# Virtovo - Closure of Vancouver Services



## Virtovo (Jun 3, 2014)

This has been emailed to all affected clients.  Replicating it here on the off chance that emails are not read:


```
We are writing to you today as you have one or more services located in our Vancouver location.  We will be closing our Vancouver location on July 19th 2014.  

Sadly the location failed to generate enough interest to make it sustainable in the long term, has operated at a loss since launch and has no signs of this changing in the near future.

We understand that this closure may be disruptive to the services which you host with us which is why we have given six weeks notice of this closure to give proper time for you to make arrangements regarding your hosting.

We have extended all Vancouver VPS expiry dates to the 19th so you will not have to pay another invoice in this location and your VPS will be online for six weeks until the 19th.

If any client wishes to move their VPS service to our Miami location we can facilitate this and will increase your bandwidth allocation to 2TB/mo.  Please open a ticket with our support department to arrange a convenient time for the move.

Please accept our apologies for any disruption this may cause and hope the time we have given will be sufficient for you to make arrangements for your hosting.

Unless we are notified and have confirmed a transfer to Miami services will be terminated on the 19th July with no chance of restoration.

Regards

Virtovo
```


----------



## TheLinuxBug (Jun 3, 2014)

Sad to hear you had to completely terminate services in that location.  However, I can say as I did use a server on that node for a month or so that the biggest issue for me was the routing was all through Seattle then to Canada.  While I am sure that internal routing in Canada was probably decent, having everything that was routed to Europe or the US route through Seattle was less than efficient in a lot of cases as it added extra latency and made it hard to use the server for East Coast US visitors.

On the flip side, someone looking for good Seattle/Canada based hosting, this product would have be awesome as the routes between Seattle and Canada (Vancouver) to your servers was decent.  I will say that the one nice thing about the location is that is was a unique location which wasn't over run by other hosts (at least that I know of).  Sadly it seems this was not enough to offset the routing issues I mentioned, or so it seems.

I hope you come up with another new and UNIQUE location and try again, your servers, other than the maintenance issues (which I feel you guys did a good job of notifying your customers about) were quite fast and stable.

Good luck to you guys going forward!

Cheers!


----------



## nunim (Jun 4, 2014)

That was quick, I was actually thinking about getting one however the latency wasn't really any better than Seattle.  It would have been nice to have something in the lower mainland though, just to say I did.


----------



## Mid (Jul 1, 2014)

library.virtovo.com - results in a 523 CloudFlare Error page

The "choice of OS" links ( http://library.virtovo.com/content/3/8/en/which-operating-systems-are-available.html ) on miami vps plans page point to library.virtovo.com and so don't work.

screenshot link: http://s30.postimg.org/fg284sxyp/error523.png

I have mailed him regarding this, just to notify here anyway.


----------



## drmike (Jul 1, 2014)

He announced closure of Miami a week back on the other site...


----------



## DomainBop (Jul 1, 2014)

M



Mid said:


> library.virtovo.com - results in a 523 CloudFlare Error page
> 
> The "choice of OS" links ( http://library.virtovo.com/content/3/8/en/which-operating-systems-are-available.html ) on miami vps plans page point to library.virtovo.com and so don't work.
> 
> ...


Miami: closing today July 1st

Vancouver: closing July 19th

edit:



> He announced


Susan is a she.


----------



## drmike (Jul 1, 2014)

nunim said:


> That was quick, I was actually thinking about getting one however the latency wasn't really any better than Seattle.  It would have been nice to have something in the lower mainland though, just to say I did.


and.. the Pacific Northwest remains a tough, expensive market for providers.  You'd think with the technology base in Seattle, costs would be a lot lower...


----------



## Mid (Jul 2, 2014)

drmike said:


> He announced closure of Miami a week back on the other site...


I went to the site using his/her signature link on some thread.

Why he/she still maintains the sig if it is planned for closure and not accepting new clients?


----------



## Virtovo (Jul 2, 2014)

Apologies for any confusion there.  Signatures have been updated.  The website will have information on it shortly to reflect the closure of services.


----------



## D. Strout (Jul 2, 2014)

So... Virtovo is now deadpool? Real sorry to hear that @Virtovo, Vancouver was a unique location. Unfortunately, while unique, I'm not surprised it wasn't that good of a location. Expensive backhauling to Seattle is a hard sell.


