Hostway: what's wrong?

[Anthony Ng]

I just got a new website re-design/maintenance deal of which the previous webmaster had it set up at Hostway. I got the user name and password to their sitecontrol.com interface with no problem. But when I want to update the domain name registration info (there is a typo in the physical address and the Admin Contact e-mail might not work), it turns out that Hostway is NOT up to what they have been paid for.

To start with, I am VERY familiar with domain names. But apparently, the previous webmaster who helped set up my new client's website is not: he paid Hostway $52.30 for 2 years of domain registration. And a look at the whois reveals that they are actually reselling OpenSRS/Tucows.

Okay, that's fine for me since I am not the one who paid; the problem is: contrary to what's mentioned in their generic support e-mail template, I cannot manage or modify my client's domain registration info either through their sitecontrol.com interface or by calling their support. Unlike most other OpenSRS/Tucows resellers who give out login combos for clients to manage their domains, Hostway is managing the domain registration for their clients.

So when I ask to update my client's e-mail which is listed as the Admin Contact, they just point me to OpenSRS/Tucows. My question is: why are they charging $52.30 for a 2-year registration and does NOT provide any support at all?

Now with the existing Admin Contact e-mail not working, I'll have to ask my client to fax OpenSRS/Tucows an authorization on a company letterhead. This takes more than a couple of persons (clerical work, you know) and at least a week to turn around. And Hostway is listing themselves as the Technical Contact ... puh! :upset:

Moral of this story: NEVER register your domain name via your host!

 

[Bob]

I have never had any probelms with Hostway,but thenagain, I didnot register my name with them either. . .

-Bob

 

[JMJ]

Same thing Netsol and cihost did to me a little over a year ago. I had to fax, email, phone, fax, email, over and over, I got so steamed I was sending faxes, and calling every person I had ever talked with every 15 minutes with a lot of foul language added.

It worked.

Edit: thought I would add what I figure happened. There was a letter or number missing from each portion of my domain account email, address, name.. I believe CIhost did this intentionally so i had no control over the domain.

 

[Togoodhlth]

Hostways a pretty decent host however they do some things backasswards.

Some of their prices are good and then they hit you wiht $5 a month for their "advanced stats" which is Urchin and totally blow.

And while Im venting I am sick of the Miva cart! Talk about painful to work with! Try uploading a flat file! No I take that back. Don't try.

Anyway, other than those issues Hostway is good. I like their tech support and that is one of the reason I host several sites with them.

Good luck resolving your DN issue