Is Gandi.net a good registrar?

[pwgoh]

Hi, I'm looking to set up a number of websites for me and some friends and their friends etc. Not a huge number but maybe 8-10, so I don't know if this is a good place to ask but I'll try. After bad experiences with some other registrars I'm considering Gandi.net. They seem to be pretty good from what I've heard, not likely to die suddenly or suspend your domain if you do something they don't like.

One thing I don't like is that they have really bad tech support. I've emailed them a couple times to try to ask questions and all I get back are really useless boilerplate answers.

Like, one of my friends whose stuff I might be Hosting is an artist who sometimes draws nude or explicit sexual stuff (not that explicit, but not PG-13, and no, not pedophile or fetish crap, just artsy stuff). I asked Gandi if that would be all right and their answer was, uh,

"As owners of the domain name, you are responsible for any and all use of the domain name. Consequently, should the usage of your domain be in violation of our contract or applicable local laws, particularly those of France, with regards to copyright we will be obliged to take all necessary measures to assure that we are in full compliance with the law."

Which doesn't answer my question at all. So I guess I have to research French laws for obscure notes on whether websites are allowed to host nude/sexual drawings?

How about other people, how have your experiences been with Gandi.net? I'd like to know before I sign up with them, unhelpful tech support and all.

[Carter]

I prefer Martin Luther King

Seriously, never used this before.
If you need a secure registrar use Moniker (for reg domains) and Hostgator for Hosting.

And welcome to the forum.

[katherine]

One thing I don't like is that they have really bad tech support. I've emailed them a couple times to try to ask questions and all I get back are really useless boilerplate answers.

Not a good start
I heard they are OK but they are expensive.
As long as you do legal stuff and nobody complains you should be fine.

[blogcrash]

I prefer Martin Luther King

I also like Obama... a natural winner

And welcome to the forum.

You said my words Carter

[ohkus]

Umm...not very useful answers here....so I have been a customer of gandi, they are okay. Their support has always been decent and their interface is clean. Their TOS is one of the best in the industry.

[EGS]

Need awesome support and great competitive pricing? Check out TierraNet - by far the best. 24/7 online live chat support, toll-free number, and fast email support. Their support, features, interface, and pricing together are really top-notch and the best in the industry from what I have experienced.

I used to be all about the big ones: eNom (NameCheap), GoDaddy (ew!), DomainSite, and Name. Now all I use is TierraNet for my domains. Rock solid support, excellent cheap pricing, and the best service and security.

You'd think more expensive competitors could offer more than what TierraNet can offer, but TierraNet beats 'em all by a few knock-out punches!

[tomsa]

FYI Matt Cutts is a Gandi customer

http://domaintools.com/mattcutts.com

IMO very good but very expensive service.

[hostcoin]

Domain registrar are different from domain Hosting service provider. Usually hosting service provider have their TOS regarding hosting adult content and it differs from host to host. You need to ask your hosting service provider about the adult content which can be hosted on their servers

[pwgoh]

hostcoin: Good point but I wanted to see if the registrar had rules on adult content also. Based on their response I can't tell if they do or not.

As for other options, I heard Moniker, like Gandi.net, has so-so tech support. I'll check out TierraNet.

[denny007]

Gandi is horrible, is either French or Moroccan registrar, there is lot of complaints throughout the forum. TierraNet is even bigger crap.

[hostcoin]

hostcoin: Good point but I wanted to see if the registrar had rules on adult content also. Based on their response I can't tell if they do or not.

As for other options, I heard Moniker, like Gandi.net, has so-so tech support. I'll check out TierraNet.

No, i dont think content Hosting has any relation with domain registrar its your webhost who decide about it. I haven't heard about Gandi.net
whatever make sure you go with domain registrar who is into domain business since long time... else just move your domain with some other registrar like Name, GoDaddy eNom etc...

[keyser]

French or Moroccan registrar.

No homework huh

Gandi was fine few years ago, but the quality of support slowly sinked.
They dont like people who might buy and sell domains on a yearly basis (from a "support" email I received). Unbelievable.

[pwgoh]

No, i dont think content Hosting has any relation with domain registrar its your webhost who decide about it. I haven't heard about Gandi.net

If that's true, it removes the whole issue. Can someone link me to an official source on that, saying that registrars aren't allowed to suspend/cancel domain registrations based on content?

Sorry to sound doubtful, but I want to be certain, because I heard pretty much the opposite before. Like these stories with GoDaddy, how they as a registrar sometimes suspend the domains of sites that host content they don't like. The hosting company has nothing to do with it.