 2005, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by llista

To THINK that people on FREE accounts will have their service restored before than PAYING CUSTOMERS is a JOKE.

I believe server 4 holds mostly Enhanced accounts and some Full accounts. I don't think FM would ever choose to restore Free accounts before the E/F.

Sherry

lateplate · 12 Nov 2005, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by infoghost
Yes, they should have had a better backup plan, and hopefully after this, they will. [/b]

that's hilarious. do you know how many times i've heard the "they should have had a better backup..." BS line from fastmail users? everytime something goes wrong, people say that. and guess what, they never do.

jolycu · 12 Nov 2005, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sherry
I believe server 4 holds mostly Enhanced accounts and some Full accounts. I don't think FM would ever choose to restore Free accounts before the E/F.

Sherry

There must be some member accounts on server 4 also because both of our member accounts are inaccessible. I also have one full account that I can't get to either.

GatuRatz · 12 Nov 2005, 04:49 AM

Hi,

I have a guest account which is almost empty and an enhanced account which is quite full.
None works.
My mothers member account however did not stop working at all.

As my almost empty guest account still does not work, I guess that restore did not yet begin.

Anyone with few data in mailbox has his/her account working again?

Br,
GatuRatz

neils · 12 Nov 2005, 05:23 AM

I just re-upped my Enhanced account for a year - when this is over and done Monday (god it better be) I'm going to be seeking either a credit or better yet an entire refund. An hour of downtime - sure no big deal **** happens, even 8 hours of down time, but 2 freaking days?

Considering I can get nearly the same amount of features with a MUCH better interface for free over at gmail - this is unacceptable.

panapower · 12 Nov 2005, 10:20 AM

i'm not getting a server problem or error message. the only thing that i DO see is that my outgoing mail is not getting sent out and neither am I getting mail. reason i know im' not getting mail is because I'm seeing my customers copy me on yahoo account but my outlook fastmail account is getting NO activity. yet, it is telling me that the process of sending and receiving emails is complete!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Over?

**DBH** · 12 Nov 2005, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sherry
I believe server 4 holds mostly Enhanced accounts and some Full accounts. I don't think FM would ever choose to restore Free accounts before the E/F.

Sherry

I have a Member account, and, apparently, I'm on Server 4. It figures...the one weekend when I'm expecting some important e-mails and this happens. *sigh* I think I may need to redirect my mail to another account, maybe my GMail account. I'll be glad when this is over!

**Sherry** · 12 Nov 2005, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DBH
I have a Member account, and, apparently, I'm on Server 4.

Sorry to hear that... I know when they first got server 4 they moved Enhanced users there because it was new, better and faster. Then they started moving Full. I felt a little left out for awhile but then I saw my Full was moved also.

Then they must have went to the Member accounts. They may have even moved a few Guest accounts there if it had a lot of room.

Truth is, even though my Full isn't working now, I still feel good that my account was chosen to be put on the new server back then.

Sherry

Terry · 12 Nov 2005, 01:19 PM

I've got an Enhanced but I'm on server 3 for some reason which is good as I'm getting my mail although a little bit late...

12 Nov 2005, 12:41 AM	#19
lutje Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 4	No everyone equal My husband who is also paying for his email (full) as I do does not have any problem with fastmail. He might have been on the "right" server ?? !!! But he has also been very clever (after the X° server down of Fastmail !) and has made an automatic transfer of all entering emails in his fastmail to Gmail (as the size of the mailbox is huge). Therefore he can still get his emails. I will do the same once I will be able to get back to my webmail ...and I already created a new Gmail account !!!!! If anyone wants a GMAIL invitation (as this is the only way to get one) , just feel free to ask :-)))

11 Nov 2005, 11:10 PM	#16
AndyW Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 41	I have been a paying customer for over 3 years and this is apalling. Fastmail MUST have known how long it would take to restore mail in the event of a server failure such as this. A better process should have been in place.

11 Nov 2005, 11:44 PM	#17
lateplate Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 40	better communication and service is only necessary when your server goes totally haywire with absolutely no redundancy. let's see, more features elsewhere? how about a better search, labels, threading, 2.5 gigs of storage, uber redundant, and free. i don't see gmail servers going down for more than a couple hours EVER, seeing how their hardware philosophy is built on the premise of redundancy.

12 Nov 2005, 12:26 AM	#18
Diniel Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 7	Fortunately it does not take two days to redirect MX records so my six Enhanced accounts will need to be checked on Monday to retrieve today's email, but at least I'm now starting to receive some email and tomorrow I'll be getting it all. Six enhanced accounts is not a lot of money to Fastmail I'm sure but it did represent a lot of trust in the brand. It's all gone now though, and the changes to the MX records/explaining to customers cost ten times more than that in time and loss of standing so I'll feel no hurry to restore the MX records back here after Monday - I'd better just check that the accounts are set to manual renewal so that they die in their sleep. Technicians are busy I'm sure, but no replies to requests for alternative mail redirection really hurts - both the trust in their brand and the business of my company and those of my customers. Two days is 36 hours too long.

12 Nov 2005, 02:52 AM	#21
infoghost Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 21	I am not happy with this either, but come on people. Breathe. And for everyone flocking to gmail, everything is great there until it breaks. And if something DOES break, or go wrong with your account, good luck getting it fixed from a free email service in a timely manner, if at all. When I had something go wrong with my PAID yahoo mail account, it took them over a week to even return my initial email. And they never fixed it, which is why I left. I just got one form letter back after another. I've tried all the major email systems, and fastmail is the best out there. I am sure they are not sitting around, bathing in our money and laughing. Yes, they should have had a better backup plan, and hopefully after this, they will.

12 Nov 2005, 04:49 AM	#25
GatuRatz Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 6	Hi, I have a guest account which is almost empty and an enhanced account which is quite full. None works. My mothers member account however did not stop working at all. As my almost empty guest account still does not work, I guess that restore did not yet begin. Anyone with few data in mailbox has his/her account working again? Br, GatuRatz

12 Nov 2005, 05:23 AM	#26
neils Junior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bloomington, IN Posts: 4	I just re-upped my Enhanced account for a year - when this is over and done Monday (god it better be) I'm going to be seeking either a credit or better yet an entire refund. An hour of downtime - sure no big deal **** happens, even 8 hours of down time, but 2 freaking days? Considering I can get nearly the same amount of features with a MUCH better interface for free over at gmail - this is unacceptable.

12 Nov 2005, 10:20 AM	#27
panapower Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 29	i'm not getting a server problem or error message. the only thing that i DO see is that my outgoing mail is not getting sent out and neither am I getting mail. reason i know im' not getting mail is because I'm seeing my customers copy me on yahoo account but my outlook fastmail account is getting NO activity. yet, it is telling me that the process of sending and receiving emails is complete! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Over?

12 Nov 2005, 01:19 PM	#30
Terry The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VK4 Posts: 3,028	I've got an Enhanced but I'm on server 3 for some reason which is good as I'm getting my mail although a little bit late...