StoresOnline reviews

Been with SOL for 15+ years BUT

Customer service has slowly and progressively gotten worse. When I first started in 2005 we had a phone number to call or chat line 24/7 when we needed help setting up our site or had problems. Now, the only way we can contact SOL for assistance is to send them a message and hope they respond in a timely manner. Currently my site is down for the second time in two weeks which means no sales during this time. I had already been contemplating cancelling SOL and going to another website builder and this last offline episode has pretty much made my mind up for me. Do I recommend SOL? Not anymore. Yes there was alot of hype at the beginning (and $ required) but they also had the manpower and tech support to help. Not anymore. I wouldn't invest any money into SOL at this point as the customer service is just not there. Now I'm on the search for something better.

Biggest Pro: It can work if you invest the time and effort
Biggest Con: Minimal customer service to assist with issues

SOL has been one of my life's blessings!

I feel God works in mysterious ways. Things don't happen by accident.

Long(er) story short(er), we had just enough room on the credit card to purchase 3 licenses from a Stores Online seminar. We were financially responsible for 2 homes and one was just in the beginning process of foreclosure. We didn't have any idea what we were going to sell. We only knew we had no choice but to make this work. On a trip to that home we found our inspiration for what to sell on the side of a country road. We did not purchase any "EXTRAS" from SOL. We decided to save all costs that we didn't have the money for and did everything on our own. We were also concerned that if in the future we needed to make changes within our website on something, we had the knowledge to do it ourselves and did not need to hire someone to do it. We wanted control of where we could take this new venture. We had never done anything like this. He was in law enforcement. I had clerical skills. Neither of us had an understanding of the World Wide Web. We checked library books out from the library - websites for Dummy's and other ones. We put effort into learning. We HAD to do this! After unending chat sessions and phone calls with SOL customer service support (available to all SOL customers) that was offered 24/7 at the time, we were successful in finally getting our first website live! We got our first sale from a relative just over a month later. This was in 2005. As it turned out, he had made the decision to leave law enforcement due to the loss of income and time it cost for him working that job. This is what he does full time. We employ about 15. It quickly outgrew our living room floor. We have since operated a couple storefronts, finally reducing it back to just one. We have designated workshop locations. We started manufacturing some products to sell with other products we offer from crafters. We also started selling wholesale to help new entrepreneurs an also benefit and enrich the lives of our crafters by selling their products.

NOTE: I know at the time of purchasing licenses it IS a lot of money. Not everyone has that kind of extra money laying around. We didn’t. We borrowed it on a credit card with interest. The value of what you are receiving is really there in those licenses with SOL. The secret to success is to not mislead yourself to think that just because you paid that much money it's going to be successful. It's the same as it is with anything in life, you must work for it! You must invest the time into it to make it work! You have to make a plan. We discovered that what was key to a great website is have a niche product / market.

For anyone who is curious, we did manage to save the home from foreclosure. Due to an ex filing a bankruptcy and unfortunately inheriting those debts on top of the ones that were left from that divorce, we had to come up with and pay an additional $1100 a month in order to keep the home because there was equity in it. Had the timing of everything not worked out, it could have been devastating. This entire process has opened my eyes up to seeing God at work. We have truly been blessed!
Since that first website, we have begun several others. We went through our initial 3 licenses we purchased at the seminar. The additional licenses that we have purchased we bought from customers who have been unhappy with SOL. If you have available ones to sell, I'd recommend listing them for sale. Getting a little return from the sale is better than sticking the information into a drawer and getting nothing for it.

In our experience, a website is the only way to go. You reach a larger audience at all hours of the day and night 24/7/365, with extremely minimal costs just in hosting, the domain and processing credit card sales. It IS possible to start a website without investing money into inventory before you sell it. A storefront is only open during set hours. It requires someone to manage the location during those hours and the overhead costs and inventory get extremely expensive. You get tied into long term contracts without knowing whether it will be possible to remain in business for that duration. The reality is you are only limited to the traffic that passes your location and decides to stop, word of mouth, or advertising. In our case, there is no comparison. We never should have opened any of them.

Stores Online actually paid for us to go visit them in Utah and get specialized training from other successful merchants using SOL. They covered all of our costs for airfare, lodging, training, welcome gifts, and a catered event at a resort. I am sometimes left speechless when I see some of the things people allege that they went through with them. I know the staff had changed a lot over the years but that just does not fit our experience with them. Thanks to SOL we are currently debt free. The nearly foreclosed house has been paid off!

