We all have our preferred domain registrars and sometimes we even change our preference, depending on customer experience.
GoDaddy is the registrar that I used in 2000, once the dreaded Network Solutions monopoly was broken by a handful of registrars. Back then, they were lightweight and offered less clutter along with the domain registrations.
They had some issues that I helped them with, which shows I was very satisfied at the time.
There’s nothing wrong with GoDaddy in its entirety as far as I’m concerned. In other words, overall it’s a healthy company – the biggest domain registrar in the world with almost 40 million domains. They also seem to possess a good sense of humor.
I just prefer not to use GoDaddy, simple as that.
As a domainer, I prefer convenience, competitive pricing and ease of managing my domains; for that matter I use Fabulous.com
However, when it comes down to GoDaddy, there is a single function that I really like, and that is the process of transferring a domain away.
While GoDaddy still enforces the annoying 60 day lockdown period every time a domain’s contact information is changed, GoDaddy is refreshingly understanding when it comes down to transferring domains away once that lockdown is not in place.
Once you initiate and accept a transfer out to your registrar of choice, GoDaddy will email the domain holder that a pending transfer exists; they can then log into their GoDaddy domain panel and accept or decline the transfer on the spot.
The process takes a few hours to complete, depending on the gaining registrar but it surely beats the practice of most other registrars that wait a full 7 days until a domain leaves their grubby paws.
Hello,
A newbie with a question:
“While GoDaddy still enforces the annoying 60 day lockdown period every time a domain’s contact information is changed”
How does that affect you as a domain buyer or as a seller?
Poor Uncle – When consolidating your domains under the same registrar, GoDaddy’s practice is an obstacle e.g. when receiving a domain you bought from someone. Once you accept that push, the domain is locked down for 60 days; you can’t transfer it out to your registrar of choice.
But you can push and every man, woman, and child has a godaddy account.
Shane – Not every man, woman and child has thousands of domains or is willing to keep them at different registrars, depending on where they were upon acquisition. When I am offered a domain at GoDaddy, my first inquiry is whether that domain can be transferred out instead of pushed, only because GoDaddy’s own practice of locking down a pushed domain for 60 days makes that necessary. A domain might be very close to expiration during that 60 day window, another inconvenience due to the increased prices at GoDaddy. Overall, I am satisfied with the fact that when not locked down, a domain at GoDaddy can leave this fine registrar in mere hours.
Yeah, I got that part but I am still saying that selling a domain 30 seconds after you buy it is very easy at Godaddy. You push it. Then they have the domain. If they want to sell it, then the push it. It’s not like it’s at some obscure registrar. Godaddy is a strong enough registrar that it really never has to leave. Although I do not agree with the stranglehold they put on the domain, in no way does it make it more difficult to sell the domain
Shane – You’d be surprised how many people don’t want to buy a domain unless it can be transferred to their own domain registrar, even to Netsol of all places 😀
Adam Dicker mentioned the only way to skip the 60 day lockdown is to have an account manager at GoDaddy who’d personally unlock it. I keep less than 20 domains at GoDaddy nowadays.
Godaddy i have used for years and there is no any problem for me, the price is cheap and they always reply my inquires within one-two hours, the custom service is not bad as i know.
As Mr Acro said, I had few domains with godaddy. In 2009, i chose godaddy, just to register .info domain (Still). But one thing I don’t like is their automatic renewal. It was something like tricky. Around $500 was just lost from my paypal account. They also do not have a live support.. mailing will take huge time for reply.
Now I personally enjoy, bbchost.com Their domain price is amazing. And it is also low price, especially for .in domains.
Thank you
Wallace – If you’re a satisfied GoDaddy customer, this post is not for you; it’s about those that use a different domain registrar and are inconvenienced every time GoDaddy locks down a domain for 60 days. The positive element, once again, is that when a transfer away order is initiated, it can be completed within a few hours instead of days. In that sense, GoDaddy gets my vote as a “losing registrar” 😀
@Acro, not sure whether you hear NoDaddy.com, an unofficial site for unsatisfied Godaddy customers. 😉
Wallace – that’s news from the last decade 😀
The best thing about Godaddy is Bob Parsons. His “16 Rules for Success” has been framed on my wall at home for many years! Like him or not, he is a true entrepreneur and puts his $$$ where his mouth is.
I think most registrars have come around in terms of at least having the transfer away function more visible in the control panel. For a time I remember at most registrars I would have to email support to ask, “where is your transfer out button”? it was like they were trying to hide it or make it very hard to find so it would deter you from leaving with your domain. That always pissed me off. Now the transfer out process seem to be more easily accessible at all the registrars I use.
I would have to agree that the epik sites are nothing more then “cookie” cutter sites.. Epik is charging $250 for these and pitching the “hard costs” associated with it.. These sites take at most 12 minutes to construct. The only thing unique about the sites is the different graphics. Google will soon remove these sites as they did with Whypark and all of the others… On top of that 50% of your earnings goes to Epik! I agree Acro, nothing unique here at all. Look at Harddrives.com/stats – The only claim to fame is the icecreammaker.com site..
I don’t know what you consider competitive pricing, but I have not found a single registrar out there willing to give me prices any where even CLOSE to Godaddy.
GODADDY HAS THE MOST COMPETITIVE PRICING IN THE INDUSTRY (For .COM). HANDS DOWN!
Show me where you can get better than $7.47 renewal / registration for a .COM domain?
Also, transfers (including 1 year renewal) is only $7.17.
Of course you need several thousand domains to get this pricing, but that is what we are talking about anyhow.
For me is promo codes , so i can save , http://www.domainpromocodes.com/promo-codes/godaddy is a good source for godaddy promo codes.
I have 100 names on Godaddy now and I’m satisfied, overall. I looked at Fabulous briefly last night and I’m confused. You need to transfer 750+ domains or generate $750/mo in parking to get an account there?
Hey Simon – I never said I don’t like GoDaddy or Bob Parsons. In fact, I fully agree with you on the Rules for Success. He’s a go-getter.
Mike – that’s very true. Why hide the exit or make it hard to take out the domains? At least GoDaddy sends a “thank you” email after the domains are gone, another plus in my book.
James – I think you’re commenting on the wrong post, this is about GoDaddy and not Epik 🙂
Tim – I’m not familiar of the current rules to open a “domainer” account – you can ask support@fabulous dot com directly.
I consolidated everything at Moniker years ago. I just like the simple as it can be interface – change 5,000 domains – no problem – it’s just a list. Push 10 (or 5,000) to another Moniker customer – no problem. My heart always sinks when I sell to someone who insists on transferring to GoDaddy. 10 days of eamil and interface hell.
Apart from that (transfers) they are great.