Prefered Domain Registrars?

[jspittler]

I am considering changing my domain name registrar. Does anybody have any comments as to which would be a good one to choose? I notice that AletiaNIC is the current default for Jaguar. Anybody have any comments with regards to that?

Why do I want to change? Well, long story, but someone may ask, so here goes:

My domain currently shows as being registered with enom, but I don't honestly remember how it got there. It may have been the default Aletia registrar at the time I signed up. But I can't access my domain from there site, even though I created an account, and furthermore, there annual renewal is listed as $29.95. I am only charged $9.95 a year, but it is through some funky third party (extendregistration.com) that bills me each year. It seems the billing always looks like a fraud as a result of how it is done, and I always seem to feel the need to check it out, when I get the bill to make sure it is legit.

ANYWAY, I am thinking I may change to AletiaNIC since that is what Jaguar is using. Also, that may make it easier to ask questions about it here in these forums

Any comments?

Thanks,

Judd

[jason]

AletiaNIC is JPC's registration division. Aletia Hosting was another hosting company that JPC took over about a year or so ago. The ALetia name is kind of a legacy thing around here--it is still used, but the actual Aletia company has been fully absorbed by JPC. AletiaNIC, like your current registrar, is a reseller for Enom.

Enom is one of the larger ICANN-acredited registrars, but their business model is focused more on wholesale sales to resellers than it is in retail sales direct to registrants. They offer wholesale pricing to businesses willing to pony up enough up-front money as low as about $7/year. The reseller usually marks this price up a couple bucks when they sell it to you. Enom tries to be as invisible as possible, but it is still pretty easy to pick up on them being the registrar. Therefore Enom marks up their retail pricing considerably in order to prevent resellers' clients from deciding to "cut out the middle man" when they renew their domains.

Billing looking like a fraud, as you put it, is probably just Enom trying to hide themselves from the process. I'm not entirely sure of how JPC/AletiaNIC handles their billing (I don't have any domains registered through AletiaNIC), but chances are that it will be very similar to what you are currently seeing.

--Jason

[jspittler]

Jason,

Thanks for the very detailed description of how the process works.

I guess one of my biggest problems with how I am currently registered is that I have no access to my account details. I notice that on many other registrars you can log in and change settings, etc. And get this... my domain name is currently locked, so I am guessing it will be a pain to transfer it... better now than when I am in a hurry, I think.

I don't know if you tried it, but if you try to go to http://www.extendregistration.com/ You don't get anywhere... the only way there is a link like I got for renewing, which was something like: https://www.extendregistration.com/?...754-13EA4F1633 All you could do there was provide your payment.

I guess I am looking for something a bit more warm and fuzzy.

This evening I helped my dad set up a new Jaguar account, and was able to play with the options on the AletiaNIC account. It seemed very easy to go in and "manage" your domain. (Not that I would actually do that much, but...)

So I will probably seriously consider that change.

Thanks again for the info.

Judd