In summary, I would definitely recommend SOL. I wish I could personally help many of you. If you have a license, don't let it go to waste! SOL has actually been taken over by Crexendo. Even though their access to support is limited to certain days and times, they still provide very good help and training access via your keychain in the SOL site. Do something constructive with what you have already paid for. The big costs are over at this point. Turn down anything extra that they try to sell, if they do try. We turned extra things down, there is usually a way around them by doing the work yourself. If there is something I can do to help someone and I am notified of a response on here, I will try to help anyone who asks me.

Biggest Pro: Great customer support - very knowledgable and willing to help!
Biggest Con: They no longer offer 24/7 customer support. If you have questions you have to wait until weekly business hours.

Scam and sham

My mom signed up for Stores Online. We went to the conference and then we went to Salt Lake City. They gave us our info on what we needed to set up a store. We were allowed to set web page up with the expensive trip we were put up in a Hotel . My mom paid big bucks for all this. And after we got home they called her offering more at a cost of 18,000.00. So my mom took her savings sent them 18,000 . A few weeks later a financial planner calls my mother. I am listening to the conversation and one thing Leeds to another they want here to bring her paperwork for the farm the deed and tax papers etc. all her retirement plans etc. promises of high return and other such BS. After all was said and done and she vowed to comed to New York and let them handle all her finances. I asked her I said what are you doing. You don't hand over your free and clear deed on the farm and you most certainly don't allow trust in a voice over the phone to plan the remaining years of your future. I learned in Salt Lake that people like my mother have been forced to hand over successful business,s set up with stores on line assist. Literally stated they were given these peoples websites for free at this class. Beware of this company they pump you up and before your next 30 days are up they want control of all you own besides. This is true story and there is no BS here.

Biggest Con: When they want to handle all your personal funds outside of the website they promise to promote but don,t.

StoresOnlinePro Hosting - Steer Clear They are a nightmare!

They are horrible - they customer service has gotten worst through the years they don't know how to talk to you and are very unprofessional. I am still trying to figure out a way to get away from using there hosting but the transition is extremely changeling. They only want you to buy licensing from them - they don't offer any assistance in helping you improve your website our letting you know if your on the correct path or not. They should not be allowed to sell anything to anybody.

DON'T GET STUCK WITH THEM!

My experience with Storesonline

It is very interesting to read all the comments and experiences people made with SOL. I have to say that I published my website with SOL last year and see both sides. First at all, I used PMI education to help me to get all the knowledge to build the basic business for my website. PMI works with SOL to help you to get your website up and running, unfortunately you have to pay for PMI as well. After I finished their online courses I was able to do all the necessary steps to open my own business and send all the necessary information to SOL and the programmer built my site and I have to say he did a great job, please check it for yourself and go to my site http://www.backpackpros.com. When your website is published, SOL offers you a marketing specialist who trains you several times on the phone, which at that point I faced my first negative experience with SOL. I never been firm in building websites, this is my first one, so of course I had very little knowledge in this field. My “trainer” was very arrogant, it was a very uncomfortable experience and as a matter as fact, my wife who was also listening to this guy got so angry that she did not joined any other over the phone training sessions with him! SOL offers 4 or 5 phone training sessions and afterwards you still suppose to get email support from SOL. After emailing my “trainer” several times and getting no answers over weeks, I gave up on that one, POOR service. I’ve been doing everything on my own now, which cost me probably way more time, unfortunately! If I need technical support with my website I call SOL and have no problems at all and their always very helpful.
Bottom line is, that I was able to launch my website with SOL, but doing this for my first time, without the PMI education program, there would be NO way I could have that done! Would I recommend SOL? If you are new in this field and money is not an issue and you buy the PMI program to support you, I would say yes. With my knowledge now, definitely not. If you have enough time and already some experience with building websites, there are way cheaper ways to do it and also maintain your website.
I hope it helped a little, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Follow-up review - Previous reviewed completed on June 28th, 2011

I'm shocked we never received a call or email based on our last review on 6/28/11. WOW six months goes by without a solution. Don't know why, were still a customer of Storesonline because of the amount of money spent, Can't just move a website without taken a BIG hit on rankings. They must not care about one customer's comments - could be "you" next. For the record Storesonline didn't help us get a page ranking of 2 in three months!!

Technical Support - If you happen to get reps within the USA - it's a 9.9 but otherwise it's a 4.0. But you may only get USA reps 1 in 50 calls.

Any future folks looking to use Storesonline - From what I see many other options to build a website without the HUGE cost. If you know SEO rankings, it's changing by the day so be careful. Also must of the tools they include can be found online FREE.

