Registrars!

[alessandro]

Post your pro & versus opinions on the registrars you use to register your domains or the registrars you have used during years.

Honestly, I have registered domains at godaddy.com until now ( not so many ), but I'm seriously thinking to "move" them somewhere else.

I got some good feedback about www.directnic.com and www.namecheap.com, but it would be cool to hear more about other registrars.

[Greenguy]

Directnic is fantastic.

[Cleo]

I use DirectNic myself.

Seems about the safest and has a very nice admin.

[alessandro]

It looks exactly the same to me too

[ClubPussy.com]

DirectNic is a good choice

[Useless]

I use http://www.100megsdomains.com/
I transferred my domains there about 3 years ago and couldn't be happier. They're an Enom reseller, so the have an excellent cp.

[alessandro]

Thank you Useless Warrior for your post.

It's good for me to have as many options as possible to have where from to make a wise decision. So far, all mentioned registrars seem to be quite reliable.

[Porn Princess]

We've been using GKG.net with no problems, and they have the domain locking option so you can prevent hijacking as an on screen option which they automatically turn on unless specified.

C/S has been great in the past too.

[Ann Omness]

I've been using spacereg.com for a couple of years. The navigation is easy when you want to manage your domains and they only charge $11/year. When I've emailed them questions about something, they've responded almost immediately. Simple, cheap, and responsive. That's all I ever wanted.

[cockNballs]

Originally posted by Greenguy
Directnic is fantastic.

[Frank]

DirectNIC here also.
I have never had any problems.

It may cost a few bucks more than others.
Yet, (you get what you pay for). So to speak.

[Mishi]

I've heard a lot of "horror stories" about GoDaddy, but I've been using them myself for several years now with absolutely no problems. I don't necessarily recommend them, but I'd rather speak up for them than condemn them through silence.

(Yeah, I'm still bitter about the election. So?)

[eargasmic]

Hey there all. I've been using domainnamesystems.com for almost 4 years and I haven't had a single problem. Yay.

[BigJohn]

I've got domains at godaddy and a couple still at register.com

When the Icann announcment came out about transferring domains, I went to godaddy and clicked one or two buttons and poof, all of my domains were locked.

When I went to register.com... where I pay 35 dollars a year to keep a domain there... There wasn't anything on their site explaining how to do this. I finally found something in their FAQ area that said to fill out a request form.

I filled out their form and got a response back stating that they could not lock domains. WTF? Their own instructions told me to send the first request! So I responded and asked them why they gave instructions to lock domains, yet responded by telling me they cannot. The next day, I got another response telling me that they can now lock domains and that if I wanted to have my domain locked to fill out their form... You can see where this is going...

Well, after 4 days, I finally got my domain locked. What a clusterfuck! If I wasn't so concerned about the domains getting screwed up I'd transfer them away from register.com in a second!

Bottom line...
godaddy: A+
register: C-

[ramtar]

I can't stop buying domains from godaddy, it has worked perfectly for me

[Opti]

Oh boy... have I got a scarey story to share with this thread The new transfer system is NOT as straightforward as it sounds.

Middle of fixing the issue right now and wasted all day on it so far... I'll explain what happened when its over.

BTW.. the scammers are already at work, if you un-lock a domain to move it, ensure you are ready to initiate the transfer the MOMENT after you unlock it.


And I also suggest people don't post on boards about domains they plan to transfer before the transfer is safely complete for now. ;- )

[Opti]

Originally posted by ramtar
I can't stop buying domains from godaddy, it has worked perfectly for me

hehehe... GoDaddy worked perfectly for me for ages too! But I now know what everyone seems to find out the hard way the moment something weird happens, GoDaddy is never able to deal with it, even when they really do TRY HARD to help you!

They just don't seem to have ANYONE there that knows what to do if it doesn't fit a call centre script.... I felt sorry for the poor bugger they called the "transfer concierge".. The specialist they escalated my problem to... he had no idea what to do and didnt even really understand what was going on with the scammer I stumbled across... imho half the issue is that GoDaddy staff honestly think that every registry has the same amount of domain theft problems as they do! (and my experiene with their new transfer system, is that it actually invites people to try their luck!!)

Paying GoDaddy for registry services is like paying a carpenter that doesnt own any woodworking tools I've decided!

I think I might post a nice easy step by step guide on how to steal domains from GoDaddy customers once I've got my ass out of this sling for certain |skull|

I thought I was unlucky, and had wasted a lot of time today... but as it turns out, I've learned so much important info on how to protect myself.. and saw exactly how well 3 different registries handled an attempted theft, and this new transfer system! I have ended up feeling almost happy someone tried to steal **************.com and a couple of other domains today )

The main thing I have learned today is that it is now VERY dangerous to assume we are safe just becasue we have never had a problem with a registrar in the past. at 90% of registries I've looked at there is obvious opportunities for scammers to target less than careful domain owners.

