I wanted to share my experience with Namecheap over the years. I made the switch from GoDaddy to Namecheap back in the day when they launched a notable campaign against elephant poaching around 2009. At that time, Namecheap seemed like a solid choice, even if it meant paying around $100 annually. However, times have changed, and my opinion has shifted.
Lately, I've noticed that shared hosting with Namecheap has lost its edge. The performance has taken a hit, making it hard to justify the cost. Notably, the speed has slowed down significantly, and there are certain limitations on access that were not there before. Unfortunately, the support, which used to be a strong point, has also declined.
As a result, I'm currently in the process of migrating most of my content away from Namecheap. I'm on the lookout for an alternative hosting provider that offers a robust and affordable package without compromising on speed. If any of you have recommendations for a hosting service that strikes that balance between quality and affordability, I'd love to hear about it.
I have. I bought a great name from them, after which they voided the purchase and made it a $1,500 premium domain. Obviously, I will never buy domains from Namecheap again.
So does your response mean (1) "take it easy on Namecheap because this kind of bait-and-switch is common among registrars", or (2) "take it easy on Namecheap because it was unintentional incompetence"?
I'm saying take it easy on Namecheap because it's out of their control, and would have happened regardless of the registrar you used for that particular domain. The incompetence is on the part of the registry, for not having properly identified the given domain as premium until post-registration.
> I'm saying take it easy on Namecheap because it's out of their control…
If we assume that Namecheap is incapable of malice, then it means Namecheap's systems and/or processes are broken. (Registry agreements don't allow registries to retroactively reclassify domains as "premium".)
I've had a problem with domain registration when I purchased a .com and they asked for all kinds of business licenses and asking what the purpose of the domain is. Obviously I was shocked as they have no right to ask for the purpose of the domain and I explained that this was not for a business but for a privately administered website.
My registration was being denied again after back and forth with support, without a refund as well. I eventually had it escalated to their legal team and they were able to clear the issue up and offer me an extension on the registration for the hassle.
I'm happy that they corrected their errors and there hasn't been issues since, but that type of process was beyond what I'm willing to go through as a customer. I then registered a very similar domain name using one of the largest providers without any incident.
Edit: Does anyone have a recommendation for a registrar that just completes the registration and doesn't "flag" domains or ask silly questions?
My guess is his domain name contained a phrase that triggers US sanctions alarms. Things like "NICO" etc (don't put that in the reason for a bank transfer or it will get blocked)
>Did you ever have a problem with domain registration?
Recently, I painstakingly created a five-letter domain name, and researched extensively to see if it was already taken [I don't use registrar lookup and advise you not to either]. I verified that it was totally free and unpublished.
When using the namecheap control panel to register it, I was advised that it was a "premium" domain [why thanks!] and that, therefore, I would have to pay a corresponding amount.
Summary: My beautiful domain was simply hijacked and if I'm ever to register it I will have to participate in an auction. I was able to register the corresponding domain without problems, on equal terms with all other competitors, through Registro.br[0] - although it can't be as cool as a pure .com domain.
Would you consider this a problem?
The domain registration industry in the United States is completely prostituted and I'm not happy to say it.
Namecheap has asserted continuously that they do not front run domain registration, and they only charge premium prices for domains when the registry demands it.
> When using the namecheap control panel to register it, I was advised that it was a "premium" domain [why thanks!] and that, therefore, I would have to pay a corresponding amount.
The registry sets those premium prices, not the registrar (aka Namecheap).
Lately, I've noticed that shared hosting with Namecheap has lost its edge. The performance has taken a hit, making it hard to justify the cost. Notably, the speed has slowed down significantly, and there are certain limitations on access that were not there before. Unfortunately, the support, which used to be a strong point, has also declined.
As a result, I'm currently in the process of migrating most of my content away from Namecheap. I'm on the lookout for an alternative hosting provider that offers a robust and affordable package without compromising on speed. If any of you have recommendations for a hosting service that strikes that balance between quality and affordability, I'd love to hear about it.
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