----------



## drmike (Jul 3, 2014)

D. Strout said:


> So... Virtovo is now deadpool? Real sorry to hear that @Virtovo, Vancouver was a unique location. Unfortunately, while unique, I'm not surprised it wasn't that good of a location. Expensive backhauling to Seattle is a hard sell.


I am unsure how providers make it in the Pacific Northwest.   Even Seattle is rather expensive to setup shop.

Recent entries into Seattle (not pointing at anyone) have limited deployments and availability.

I got some recent pricing for a project from a basket of providers up there and it's blah... Looked north of the border too and same thing.  Count Portland into the price higher premium pool too...


----------



## MartinD (Jul 12, 2014)

Seems they are back in business....From CC locations:


http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1393168


Seems sussed given it couldn't work before due to legal issues or something.


----------



## drmike (Jul 12, 2014)

Careful.....  No stepping in CC poo...

The good doctor is on this.... More coming... new thread.

Paging @Virtovo come tell us what's up before I go to posting....


----------



## DomainBop (Jul 12, 2014)

MartinD said:


> Seems they are back in business....From CC locations:
> 
> http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1393168
> 
> ...


Based on the WHOIS info, It also seems they've been sold to an individual (not a company) named VINAY SINGH in India.  It would have been nice if "Susan Curtis" had informed existing customers (like moi... VPS in Vancouver running until July 19) of the change in ownership and the transfer of customer information to the new owner

FYI, there have also been rumors floating around that "Susan" is really Marc from ShardHost.

Domain Name: VIRTOVO.COM


Registry Domain ID: 1839783754_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN


Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.enom.com


Registrar URL: www.enom.com


Updated Date: 2013-12-19 13:12:09Z


Creation Date: 2013-12-19 21:12:00Z


Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2014-12-19 21:12:00Z


Registrar: ENOM, INC.


Registrar IANA ID: 48


Registrar Abuse Contact Email: 


Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.4252744500


Reseller: NAMECHEAP.COM


Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited


Registry Registrant ID: 


Registrant Name: VINAY SINGH


Registrant Organization: 


Registrant Street: KA 281


Registrant City: GHAZIABAD


Registrant State/Province: UP


Registrant Postal Code: 201009


Registrant Country: IN


Registrant Phone: +91.7827233578


Registrant Phone Ext: 


Registrant Fax: +1.5555555555


Registrant Fax Ext:


Registrant Email: 


Registry Admin ID: 


Admin Name: VINAY SINGH


Admin Organization: 


Admin Street: KA 281


Admin City: GHAZIABAD


Admin State/Province: UP


Admin Postal Code: 201009


Admin Country: IN


Admin Phone: +91.7827233578


Admin Phone Ext: 


Admin Fax: +1.5555555555


Admin Fax Ext:


Admin Email: 


Registry Tech ID: 


Tech Name: VINAY SINGH


Tech Organization: 


Tech Street: KA 281


Tech City: GHAZIABAD


Tech State/Province: UP


Tech Postal Code: 201009


Tech Country: IN


Tech Phone: +91.7827233578


Tech Phone Ext: 


Tech Fax: +1.5555555555


Tech Fax Ext: 


Tech Email: 


Name Server: NS0.DNSMADEEASY.COM


Name Server: NS1.DNSMADEEASY.COM


Name Server: NS2.DNSMADEEASY.COM


Name Server: NS3.DNSMADEEASY.COM


Name Server: NS4.DNSMADEEASY.COM


DNSSEC: unSigned


URL of the ICANN WHOIS Data Problem Reporting System: http://wdprs.internic.net/


----------



## drmike (Jul 12, 2014)

Oh this one is simple and fun  

New thread in 13 minutes.....  Trying to give @Virtovo a chance to see email and hop on here..  If someone has the lad on Skype or something, send him over before I go unzipping.


----------



## k0nsl (Jul 12, 2014)

The earnest attitude mixed with humour is quite entertaining, particularly the last bit...   



drmike said:


> Oh this one is simple and fun
> 
> New thread in 13 minutes.....  Trying to give @Virtovo a chance to see email and hop on here..  If someone has the lad on Skype or something, send him over before I go unzipping.


----------



## drmike (Jul 12, 2014)

DomainBop said:


> Based on the WHOIS info, It also seems they've been sold to an individual (not a company) named VINAY SINGH in India.  It would have been nice if "Susan Curtis" had informed existing customers (like moi... VPS in Vancouver running until July 19) of the change in ownership and the transfer of customer information to the new owner
> 
> FYI, there have also been rumors floating around that "Susan" is really Marc from ShardHost.
> 
> ...


