"you can just leave"
I joined this hosting exactly today, the server i created seemed fine but after a while i noticed that the privacy policy and terms of service weren't clear at all.
I'll quote a part: "We recommend that users review the respective privacy policies of these third-party services before visiting those sites."
But where is the list? In short, there isn't. you need to open a ticket in the discord to know that.
After opening a ticket and asking for information related to thirdy parties i have been told that if i dont like the service i can feel free to leave (for asking a list mentioned in the official website?) and that happened in the whole ticket, exactly 3 times.
"Perfect then, as mentioned, if you're happy with it, you're welcome to join us. If not, we encourage you to find another service where you'll be more satisfied"
After a while i could get it and i was told, from nothing, that from my words it looks like that i have a service with them but i dont (so what about the server i created in the panel?)
Full message: "Excuse me, I can assure you that's not the case. Our systems would have already removed you since they are automatic and verify every server created, and there isn't one in your name"
I confirmed to the owner that I have a server and also linked a screenshot of the activity logs with "system" that has read my files, twice, in 4 minutes.
I doubt that if the system reads the files it shows in the log but even if so, why did system read only 3 files and one of them 3 times? what about the other ~10?
Full message: "Our automated systems periodically review all files to ensure they comply with Discord's terms. Providing free hosting does not encourage or promote the hosting of malicious bots; that's why our systems perform periodic reviews"
"You see them all displayed at the same time, and this is because our system is automatic"
In short: your files are read by a person, ToS and PP are missing pieces, you get told you can leave if you dont like and you have an account but you dont have an account in the service. Experience to forget.
(Waiting for the AI generated answer which has nothing to do with the review and gonna say im wrong - I have full transcript of ticket as proof)
UPDATE: As expected the response is AI generated and most of the "points" are unrelated to the review itself.
- "Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are publicly available, and in your support ticket you were provided with the attachment containing the information you requested.". No attachment registered in the entire ticket channel, just a clear answer after 5 attempts.
- "It is not feasible nor possible to list every website or advertising endpoint used by third parties such as Google" - Many companies use Google for advertising but none of those companies tell the customers to check a non-existing list before using the service. What google uses as advertising endpoint is entirely Google's business, not yours. The thirdy party service you use is Google, that's not really hard to say, if I need more information on what Google uses I ask them.
- "You were informed that if the service did not meet your expectations, you were free to seek another provider, which is a standard and transparent practice.". Yes, it's a standard practice, when stated once. If you repeat more than once, in this case 3 times, you are basically asking the user to leave if there is something they are concerned about and in all my career and services i have been in, I've never met anyone stating it more than once, and always in a very different context.
- "we notice a pattern of negative reviews across multiple companies and projects". ok, and what is that meant to say exactly or how has that something to do with this case? I would understand if the review was identical or based on the same reasons but there is nothing mutual, which also have not been contested by anyone from my knowledge.
Right after my review was answered, I have been banned from the Discord server and my account has been suspended from the hosting service. This should give a bit more context.
I tried to mail legal, which is linked in both Terms of Service and Privacy Policy but the mail doesn't even exist.
Reply from HostBu
We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we’d like to clarify several points.
Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are publicly available, and in your support ticket you were provided with the attachment containing the information you requested. We also retain the full ticket record, which can be reviewed at any time.
Regarding third parties, we clearly state that we rely on standard external services (such as infrastructure or analytics providers). It is not feasible nor possible to list every website or advertising endpoint used by third parties such as Google, as these are outside of our direct control.
Concerning file access, we reiterate that no human manually reviews user files. Any access shown in logs is generated by automated compliance systems designed to ensure adherence to Discord’s Terms of Service. This applies equally to free services, which exist to support legitimate projects—not harmful ones.
At no point was support denied. You were informed that if the service did not meet your expectations, you were free to seek another provider, which is a standard and transparent practice.
Additionally, based on your public Trustpilot profile, we notice a pattern of negative reviews across multiple companies and projects, including cases where access restrictions or bans were applied. We encourage constructive feedback and reflection, as when similar issues occur repeatedly across different services, there is often a common factor that may not be the companies themselves.
We appreciate feedback provided in good faith and remain committed to transparency and continuous improvement.
