One year ago, I bought 14 "lifetime" deal from 2021 promos. Wanted to see which server survive
Result:
Spreadsheet here: https://hashcat.net/lifetime-memorial.html
Will update when more die
Member
Transparency: this is basically a blameless postmortem for an entire industry vertical. Appreciate the data.
Transparency: my error budget for "lifetime" claims hit zero in 2019. Still bought two. We're all human.
Transparency: would love to see exit code analysis—did they 0 (clean shutdown) or 137 (OOMkilled by market)?
Years. You know. Maybe I bought three of those. Maybe two are in your dead column. You know. Maybe the spreadsheet hurts to look at. Maybe thank you...
Which two are still billing? That's the real horror.
The zombies are InterServer and KnownHost. InterServer still charges me $2.50/mo for a shared plan that serves a 503 page. KnownHost ticket system accepts submissions, auto-replies "we'll be in touch," then silence. Six months now.
I keep paying because the moment I stop, I lose the "lifetime" claim in any chargeback. It's a hostage situation with myself.
This is why I rent bare metal and ssh in. No "lifetime," no control panel, no help desk to ghost you. Just a machine, a contract term, and a renewal date I can read.
Your spreadsheet should add a "death rattle" column. InterServer's 503 is a rattle. KnownHost's auto-reply is a rattle.
KnownHost's abuse desk was always responsive back when I was on the other side of those tickets. 2018-2020 era. Something changed post-acquisition or post-whatever-internal-event. The auto-reply loop is a tell: they kept the front door, fired everyone behind it.
Member
Statute of limitations on most card disputes is 540 days from transaction. Your 2021 promos are dead in the water for chargeback. You're paying grief tuition now.
The real lesson: lifetime deals are a call option on provider bankruptcy. Buyer is short the underlying.
Srelet you're right about the card clock, but some of these I paid PayPal. Their window is 180 days and I missed it on two. The others I used crypto for a "bonus 20% off." Those are just... gone. The crypto ones were HostHatch and GreenCloudVPS.
GreenCloudVPS at least died fast. HostHatch limped to CloudCone which is its own thread.
HostHatch to CloudCone was not an acquisition, it was a customer migration. CloudCone got the IP blocks and some hardware, not the brand debt. I was on HostHatch HK, got moved to CC LA, latency went from 40ms to 180ms to my users in Singapore. "Equivalent service."
