How Bad did HFW mess this up? Tell me please

I'm a newbie here, and maybe I'm expecting a little more from a "Recommended Hosting Company" than I should of.  Here's the story:

Roughly 60 hours ago ordered a VPS-2 from HFW on their site using their system after chatting with the Sales rep, I was told it'd take about 4-6 hours total set up with 24-48 hours domain propagation.  Okay, fair enough.  Here are the issues:

1.  Payment link HFW provided did not exist and delayed 6 hours to get the issue fixed in just paying for this server.  Finally payment is made, finally.

2.  Domain name (we'll call it whateveritis.com) was ordered to have ns1.whateveritis.com and ns1.whateveritis.com  Instead the DNS got pointed to ns41.hostforweb.com and ns42.hostforweb.com Yeah, those resolve real nice.

3.  Try to go for support and find out where my DNS is pointing and why after 24 hours we have no resolve.  I've been around the web long enough to know that rarely does it take over 24 to propagate a domain.  But this one was stubborn. 

4.  As we are trying to discover what is up with the DNS, Ian from Tech support tells me that I'm on a shared server?  Since when did a VPS become a shared server and why is the DNS pointing to a shared server.  Ian never looked up the account even before he made that claim.

5.  Connect via FTP to the server utilizing the IP given.  Begin uploading files.

6.  While waiting for DNS to resolve, utilized the IP to begin the install of a D6 package.  Immediate problem.  All files show writeable, a sure sign that the server is SuPHP enabled.  But why?  It was specifically noted in the instructions when ordering the server to NOT enable SuPHP.  But HFW took it upon themselves to enable it.

7.  Instructions while setting up the server were to provide PHP 5.2.9 and MySQL 4.2.2 for this build with an Apache 2.2.15 Handler.  What did we get?  PHP 5.2.13 and MySQL 5.0.91 and Apache 2.2.15.  Okay, they did get the Apache version correct, let's give credit where it is due.

So, am I over reacting in that we gave specific instructions for this server to be set up and everything from paying the bill to registering the Domain to setting up the server has been done in a manner that goes against what was ordered?  Is this normal with hosting companies?  Do the Hosting Companies automatically assume everyone coming in is a newbie without a clue as to what they are doing and just ignore the instructions given on the order? 

Well i don't get why they screwed up so bad with the DNS stuff.

But i do understand the other. I mean how many people specifically request older versions of php and mysql. My guess is they created the VPS from one of their stock images.

I'm more interested in why you're trying to run a site on Dolphin 6 (along with the older stack software).

Experimentation with D6 proved what scenarios run the best and what scenarios cause it to explode, that's why it's the old stack software.  Using D6 is just a better fit for the project we're working on. 

I think there's some missing information here. I use HFW VPS and I have a half a dozen different sites, many which are dolphin and I find the help I get from them exemplary.

You do realize that a VPS requires that you do most of your own setup right? From your own post, I see you are just getting started. Sit back, relax and think a bit about what your problems are and how you can solve them. Within your /whm screen, you can install many of your own server updates as required.

Also, I too, am wondering why you are trying to set up a D6 site when 7.04 is very stable and far more advanced.

If you go with a PlainVPS-1 or 2 then yes, you do most of the set up yourself.  But if you opt to purchase the HFWVPS-1 or 2 or 3 and so on, then those are fully managed by HFW.  Yes, I asked for a specific set up of old stack software in the instructions, but that is no excuse for the ns1 & 2 being pointed to HFW's default nameservers in my opinion.  Maybe I'm being to critical here, but I'm thinking this is to many mistakes on the set up. 

As for why this project is getting a D6 set up instead of D7 it has to do with the project being done.  D6 is just a better fit in this case, not all projects require all the bells and whistles that D7 has in it.  An old school script requires old school software to support it and we've seen proof this set up works for D6.  I'll agree that it'd probably blow up with D7.

I use HFW, started of on a shared server while I learnt the Dolphin ropes, then with 5 sites running well, moved to a dedicated server.

HAve had a very good experience with HFW and will continue to stay with them.

I also have had hosting (not for Dolphin) with a number of other hosts over the years and can say that HFW have been probably the easiest to communicate with and have always given a good service.

Hope you get your setup sorted how you want it.

Hi,

there is nothing more anoying than trusting other people to do exactly what you told them to do, relax and trust they will do it and then, in the end, reach the conclusion that it has not been done or, worst, it was badly done...it always gives me double work, to check what is wrong AND to do the work myself, so I am sympathetic with your feelings...

However, from experience, they have been for us, not the best but at least not the worse hosting we have worked with,... there have been a few hickups, but in the end all is solved.

I guess, in the end, it comes down to people...they use several levels of techs, the more complex the issue, the higher you go on the levels. So I assume techs1 will not be as skilled as techs2...but hey, it is the same everywhere around, people screw up, no matter what...maybe some of the techs are not as good as we expect them to be...it is no excuse, but it is how it goes in the employment market.

After the issue is solved, maybe it is good to write to their Admin and tell them what happened. You may get some good out of that. We did :)...got a 200GB drive for the price of a 120GB after the other one died on us only after 2 weeks of being set up...

Regards,