I doubt this WHOIS info is valid in any way.   Outside of the email address.


----------



## drmike (Jul 12, 2014)

MartinD said:


> Seems they are back in business....From CC locations:
> 
> http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1393168
> 
> ...



Well, that offer / shill / sell thread on WHT is GONE, GOODBYE, PULLED....Plucked...

See:

http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1393168

Seems like a bad case of the ban hammer from the Hammer Museum warming up.


----------



## MartinD (Jul 12, 2014)

@DomainBop - I think that's a certainty.


Also, the thread on WHT seems to have vanished.


----------



## Virtovo (Jul 13, 2014)

Customer data has not been transferred in any way whatsoever.  Customers were informed in an email that the sale of the brand would likely occur.  Clear methods of communication were also offered following the transfer of domain.

The domain has been sold.  The buyer wishes to remain anonymous it seems.

Was there some misrepresentation on the WHT thread?


----------



## Aldryic C'boas (Jul 13, 2014)

"Hi, we're selling your data to someone else - but they don't want us to tell you who it is."

That just feels.... _slimy_.


----------



## Virtovo (Jul 13, 2014)

Aldryic C said:


> "Hi, we're selling your data to someone else - but they don't want us to tell you who it is."
> 
> That just feels.... _slimy_.


No data was sold at all.  There was no interest in selling customers.  I wanted them to find their own way post closure.  

All clients were emailed before closure informing them the domain would likely be sold and given an alternative method of contact.


----------



## drmike (Jul 13, 2014)

I am very confused, so help me before I go on an all night dig-exploration...



> The domain has been sold.  The buyer wishes to remain anonymous it seems.
> 
> Was there some misrepresentation on the WHT thread?


The domain.... It was owned by Virtovo, the original company... then transferred to you?  Then you have transferred it to another company/person right?  And that person wants to be anonymous?  Big picture, that's fine if so... Just means a few of us will be flipping over stones finding said person and hoping said person isn't mucked in something silly, banned prior elsehwere, etc.

THe WHT thread I glanced only and hadn't saved a copy of (which is like Commandment #1 in this industry)... 

The problem with that thread - an offer selling CC pass through E3's, and Atoms, was that a "CLOSED" business - recently closed business was making an offer... and that offer was on CC's network... which has a basket of people who sell from, who are and have been banned, some multiple times for actual bad behavior, group collaborating, etc.


----------



## Virtovo (Jul 13, 2014)

drmike said:


> I am very confused, so help me before I go on an all night dig-exploration...
> 
> The domain.... It was owned by Virtovo, the original company... then transferred to you?  Then you have transferred it to another company/person right?  And that person wants to be anonymous?  Big picture, that's fine if so... Just means a few of us will be flipping over stones finding said person and hoping said person isn't mucked in something silly, banned prior elsehwere, etc.
> 
> ...


Just to add some clarity to the whole thing.  I was unaware of this thread and only made aware quite late by the domain buyer.

After having been approached by a couple of individuals I decided not to sell the business in its entirety for various reasons.  Some were to do with the reputation of the buyer and who clients might end up with as a result and other concerns were to do with personal guarantees with Paypal and bank accounts which I'd still be liable for in a transfer of business.

I was approached by ftpit about selling the brand (domain names, website design, associated social media accounts and forum logins).  The agreement was to transfer these things one by one as part payments were made (this was at the buyers request).  The buyer was to announce a change of ownership of the domain/social media accounts once completed.  I prepared an email to clients as part of a series of closure emails which detailed the brand was likely to be sold after July 1st and they were given the direct IP to access SolusVM and an email of [email protected] to contact (hopefully a client can verify, DomainBop?).  I had even gone as far as contacting a few people (such as Manndude) to tell them about a purchase to ensure no wrongdoing was done regarding 'verified provider' status etc.

After July 1st payment was made for the domain name and it was transferred (along with .net version and a few other unused business related .com/.net addresses).  After transferred I was told that purchase of the social media/forum access would be delayed to the end of the month.  I wasn't sure why this was; however agreed.  This is where things got sloppy on my part as my mind completely went off the announcement of a change of ownership.

It seems the new owner has since posted on WHT etc which has caused this confusion.

Just to clarify:


virtovo.com/virtovo.net sold to ftpit
Customer data was not transferred and the only copy is now a SQL dump stored locally
A change of ownership of the domain was to be announced by the buyer
Forum + Social media accounts are still under original control
Please accept my apologies as customers and a community if this has caused confusion.


----------

