looking for a new or different provider i wanted to try linode and tried to open an account. first problem: they do not explicitely or clearly tell their customers their accounts "need to be validated" despite customers providing their personnal data and credit card details. I was surprised, after submitting my personnal info and cc details to receive and automated/generic message telling me that my account "needed to be validated" of course, without providing any ETA, and of course, because when you want a paas or vps you can wait some hours or even days to deploy your stuff etc <--- not, and IDK wtf these guys have on their minds. I waited a few minutes, nothing happened, no ETA, no feedback, just that generic message. I then replied to the generic message asking them to cancel my account creation. to my "surprise", their reply and action were almost inminent and i received a generic confirmation in less than one minute telling me that my account was cancelled. I then tried again, this second time making sure my vpn is disabled ( double checked my ip), using a common browser, no proxy, provided my full name instead of joe (joseph), gave my full address and also gave my phone number (marked as optionnal). I also added a discount from network chuck becuse i was there because of him and i thought that would reinforce our trust/relation. Well, i was horribly wrong: i waited again, just to receive the same generic message with no clear or possible reason of the account cancellation. do not get my wrong, i am a professionnal, i have been personnally and professionnally working with other known providers (aws, ovh, gandi) and therefore i am not naive: i know that all providers struggle with abuse and crime and that they legally screen their customers (browser, location, ip, proxies, mean of payment etc) and decline potentially fraudulent operations. clearly i know nowadays it is almost impossible to register a domain name or to create a vps on major providers using proxies, paying with btc etc.. and Im ok with that as long as it is transparent, fair and when it works. linode is not efficient, nor fair, nor transprent: you do not tell your customers their account needs to be "verified" even when they trust you, and give you UP-FRONT all their personnal information and CC details <-- this is unacceptable, very assymetric and disproportionnate. sorry, other companies understand that and have efficient mechanisms, tools and procedure unlike yours. thank you for making me loose my time, hope this helps others.