In no particular order other than my own...

1. Never get your domain registration from your web host. Even if it's free.

If you get into a dispute with your webhost and they also administer your domain registration, the webhost will in all likelihood lock you out from your domains until the dispute is settled. If you have a separate registrar for your domain registrations and you get into a dispute with your webhost, you can simply sign up with another webhost and point your domains to their new home with little downtime. It's insurance. Well worth the couple of extra bucks a year.

2) Renew your domains before they expire.

The recommended policy is to renew your domains 1 month before they expire. Then, if there are any problems to iron out, you have the time to get them fixed without having to pressurized by looming Renewal and Redemption Dates, unresponsive registrars, etc

3) Do your research. Read the registrar's ToS before signing up.

All registrars are not made equal. Before deciding on a registrar you should do your research on each prospective registrar by reading forums like this one at WHT, google for "registrars-name complaints", by reading (and understanding) the registrars ToS. Try them out with 1 domain to get the feel of how you like the Control Panel, checkout, etc

4) Never do a chargeback with domains in your account.

All registrars consider a chargeback as fraud and will suspend your entire account until it's settled. So, in the event you desire to do a chargeback, transfer all your domains out to another registrar before initiating the chargeback.

5) Don't use emails for support. Always use the registrar's ticketing system.

Emails are an unreliable form of communication with your registrar. They are easy to ignore or to get lost. Some registrars hardly ever respond to emails. Look for the registrar's ticketing system and use that instead as a direct means of communicating with your registrar. It's usually found somewhere in their help system. Expect turnaround time to be 24-48hrs and longer over a weekend or holiday. Be polite and as clear and concise as possible.

6) Be wary of deeply discounted domain registrations. There's always a catch.

It costs registrars $6.25 for .com domain registrations. Anything under $6.75 has a high risk factor. That a whopping $0.50 for their overhead, administration and profit. Whew! no wonder they auction off our expired domains.

In the words of one wise old bard "There is no best registrar, only the best registrar for you".

Very nice write up. Nice read, thanks for the suggestion on the hosting registration.

I'll second that, but I have a few questions in regards, and this is from experience.

My registrar is 1and1.

In regards to point #2, 1and1 does not offer the service to renew the domain in advance, they do it automatically, is it really that bad? I mean they do send notifications 30 days in advance before the domain expires and they do warn it will be automatically renewed and they have renewed successfully.

In regards to point #6, 1and1 charges $5.99 flat, till now I've haven't had any problems with 1and1. I have been with them since their debut back in 2003 in North America. So does this mean its OK to buy domains which are less that $6.25?

More importantly, why would 1and1 take a loss of $0.26?

Some Registras use auto-renewel as a default but you can log into
your account and cancel it.
Then you can renew it yourself whenever you want to.

Also Registras don't make their money from registering domains unless they're
charging a high fee. They make their money on the other things they offer
like Private Whois and hosting for example.

I'm in the Domain Trader bizz and have over 3,500 domains scattered
around in 23 different Registras. When I buy them on Ebay or a Domain
Trader board they push them to my account which is free but I have to
signup for an account in that Registra.
If I don't resell it by renewel time I transfer it to Go Daddy, the reason is
the 3 best Registras out there for support if you need it are Go Daddy,
Netsol (Network Solutions) & Domainsite.com
I don't recommend netsol for most as unless you have a Gold VIP acount
you pay a fortune.
:cool:

I dont mean to go offtopic here but I have always been curious. What is the kind of support you need from a domain registrar for DOMAINS once it is registered/transfered successfully?

May be there are issues that I am not aware of or that the issue might have never appeared for me.

I dont mean to go offtopic here but I have always been curious. What is the kind of support you need from a domain registrar for DOMAINS once it is registered/transfered successfully?

May be there are issues that I am not aware of or that the issue might have never appeared for me.

If you buy a Domain for yourself and don't plan on transfering it to another
registra or selling it you don't really need support. You do need to know how
to lock it, point the NS settings to where you want them for example or
you'll need support to do.
However when you're doing it in bulk or have alot of domains that you're
transfering, selling, pushing ect **** happens and you need support to fix it.
Example right now I bought a domain and it was pushed to me and in
my Domain folder. But I can't add any of the Whois info because it
doesn't have the transfer code AUTH-XXXXX and support has to
be the one to but it in..
:D

If you buy a Domain for yourself and don't plan on transfering it to another
registra or selling it you don't really need support. You do need to know how
to lock it, point the NS settings to where you want them for example or
you'll need support to do.
However when you're doing it in bulk or have alot of domains that you're
transfering, selling, pushing ect **** happens and you need support to fix it.
Example right now I bought a domain and it was pushed to me and in
my Domain folder. But I can't add any of the Whois info because it
doesn't have the transfer code AUTH-XXXXX and support has to
be the one to but it in..
:D
Ah, thanks for the clarification. It seems if the control panel is simple and all the info is given, then its not really a need for support, its only when something out of the ordinary, like in your case the AUTH-XXXX not given, that would definitely need support.

