Ending your Fasthosts membership made easy

About Fasthosts

Fasthosts is one of the UK's longest-established web hosting and domain registration companies, having served British businesses and individuals since 1999. Based in Gloucester, they've built their reputation on providing a comprehensive range of internet services including web hosting, domain names, email hosting, dedicated servers, and reseller packages. What sets Fasthosts apart in the crowded UK hosting market is their focus on small to medium-sized businesses, offering scalable solutions that grow with your company's needs.

The company manages over 1.5 million domain names and hosts hundreds of thousands of websites from their UK-based data centres. This local infrastructure means faster loading times for UK visitors and compliance with British data protection standards. Fasthosts operates entirely within the UK, which appeals to businesses concerned about data sovereignty and GDPR compliance. Their services are designed specifically for the British market, with pricing in pounds sterling, UK-based customer support during business hours, and familiarity with local business requirements.

Most importantly, Fasthosts positions itself as a one-stop shop for businesses wanting to establish their online presence. You can register your domain, set up professional email addresses, build your website using their tools, and host everything under one provider. This convenience factor attracts many customers initially, though it can also make cancellation more complex if you've got multiple services bundled together.

Keep in mind that Fasthosts primarily serves the business and professional market rather than casual personal users. Their control panel and service offerings reflect this focus, which means their cancellation procedures follow more formal business practices than you might find with consumer-focused providers.

Plans, features and pricing

Fasthosts offers an extensive range of services across multiple categories, each with different pricing tiers and commitment levels. Understanding what you're actually paying for is crucial before you cancel, as different services have different notice periods and refund policies.

Web hosting packages

Their shared hosting plans start from approximately £4.99 per month for basic packages suitable for small websites. These entry-level plans typically include limited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts. Mid-tier packages range from £9.99 to £19.99 monthly, offering more resources and additional features like SSL certificates and daily backups. Professional and business packages can reach £29.99 or more per month, providing substantial resources for high-traffic websites.

Domain registration services

Domain names are typically charged annually, with .co.uk domains costing around £4.99 to £9.99 per year, whilst .com domains usually range from £9.99 to £14.99 annually. Premium domains and specialist extensions cost considerably more. First, understand that domain registrations auto-renew unless you specifically disable this feature, which catches many customers off guard when they're trying to cancel.

Email and Microsoft 365 packages

Professional email hosting starts from approximately £0.99 per mailbox monthly for basic services, whilst Microsoft 365 Business packages range from £3.99 to £9.99 per user monthly depending on the applications included. These services often have separate billing cycles from your hosting, which complicates cancellation planning.

Server and VPS solutions

Virtual Private Servers start around £19.99 monthly for basic configurations, whilst dedicated servers begin at approximately £99.99 monthly and can exceed £300 monthly for high-specification machines. These enterprise-level services typically require longer notice periods for cancellation, often 30 to 90 days.

Additionally, many customers don't realise they're paying for multiple separate services. You might have a hosting package, three domain names, an SSL certificate, and email hosting all billed at different intervals. This fragmentation means you need to cancel each service individually, following the specific terms for that particular product.

Terms of service and cancellation policy

Understanding Fasthosts' cancellation policy requires careful reading of their terms of service, which differ significantly depending on which products you're using. This is where most cancellation attempts go wrong, so pay close attention to these details.

Contract periods and auto-renewal

Most Fasthosts services operate on fixed-term contracts of 12 or 24 months, with automatic renewal enabled by default. This auto-renewal system is perfectly legal under UK consumer law, provided they've made the terms clear at signup. The critical point here is that you must cancel before your renewal date to avoid being charged for another full term. Missing this deadline by even one day can lock you into another year of service.

Keep in mind that Fasthosts typically sends renewal reminders 30 days before your renewal date, but these emails sometimes end up in spam folders or get overlooked. Don't rely on receiving a reminder as your prompt to cancel. Set your own calendar alerts at least 45 days before renewal to give yourself adequate time for the cancellation process.

Notice periods by service type

Different services require different notice periods. Shared hosting and domain services typically require 30 days' notice before your renewal date. Dedicated servers and enterprise services often require 60 to 90 days' notice. Email services might have 14 to 30 days' notice requirements. Most importantly, these notice periods are calculated from when Fasthosts receives and processes your cancellation request, not from when you send it.

Refund policies and money-back guarantees

Fasthosts offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on certain hosting products for new customers, but this doesn't apply to renewals or all service types. Domain registrations are specifically excluded from refunds once registered. Setup fees, SSL certificates, and add-on services are typically non-refundable. If you're cancelling mid-contract, don't expect a pro-rata refund for unused time unless there are exceptional circumstances or service failures.

UK consumer rights and distance selling regulations

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, UK consumers have a 14-day cooling-off period for services purchased online. However, this right is forfeited if you've actively used the service during this period, which you almost certainly have with web hosting. Additionally, these consumer protections apply differently to business customers, and Fasthosts primarily serves business users. If you signed up as a business, you may have fewer statutory cancellation rights than individual consumers.

Data retention and website backups

First, understand that once your hosting is cancelled, Fasthosts typically retains your data for a limited period, usually 30 to 60 days, before permanent deletion. After this grace period, your website files, databases, and emails are irrecoverably deleted. They're not obligated to provide backups after cancellation, so downloading everything before cancelling is absolutely essential.

Cancelling by post - the complete guide

Postal cancellation is the most reliable method for terminating your Fasthosts services, particularly when you need documented proof of your cancellation request. Whilst online methods might seem more convenient, postal cancellation creates an undeniable paper trail that protects your consumer rights.

Why postal cancellation is most reliable

Sending your cancellation by post, specifically via Royal Mail Recorded Delivery or Signed For service, provides legal proof of delivery that online methods cannot match. If Fasthosts later claims they never received your cancellation, your proof of posting and delivery signature becomes crucial evidence. This matters enormously when disputes arise about whether you cancelled within the required notice period.

Additionally, written cancellation requests force you to include all necessary details in one comprehensive document. Online forms sometimes have character limits or don't allow you to address multiple services simultaneously. A postal letter lets you clearly specify every service you're cancelling, include all relevant account numbers, and state your exact requirements regarding data and domains.

Keep in mind that UK consumer law recognises written postal communication as formal notice. Courts and dispute resolution services give postal correspondence more weight than emails or online form submissions, which can be disputed or claimed as never received. Most importantly, postal cancellation cannot be ignored or \