My host's 'free migration' deleted my client's custom Nginx config

Heads up to anyone relying on "white-glove" migration promises.

A provider (name rhymes with "InterServer") advertised free migration for a client I brought onto their KnownHost reseller plan last month. The process was entirely automated — scripted rsync with zero human review. My client's custom Nginx cache rules, rate limiting blocks, and GeoIP redirects: all wiped. Replaced with stock cPanel templates.

The "migration specialist" I emailed turned out to be a noreply address with a 48-hour auto-response delay.

I've since learned that Hetzner and RackNerd still do actual human-reviewed migrations, though queues are 3-5 days. Leaseweb charges €25 but assigns a real tech.

Document everything before trusting "free." — Admin

Pro tip: Never trust free migration without pre-migration config backup.

Here's what I do for Oracle Cloud migrations:

1) Pre-migration snapshot
1a) nginx -T > full_config_dump.txt
1b) tar /etc/nginx/ with permissions preserved
1c) md5sum everything

2) During migration
2a) Watch rsync logs in real-time
2b) Kill process if you see it touching /etc/nginx/

3) Post-migration verification
3a) nginx -t before service restart
3b) diff against your dump

Heads up: Some hosts run post-migration "optimization" scripts that overwrite configs. Always check cron jobs for hidden maintenance.

For reference, here's the official nginx docs: https://nginx.org