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| Thread ID: 114269 | 2010-11-25 09:48:00 | Discount Domains = Stay Away | Beretta (16094) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1156378 | 2010-11-25 09:48:00 | I run a popular blog and podcast. On the 16th of June 2010 I attempted to transfer my domain name to a New Zealand company, Discount Domains. Aplus.net (the domain name registrar for Discount Domains) appeared to screw up their email that they were meant to send me so that the domain name transfer could go ahead. Instead of the authorisation link that Discount Domains expected Aplus to send me, the email contained references to an unknown account at some website affiliated with them that I needed to log into in order to approve the transfer (but they didn’t tell me which website this was, or how to log in). Discount Domains here in New Zealand then advised that they actually didn’t know how the transfer process works (they said it had been changed) and that they didn’t know what the email meant, and then Aplus ignored my emails to their support team for about a week, followed by an activation link that had already expired when they sent it to me and at least two failed attempts to send it again, all the while knowing that my site was down. They advised discount domains that they had sent a new link through to me (on two separate occasions), and after eight days of waiting, I eventually gave up on them both and approach Freeparking. I requested the transfer to them, and within an hour or so I got an activation link to authorise the domain name transfer. That’s how it’s done. Oh, and then a few days later, Aplus got in touch with me asking me to authorise the domain name transfer to them. Just wow. Aplus (and Discount Domains), by their own admission made a bunch of mistakes and got their service wrong, and as a result my site and blog was down about twelve days longer than it needed to be. Lost traffic, broken links removed, people stopped visiting, the podcast disappeared from the iTunes store, prospective employers couldn’t view the site/blog (and may even have fairly wondered whether I was telling the truth about even having it). It was bad. I kept emailing Discount Domains, they kept giving me the message that they would sort out the problem within the next day or so, but that they still didn’t really know how the transfer process was supposed to work. On a couple of occasions they assured me that it was sorted and the transfer was about to happen, but it never did. This ate up close to six weeks, Yes, six weeks (from my request to transfer to the time I gave up and left on the 29th of July). It hammered my traffic and my web ranking at the time, and it ate up a huge amount of my own time and effort. After nearly six weeks I went to a new domain name provider (Freeparking NZ) and it was sorted in a couple of days. The difference was like night and day. None of the facts are in dispute, Discount Domains admits everything I say, and they have told me, “we certainly do not feel that the level of service you have received from Discount Domains or our dotcom partner is acceptable.” However, since August they have refused to refund me or provide one cent of compensation. They will not even return my emails. Since none of the facts are in dispute, I run no risk telling people this. |
Beretta (16094) | ||
| 1156379 | 2010-11-25 10:32:00 | Welcome to PressF1 :-). I run a popular blog and podcast. On the 16th of June 2010 I attempted to transfer my domain name to a New Zealand company, Discount Domains. Aplus.net (the domain name registrar for Discount Domains) appeared to screw up...In my experience, that's *extremely* unusual. I've used discount domains for years, ever since ditching FreeParking for rubbish service and extortionate prices after they were bought by iconz. I've never had anything other than outstanding service from them, and have found their staff at all times to be professional, courteous, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. ...Aplus (and Discount Domains), by their own admission made a bunch of mistakes and got their service wrong...That's life, it happens sometimes. People aren't always perfect 100% of the time. ...and as a result my site and blog was down about twelve days longer than it needed to be. Lost traffic, broken links removed, people stopped visiting, the podcast disappeared from the iTunes store, prospective employers couldn’t view the site/blog (and may even have fairly wondered whether I was telling the truth about even having it). It was bad.That is entirely your own fault, or else your existing registrar screwed up - it's nothing to do with discount domains; lost traffic only occurs if you have no DNS records at all. If it wasn't you that deleted these records, then it was your old registrar who did so (and if this is the case, it's extremely unprofessional - records shouldn't be removed from a nameserver until *after* a transfer goes through, and somebody else is serving the records). I kept emailing Discount Domains, they kept giving me the message that they would sort out the problem within the next day or so, but that they still didn’t really know how the transfer process was supposed to work. On a couple of occasions they assured me that it was