Please recommend a domain registrar and advice

[Lensgirl]

My website expired and the reseller I used is asking quite a lot to get it for me again. They tell me because I let it expire last month that it is "now in redemption" and a big fee is needed to get get it from the registrar.

I am thinking of getting a new domain - same name but .net rather than the .com I had before, and would love some recommendations for where I should go to register, and for hosting too.

But, I would still like to have the .com name back, as lots of my photos are tagged with that address. They are asking $340 to try and retrieve it for me - is that unreasonable, should I just cough up the cash for my original domain?

Please chip in with thoughts, I am really inexperienced so I don't know if I am being scammed or if this is normal and usual.

[Dchemist]

Try www.godaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com). They will help you with everything for a modest fee - at least they did for me.

[Aaagogo]

how important is your domain name to you.

you can wait for the redemption period to be over and hope that no one buys it and then buy it again for cheap when it opens up.

the only thing is that someone else might buy it and park it. people do that and ask for money if you want it back.

other option would be to get the same domain name with a "-" somewhere in there.

[Lensgirl]

Do you know how long a redemption period lasts?

[ZGMF-X20A]

What registrar do you use?

[ZGMF-X20A]

Try reading this: http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2005/03/how-to-snatch-an-expiring-domain
Quote: The entire process ends exactly 75 days after the listed expiration date.

[Lensgirl]

That's a great site - very interesting read. The original registrar seems to be enom.com, although I used a reseller.

Is it a good idea to go through something like enom directly, or would the other recommendation of godaddy be better? Their website is giving me a headache, although it has lots of information (I like that.) I am looking to register myname.net while working out if I can get .com back.

Thanks for all the replies - this is useful.

[ZGMF-X20A]

If you your name is not that common, you can just let it expire longer and snatch it back...

[fanorama]

I like namecheap. I don't have problems so far. http://www.cookiewriter.com/trafficreport/img/3721/j09s0423emrh/a.gif

[Lensgirl]

If you your name is not that common, you can just let it expire longer and snatch it back...


I am leaning towards that option, although I've just shot off an email to the reseller to see if they'll negotiate.

[Lensgirl]

Any further suggestions on a good/best place for registering and hosting?

[ZGMF-X20A]

It really depends what you do value for hosting. You can't go wrong with Godaddy for registrar. They have all my domains and I do have a lot of domains.

How often do you receive traffic on your site?
Do you value price or performance more?

I personally have 1&1 for my hosting. If you're going with 1and1, do use my referral link: http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=6423749

There's another webhost I used before (http://webhost4life.com). They used to have better performance than 1&1, but I like 1&1 because I can host much more domain in 1 account.

I'm paying about $7.99/month for my hosting, but I'm hosting for a lot of people. I have 8-10 different sites running off my account.

EDIT: If you can, don't use 1&1 for domain except for the freebie domain.

[Familiaphoto]

Got mine through Blue Host. Very happy so far.

http://www.bluehost.com/

[Picture North Carolina]

Try reading this: http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2005/03/how-to-snatch-an-expiring-domain
Quote: The entire process ends exactly 75 days after the listed expiration date.

Thanks for the link. Very useful.

Lensgirl,

The answer may not be in who your registrar is. In 12+ years of registering domains for businesses, my experience is that the majority of registrars do the "expired domain grab" trick. It is a high profit center for them because they know they have you cornered. The solution is to not get cornered. If it's in your budget, pay the 80 bucks at a place like godaddy and register it for 10 years.

[Ralph Merlino]

I use godaddy and have had no problem. Most of the
people that I know use godaddy.

[Lensgirl]

Thanks for the link. Very useful.

Lensgirl,

The answer may not be in who your registrar is. In 12+ years of registering domains for businesses, my experience is that the majority of registrars do the "expired domain grab" trick. It is a high profit center for them because they know they have you cornered. The solution is to not get cornered. If it's in your budget, pay the 80 bucks at a place like godaddy and register it for 10 years.


Do you think it is worth doing Godaddy's "backorder" service, rather than pay my reseller the big fee they are asking? Or is there a possibility that the domain will start to look "popular" if there is all this interest and will end up even more expensive to get?

[Picture North Carolina]

Do you think it is worth doing Godaddy's "backorder" service, rather than pay my reseller the big fee they are asking? Or is there a possibility that the domain will start to look "popular" if there is all this interest and will end up even more expensive to get?

I am not familiar with godaddy's backorder and how it works. It's your decision. It depends upon how valuable the domain is to you and potentially valuable to another. Don't name it here, but is it generic enough to be used by others? How much would it harm if you lost it?

Depending upon importance, I would probably do the following: bite the bullet pay the late registration fee just to ensure you do not lose the domain. Renew for only one year. Transfer registrars to godaddy then either register it for an additional 1-10 years, or renew annually. The good thing about godaddy is they have an automated system that begins to send out renewal reminder notices long before expiration date. In fact, they send out so many they bug you to death which, in the case of domains, is a good thing.

[hypertech]

godaddy likes to stick it to you with fees particularly after the first year.

I use 1and1 for domains and they include anonymous registration for no extra fee. I use hostgator for hosting.

[Picture North Carolina]

godaddy likes to stick it to you with fees particularly after the first year.



I have never had godaddy "stick it to you with fees" working with what is probably over a hundred domains for myself and others.

Yes, when registering with godaddy, there are a few value-added services and options offered. However, when offered they all default to "no thanks" and you specifically have to click an option to purchase it. In addition, at the bottom of the page there is a clearly-labeled "No Thanks" button that takes you past the options.

The OP was talking about registration services. Perhaps you are confusing this with godaddy hosting services? If so, I wouldn't know because I've never hosted with godaddy and never would, even with a gun to my head.

[hypertech]

Nope, I'm talking about registration. I used them for a while. They are cheap the first year, but the renewal got to be pretty expensive by the time you add the "value added services" like anonymous registration.

1and1 is 6.99 the first year, 8.99 after that including anonymous registration.

[Picture North Carolina]

Nope, I'm talking about registration. I used them for a while. They are cheap the first year, but the renewal got to be pretty expensive by the time you add the "value added services" like anonymous registration.

1and1 is 6.99 the first year, 8.99 after that including anonymous registration.

I don't do anon reg, perhaps I should. But godaddy's reg I believe is still 8.95. Two buck a year to ensure the absolute best customer service and support in the business is a worthwhile bargain to me. Customer service is why godaddy is #1. And you know what? I'm gonna' stop this because I"m beginning to sound like a commercial for them. ;)