Biggest Pro: Website has never been down.
Biggest Con: Customer Service and Technical Support/Knowledge

storesonline.com

Its the worst website ever, they mailed me an invitation to there the internet conference seminar. And when we went there we were treated like animals, they made us sit outside of the hall. some people who were inside the hall were attending the seminar and the people outside for whom they didnt have the seats, they treated them very bad.

it was the most insulting day of my life.

Biggest Pro: storesonline.com

Stores Online Scam-Avoid at All Costs!

Workshop, testimonials and speakers sounded promising, invested over $4000 to open an online business; I understand their pricing plan has been revised since 2005. As a beginner I did not understand the computer language they were referring to; I anticipated full understanding on Stores Online from the 120 + page binder, DVDs & other materials handed out at the workshop.

Inappropriate behavior, sales pressure & false urgency to close deal the day of workshop. Customer service representatives are also confusing & difficult in understanding the multitude of steps to get started.

Approached by affiliates unknowing they were not part of the service I paid for, they where vague & I was 'hooked" into spending more money(another $2000 farther in debt).

File a compliant with WI Dept. of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection; to no avail, Stores Online prevailed. I am currently involved in a class action suit 'Hill: v. StoresOnline, et al. Notice of Proposed Settlement' still pending.

STORESONLINE OF OREM, UT., SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN; THEY PREY ON PEOPLE-I NEVER MADE A DIME! I

Do not have any dealings with storesonline. You will regret it.

I am extremely disappointed/discussed/frustrated/XXX/xxx/etc. in the support that I have received from stores on line. Even as far back as Jan 02 when I joined. The chat line is also useless and the several times that I have used it have produced practically no help. My web site is down and has been since yesterday. Actually it has been down on storesonline since Feb of this year (10 months ago). In Feb 09 my web site went down and I contacted customer support and the response was the problem would be passed on to Engineering..... after two days I decided to upload my web site to another host. My website was back up but it was on surf22.com servers.... my shopping cart was still working properly on storesonline so I left it there. I needed to point my DNS back to stores on line and have found that still 10 months later the same problem still exist. I called support yesterday and talked to Jeff and changed my DNS back to storesonline at that time. Early this morning when the DNS got updated I see the same problem I had 10 months ago still exist. I see just my shopping cart back ground and my logo. Again the web site is down (average sales per day - +/-$650). I have called support about 6 times today and get the same story that engineering is still working on it. Three days passes, engineering is still working the problem (BS). I simply do not believe that anyone that knows what their doing has even looked at it. No one will contact me and I am probably not going to get back on line any time soon. I have in the mean time moved by web site any will continue to use their shopping cart until I can get set up somewhere else. It will be a great day when I can wash my hands of them completely. BIG MISTAKE TO JOIN STORESONLINE OR HAVE ANY DEALINGS WITH THEM IN ANY WAY WHAT SO EVER. You can probably guess that I do not have a very high opinion of storesonline hosting. Sincerely, Wayne Drake

Waste of time and money!

I am a StoresOnline customer. They have been my Website host for almost 2 years. I have had 25 years of computer and internet experience. My business partner has been in the computer business for over 45 years! We thought, even though we knew this was a lot of hype, there was some meat in what they were selling and with our experience could make a go of it. And we knew the only area where we were weak was internet marketing and advertising. PMI quickly came along to fill that gap (so they said).

Our site has been fully operational for just under 2 years. The website management software used by StoresOnline is not very intuitive and takes some practice, even for an experienced HTML/Javascript coder. It is also relatively simplistic with many drawbacks and restrictions. Internet marketing is the most important thing to get your site seen by buyers, and this is where they get you! You can have the most beautiful site in the world, but it is useless if no one will see it.

We trudged on, looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as promised by the hype. Our site is now fully "optimized" for search engines (independantly tested) and we have a great dropshipper.

Bottom line...If you really want a website, don't go to StoresOnline! Run away from these leaches. StoresOnline and PMI (especially) are the most loathsome and unethical people I have ever dealt with! PMI said they would teach me everything I needed to know about web marketing but their people don't know the first thing about the subject and only make suggestions for you to "try".

All the training you need can be found on the internet for free. Good website hosts are a dime a dozen. Stay away from anything having to do with Storesonline. Don't be stupid like me, save your thousands of dollars for a nice vacation when you get your site up somewhere else.

Biggest Pro: None
Biggest Con: Way too much money and nothing for it. The monthly host fee is reasonable.