sorted and the transfer was about to happen, but it never did. This ate up close to six weeks, Yes, six weeks (from my request to transfer to the time I gave up and left on the 29th of July).Unfortunately they're at the mercy of Aplus for international domains; Aplus is the upstream provider for these. I suspect your request was lost in the Aplus system somewhere, and discount domains was simply passing the message on. It doesn't excuse the bad service, but it does make the issue easier to understand - new systems can have teething problems sometimes. It hammered my traffic and my web ranking at the time, and it ate up a huge amount of my own time and effort.Again, how is this discount domains' fault? After nearly six weeks I went to a new domain name provider (Freeparking NZ) and it was sorted in a couple of days. The difference was like night and day.I'm glad you've found a registrar you're happy with. I hope your experience with FreeParking is better than mine; since being bought by iconz I've had nothing but trouble from them. None of the facts are in dispute, Discount Domains admits everything I say, and they have told me, “we certainly do not feel that the level of service you have received from Discount Domains or our dotcom partner is acceptable.” However, since August they have refused to refund me or provide one cent of compensation.Refusing to refund you isn't on, unless there's something you haven't told us (which I'm inclined to believe may be the case; not many people sign up to a forum simply to complain about a single negative experience as a new customer). Refusing compensation however, that's entirely reasonable. It's not their fault you lost traffic / email, the issue was unrelated to their own service. If you're looking for someone to point fingers at you should be approaching your old registrar. They will not even return my emails. Since none of the facts are in dispute, I run no risk telling people this.I suspect that either you haven't waited a reasonable time for them to answer (give them a couple of days, customer support is a higher priority than disputes with non-customers) or that you're simply not listening to the answers they've given you, and they're sick of telling you the same thing over and over again. Edit: Looks like you're trying to cause some damage; you've also posted this at at Geekzone (www.geekzone.co.nz). |
Erayd (23) | ||
| 1156380 | 2010-11-25 10:49:00 | Hmmm, it also looks like you haven't posted the full story here - by your own admission (www.beretta-online.com), most of the blame lies with Clever Internet. | Erayd (23) | ||
| 1156381 | 2010-11-25 10:53:00 | A couple of days? No - weeks. I absolutely assure you that what I have told you is everything. I haven't left out any aspect of my relationship with Discount Domains. As for blaming my former registrar for the traffic loss (email loss is not a factor here), there's a story to that but the point is that if this had taken the normal amount of time it would never have been an issue. My former registrar bears no guilt for that. As far as anybody is aware, Aplus followed a process that it knew to be correct, but again the problem is that Discount Comains - by their admission - did not know what the process was. I was told that recently it had been changed and DD didn't know how to go about this process. I assume they have now figured out how to do that, but there can be no excusing of this, especially for this incredible amount of time. My relationship was with Discount Domains. Who they use to provide wholesale services is their own business. Again, I stress that absolutely none of these claims is in dispute, and Discount Domains admits them all. There is nothing left out that I can see. |
Beretta (16094) | ||
| 1156382 | 2010-11-25 10:54:00 | Hmmm, it also looks like you haven't posted the full story here - by your own admission (www.beretta-online.com), most of the blame lies with Clever Internet.Umm, no. That was a very short timeframe compared to the delay caused by Discount Domains. Check the dates. Most of the blame? My admission? I suggest reading that again. I gave the full story of my relationship with Discount Domains, as well as a full description of the reasons they gave me for the problem. |
Beretta (16094) | ||
| 1156383 | 2010-11-25 10:58:00 | Looks like you're trying to cause some damage Whatever... damage will only be done if a) readers take Beretta's comments as gospel truth regardless of their validity, or b) some or all of what Beretta has said is true, in which case the damage is deserved - as I believe is the case. Anyway, as it happens, I've had a very good run with Discount Domains for several years. Can't say the same thing for Digiweb, get too much downtime and hassles. But overall across the two companies have had good relations with techs - almost always very prompt and on the button. |
pooroldluser (16095) | ||
| 1156384 | 2010-11-25 11:01:00 | Well sure, damage is caused in a free market if true claims are made that indicate flaws in service. But that's not a bad thing. It's an essential part of the free market. | Beretta (16094) | ||