I have transferred out and into 1and1 in bulk and numerous times and havent really had any issues since they display the auth codes in the control panel.

Its been a long time since I transfered but it seems now they have auth codes for .com and .net domains aswell, when I did a bulk transfer 3-4 years ago, I was asked to input auth code for only .org domains.

While #1 is in some cases true, it's not a must to have problems of such kind in all situations.

I think most of these points can also apply to general hosting as well

While #1 is in some cases true, it's not a must to have problems of such kind in all situations.

I think most of these points can also apply to general hosting as well

Domains and Hosting are 2 different animals, the only thing hard to figure out
in a Domain account is where they hid the Authorization Code, and the first
time ya have to change the NS1 & 2 settings.
What do ya do with the NS3 and NS4 domains that are always there?
It's hard to understand ya just delete them because ya don't need them,
the rest is self explanitory.

Hosting and not having Support means ya have to master cPanel for example..
That also is self explanatory but unless you have the knowledge of what things means ya F*Ked...

All in all the 3 best Registras out there are GoDaddy, Domainsite.com
and NetSol (Network Solutions). However unless you have Gold VIP
status with Netsol they charge ya a left nut for domains..
All in all tho for the novice ya can't beat GoDaddy...
:cool:

Sorry. I don't check back on this forum nearly enough. I think ChiTown has answered all of your questions Anantha. I'm not a big consumer of webhosting services CaroNet, but yes, these points could equally apply to webhosting as well. As I said, I think #1 is basically for insurance. I'm sure that there a many happy customers of webhosting who get the registration as well from their webhost. This is all fine until something goes wrong. Maybe it's a dispute over billing or other services. Try transferring away after you're in a dispute with your webhost. It's very hard, maybe impossible. Like ChiTown, I own many domains over many registrars. I never want anybody other than myself or my registrar having access to my domains' control panel. I don't do resellers (like most webhosting companies), because it's another level who can poke around with your domains. I make 1 exception to that rule. NameCheap are an excellent reseller for eNom who behave more like a regular registrar.

GoDaddy are a good registrar for beginners. They do have some onerous clauses in their ToS which make many a domainer shudder. Like they will suspend your domain if they get a complaint about spam or phishing coming from your domain. Even if it's not true. There are others, like charges if a third party makes a complaint to them about your domain for any reason whatever. I really like their control panel. It's easy to use. Support is good. Prices are right.

Sorry. I don't check back on this forum nearly enough. I think ChiTown has answered all of your questions Anantha. I'm not a big consumer of webhosting services CaroNet, but yes, these points could equally apply to webhosting as well. As I said, I think #1 is basically for insurance. I'm sure that there a many happy customers of webhosting who get the registration as well from their webhost. This is all fine until something goes wrong. Maybe it's a dispute over billing or other services. Try transferring away after you're in a dispute with your webhost. It's very hard, maybe impossible. Like ChiTown, I own many domains over many registrars. I never want anybody other than myself or my registrar having access to my domains' control panel. I don't do resellers (like most webhosting companies), because it's another level who can poke around with your domains. I make 1 exception to that rule. NameCheap are an excellent reseller for eNom who behave more like a regular registrar.

GoDaddy are a good registrar for beginners. They do have some onerous clauses in their ToS which make many a domainer shudder. Like they will suspend your domain if they get a complaint about spam or phishing coming from your domain. Even if it's not true. There are others, like charges if a third party makes a complaint to them about your domain for any reason whatever. I really like their control panel. It's easy to use. Support is good. Prices are right.

Good reply,
It's funny how some Registras write crap in their TOS and
novices think it's written in stone.

Like GoDaddy suspending a domain of mine over a complaint for spamming ect,
they'd never do it because they know that I know they can't legaly.
They'd email me or my Exec Account manager would call me on the phone
about the complaint.

Any complaint about spam, phishing, using unauthorized content ect has
to be filed with your HOSTING co as they're the ones who are responsible
for it being on the net.
They in turn have to notify you and give you time to git rid of unauthorized
content or explain the spam complaint, They can also check your logs..

A registra has no legal right to, nor do they monitor domains and are
not respinsible for their actions or content.
They only act as the go between the party registering the domain and
the authorized party handling that TLD.
For them to delete or suspend any domain they need an order to
do so from either ICANN or the authorized TLD controler.

But most people think a sites TOS is the ultimate law and it ends there
and unless you're in the Bizzz that depends on knowing what can
legaly be done and what can't following their TOS is a good idea..

