All services provided by CiviHosting may be used for lawful purposes only. Transmission, storage, or presentation of any information, data, or material in violation of any United States Federal, State, or City law is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, material that is threatening or obscene, “adult only” content material, or material, protected by trade secrets and other statute.

Note:
Pornography and sex-related merchandising are prohibited. This includes sexual content or direct links to adult content hosted elsewhere. Sites promoting any illegal activity, violence, or content that may be damaging to our servers or any other server, or links to such sites are also prohibited. Examples of non-acceptable content or links are:

  • Pirated software or copyrighted MP3 files
  • Hacking Tools
  • Warez sites
  • Adult content (in any form)
  • Spamming Software
  • Web-based shells

CiviHosting will be the sole arbiter as to what constitutes a violation of this provision.


Disk space

CiviHosting will monitor the customer’s disk usage and if it exceeds the usage agreed upon, CiviHosting shall have the right to take corrective actions. Such corrective actions may include assessment of additional charges or suspension of service.


Refund policy

For shared hosting services, CiviHosting offers an unconditional 60-day money-back guarantee. If the customer wishes to cancel a hosting account on a shared server within the initial 60-day period for any reason, he/she has to notify CiviHosting via e-mail (sales@civihosting.com), and the payment will be promptly refunded. Since all .com, .net, .org, .us, .biz, .info, .eu, and .de domains registered through our services cannot be refunded, they will be subject to an annual registration fee for a separate/standalone domain, according to the Domain names pricing list. Therefore, if the customer purchased a hosting account with a domain registration, the domain registration fee will be deducted from the refund amount. As the customer is the sole owner of the registered domain name, arrangements can be made to transfer its registration to another provider.

For VPS services, CiviHosting offers a 15-day money-back guarantee, for the initial term of service only.

No partial or prorated refunds are offered after the initial money-back guarantee period.

If a customer disputes a setup / renewal charge for any account, CiviHosting will not re-activate the service, unless the customer covers all fees involved, including the chargeback fee and any other transaction fees.

Accounts terminated due to policy violations will not be refunded.

The purpose of the 60-day money-back guarantee is to allow customers enough time to test CiviHosting hosting services, and/or to be able to reverse possible erroneous payments. CiviHosting reserves the right to refuse cancellation requests, in cases of a repeating abuse of the money-back guarantee policy – e.g. opening and refunding an account and then opening it again, or making too many cancellation requests for the mere purpose of using a free hosting service.


Account renewal policy

CiviHosting does not renew accounts automatically. For the customer’s convenience, CiviHosting will send a renewal reminder to the contact email address on file for the corresponding hosting account. The customer is ultimately responsible for renewing the hosting account through one of the options given by CiviHosting.

Customers are not allowed to open a second hosting account for a domain that is already hosted through CiviHosting. If the customer wants to continue hosting the specified domain with CiviHosting, he/she needs to renew the account using one of the renewal options given by CiviHosting.


Domain registration policy

CiviHosting registers customer domains at the ICANN-accredited registrar Enom Inc. Therefore, all domains registered through CiviHosting are a subject of the Domain Registration Agreement of Enom Inc.

If you register domain(s) with CiviHosting, or transfer an existing domain registration, you must be acquainted with the Registration Agreement of Enom Inc.: http://www.enom.com/terms/agreement.asp. Note that for .de domain names, if there are less than seven days remaining until a name expires, we may not be able to renew such a name, as per Enom Inc. policy.

By registering/transferring a domain at CiviHosting, you confirm that you have read and you agree with the Registration Agreement of Enom Inc.


Dispute resolution policy

In case of ownership dispute, CiviHosting reserves the right to be the sole decision maker in settling the dispute. There are several guidelines, based on which CiviHosting will decide who is the rightful owner of the disputed hosting account or domain name:

  • By default, CiviHosting will grant ownership to the person who paid for the hosting account. If the purchase was made by credit card or PayPal, the holder of the respective credit card or PayPal account will be considered the owner. If the purchase was made by Western Union, bank transfer, or some other similar way, the respective sender of the funds covering the purchase of the account will be considered the owner. CiviHosting reserves the right to confirm the identity of the owner by contacting him/her by e-mail or telephone, in the same order of preference.
  • If the identity of the credit card holder or the sender of the funds as discussed above cannot be confirmed, CiviHosting will attempt to determine the owner in other ways, which include but are not limited to investigation of log files, investigation of the content hosted under the respective hosting account or domain name, and investigation of the sequence of annual payments for the disputed service.
  • In case of death or serious disability of the original owner that prevents him/her from continuing to manage the hosting account or the domain name purchased, CiviHosting may grant ownership to another person or organization, if enough proof is presented about the original owner’s condition, and based solely upon the investigation that CiviHosting will undertake about this issue.
  • CiviHosting will consider a court decision overruling in case of ownership dispute and will always comply with such a decision.