| 1156385 | 2010-11-25 11:08:00 | Umm, no. That was a very short timeframe compared to the delay caused by Discount Domains. Check the dates.I did. Your original blog posts states that you only attempted to transfer to DD on July 22nd, and that Clever was to blame for most of the downtime. You only gave discount domains 8 days before ditching them for freeparking - that's just over a week, a vary far cry from the six weeks you claim above. Note the quotes below: ...In February 2010, I contacted Clever Internet and told them that when my web hosting services expire (July), I did not wish to renew them. I explained that my website is now going to be hosted elsewhere (i.e. on the server run by my friend). However, I added that I would continue to use them for my domain name. I got a reply from them indicating that this was fine... ...Then it all turned to custard. In mid-July all of my domain names stopped working. Nobody could reach any of my three websites. The first thing I did was to contact my web host...advised me that there appeared to be a problem with the DNS (domain name system). So I tried to login to my domain name host (via my control panel at Clever Internet). Uh-oh. “Your account has been disabled.” ...on the 22nd of July when I attempted to transfer my domain name to a new company, Discount Domains. Aplus.net (the domain name registrar for Discount Domains) appeared to screw up their email that they were meant to send me so that the domain name transfer could go ahead... ...after eight days of waiting, I eventually gave up on them both and approach a new domain host, Freeparking... Now for the rest: As for blaming my former registrar for the traffic loss (email loss is not a factor here), there's a story to that but the point is that if this had taken the normal amount of time it would never have been an issue. My former registrar bears no guilt for that.Rubbish. You yourself said that CLever (your former registrar) incorrectly cancelled your account, were responsible for most of your downtime, and you didn't even attempt to transfer to another provider until July 22nd. Explain again how DD is responsible for Clever's screwup? I assume they have now figured out how to do that, but there can be no excusing of this, especially for this incredible amount of time. My relationship was with Discount Domains. Who they use to provide wholesale services is their own business.That's a very good point, although the time isn't quite so incredible. While 8 days is a wee bit long, I woudn't exactly call that "an incredible amount of time". Most of the blame? My admission? I suggest reading that again. I gave the full story of my relationship with Discount Domains, as well as a full description of the reasons they gave me for the problem.No - you gave an altered and spun version of your relationship with them, and blamed them for somebody else's problem, not just the parts they were responsible for. While some of it may be true, some parts definitely are not, and your story is disingenuous to say the least. |
Erayd (23) | ||
| 1156386 | 2010-11-25 11:13:00 | I did. Your original blog posts states that you only attempted to transfer to DD on July 22nd, and that Clever was to blame for most of the downtime. You only gave discount domains 8 days before ditching them for freeparking - that's just over a week, a vary far cry from the six weeks you claim above.Then somewhere I posted a date in error. I have all the correspondence, and it started on the 16th of June (as I stated atthe start of this thread) and ended on July 29. I will have to correct the blog, and I will check he correspondence again. I would not have made that much of a fuss over 8 days, although it would have been annoying. Rubbish. You yourself said that CLever (your former registrar) incorrectly cancelled your account, were responsible for most of your downtime, and you didn't even attempt to transfer to another provider until July 22nd. Explain again how DD is responsible for Clever's screwup?See above for corrected date. But I actually stated explicitly in that blog that Clever internet were NOT the ones responsible for the downtime being so long. You're attributing claims to me that I never made, and I can't see why you would do that. That's a very good point, although the time isn't quite so incredible. While 8 days is a wee bit long, I woudn't exactly call that "an incredible amount of time".See above re: timing. It certainly was an incredible timeframe. No - you gave an altered and spun version of your relationship with them, and blamed them for somebody else's problem, not just the parts they were responsible for. While some of it may be true, some parts definitely are not, and your story is disingenuous to say the least. No parts of the story are false (taking the corrected date into account now). I did not alter any of the story. I know it seems incredibly bad - and that's why I posted it. But that doesn't make it false. |
Beretta (16094) | ||
| 1156387 | 2010-11-25 11:19:00 | ADDENDUM: Having gone back to the original correspondence due to the querying of the dates above, I have to make a correction: It started on July 15 and I left on August 13. My apologies, it was four weeks, not six. There, I can admit things like that. But I think four weeks is rather obviously a lot longer than the few days I was told it would take. Agreed? |
Beretta (16094) | ||
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