Here’s a few free tips for people, related to web hosting.

DO ensure you pay your bills. If you’re billed on a recurring basis, then you should know when your billing date is, and you should ensure that whatever you have on file for billing purposes is up to date.
DO NOT try to blame your host for cancelling your ass when you are 60 days past due. Take some responsibility for your account. It’s no different than any other utility or service: providers want to be paid for the service they provide.

DO keep your contact details up to date.
DO NOT expect that your host is going to know that you let your primary domain expire and then berate them for having an email address YOU provided not be functional for you or for not sending you a love letter via snail mail, begging you to pay your bill when they don’t do this and never have. They’re going to think – rightfully so – that you’re quite out of your mind.

DO be civil and polite when you contact support.
DO NOT try to tell them what they should have done with your deadbeat account. Fact: you didn’t pay your bill, and you were cut off. End of story. Once again, take responsibility.

DO maintain your own backups.
DO NOT try to tell your host that your files are “legally” your property when they make no claims on those files. If your stuff is so important to you, make sure you have copies.

DO read the terms of service your host provides.
DO NOT read into those terms what you want to see rather than what’s there. It’s a good way to make yourself look like an idiot.

DO know what you have (or have not) been charged for by your host.
DO NOT threaten chargebacks of fees when it’s patently obvious that you haven’t been charged a dime for anything and there is nothing whatsoever to charge back. You will make your host laugh themselves silly by displaying your idiocy and self-importance. It’s also a good way to have your host tell you that your business is not welcome.

DO get a grip on yourself and learn a lesson from your failure to properly maintain your account.
DO NOT continue to try and argue the issue when the host has made it clear that the issue is closed. DO NOT toss in little frivolous legal threat bombs. That’s a good way to have the host tell you to take a hike with the new account they graciously set up for you, as it’s not a business relationship worth having.

See all those “do not” items up there? All of those things were done by one particular asshat today. They are also things that sometimes make me believe a good portion of the population wouldn’t be worth spitting on were they on fire and that early retirement would be a most excellent idea. Fortunately, most people understand they’ve cocked things up and are more polite when writing in about their accounts – like the guy today who wrote in and said he’d been away at college and had neglected his account and what did he need to do? At least he took responsiblity for his situation. He also cleared it up, sans whining, sans bitching and moaning, sans telling us what we should have done. He’s happy, we’re happy, and everyone moves on with their lives. That’s the lesson some people could stand to learn.