One more quick comment, you should NEVER get a domain through your hosting co.
It's like screwing a co-worker, ya never get your bread and meat at the same market!
As long as he registers the domain it's in their name 99% of the time.
And if he ever goes out of Biz or sells out to another hosting co which happens alot
you'll wind up losing the domain as only the registered owner can renew it..
Anytime anyone buys a domain make Damn sure it's in your name and the contact
email and info is right.
People lose domains because they change email addys and can't be contacted that
a domain is expiring and just don't think about it till it's suspended..
.

:cool:







d

very interesting great read

Any complaint about spam, phishing, using unauthorized content ect has
to be filed with your HOSTING co as they're the ones who are responsible
for it being on the net.
They in turn have to notify you and give you time to git rid of unauthorized
content or explain the spam complaint, They can also check your logs..

If the complaint goes to GoDaddy. They suspend your domain and don't even notify you. They simply wait for you to notice your domain isn't resolving and for the screaming to start. I don't think they handle these situations well, AT ALL.

For some reason I had completely missed this thread. Interesting, and great initial post. That's a very handy list of insights. Thanks for sharing.

It's funny how some Registras write crap in their TOS and
novices think it's written in stone.

No TOS or contract is written in stone. There are attorneys to litigate and judges to make rulings, however most users do not want the hassle or expense in litigating a verdict. The TOS is a good benchmark of what to expect if you choose not to litigate or file suit for relief from the registrar’s actions. It is simply easer to avoided that and do business with a registrar that does not impose or execute on unreasonable measures.


Like GoDaddy suspending a domain of mine over a complaint for spamming ect,
they'd never do it because they know that I know they can't legaly.
They'd email me or my Exec Account manager would call me on the phone
about the complaint.

GoDaddy has a proven track record of suspending domains for content and spamming without notice or fact-finding.


Any complaint about spam, phishing, using unauthorized content ect has
to be filed with your HOSTING co as they're the ones who are responsible
for it being on the net.

It does not have to be, but is should be, however GoDaddy does not see it that way and there are countless complaints from domain owners of GoDaddy suspending their domains without warning or any due diligence. Additionally, not only has GoDaddy failed to warn the domain owner of a pending suspension so they could have an opportunity to correct the issue, GoDaddy never informed the domain owner even after the fact that their domain was suspended.


They in turn have to notify you and give you time to git rid of unauthorized
content or explain the spam complaint, They can also check your logs.

Responsible registers will do this, GoDaddy does not. A good example of GoDaddy’s draconian management and what you can expect as a customer of GoDaddy is the following statement from Christine Jones, GoDaddy general counsel. She is quoted as saying, “the company reserves the right to terminate your access to the services at any time, without notice, for any reason whatsoever.”

If the complaint goes to GoDaddy. They suspend your domain and don't even notify you. They simply wait for you to notice your domain isn't resolving and for the screaming to start. I don't think they handle these situations well, AT ALL.
This is absolutely true, and very unfortunate for many now ex-GoDaddy Customers.

In no particular order other than my own...

1. Never get your domain registration from your web host. Even if it's free.

If you get into a dispute with your webhost and they also administer your domain registration, the webhost will in all likelihood lock you out from your domains until the dispute is settled. If you have a separate registrar for your domain registrations and you get into a dispute with your webhost, you can simply sign up with another webhost and point your domains to their new home with little downtime. It's insurance. Well worth the couple of extra bucks a year.

2) Renew your domains before they expire.

The recommended policy is to renew your domains 1 month before they expire. Then, if there are any problems to iron out, you have the time to get them fixed without having to pressurized by looming Renewal and Redemption Dates, unresponsive registrars, etc

3) Do your research. Read the registrar's ToS before signing up.

All registrars are not made equal. Before deciding on a registrar you should do your research on each prospective registrar by reading forums like this one at WHT, google for "registrars-name complaints", by reading (and understanding) the registrars ToS. Try them out with 1 domain to get the feel of how you like the Control Panel, checkout, etc

4) Never do a chargeback with domains in your account.

All registrars consider a chargeback as fraud and will suspend your entire account until it's settled. So, in the event you desire to do a chargeback, transfer all your domains out to another registrar before initiating the chargeback.

5) Don't use emails for support. Always use the registrar's ticketing system.

Emails are an unreliable form of communication with your registrar. They are easy to ignore or to get lost. Some registrars hardly ever respond to emails. Look for the registrar's ticketing system and use that instead as a direct means of communicating with your registrar. It's usually found somewhere in their help system. Expect turnaround time to be 24-48hrs and longer over a weekend or holiday. Be polite and as clear and concise as possible.

6) Be wary of deeply discounted domain registrations. There's always a catch.

It costs registrars $6.25 for .com domain registrations. Anything under $6.75 has a high risk factor. That a whopping $0.50 for their overhead, administration and profit. Whew! no wonder they auction off our expired domains.

In the words of one wise old bard "There is no best registrar, only the best registrar for you".
All excellent advice. Good post - should be a sticky.

