Okay, time to start evaluating registrars.
Requirements for my new registrar are:
1. Must host DNS.
I care little for the web interface, just that there needs to be one and it needs to work.
2. Discount for bulk regisrations
If I'm transferring a hundred domains over to the new registrar, there damn well better be a discount for the registrations.
3. Not too expensive.
See previous requirement.
4. Customer service has to be decent.
I'm going to call once in a long while, probably near once a year if that much. When I do call, do NOT want to have to scream "YES NO YES YES ONE FOUR NO NO OPERTATOR OPERATOR OPERATOR OPERATOR GET ME THE FUCKING OPERATOR" and hear an automated voice say "I'm sorry I didn't understand what you said. Please say one for billing. two for sales."
I hate those fucking automated voices. Essentially they tell me this business doesn't give a flying rat's ass about my issues. You don't care about my issues, I go elsewhere for services. Simple as that. Since I call so infrequently, I'm not one of the 10% of customers needing 90% of the handholding, so, yes, I do expect you to help me out when I call.
New ones I've just added, since I just started searching:
5. Must allow @ and * and . host name in the DNS.
I mean, really, you want me to adjust the DNS every time I want to add a development server to my site pool? Yeah, not going to happen.
6. Must have a decent reputation.
GoDaddy unbelievably fails on this one. Their website is all about selling you crap (crap you don't need, but you don't know you don't need that if you haven't experienced it before, which just goes to tell you their market), instead of helping you or even enhancing the services you have purchased. Instead of offering reasonable add-ons based on what you've already purchased, they provide a scattershot approach, maybe a fan and shit approach actually: throw enough at the blades and something will stick.
Phew.
That said, first up: 1and1.com.
Summary: 1and1.com not so good.
Issues:
1. Doesn't display customer number on an original order.
I used an email that wasn't set up properly. The order email from them bounced. This wouldn't have been an issue if, after I set up my account when I ordered the new domain, they displayed my customer number. Instead, they showed me a screen that said "check your email for login information." Doesn't help me if I can't access that email.
2. Suspicious lack of security.
This might be more "suspectible to social engineering" than "lack of security."
When I called customer support (+1 that I was able to talk to a person quickly), I told them what happened, and asked for my customer number. I received this information, without verifying the accuracy of any of my data. I didn't give my credit card number or telephone number to verify I actually had just made the purchase.
And the deal breaker: why I won't transfer any domains to this registrar, and actually will be transferring my single domain here away:
3. Can't have multiple @ or * subdomains
They host the DNS (+1). In the host names, they don't handle CNAMEs and A records correctly. They don't allow @ or * host names. AND they have a limit of only 20 hosts ("subdomains").
Nope, won't be continuing here.
Next up? Probably dynadot.
