Beware…

Since AL.ME is a blog, and requires a domain name, I thought I might share some comments for those of you who are also interested in creating your own site to share your stories. If you are looking for a Domain Name register, make sure you AVOID Register.com. (I’m not receiving any compensation from anyone for this article.)

A couple years ago I purchased the domain “S4SpeakingPro.com” because I was developing a site for American English accent lessons and services. When I shopped around for the domain I looked everywhere and found a decent sale at Register. Aside from the fear tactics, misleading warnings, greyed out “next” buttons, etc. I navigated my way to check out. I pointed the domain safely to my host, and that was that. At least I thought that was that…The following year was fine and development was going well. Months in advance to the renewal date I was getting countless “Renew Now and Save Big” emails… which I ignored because I figured it would just end up costing $15-$20, max. But when it came time to auto-renew I got a $38 charge on my credit card! When I contacted Register, they said that “this is the standard retail price of domain names.” And if I had renewed earlier, the “savings” would have been for renewing it multiple years and the discount would not bring the price down much. And while I was on the phone with them, they continued to try to up-sell me! (Things like privacy controls, store front services, etc. – As if I were an idiota!) The email from their manager “apologizing” and saying there’s nothing they could do about it… also contained internal marketing.

Their emails are all spammy and pushy, and I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. Godaddy has similar page optimization to funnel shoppers but I don’t mind so much because they have better domain prices. Their highest standard retail price is $19.99 for the same domains that Register sells for $35 or $38. I have since transferred my domain away from Register and will close that account. Good Riddance!

So, I hope this little review helps you make a better decision on where to get your new domain from.  Avoid Register like H1N9 and, for good measure, Web.com too.