4) Never do a chargeback with domains in your account.

All registrars consider a chargeback as fraud and will suspend your entire account until it's settled. So, in the event you desire to do a chargeback, transfer all your domains out to another registrar before initiating the chargeback.


That's really great advice, thank you!

No TOS or contract is written in stone. There are attorneys to litigate and judges to make rulings, however most users do not want the hassle or expense in litigating a verdict. The TOS is a good benchmark of what to expect if you choose not to litigate or file suit for relief from the registrar’s actions. It is simply easer to avoided that and do business with a registrar that does not impose or execute on unreasonable measures.



GoDaddy has a proven track record of suspending domains for content and spamming without notice or fact-finding.



It does not have to be, but is should be, however GoDaddy does not see it that way and there are countless complaints from domain owners of GoDaddy suspending their domains without warning or any due diligence. Additionally, not only has GoDaddy failed to warn the domain owner of a pending suspension so they could have an opportunity to correct the issue, GoDaddy never informed the domain owner even after the fact that their domain was suspended.



Responsible registers will do this, GoDaddy does not. A good example of GoDaddy’s draconian management and what you can expect as a customer of GoDaddy is the following statement from Christine Jones, GoDaddy general counsel. She is quoted as saying, “the company reserves the right to terminate your access to the services at any time, without notice, for any reason whatsoever.”


This is absolutely true, and very unfortunate for many now ex-GoDaddy Customers.

This is silly, all these things you hear about GoDaddy and right away it's
their fault.
Any company that's as big as GD has to have some real fools for customers.
But yet you believe them and the storys they brew up..

All this hearsay picked up on the net from some unhappy camper and
like most every tale added to everytime it's passed along from 1 board to
the next is alot more harmful than helpful..
And since alot of people like to feel important they use these unhappy
comments to their own benefit..
Picking apart my post with unproven stories from the crypt doesn't make
what I posted any different, just questionable by the very people who
asked in the first place.

People lose domains everywhere and 99 percent of the time it's their
stupidity for either hiding with a phony whois and not being able to be
notified a domain is expiring or some other silly reason.

If your intent is to come off like some Hero riding out of the sunset to prove
I have no idea what I'm talking about and you're some authority on Registrars,
ICANN and who knows what else you don't impress me 1 bit.
And your knowledge of the Legalities involved leaves much to be desired.

And taking things out or context like "QOUTE"
"the company reserves the right to terminate your access to the
services at any time, without notice, for any reason hatsoever.!"

I have news for you, The Burger King you last feasted in can do the same thing!
If any Business doesn't want you for a customer they can find a reason to say << removed >>
BUT they can't take away a domain that THEY do NOT own..
They can say take your domain and hit the door but that's the extent unless
you owe them money..

Now I have better things to do than have a pissing contest with someone
<< removed >> nor do I care to..
However your outlook is that of someone who always takes the easy way
instead or the right way.
So you can believe whatever you want and whoever you want but keep
the smoke in your yard..

I feel sorry for anyone that goes through life with an outlook of Doom, why
do you think I recommend GD?? I don't have any stock there, no affil link
in my sig nor do I get a thanks from them..!
I only have a few hundred domains at GD and have 10 times more at a few
other registrars like Domainsite.com for 1.

The sad thing is newbies and others ask questions and then believe what
others post like that's the LAW of the land..

So instead of picking apart this post with Facts from Milk Cartons and
grade school Dropouts don't waste your time..
You don't have to impress me and I doubt many others will wait impatiently
for your words of wisdom..

I was making $$$ on the net more than 11 years ago. In the last 4 years
I've bought and sold over 2,400 domains and have around 4,000 right now.
I bring this up for 1 reason, I have NEVER LOST or had a domain taken away
from me!!
That might not give me a God like status but it does kind of lean to the fact
I just might know what I'm talking about once in awhile..

I put my 2 cents in to the thread and people can believe whom they wish,
from my standpoint I have nothing but wasted time in this thread from here on out so
don't expect a reply to any "I heard this or I read this somewhere" BS.

My comments are from actual use or knowledge NOT from unhappy people
who screwed up. And instead of having the knowledge to get to the people
who could help streighten things out they yell Fire and start disen the ones
who could help..

It's a shame when instead of using their brains people use their mouth..
That's great if you're working the mens room at the Bus Depot but doesn't
get many very far in todays world..
But I must admit it is easier to blame someone else than look in the mirror
most of the time, looking in the mirror scares some of them!

Ad Finem

Thanks for the suggestions you mentioned.

I guess I am getting alot from my $35.00 domain and $10.00 proxy.

Wow! At last someone's trying to restore D's rep, but I think I''ve read so many horror threads about them here, that it's gonne take long time.

Thanks for the suggestions you mentioned.

