Claiming their Web sites were consuming too much of its servers' resources or contained prohibited items, Kansas City, Mo.-based CommuniTech.Net told customers earlier this month it would delete their accounts within three days if they did not upgrade them. While the upgraded accounts start at $223 a month, many people were paying just $22.95 a month for their accounts prior to the notice.

"Due to the fact that your Web site is dramatically inflating our CPU usage (and is subsequently violating our Terms of Service), we are requesting that you move to a dedicated hosting environment," a CommuniTech sales representative said in an email to one customer. "If this solution doesn't suit your needs, I'll be happy to refund your remaining payments to you, but must insist that you move to a new hosting company. Your site will be cancelled unless you've committed to purchasing a dedicated server."