Fair Usage Policy
Introduction
This Fair Usage Policy
("FUP") applies to all services provided by UKBox Ltd, a company with
Registration Number 15154892 and with office address located at UKBox Ltd,
71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, Greater London, London, WC2H 9JQ ("we,"
"us," or "our"), including but not limited to shared
hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and any other resource-shared environments.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all customers can enjoy reliable,
high-performance services without any single user disproportionately impacting
the experience of others.
While many of our plans offer
"unlimited" resources such as disk space, bandwidth, or CPU usage, as
well as unlimited support tickets and website change requests, these are
subject to fair usage principles. "Unlimited" does not mean infinite
or unrestricted use; it means we do not impose hard limits as long as your
usage remains reasonable and does not adversely affect the server, our support
team, or other customers. We reserve the right to monitor usage and take action
if we determine that your activities violate this FUP.
This FUP supplements our Acceptable
Use Policy (AUP) and Terms of Service. By using our services, you agree to
comply with this policy. We may update this FUP from time to time, and
continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of any changes.
Fair Usage Guidelines
Fair usage is determined based on
the average consumption of resources across all customers on a shared server or
resource pool and the average volume of support tickets and change requests
across our client base. We aim to provide equitable access to resources and
support services, promoting a balanced environment for everyone. Excessive
usage that deviates significantly from the norm may result in us contacting you
to discuss adjustments, such as upgrading your plan, optimizing your setup, or,
in extreme cases, suspending or terminating services.
Key principles:
● Use resources responsibly and
only for legitimate purposes as outlined in our AUP.
● Avoid activities that could
degrade server performance, such as running resource-intensive scripts, hosting
large file archives, or engaging in high-traffic operations without prior
approval.
● Avoid submitting an excessive
volume of support tickets or website change requests that overload our support
team and delay service to other clients.
● If your usage consistently
exceeds fair levels, we may impose temporary limits or require you to migrate
to a more suitable plan or seek alternative support arrangements.
Specific Resource
Guidelines
Disk Space
Disk space on shared servers is
intended for hosting website files, databases, emails, and related content. It
is not designed for use as personal storage, backups, or file-sharing services.
Fair usage for disk space is
calculated dynamically based on server-wide metrics. Specifically:
● We determine the average usage
by dividing the total amount of disk space currently being used on the server
by the number of customers hosted on that server.
● This average serves as a benchmark
for fair usage. Customers whose disk space consumption significantly exceeds
this average (e.g., more than 200% of the average) may be flagged for review.
Examples of unfair disk space
usage include:
● Storing large volumes of media
files, backups, or archives that are not directly related to your website's
operation.
● Using the space for off-site
backups or as a cloud storage alternative.
● Hosting content that generates
excessive I/O operations, impacting server performance.
If your usage is deemed unfair, we
may request that you reduce your storage, remove unnecessary files, or upgrade
to a dedicated resource plan.
Bandwidth and Data Transfer
Bandwidth refers to the amount of
data transferred to and from your account. Fair usage ensures that high-traffic
sites do not monopolize network resources.
● Average bandwidth usage is
monitored per server. If your monthly data transfer exceeds the server-wide
average by a significant margin (e.g., more than 200%), we may investigate.
● Unfair usage examples: Streaming
large media files, running download sites, or hosting content that attracts
unusually high traffic without optimization.
We encourage the use of content
delivery networks (CDNs) or caching for high-bandwidth sites to stay within
fair limits.
CPU and Memory Usage
Shared servers allocate CPU and
memory resources across multiple users. Sustained high usage can slow down the
server for everyone.
● Fair usage is based on not
exceeding 25% of a single CPU core for extended periods (e.g., more than 5
minutes) or consuming disproportionate memory.
● Unfair usage examples: Running
cron jobs, scripts, or applications that spike CPU usage repeatedly; mining
cryptocurrencies; or hosting real-time applications like chat servers without a
dedicated plan.
We provide tools in your control
panel to monitor your resource usage.
Email Usage
Email services are for standard
business or personal communication, not bulk marketing or spam.
● Fair usage limits: No more than
300 emails per hour per domain to prevent server blacklisting.
● Unfair usage: Sending unsolicited
emails, using our servers for mailing lists exceeding reasonable volumes, or
failing to maintain clean mailing lists.
Refer to our AUP for anti-spam
guidelines.
Support Tickets
Our hosting and service plans
include unlimited support tickets for technical assistance, account issues, and
minor website modifications. However, this is subject to fair usage principles
to ensure our team can provide timely support to all customers.
Fair usage for support tickets is
calculated dynamically based on overall client metrics.
- We determine the average by
dividing the total number of support tickets submitted across all clients by
the number of active clients.
- Clients whose ticket volume
significantly exceeds this average (e.g., more than 200% of the average) may be
flagged for review.
Examples of unfair support ticket
usage include:
- Submitting a high volume of
tickets for minor or repetitive issues that could be resolved through
documentation or self-service.
- Requesting extensive custom
development work or repeated website modifications through support channels.
- Tickets that require
disproportionate time and resources, impacting our ability to serve other
customers.
Website Changes Requests
Our Web Design services may include
"Unlimited Website Changes Requests," which allow for modifications
to existing website content, layout adjustments, or minor updates. However,
this is subject to fair usage to prevent abuse and ensure timely service for
all clients. This does not extend to major redesigns, new feature development,
or project-level work.
Fair usage for Website Changes
Requests is calculated dynamically based on overall client metrics.
●
We determine the average usage by dividing the total
number of requests made across all clients by the number of clients we serve.
●
This average serves as a benchmark for fair usage.
Clients whose request volume significantly exceeds this average (e.g., more
than 200% of the average) may be flagged for review.
Website Changes Requests do not
include:
●
New page designs.
●
Website re-designs or major overhauls. Complex coding,
custom functionality, SEO overhauls, or content creation beyond minor edits.
Examples of unfair usage include:
●
Submitting an excessive number of requests that disrupt
our team's ability to serve other clients.
●
Requesting changes that effectively constitute new
designs or re-designs under the guise of minor updates. Repeated requests for
the same pages or features without providing clear, consolidated feedback.
If your usage is deemed unfair, we
may request that you reduce your request volume, prioritize changes,
consolidate requests, or upgrade to a dedicated development package or
third-party developer arrangement.
Other Resources
● Inodes (file count): Excessive
inodes (e.g., over 250,000 on shared plans) from unoptimized sites or backups
may be considered unfair.
● Database Usage: Databases should
be optimized; large, unindexed queries that slow the server are unfair.
Monitoring and Enforcement
We actively monitor server
resources and support ticket volume to ensure compliance. If we detect
potential violations:
We will notify you via email or
your client portal, providing details and suggestions for resolution.
You will have a reasonable period
(typically 48-72 hours) to address the issue.
Failure to comply may result in
temporary throttling, suspension, or termination of services, with possible
fees for reactivation. In cases of repeated excessive support usage, we reserve
the right to terminate the service relationship and provide a full cPanel
backup for migration to another provider.
In cases of severe abuse, we reserve
the right to act immediately to protect other customers.
We do not provide refunds for
suspensions or terminations due to FUP violations.
Appeals and Contact
If you believe a decision under this
FUP is incorrect, you may appeal by contacting our support team at
support@ukbox.co.uk with details. We will review your case promptly.
For questions about this policy or
your usage, please reach out to our team. We're here to help you optimize your
setup for the best performance.
Last Updated: April 4, 2026
UKBox Ltd