I guess I am getting alot from my $35.00 domain and $10.00 proxy.

If you trully want to reg a domain for yourself and not for resale
try Domainsite.com
They're prices are good, support is great and they're probably one of if not the
most honest reseller on the net..
Checkum out sometimes..
:cool:

If you trully want to reg a domain for yourself and not for resale
try Domainsite.com
They're prices are good, support is great and they're probably one of if not the
most honest reseller on the net..
Checkum out sometimes..
:cool:

thanks i looked at them and they compared "register.com" which I am with paying the 35.00 the only thing i see in difference is the price but i can't complain register hasnt gave me any problems so i think ill just pay the extra because i know my domain(s) will be in good hands.

I have NEVER LOST or had a domain taken away from me!!

I have about the same number of domains as you Chitown, and yes I've had a domain stolen from me. I don't feel privileged about it. But I've learn't from that experience. I still use the registrar who refused to file a transfer dispute for the recovery of my domain. Why? Well I'd use somebody else if there was a viable alternative, but there isn't.

As for the quote of GoDaddy's General Counsel. I believe that to be true. It doesn't stop me doing business with GoDaddy, but it's certainly food for thought. I think xhackr's point is basically, GoDaddy have a track record of suspending domains and asking questions later. It's well documented. Again, if there were viable alternatives, I'd select them.

The fact remains, that, afaik, there are probably only three viable alternatives for those domainers with 0000's of domains, eNom, Godaddy, Netsol. All the rest suck in terms of control panel and bulk domain management. I have issues about all three, but where do I go after them. Domainsite are ok for a few domains. I don't think there service is as good as you make out. Control panel isn't great. Moniker's control panel is for morons, even if their security is great.

thanks i looked at them and they compared "register.com" which I am with paying the 35.00 the only thing i see in difference is the price but i can't complain register hasnt gave me any problems so i think ill just pay the extra because i know my domain(s) will be in good hands.

Register.com are a joke. You'd be much better off paying your $35 to Netsol, who have REAL support.

In response to point #1, I think this is probably the most important point to be drilled home, for this reason: having your domain and hosting at the same place can mean a single point of failure that will be hard for you to fix if the hosting company goes south. Here's a lesson:

This happened to me last year when my hosting provider was DDOS'd for the better part of 2 weeks and they had to take their servers offline "indefinitely" and were eventually driven out of business. During the chaos, I had desperate hosting clients angry at me. I would have been able to quickly put up a new hosting account and upload my backup web files & databases to the new host, but the domains themselves were out of my control. Because the domains were registered through my hosting company, they weren't in my direct control, and there was no way I could easily change the DNS on them. I eventually had to communicate with the registrar and prove ownership of the domains so that I could change the DNS and eventually transfer out to my own domain management account.

Ever since then I register my domains using my own domain management account, some place far from where my servers are. This makes it much easier should I need to change hosting providers for any of my domains in the future, and it's tidier to control all my domains in one place.

Like GoDaddy suspending a domain of mine over a complaint for spamming ect,
they'd never do it because they know that I know they can't legaly.
They'd email me or my Exec Account manager would call me on the phone
about the complaint.

This is absolutely hilarious. You << removed >> believe GoDaddy is too scared of you to do what they have done to others. I can see it now in Bob Parson office... “Hey staff, even though we improperly canceled FamilyAlbum.com causing the owner to loose it, just remember, don’t mess around with ChiTown whatever you do, he knows the REAL deal.” Man, you crack me up.

And taking things out or context like "QOUTE"
"the company reserves the right to terminate your access to the
services at any time, without notice, for any reason hatsoever.!"

Out of context? That is a direct quote from Christine Jones, GoDaddy general counsel in response to the canceling of a GoDaddy customer’s domain. Again you demonstrate you simply refused to be confused with the facts as your mind is made up.

<< removed response to removed part of post >>

Now I have better things to do than have a pissing contest with someone << removed >> nor do I care to..
You are really cracking me up. You keep crying here and in other threads that you have better things to do then get into a pissing contest with me, but you keep posting your diatribe. Remember when I said, “Usually people who are unable to articulate a point resort to cursing, screaming, and personal attacks.” You continue to make it way too easy to prove my points.

If someone is foolish enough to stick their head in the sand and ignore the facts about GoDaddy, chances are one day they will be painfully educated. I have provided just a few examples that demonstrate the issues with GoDaddy, but I don’t have to post anything. Anyone reading this can search for themselves here on WHT, and elsewhere, the countless issues with GoDaddy. In contrast, the best argument that you can muster up after cursing and personal attacks is to dismiss all these people that had these well documented issues with GoDaddy as “some real fools for customers” and you are too smart and powerful for GoDaddy to mess with.

Like I have said before, after you get spanked, you can say whatever you want, but you can’t say you didn’t know. Oh wait I forgot GoDaddy knows you and knows not to mess with the big and powerful ChiTown. Whoa, now that’s funny - just like the Wizard of Oz.

