Qufoto Question, how can I leave and keep my domain?

[SquareOne]

I have been happily using Qufoto for a couple of years now for a portfolio site. This was before I knew about LiveBooks and that I would get a student discount making it the same, if not cheaper than Qufoto. I recently had someone steal my credit card number and had to cancel the card. Qufoto is paid thru my paypal on the cancelled card. So they closed my site and I have a month to update the billing to get it live again.
Here's my dilema. I can easily update it and keep the Qufoto, but I've been looking at Live books and it has a few more features that I can use.

The problem is that Qufoto holds my domain name "shootmerob.com". If it wasn't something that I'd branded on business cards, facebook, ect, and if all of my clients didn't know the name already I'd just walk away.

Is there any way to purchase the Domain from Qufoto? Will they keep it if I let the site close after a month?

What can I do to resolve this situation?

Thanks!

Rob

[ChrisMc73]

I'm not 100% sure on this, but when you buy a domain, its yours, so if you request the name to be moved to another server, it goes, like a change of address for your mail. So if I bought my name from GoDaddy but then got a different host for my web site, the domain name can be registered with that hosting companies DNS system, which then gets populated and tells the world that www.shootmerob.com is now over here on LiveBooks etc...its like doing a change of address for your name Rob Schmob from one house to another house.

I'm not sure if Qufoto and their registar hold you hostage or not, I guess some can, in which case I don't know what to do, but maybe they dont?

I think when you move to the new host, they will ask you if you have a domain name already or want a new one. You say have one, and they should be able to move the name to point to your site on their servers.

[tracknut]

I'm not 100% sure on this, but when you buy a domain, its yours...

unfortunately, and I think Rob knows this, *he* didn't buy the domain. He had Qufoto buy it, and now someone named Craig Hammell owns it - I presume he's connected with Qufoto.

Is there any way to purchase the Domain from Qufoto? Will they keep it if I let the site close after a month?

What can I do to resolve this situation?
Certainly you can purchase it from them, but be aware they might want some decent money for it. If you don't buy it from them (and no one else does either) they will keep it at least until Jan 2011, since it's already been registered until then.

Sorry to hear this, but this is the #1 key learning with domains "you must own it yourself, don't pay someone else to own *your* domain".

Dave

[ChrisMc73]

Ahhh thats a key detail there. You have to buy your domain dude, but yeah maybe he'll sell it and not gouge you for it?

[SquareOne]

unfortunately, and I think Rob knows this, *he* didn't buy the domain. He had Qufoto buy it, and now someone named Craig Hammell owns it - I presume he's connected with Qufoto.


Certainly you can purchase it from them, but be aware they might want some decent money for it. If you don't buy it from them (and no one else does either) they will keep it at least until Jan 2011, since it's already been registered until then.

Sorry to hear this, but this is the #1 key learning with domains "you must own it yourself, don't pay someone else to own *your* domain".

Dave

I figured that my presumptions were correct. I've never gone this route in the past, but it was definitely a good affordable option at the time.

Well now. Time to re-brand or just give in and keep it for a while longer.

Thanks guys!
Rob

[ChrisMc73]

What is wrong with Qufoto? Just curious, I'm shopping and they seem to have some good designs.

[photoguy6405]

The package deals... hosting AND domain name registration... are good deals, but too (potentially) restrictive, IMO. Probably 98% of the time people will never have a problem, but it's that 2% potential that made me keep them separate. Plus, domain names are so cheap on their own, for me it wasn't that big a difference.

I've yet to need to do it, but the peace of mind in knowing that I own my name and can pick up and move it anywhere I want at any time for any reason is worth the extra few dollars a year.

[SquareOne]

What is wrong with Qufoto? Just curious, I'm shopping and they seem to have some good designs.
There is nothing wrong with Qufoto. But let's say 5 years down the road I actually get really big!

Every household knows "shootmerob.com" (doubtful, but hear me out).

Now the Qufoto site doesn't meet my needs, I want to have a completely custom site made with a store, a blog, videos and other options! Well, now I talk to the people at Qufoto about buying my URL from them. Now they know the name is BIG and they own it. So they have the ability to hold my URL hostage for as much money as it's worth to me at that time.

Do I know that they exercise this practice? No.
Is it my fault that I wanted to save some coin and let them take care of the URL? Yes.

So my decision is tricky. Ride it out with Qufoto and hope that I never want to leave. Or cut my losses early and get a new URL and move elsewhere with no "handcuffs". (the third option that I haven't looked into yet is seeing if they are willing to sell the URL and for how much).

The moral of the story? Buy your own URL kids. You can still use a great site like Qufoto, but with your own URL you can leave any time you want.

Rob

[ChrisMc73]

There is nothing wrong with Qufoto. But let's say 5 years down the road I actually get really big!

Every household knows "shootmerob.com" (doubtful, but hear me out).

Now the Qufoto site doesn't meet my needs, I want to have a completely custom site made with a store, a blog, videos and other options! Well, now I talk to the people at Qufoto about buying my URL from them. Now they know the name is BIG and they own it. So they have the ability to hold my URL hostage for as much money as it's worth to me at that time.

Do I know that they exercise this practice? No.
Is it my fault that I wanted to save some coin and let them take care of the URL? Yes.

So my decision is tricky. Ride it out with Qufoto and hope that I never want to leave. Or cut my losses early and get a new URL and move elsewhere with no "handcuffs". (the third option that I haven't looked into yet is seeing if they are willing to sell the URL and for how much).

The moral of the story? Buy your own URL kids. You can still use a great site like Qufoto, but with your own URL you can leave any time you want.

Rob

Good story. Thanks for sharing your pains. I recently jumped the gun on JustHost.com, and while I'm not unhappy with their service, I have found that Bludomain.com has some awesome templates for my needs, they have some great photographer templates at $50 and $100, but want to charge double if you don't host with them. So I'm considering leaving JustHost.com, so I don't have to pay double the cost of the template I pick, the downside is I have to pay $20 to take my domain from JustHost.com and move over to Bludomain's hosting service. $20 vs. $100? Seems like a no brainer, glad its not held hostage.

[SquareOne]

Just as a follow up... the day of Decision was almost here. Tomorrow my monthly subscription from Qufoto ends. I had debated all weekend... should I renew for a few months? Should I start over now and make a new name?

Then I realized that I should to the obvious thing and ASK QUFOTO!

I sent them an email and as usual they got right back to me... expecting the worst I opened the email and was EXTREMELY happy to see that they had NO PROBLEM AT ALL with allowing me to transfer the domian to whoever I wanted to, FREE OF CHARGE! I was really kicking myself for being over-cautious and I really want to make it clear that there was never any discussion on the subject before my post or until this point. This thread was simply to see if anyone had dealt with them in this situation and for some open discussion on the subject of domain registry.

I have been a customer of Qufoto for a number of years now and I was always satisfied with the quality of the site and ease of use, now I'm just as pleased with their customer service. It's unfortunate that I have to part ways due to some new needs that are not offered in their services. I would recommend them to anyone, with or without their own domain hosting!

Thanks again for the consideration and the great service Qufoto.

Sincerely,
Robert Abitia
...still of ShootMeRob.com

[ChrisMc73]

So where is ShootMeRob.com moving to? Have you picked a new host and or service?
I'm struggling with Bludomain.com and their amazing number of awesome web templates, and IntoTheDarkRoom.com and some of their simple ones.

My problem is Bludomain has some great flash stuff, with the shopping carts and calendars and private client areas, and ITDR has some awesome minimalistic templates which would work great if I don't need/want the features Bludomain has. Wondering what you are looking at?