I'd like to get a list together of rock-solid domain registrars. It's taken me ages, but I think I finally found a rock-solid dedicated server provider at a reasonable price (steadfast.net). So, I'd like to find the 'steadfast.net' of domain registrars - hoping there is one! There seems to be a problem with just about every registrar I've come across. Here's a brief list of ones I've tried so far, and my comments:

Buydomains - user interface has been made worse, is broken, customer service is awful.
Godaddy - user inferface is awful, customer service is slow.
Namecheap - least bad registrar that i've found, but customer service hasn't responded to my last couple of emails and seems to be getting worse (enetwork on these forums no longer accepts PMs!)
Registerfly - I've read lots of bad stuff about them on these forums.
eNom - $30/year for a domain? No way. Only good for resellers.

Please, nobody suggest any of the above registrars. Currently my domains are with Namecheap, but as I said above I am getting increasingly concerned with their increasingly pathetic (or non-existant) support... just recently I've paid them $50 to transfer a .tv domain and in a month it still hasn't been transferred (despite them promising it would be). It makes me worried that the company is about to die or something when I get this silence from them. Extremely unprofessional.

I'd like a reliable registrar (that won't go bankrupt on me), whose prices are in the same ballpark as Namecheap, whose interface is WELL-designed (I think Godaddy's is awful, personally - far too cluttered) and whose support responds reliably, in a timely manner. Surely there are a few registrars that fulful these criteria?? I've been searching these forums for ones that do, but frankly I've seen one or more of these issues complained about for just about every registrar around. Surely the market is getting mature enough now that we can find some professional, reliable registrars that give a damn about customer service?

You can get domains registered and managed thru enom for $10 or so - just find a good reseller.
You could also give stargate a try. I personally find their interface overly complex and confusing, but their support was great (on 1 occasion I needed it).
Hope that helps.

I recommned : IPOWERWEB.COM

6.50 per (.com .net etc ) domains

Jez, I'd like to have some comments about your remarks...

- This is the first time I've read about BuyDomains being a registrar. Of course I've hear of them, but never in the context as a registrar.

- GoDaddy support it excellent. Have you tried their new control panel? It's much better than the previous one.

- NameCheap are an excellent cheap registrar. If you need support, they are a bit lacking, but like all registrars, you have to use their ticket system (or call them).

- Registerfly should be avoided at all costs.

- eNom have way the best control panel. You can get a free $8.95 sub-reseller account (but not resell anything) from reputable ETP's like MrZippy or Bashar.

It seems you clearly value support highly. You seem to be well versed in registrars, so it's a little surprising you need so much support. What kind of support issues do you typically encounter.

The best support from any registrar will be phone support or next best thing is using their ticketing system. Forget about email support it's almost universally non-existent.

Two registrar's you might have a look at.. I hear good things about Moniker in the support department. DomainSite has a reasonably good control panel and the one support question I asked was dealt with professionally.

There is no best registrar, only the best registrar for you.

I recommned : IPOWERWEB.COM

6.50 per (.com .net etc ) domains

Why are you keeping recommending them? Are you working for Ipowerweb???

Why are you keeping recommending them? Are you working for Ipowerweb???
Why do you think a man work on the hosting if he recommends it? Maybe he is their client and he likes their service.
As for steadfast.net I've heard their service is very good.

It seems you clearly value support highly.

Which people must be prepared to pay more.

jez, what interface would you call ideal?

Why do you think a man work on the hosting if he recommends it?

Because this guy seem to push Ipowerweb whenever he can, even in such rather questionable role (for them) as registrar.

godaddy.com
dynadot.com
namecheap.com
domainsite.com
namesecure.com

jez9999

Godaddy - user inferface is awful, customer service is slow.

Ive been with GoDaddy for about 2 weeks and find their support feedback to be under 1 hours - usually QUICKER .
Ive asked Godaddy numerous 2 or 3 part questions and they respond very well and are UNDERSTANDABLE.
Have been with other registrars ove the past 8 years who are no where near as fast, reliable or 'switched on'.

crdr, you should read GoDaddy's ToS, understand them and ask yourself are you comfortable with them. If you are - you've found yourself a perfect registrar.

I personally think they are most humilating ones in the industry.

StanMarsh should calm down a bit. A person starts recommending iPowerWeb and he thinks that person works for the company. I have experience with every single large hosting company and I could tell you when it comes to value for hosting and registration...iPowerWeb is the best. Lol are you a conspiracy theorist??

SEOKing, if you'll look into WHAT has been posted by this member in other threads as well, you'll understand what I had in mind.

Congrats for finding yourself the perfect host/registrar, BTW.

I'd have to say that in my opinion the problem with GoDaddy is not that their support is bad or their interface is bad (I don't care much about support as I don't need it, and I find their new interface quite usable); what bothers me is that they seem to be getting sketchier. When I went to renew my domain just now, there were two full pages of "special offers" for me to page through before getting to "no thanks, just renew the freaking domain, like I asked you to." And their "private registration" service, useful though it may be, feels very much like a scam to me, because what it would mean is that I'm not the one who owns my domain -- it's actually some sketchy company (not even GoDaddy, some DomainsByProxy Inc.) that nobody knows anything about. I've also been hearing some bad things about circumstances under which they'll pull domains -- moral disagreements and things. I depend on my domains -- I can't have GoDaddy taking them down, or worse taking them away, just because I got joe-jobbed or something. A forced change of domain name would be, to me, like having a pet die or something; my domain name is part of my identity.

So what I'm really looking for in this thread is a registrar which does NOT reserve the right take away my domain name for any reason other than a court order. (Yes, I know it sounds like I'm looking for a "bulletproof domain"... but all I want is the promise that GoDaddy won't decide tomorrow that posting pictures of my vacation to China is "morally objectionable", since they reserve the right to decide that.)

Ah... someone who actually reads the ToS. A rarity :)

I agree, the new Godaddy control panel is much more useable than the old one.

DomainsByProxy is, defacto, GoDaddy. They have the same business address.

Most registrars reserve most of their rights :( But you could try NameCheap as a viable alternative.

I just registered a domain with Dynadot. Their user controls are very user-friendly. Signup was easy and service was prompt. Before signing up I emailed them questions and they were answered promptly, plus I didn't get any spam from them after that, like Registerfly. Such pests...

Rather happy with Dynadot.

---------------------------------------
http://www.someuseless.info

http://domains.steadfast.net

;)

I'd say check out www.dynadot.com as they have always been prompt and reliable.

I'm quite happy with domainsite.com. Good to hear what other registrars people are happy with.

Oh, I should have also included that I am using the $6.99/yr basic registration at Domainsite.com and am quite content.