ChiTown & xhackr. You are both reminded not to use my thread for personal vendettas. This is afterall the Domain Tutorials Forum. Nothing is gained by hijacking my thread except to dissipate the qualiy of the message thread. Take it to PM's. Please.

My apologies Stu for any perception that my post compromised what I have previously commented as being an excellent post. Please be aware it was ChiTowns’s improper language that was edited, not mine.

Mods. Can you please clean up this thread.

Mods. Can you please clean up this thread.

Sorry stu2, my intent wasn't to hijack your thread nor to use a nasty word.
I'm used to posting more on Adult Boards or Domain Trader boards and I
don't think I used anything that couldn't be heard on SouthPark or The Simpsons.

Nor was my intent to start a range war, I guess I just get tired of reading
threads about GoDaddy being such a bad place to reg a domain.
When you figure they have 3 times the domains that the #2 does they
have to have more complaints.
I personally know of 2 people who blasted them for dumping their hosting
and suspending their domains and it came out they had Kiddy Porn on the
sites.

I'm also a reseller but I've never promoted myself on this board, maybe I
should start threads about all the registrars who've had complaints but
that could be a six month ordeal..
Then promote myself!

Oh well, I guess I shouldn't care what other people do anyhow.
Most old timers quit giving advice as either someone has to
know more or nobody listens to them anyway..

I'm sure if you have that many domains you should know more than
the average poster about Registrars and the in an outs of the bizzz.
:cool:

Great tips on domains. Now I know I should renew my domains a month or two before. Thanks man.

i agree very wise to reg the name .. i lost a couple before i lernt not to tie in the host and the domain name

cheers

Really nice.I want to add, i had lots of problms before godaddy.Refer it!

thanks for the post

Great tip not to accept those "free for life" domains.

I registered my domain using private registration.

Is this recommended?

And, by the way, I did it at GoDaddy.

I read here, GoDaddy is problematic.

Is there any registrar you can recommend?

Thanks.

I have over 300 domains reistered with GoDaddy and the ONLY time I have ever had a problem with them is when I let a partner send an email out using one of my domains as a landing page that resulted in multiple SPAM complaints.

Gregg

GoDaddy are a good registrar provided you can accept their draconian ToS with the knowledge that they WILL implement their ToS where they receive complaints of spam, phishing, or inaccurate whois.

However. Please stay on topic. This thread is about the do's and don't of domain registration and not a thread about recommending registrars.

Maybe something people don't think about too much. But I've noticed a few issues with registrars suddenly not accepting payments from perfectly good credit cards. Especially from non-US locations. It might be advisable to have a second backup payment method for those instances.

Maybe something people don't think about too much. But I've noticed a few issues with registrars suddenly not accepting payments from perfectly good credit cards. Especially from non-US locations. It might be advisable to have a second backup payment method for those instances.

One workaround is to always attempt to renew your domain 3 months in advance. At the first sign of trouble caused by failure to accept payment, transfer it out to a registrar who is capable of accepting payment from an otherwise valid card.

If you wait until the last few days, you won't have that flexibility.

Even if the receiving registrar charges a couple of dollars more, you at least have retained the domain.

In no particular order other than my own...

1. Never get your domain registration from your web host. Even if it's free.

If you get into a dispute with your webhost and they also administer your domain registration, the webhost will in all likelihood lock you out from your domains until the dispute is settled. If you have a separate registrar for your domain registrations and you get into a dispute with your webhost, you can simply sign up with another webhost and point your domains to their new home with little downtime. It's insurance. Well worth the couple of extra bucks a year.




February 18, 2008

Wikileaks, the whistleblower site that recently leaked documents related to prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, was taken offline last week by its U.S. host after posting documents that implicate a Cayman Islands bank in money laundering and tax evasion activities.

In a pretty extraordinary ex-parte move, the Julius Baer Bank and Trust got Dynadot, the U.S. hosting company for Wikileaks, to agree not only to take down the Wikileaks site but also to "lock the wikileaks.org domain name to prevent transfer of the domain name to a different domain registrar." A judge in the U.S. District Court for Northern California signed off on the stipulation between the two parties last week without giving Wikileaks a chance to address the issue in court.