Traffic guidelines

Accounts that reach their monthly traffic limit may be a subject of automatic site suspension. Also, any accumulated traffic over the monthly limit will be charged additionally in accordance with the characteristics of the plan purchased. If a site is suspended under this provision, and the hosting account is in good standing, the site will be enabled on the first date of the next month, when the traffic counter is reset. In case of failure to cover fees incurred by traffic over-usage, CiviHosting reserves the right to take corrective actions such as full suspension of the hosting account. In case CiviHosting takes corrective actions under this provision, the customer shall not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid in advance.


Chat rooms

Running and linking to IRC servers or IRC bots and clients such as Eggdrop, BitchX, ircii, etc., is strictly prohibited.


Background running programs

Programs running in the background are not allowed.


Resource usage

To maintain the integrity of our shared hosting services, we have several special per-user resource limits in place. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Memory limitations: Customers using shared hosting services will be able to use only a certain portion of the total available memory on the server.
  • CPU usage limitations: Scripts that take too much real CPU time will be terminated.
  • Simultaneous script execution limitations: Customers will be able to run only a certain amount of CGI scripts simultaneously. Whenever this limitation is triggered, execution of subsequent CGI script requests via the web will produce an error message.
  • MySQL disk usage limitations: In cases, in which the integrity of the MySQL service is endangered, the MySQL disk usage of customer accounts may be limited. No limits will be applied to accounts with MySQL disk usage below 3GB.
  • Number of inodes limitation: The total number of files and folders on a single shared hosting account should not exceed 500,000. VPS accounts should not exceed 150,000.
  • Number of vhosts limitation: The number of vhosts is determined by the number of parked domains on the account multiplied by the number of the created subdomains. Customers with a large number of vhosts (over 1000) might be contacted and asked to reduce their number.
  • MySQL connections limit: Each MySQL user cannot exceed a certain number of connections to the MySQL server.
  • Mailbox usage: Each mailbox on a shared server can take up to 10GB space, and/or up to 100,000 inodes.

Similar limitations exist on VPS plans as well, but they could be adjusted of fully removed according to customer needs.

CiviHosting reserves the right to alter the above limitations and to place additional limits without prior notice if an account endangers the stability or the performance of the hosting server due to intensive resource usage. The additional limits may include, but are not limited to MySQL, memory and CPU usage limitations, and stopping access to directories.

Each hosting account on CiviHosting servers is meant to be used for one domain, as well as a number of parked domains, according to the hosting plan. Parked domains are full aliases of the main domain – they display the same site content and share the same mailboxes. Pointing parked domains to subfolders or subdomains on the account through .htaccess files or other means is not allowed.


Proxy software and redirection services

We do not allow running of proxy software on our servers. Sites offering shortening URL services are not allowed as well.


Distribution and/or transmission of obscene or indecent speech or materials

Violation of indecency and obscenity laws can result in criminal penalties.


Account content ownership

The content of the hosting account is considered to be a property of the customer. The customer retains ownership on all data that he/she uploads to the hosting account. CiviHosting will not use the data on the hosting account for any other purpose than for the provision of the hosting service itself. CiviHosting will not provide hosting account data to any third parties, unless this is required by law, or the customer has agreed upon this.

As an owner of the hosting account data, the customer is solely responsible for the content of the account, including its security. CiviHosting reserves its right to block access to any content that may be threatening the security of the hosting service, the data of other customers on the servers, or CiviHosting’s reputation. CiviHosting reserves its right to judge as to what content is considered threatening and is a subject of this rule.


