D&C GLug - Home Page

[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: [LUG] Hosting Accounts

 

Brown Richard wrote:
> 
> I currently manage my domains through Fasthosts but they have proved  
> to be cheating and stealing. Could anyone recommend a suitable domain  
> name manager please?

In $DAYJOB we are a TUCOWS (now rebranding back to OpenSRS) reseller,
and I think most TUCOWS resellers provide a similar levels of service,
and TUCOWS will prod resellers if the resellers are unresponsive (I know
we had a customer who refused to go through the appropriate prove you
are the domain owner procedure and whined at TUCOWS repeatedly.......).

FASTHOSTS use TUCOWS as a registrar I believe, but not in the usual
reseller business.

But I think it boils down to if people are doing domains as a business,
and competing on domain names, then there is virtually no money in it
because it is so competitive, and the level of service you can offer
beyond the automated tools is basically nothing.

You see the model repeated ad-infinitum, automated sign-up, and charges
for anything out of the ordinary, and anything that people don't look-up
the price of before they signed up. Premium telephone numbers for
support if they even have a telephone.

If the people looking after your domains are paid to do your email, or
your website, or both, then you will get better support. Indeed for our
standard web hosting we don't even bother pricing it differently if
people want a domain with it.

If you have to stick with folks doing domains for money, then probably
the best you can do is go with the biggest (GoDaddy), on the grounds
their automation is probably more comprehensive. Although I worry about
how many people are in "London Zimbabwe" at GoDaddy.

(Google "London Zimbabwe whois" is case you are wondering).

I'd say avoid Joker, Melbourne IT, and 123reg, or anyone reselling these
services. And definitely avoid anyone who emails you via your whois
credentials offering a renewal.

Most people I know with FASTHOSTS haven't had issues, so if you want to
discuss it further feel free to email me.

-- 
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list
FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html