After failing to convince Wikileaks to take down the documents, the bank went after its U.S. hosting service, which responded by agreeing not only to remove the Wikileaks account from Dyndadot's server but also to help prevent Wikileaks from moving its site to a different host.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/cayman-island-b.html?cid=103041106


Domain ID: D130035267-LROR
Domain Name:WIKILEAKS.ORG
Created On:04-Oct-2006 05:54:19 UTC
Last Updated On:15-Feb-2008 19:52:40 UTC
Expiration Date:04-Oct-2008 05:54:19 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar: Dynadot, LLC (R1266-LROR)
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:INACTIVE
Registrant ID:C-13000
Registrant Name:John Shipton
Registrant Street1:c/o WLK PO Box 8098-00200
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Nairobi
Registrant State/Province:
Registrant Postal Code:none
Registrant Country:KE
Registrant Phone:+1.2026576222
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:
Admin ID:C-13000
Admin Name:John Shipton
Admin Street1:c/o WLK PO Box 8098-00200
Admin Street2:
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Nairobi
Admin State/Province:
Admin Postal Code:none
Admin Country:KE
Admin Phone:+1.2026576222
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin Email:
Tech ID:C-13000
Tech Name:John Shipton
Tech Street1:c/o WLK PO Box 8098-00200
Tech Street2:
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Nairobi
Tech State/Province:
Tech Postal Code:none
Tech Country:KE
Tech Phone:+1.2026576222
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:
Name Server:

nice tips... thanx

One workaround is to always attempt to renew your domain 3 months in advance. At the first sign of trouble caused by failure to accept payment, transfer it out to a registrar who is capable of accepting payment from an otherwise valid card.

If you wait until the last few days, you won't have that flexibility.

Even if the receiving registrar charges a couple of dollars more, you at least have retained the domain.

My point exactly. Renew your domain in plenty of time in order to iron-out any problems.

This is very helpfully to me, I was lost one domain name of mine and now I renew them on time. Thanks

Great initial post...and many interesting tidbits about Godaddy in some of the other posts.

Does anyone know...if Godaddy decides to suspend an account, for whatever reason, does this extend to all other accounts associated with that user/credit card etc?
If so, I'd seriously consider severing ties with any other account that mine might be linked to.

Why not ask them?

1. Never get your domain registration from your web host. Even if it's free.

If you get into a dispute with your webhost and they also administer your domain registration, the webhost will in all likelihood lock you out from your domains until the dispute is settled. If you have a separate registrar for your domain registrations and you get into a dispute with your webhost, you can simply sign up with another webhost and point your domains to their new home with little downtime. It's insurance. Well worth the couple of extra bucks a year.


As a systems administrator I can't agree more. I've been working on getting control of a domain name on behalf of a client because their host was bought out and shortly after just stopped providing support at all. I started the process August 12th and by September 4th they managed to transfer the old host's domain to a new account instead of my client's domain.

As of Today they just let me know that they have informed Enom of mistake and are working on getting it fixed.

The old host was a ModernDNS reseller which is a Enom reseller.

I do not recommend going through any reseller if you require a timely response.



2) Renew your domains before they expire.

The recommended policy is to renew your domains 1 month before they expire. Then, if there are any problems to iron out, you have the time to get them fixed without having to pressurized by looming Renewal and Redemption Dates, unresponsive registrars, etc


For any domains of value I recommend to my customers that they keep the domain expiry at least 1 year ahead at all times.

My rational is that if the amount of money you stand to lose from your domain not working for a month exceeds 2 years renewal you should be doing it.

Never ever use fake WHOIS info or contact info

Another problem with purchasing your domains through your host is that some hosts will register the domain with their contact information. If they do this it makes it next to impossible to recover your domain from the registrar without taking legal action.

Can we consider to put this thread as sticky. These tips are very useful.

With regards to the comments about GoDaddy, I have heard a number of negative stories on the internet about them. After reading this and many other comments, I have transferred all of my currently active domains with domains that resolve to their nameservers away from GoDaddy.

I called the company the other day, and spoke to a guy who said to me that they give 'sufficient warning', such as one notice before taking action. However, I have also heard stories of 'administration fees' when a domain is suspended and needs to get unsuspended - in other words, GoDaddy charges you for your domain supposedly breaking their conditions!

I'm definately going to keep tabs on this thread. Good work!

Useful tips especially for newbie

Thank you for the excellent tip.

I have a question regarding tip #1. If the domain registrar and webhosting are two different companies, how do you connect the content with the domain name while still keeping them separate?

My webhosting company told me to change the nameserver to point to theirs, but my domain registrar, Yahoo!, has the following to say:

"If you replace Yahoo!'s default name servers, Yahoo! will no longer be able to provide any services associated with your domain."

Does it mean that if I change the nameservers, I am changing the domain registrar to be the webhosting company?

As far as cheap registrars are concerned, STAY AWAY from them.

As far as cheap registrars are concerned, STAY AWAY from them.

Amen to that!

There ia always something wrong or a catch to the cheap ones!

Nice tut!

good suggestion about seperate domain names and hosting solutions

I almost forgot. I'm now stub formerly stu2.

Well. It's a new year (2010). I'm kinda surprised this thread has made it for two years now. All my original comments remain as true today as when they were written.