Intellectual property rights

Materials, accessible to the customer through CiviHosting’s services, may be subject to protection under the United States or other copyright laws, or laws protecting trademarks, trade secrets or proprietary information. Except when exclusively permitted by the owner of such rights, the customer may not use CiviHosting’s services in a manner that would infringe, violate, dilute, or misappropriate any such rights, with respect to any material, which the customer accesses or receives through CiviHosting’s network. If the customer uses a domain name in connection with CiviHosting’s service, he/she may not use that domain name in violation of any third party trademark, service mark, or similar rights.

When using CiviHosting’s services, the customer retains all intellectual property rights on their own content, trademarks, and any other data related to the site/account content. CiviHosting will use this content/data/trademarks only for the provision of the hosting service, unless other actions are required by law.


Network security

Customers may not use CiviHosting’s network in an attempt to circumvent user authentication or security of any host, network, or account. This includes but is not limited to: accessing data not intended for the customer, logging into a server or account the customer is not exclusively authorized to access, password cracking, probing the security of other networks in search of weaknesses, or violation of any other organization’s security policy. Customers may not attempt to interfere or deny service to any user, host or network. This includes, but is not limited to: flooding, mail bombing or other deliberate attempts to overload or crash a host or network. CiviHosting will fully cooperate with investigations of violations of systems or network security. This also includes cooperating with law enforcement authorities in the investigation of suspected criminal violations. Users who violate system or network security may incur criminal or civil liability.


Defamation

The customer may not host material that is:

  • threatening or obscene;
  • offensive to any person or group. This includes, but is not limited to: prejudice, racism, intolerance, hatred, and harassment; expressions that are by nature libelous, defamatory, and offensive to or disrespectful of ethnic, racial, religious, or other groups;
  • harmful to minors;
  • likely to cause damage to reputation of third parties.

Note: Defamatory speech distributed over the Internet can result in civil liability for the defamer.


Spam or unsolicited e-mail

The customer may not use CiviHosting’s network, CiviHosting’s equipment, or CiviHosting’s e-mail service in connection with the transmission of spam, flames, mail bombs, or similar unsolicited e-mail messages. The customer’s domain may not be referenced as originator, intermediary or reply-to address in any of the above. This prohibition fully extends to sending of unsolicited mailings from another service that in any way mentions your domain name or implicates the use of the CiviHosting’s network, CiviHosting’s equipment, or CiviHosting’s e-mail services. A message is considered unsolicited if it is posted in violation of a newsgroup charter, or if it is sent to a recipient without his/her prior consent. For purposes of this provision, merely making one’s e-mail address accessible to the public will not constitute a request or invitation to receive messages.

In case sufficient evidence is presented about any violation of this provision, CiviHosting reserves the right to disable the customer’s account without prior notice. For the purpose of acquiring such evidence, CiviHosting will use various techniques, including but not limited to: closely inspecting all spam reports sent to CiviHosting’s anti-abuse department (abuse@civihosting.com), searching the logs of CiviHosting’s mail servers, and scanning the server space for popular “spamming” applications. CiviHosting will be the sole arbiter as to what would be considered sufficient evidence.


Abuse

Any attempt to undermine, slander, libel, threaten or cause harm to CiviHosting’s customers, employees and property, or to the company directly, is grounds for immediate termination without refund. In addition, any such attempts will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.


Indemnification

Customer agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless, CiviHosting, its subsidiaries and other affiliated companies, its officers, directors, employees and agents from and against all losses, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, resulting from any violation of these Terms of Use.


Disclaimer

CiviHosting, at its sole discretion, may change these terms and conditions at any time. By using CiviHosting’s services, the user agrees that CiviHosting may: (1) revise these terms and conditions; and (2) change the services provided. Any such revision or change will be binding and effective immediately on posting of the revised terms or change to the service(s) on CiviHosting’s web site, or on notification to the customer by e-mail. The customer agrees to periodically review CiviHosting’s web site, including these terms, to get informed of any such revisions. If the customer does not agree with any revision, he/she may terminate the services at any time by notifying CiviHosting by e-mail. Notice of the customer’s termination will be effective on receipt and processing by CiviHosting. The customer agrees that, by continuing to use CiviHosting’s services following notice of any revision to this Agreement or change in service(s), he/she abides by any such revisions or changes.

