I don't mind a service having short delays due to maintenance or some unforseen minor problem, but it seems to me that Auctiva is consistently in extended problem mode with no contingency plan for the people who depend on the integrity of the site for their living.
Case in point; If you are going to offer the service free than you should expect a glut of new users and memory usage. This is great for business long-term (or is it?), but what about the huge added use of memory? Was this even considered and if so, why is memory now an issue?
I realize that there are growing pains to any venture, but when people are counting on you and you keep on having the same problems over and over, then it's time to examine your planning skills and business philosophy.
I don't know of any other image host that has these kind of problems. I consider myself to be very supportive and will be glad to help in any way I can. I am the first to rant and rave about how great something is when things are going well and I appreciate what this service provides, but maybe the free membership thing was just not a good idea if it means Auctiva can't take care of it's customers?
Just a thought.