As @dwild stated, that's the other type of snapshots used for web hosting (which I assume are copy-based backups due to how little storage sites usually use). These snapshots are never reachable directly to the customer; at best, they can restore a volume back to the snapshot's state or create a new volume at that state and attach it to a VM.

> He also states he has his backups, so he's mostly just whining because he's annoyed he has to reupload stuff.

Or they're annoyed that they paid for a service, at the very least billed as backup, only to be told "welp, it's gone".