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Tell HN: FileStack (YC S12) is holding my data hostage

11 points by KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago

As a warning for anyone who's thinking about using Filestack. I started using Filestack (then filepicker.io) in 2012 for my site https://fiction.live, basically as soon as it launched for file hosting. It was good for a while... then the price increases came in. The prices jacked up year over year while I was stuck in it. Then I finally had enough and left and am now using a MUCH cheaper CDN. Now a couple of years later, I decide I want those files back. After all, they're my files and it'll be nice to have them for archival. I email them to allow me to migrate the files away from their service and they refuse to allow me to download them unless I pay them $59. Isn't that absolutely insane? They claim it's for "bandwidth" purposes, like 30GB of bandwidth costs $59 dollars? It's a YC company holding my data hostage, preventing me from migrating off. Pretty sure that's extortion. TLDR: All I want to do is to take my data and leave, but they demand payment.

rvz 5y ago
If you value your files that much: Just pay the 'ransom'. Not my words, but the FBI's: [0] “The easiest thing may be to just pay the ransom” - Joseph Bonavolonta, FBI Vimeo upsold and locked in their users with the same idea and are holding some of their user's content for ransom as well. [1] [0] https://securityledger.com/2015/10/fbis-advice-on-cryptolocker-just-pay-the-ransom/ https://securityledger.com/2015/10/fbis-advice-on-cryptolock... [1] https://twitter.com/thedak/status/1395367583503851524 https://twitter.com/thedak/status/1395367583503851524
- KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago
  True, and interesting to hear about Vimeo. Just being one of their early adopters and then getting this poor treatment is causing me much resentment.
sircastor 5y ago
Most of the file warehouse solutions I’m familiar with do something similar. If you want your files you pay a exit fee to download it. Also, it sounds like you haven’t paid them for a couple of years. The fact that they still have your files at all is kind of amazing. There $59 doesn’t look arbitrary. It’s their lowest tier. I know it’s frustrating, It doesn’t seem to me that they’re acting unethical here.

11 points by KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago

rvz 5y ago

If you value your files that much: Just pay the 'ransom'. Not my words, but the FBI's: [0] “The easiest thing may be to just pay the ransom” - Joseph Bonavolonta, FBI Vimeo upsold and locked in their users with the same idea and are holding some of their user's content for ransom as well. [1] [0] https://securityledger.com/2015/10/fbis-advice-on-cryptolocker-just-pay-the-ransom/ https://securityledger.com/2015/10/fbis-advice-on-cryptolock... [1] https://twitter.com/thedak/status/1395367583503851524 https://twitter.com/thedak/status/1395367583503851524

KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago
True, and interesting to hear about Vimeo. Just being one of their early adopters and then getting this poor treatment is causing me much resentment.

sircastor 5y ago

Most of the file warehouse solutions I’m familiar with do something similar. If you want your files you pay a exit fee to download it. Also, it sounds like you haven’t paid them for a couple of years. The fact that they still have your files at all is kind of amazing. There $59 doesn’t look arbitrary. It’s their lowest tier. I know it’s frustrating, It doesn’t seem to me that they’re acting unethical here.