Warning - Receiving Complaints About "Big Up Hosting" and Rogelio Alvarado

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - In the past couple of weeks I've received several complaints from former customers of a guy named Rogelio Alvarado who owns a company in Panama City called biguphosting.com. And when I say I've received complaints, what I specifically mean in this case is that I have received a copy of a criminal complaint that has been filed against Rogelio Alvarado. The prosecutors of Panama's Public Ministry are investigating him for a series of alleged crimes, specifically "crimes against the judicial security of electronic media" and "crimes against information security," mostly related to his inappropriately taking information and data from a former employer. According to several of his unsatisfied (and now irate) former customers, many of whom are members of the English speaking expatriate community in Panama, apparently here is how this guy operates. First of all you hire him to build a website for you. He sets it all up, but then later you come to learn that in reality he actually owns the domain name, and not you. He didn't obtain the domain for you on your behalf, he obtained the domain name and registered it in his own name and for his own benefit, even though you actually hired him to do it for you. At some point in time he basically hijacks or kidnaps the domain name, and if you don't pay him a whole lot of money then you will never get it back. In many cases this can completely ruin a business. He also charges a lot of money up front and then (allegedly, according to the complaints) he doesn't follow through or deliver. Several attempts to contact Rogelio Alvarado with calls to his cell phone went unanswered. In any case - heads up. I will provide more information as it becomes available. Of course I invited Rogelio Alvarado to contact me directly, because I would like to hear his side of the story. In addition I would also like to hear from anyone else who might have had problems with this guy. At this point I have been contacted by three, one of which was pissed off enough to file a rather comprehensive criminal complaint against him. In any case, at this point - "heads up."

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.