I've collected a shitload of information but will need to find time to sit down and do some more research then try and arrnge it into something intelligible to illustrate where the problems lie..... And explain what this scammer was trying to do to me and probably is trying on hundreds of others right now too.

[Ann Omness]

Opti: "BTW.. the scammers are already at work, if you un-lock a domain to move it, ensure you are ready to initiate the transfer the MOMENT after you unlock it."

That would be ideal, but the problem I ran into is that it took 48 hours for my unlock to propagate far enough for me to initiate the transfer at the other registrar. During the propagation process, the domain is vulnerable to other locations where it propagated quicker.

[Opti]

Originally posted by Ann Omness
Opti: "BTW.. the scammers are already at work, if you un-lock a domain to move it, ensure you are ready to initiate the transfer the MOMENT after you unlock it."

That would be ideal, but the problem I ran into is that it took 48 hours for my unlock to propagate far enough for me to initiate the transfer at the other registrar. During the propagation process, the domain is vulnerable to other locations where it propagated quicker.

You have hit the nail on the head Ann... and you dont have to take 4 days... you can be got in 4 mins.. and btw, .com/.net registry changes propogate within minutes now for everyone... you dont have to wait days, if you have had that experience or been told by a registry that it takes days recently, I'd be surprised.


All the click to confirm and email advice rules sound like some protection... But reality has proven that all it takes is someone with an approved registrar setup willing to facilitate a scammer... and if the thief beats you to the punch with that transfer request.. chances are you wont know until its way too late to push any cancel buttons or call for help.

*edit: Also, your domain is sitting their in whois marked as unlocked for days whilst the transfer proceeds through the process... Like an open invitation for anyone who wants to go fishing to "try their luck"

Here is a bit of info about differences in some registry systems... When you start digging there is some scarey sounding setups!!!

(I havent included GoDaddy as it's not posible to explain how amazingly, stunningly, increbibly badly it is thought out in just a sentence..)

Network Solutions (888) 642-9675
Auth Code: Telephone and request Auth Code and they will send to ‘Admin’ contact on domain.
Transfer Out Security: A confirmation Email is sent to the primary contact on record.


Register.com (800) 899-0724
Auth Code: Within Account Management click on a Domain Name to view its details and your Auth Code is listed on the right.
Transfer Out Security: Required to click a link in a confirmation e-mail to ‘Admin’ to approve the transfer.


Tucows (800) 371-6992
Auth Code: Auth Code located in account within the Domain Details at manage.opensrs.net.
Transfer Out Security: An email confirmation is required from ‘Admin’ to Transfers@opensrs.org to approve transfer.


Verio (800) 438-8374
Auth Code: Send an email to domreg@verio-hosting.com from the ‘Admin’ contact email of your domain and they will reply with your Auth Code.
Transfer Out Security: Email notification sent to ‘Admin’ contact.


Stargate No Phone Support
Auth Code: Email online support from ‘Admin’ email provided in Contact Info heading.
Transfer Out Security: Auto-approval of transfer after approximately 5 days.


Names4Ever (877) 275-8763
Auth Code: Auth Code for transfer is your account password.
Transfer Out Security: Auto-approval of transfer after approximately 3 days.


AIT Domains (877) 549-2881
Auth Code: Send a transfer request to them via an online support ticket, and they reply with the Auth Code.
Transfer Out Security: 5 day waiting period, no approval, no email.

MelbourneIT +61 38624-2300
Auth Code: Email das@melbourneit.com.au with Domain Name, Registry Key, and request an Auth code. It will be sent to your ‘Admin’ contact.
Transfer Out Security: Email sent to ‘Admin’ to "approve" transfer. (unsure if approval required)

[ramtar]

very interesting what you comment about godaddy, didn't know that kind of things happend there

[Opti]

Originally posted by ramtar
very interesting what you comment about godaddy, didn't know that kind of things happend there

A Little more about GoDaddy for you Ramtar ;- )





GoDaddy (480) 505-8899
Auth Code: Your GoDaddy account password.

(Is it just me that thinks this is a gaping security hole? Asking me to give my GoDaddy password to another registry?)

Transfer Out Security: No e-mail alert when unlocking domains. No email alert a transfer has been requested... No alert that a domain has proceeded through the transfer process to the last point where you can decline it from the losing registry side...

What the scammer does appear to need to get you to do to beat GoDaddy "security" is 1) Get you to click the approve transfer button in godaddy admin for their transfer request without realising it's theirs OR 2) trick you into clicking a link they send you in an email (which might even be a link that says Decline) OR 3) simply wait, and if they are willing to blatently break the ICANN rules and take the domain without the "proof" of your approval... a senior support guy said that the rouge registry can simply go ahead and do it... and GoDaddy will "probably" let them take the domains after either 3 days or 5 days, (depending on who you ask there).

Of course none of this can happen if the domain is on registry-lock.. your personal password and identity security is good... AND if no rouge registries exist to support the practice..

But... try transferring a domain without un-locking it and see how far you get

[N J]

Domainnamesystems.com - works fine for me.