The content available through this site is the sole property of CiviHosting and is protected by patent, copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Except as otherwise explicitly agreed in writing, CiviHosting-owned content received through this site may be downloaded, displayed, reformatted, and printed for your personal, non-commercial use only. You agree not to reproduce, retransmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish, broadcast, or circulate the content received through this site to anyone, including but not limited to others in the same company or organization without CiviHosting’s express prior written consent.


Refusal of service

CiviHosting reserves the right to refuse hosting for insecure applications that could be, for instance, utilized by an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the server and/or execute applications with the privileges of the customer that has uploaded the insecure application in question. Customers are responsible for keeping their applications up-to-date, checking for security issues with the application vendor, and updating to the latest secure version that is available. In the event that an insecure application is installed on the hosting account of the customer, CiviHosting reserves the right to disable access to it, or, if deemed necessary, to the hosting account in its entirety. This will be with the exclusive purpose of preventing damage to the customer and to the other customers hosted on the same server, and may be done with or (in case of emergency) without prior notice.

CiviHosting reserves the right to impose restrictions or fully suspend any of the services provided to customers, in case the operation of these services threatens the overall security and stability of the hosting system, and/or the proper operation of other customers’ accounts/services.

CiviHosting reserves the right at its sole discretion to refuse or cancel service. Violation of any of CiviHosting’s Terms could result in a warning, suspension, or account termination. Submitting fake personal information can also be grounds for suspension or termination.


WHOIS privacy terms

The domain WHOIS privacy feature replaces the data in the WHOIS output of your domain with details of SureSupport.com. You are still the owner of the domain name, and you can turn off the WHOIS privacy feature at any time.

  • Delivery of emails: With WHOIS privacy feature enabled, all email addresses (Registrant, Administrative, Technical, Billing) will be replaced with a randomly generated email address @privacy.suresupport.com. This email address will forward all messages sent to the WHOIS contacts to your official registrant email address.
  • Delivery of regular mail: We do not guarantee the proper delivery of regular mail and packages sent to the Suresupport WHOIS privacy address. We may review the deliveries and contact you about them only if we find it necessary.
  • Escrow of the details of the official domain owner: When the WHOIS privacy feature is enabled, your own contact information will NOT be escrowed.
  • Editing domain contacts: If you use WHOIS Protection, you must edit the domain data only through CiviHosting’s interfaces. Editing domain contacts through another interface (for example, at the domain registrar) may lead to unpredicted issues with the contact information.
  • WHOIS verification with Private WHOIS: Each enabling or disabling of the Private WHOIS service, as well as each generation of new privacy email, may require a verification of the WHOIS data, as per ICANN regulations. A verification message will be sent to your real registrant email address, and you need to follow the verification link in it within 15 days, to avoid disruption of the domain service.

Limited liability

THE CUSTOMER AGREES THAT CIVIHOSTING SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY (1) SUSPENSION OR LOSS OF THE SERVICE(S), INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION SERVICES AND WEB HOSTING SERVICES, (2) USE OF THE SERVICE(S), INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION SERVICES AND WEB HOSTING SERVICES, (3) INTERRUPTION OF CIVIHOSTING’S SERVICES OR INTERRUPTION OF THE CUSTOMER’S BUSINESS, (4) ACCESS DELAYS OR ACCESS INTERRUPTIONS TO CIVIHOSTING’S WEB SITE(S) OR SERVICE(S) OR DELAYS OR ACCESS INTERRUPTIONS THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES IN RELATION TO THE SERVICES OFFERED BY CIVIHOSTING; (5) LOSS OR LIABILITY RESULTING FROM ACTS OF OR EVENTS BEYOND CIVIHOSTING’S CONTROL (6) DATA NON-DELIVERY, MIS-DELIVERY, CORRUPTION, DESTRUCTION OR OTHER MODIFICATION; (7) LOSS OR LIABILITY RESULTING FROM THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OR MISUSE OF THE CUSTOMER’S ACCOUNT; OR (8) APPLICATION OF THE DISPUTE POLICIES. CIVIHOSTING ALSO WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF CIVIHOSTING HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL CIVIHOSTING’S MAXIMUM AGGREGATE LIABILITY EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY THE CUSTOMER FOR THE DISPUTED SERVICE, BUT IN NO EVENT GREATER THAN ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00). BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, IN SUCH STATES, CIVIHOSTING’S LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.