Hi everyone! How’s everyone doing?
Today’s blog post, which is also the third blog post since Layi Domains started, is about Name.com—a registrar that lacks professionalism and reliability. If you’re a domain investor looking to buy domains as an investment or a business owner trying to secure an online identity, Name.com might not be the right choice based on my personal experience.
How It Started: Black Friday Deals
During Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2024, I came across an amazing post by the legendary domain investor Michael Cyger on X.com. He shared a list of domain deals from various registrars in his 2024 Black Friday/Cyber Monday Edition (Link to post).
Domain registrars, like many other businesses, offer big discounts during Black Friday. Here are some examples:
- Dynadot:
- Normal cost for (.io) and (.tech) bundle: $22.98.
- Black Friday price: $8.99.
- I used this deal to register some great domains, including Durrah.io, for my one-year-old daughter ❤️.
- Name.com:
- Normal price for .com registration: $12.99.
- Black Friday price: $4.99.
Seeing Name.com’s deal, I registered 15–20 domains (mostly .com and .co) between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Everything seemed fine—I made payments, got receipts (Images), and was excited about my new domains.
The Problem: My Domains Disappeared
The first domain I registered with Name.com was on November 27—a 6-letter .co domain with meaningful words. Between November 29 and December 2, I registered 19 more domains.
On December 3, I logged into my Name.com account and noticed that all my domains were gone! They had completely disappeared 😩😭.
My Attempts to Resolve the Issue
I immediately reached out to Name.com support on X.com (See tweet here) and explained the situation. They assured me the issue would be resolved and that I’d hear back via email.
After two days of waiting with no response, I checked my bank account and noticed that refunds for all my purchases had been issued. However, there was no explanation from Name.com about why my domains disappeared or what went wrong. This lack of communication felt unprofessional.
I decided to try re-registering the domains on GoDaddy.com, even though their price was higher ($13.08 per domain). These domains were worth the investment since I could sell them for $500–$1,000 or more. However, all of the domains were unavailable for registration.
When I checked WHOIS records, I discovered that some domains were still registered with Name.com and in “pending delete” status, scheduled to drop in January 2025. One domain I really loved was showing a “Domain suspension” message, stating:
“This domain is in pending delete status and will be dropped from the registry in January 2025.“
Despite this, the domain hasn’t dropped, and I still don’t have access to it. Isn’t that fishy? 🤔
My Advice to Domain Investors and Business Owners
Based on my experience, here’s my advice:
- Avoid Name.com: Don’t trust them with your domains or your business identity.
- Choose Reliable Registrars:
- GoDaddy.com
- Namecheap.com
- Dynadot.com
These registrars have better customer support and are far more reliable.
Your Turn!
Have you ever experienced something similar with Name.com or another registrar?
What’s the best registrar you’ve used, and why do you like their service?
Let’s discuss in the comments below!
Note: “This post reflects my personal experience and opinions based on events that occurred. Readers are encouraged to do their own research when selecting a domain registrar.”
