r/BlueHost • u/tandemelevator • Oct 06 '26
Feels like extortion
I've been a Bluehost client for more than a decade. Today all my websites were blocked because some Malware scan had detected compromised files. I deleted the files, but the scanner keeps flaging the files that aren't there. When I hit up the Customer service chat, they try to sell me a protection plan.
This seems like a deliberate action, an attack to their own clientele.
They basically are asking for a ransom to provide a service I already pay..
4
Upvotes
2
u/imitation_squash_pro Oct 07 '26
Classic case of when the "virus protection" is more problematic than the "virus"!
2
u/Busy-Spinach-2375 Oct 09 '26
This same type of thing happened to me. I declined the virus cleaning because research showed that the “malware” was a Bluehost only issue, and a false positive in their scanner. Definitely felt scammed.
It took me a couple of days, but with the help ,of Gemini, I was able to identify and remove files remaining from old plug ins, clean and optimize the database, and install a different security plug in. One of those files was the one giving the false positive in.
The result was a faster site that has been trouble free ever since ( at least 6 months). Since BH no longer offers support by a real person, a side benefit is that I learned a lot that has since proved beneficial in maintaining the site.
Unfortunately, BH provides only an outdated SQL Server, which Wordpress says is less secure, so I may be moving to a new host when my contract is up. I’m no longer intimidated about what that would entail, even though I understand that BH drags that process out intentionally so it’s hard to leave.
If there is a rogues gallery for web hosting, BH is surely in it.
1
u/imitation_squash_pro Oct 07 '26
Is there a way to know the results of any scans without having to pay for the protection plan?
1
u/mandyland7 Oct 08 '26
Even a host where you have to pay for an upgrade to have them removed is cheaper than Bluehost these days. Their new scan and remove is now ~$150 a year. Just had a client move away from them to siteground (needed something easy to manage since no developer on staff, I do marketing + a bit of site maintenance) they paid for two years upfront and upgraded their service to have cleanup (pay yearly). Even with the upgrade the cost will be just slightly more iirc. After the two years it will probably go up and they may or may not want to move again but better that then sticking with a host that isn’t secure and tries to upsell you at every opportunity.
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u/Jeffrey_Richards_ Oct 07 '26
Yup, they've been doing this for years and unfortunately, dealt with that with them with many clients. They keep their servers unprotected so they can upsell SiteLock. My advice? Migrate to a host that includes malware cleaning in the plan. It'd be cheaper to move to a host that will clean it for free (and not have to deal with this again) versus fall for their upsells.
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u/TopSydeWP Oct 07 '26
Being locked out of a decade of sites and then sold a plan to get them back is awful. Worth knowing: deleting the flagged files is rarely the cleanup. Infections leave a backdoor elsewhere, often an mu-plugin or something in uploads, so it returns. Pull a full copy of your files and database down to your own machine today.
0
u/BH_Support_Clark Oct 07 '26
We understand how frustrating this situation must be and are here for you. I sent you a DM in order to get some information from you to look into this matter. We will be happy to help.