GoDaddy is still (by far) my favorite registrar (by far). 2nd is Name.com and lastly eNom.com. I've tried more than 75 Registrars/Resellers. These are definitely the best 3, imho. That's not to say some of the other Registrars are not good, or don't have a nice feature or two. But I'm slowly transferring all my remaining domains to GoDaddy. Should be (almost) complete within this year.

GoDaddy has far and away the best control panel. You can search for your domains in ways that are not possible with most other Registrars. Pricing is good. Especially if you belong to their Domain Discount Club. Which I highly recommend if you have a lot of domains there. Checking out has always been a pain at GoDaddy, but you do learn to checkout easily after a while.

GoDaddy's Preset-Profiles, a version of eNom's (formerly Bulk Register's) Magic Folders is great for synchronizing domain whois records and nameservers. Not as great as eNom's, but a must have if you have loads of domains.

I'd also hate to go back to using GoDaddy without an Account Manager. Help is only an email away. Because of my time differences, I get my replies the next morning. Which is quite ok with me.

Name.com has a streamlined control panel and superfast checkout. Help, when i've needed it has usually come from within a few minutes to 48hrs. My problems were resolved fast. I highly praise Name.com. I think they are great if you have 100 or so domains. Look for coupons or negotiate a better deal directly for better pricing. Free Private Whois is great if you want it. Free Google Apps, like GMail are also great if you use them. Personally, I don't use either.

As for eNom. I think they are still a great Registrar with a good control panel. Their Magic Folders are their best feature, imho. But I just feel their support has gone downhill and they always look after eNom's interest first over the domainers. I'd say they have become a bit "stale". They used to be my preferred Registrar, but not any longer.

Well I know this thread is about the Do's and Don'ts but there was some discussion about registrars. So I thought I'd add my opinions.

Happy New Year

Too late to edit my post. Name.com Free Privacy works. Unlike many paid Privacy offering by Registrars. When you send an email to the privacy email address you get the email. GoDaddy's Privacy sucks, is very expensive, and doesn't work.

double post

Oh no, my domain is registered with my web host. And that was the number 1 don't on this list! Haha!

Thanks for the tips, when I first started out I thought 3 word domain names were unique, but now I realize they are so easy to get they may not be an amazing choice.

if you are registering a domain name for a company make sure that the company is the owner of the domain, and the contact email in the WHOIS is the one of the company as well which will ALWAYS work(e.g. domains@mycompany.com). Too many examples of domains registered in the name of an ex-employee or the webdesigner

Thanx it's brought to light solutions to a few problems I've been having.

thanks for sharing...nice write up too....very informative as a newbie like me

I haven't been here in a while, so i'd just like to say, I'm still here and ready for any questions. As an aside, i've added Dynadot.com to my list of favorite registrars.

All very good points, though I have not seen any providers that offer email support on domains.

Name.com do. In fact most providers offer email support. eNom and Moniker not among them.

Nice tips! Never know charge back will be considered as scam before.

VERY good read. Thanks for the pointers.

You are all welcome. :)

oh my god! these points are so true! great that you have written and advised these! users will be very cautious after reading this i am sure!

1. Never get your domain registration from your web host. Even if it's free.

What if u buy a domain and they offer u free hosting with it?

Don't take them up on their offer. Get your hosting elsewhere. Ask yourself.. Why would anybody offer you free hosting for an $8/yr domain registration?

I have a new preferred Registrar. Dynadot.com. They have the equivalent of eNom's Magic Folders or GoDaddy's Preset Profiles. Actually better than both of them.

Their Privacy is only $2 (or free for a Super Bulk Customer, like me). But the best thing about their privacy, is you retain your name in the whois and the rest of the contact info is private. This can then be manipulated to show your sales website, see whois for stuws.com for an example of what I'm talking about. Also privacy is added at Registration. The domain isn't first registered in your name and Privacy added later.

Their checkout can still be a tad lengthy for some things, unlike Name.com for example, but not as difficult to handle as GoDaddy's. For other things it's a 2-click operation. I'm about 2/3rds complete in transferring my domain portfolio. It will never be 100% complete. But I'm only about 6-12 months away from it being as complete as it will ever be.

You should look into whether you qualify for Bulk Pricing (spend $500/yr) or Super Bulk Pricing (spend $5000/yr). If you are spending at those levels, you get discounts on registrations/transfers/renewals, and it's a good idea to transfer the funds up front so that you are already recognized as a (Super) Bulk Customer from the beginning.

So currently my preferred Registrars are 1) Dynadot, 2) GoDaddy. That doesn't mean I don't like any of the others. You should checkout my thread here http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1034914 for my other Registrar reviews.

I forgot to mention the prices. $9.75 for a .com plus $2 privacy is pretty cheap (not the cheapest around) you will pay for just 1 domain. Cheaper if you are a Bulk or Super Bulk Customer. Prices go up in January because of increases from the Registry.