cheap .co.uk companies - how do they do it?

[jonno]

just wondering today at work how some domain registrars, for example 1and1 can charge just £1.99 for 2 years on a .co.uk domain - when nominet state that registration is £5 odd plus the VAT?

do that have some sort of special arrangement with nominet or do they do it cheaply hoping you'll opt for their hosting?

 

[retired member 1]

I wish 1and1 was £1.99 for 2 years!

"Register a .co.uk or any other TLD (top level domain) from only £1.99 per year. There's no set up fee - you simply pay the price shown for your domain plus the standard 17.5% VAT charge. e.g. 2 year(s) x co.uk @ £1.99 per year = £3.98!"

So really it's £3.98 + VAT. ( £4.68 )....remembering they will be able to claim VAT back on purchases from Nominet, it is costing them £5

So they are really just running a loss leader to be the cheapest I should imagine, either that or have special rates with Nominet.

 

[ratboy]

1&1 take ages for the registration to go through, if you spot a good un and need it registered quick, use 123-reg.

Don't know why, just an observation.

 

[domaingenius]

I think the best registrar that I have come across thus far is http://www.domaincity.co.uk Usually within several minutes of registering it it actually appears on WHOIS. Very on the ball registrar.

DG

 

[Nigel]

ukreg.com is still the best in my opinion and a lot cheaper than most. If you buy 100 credits it works out at just £5.30 per domain (+VAT). Even for 1 domain its only £5.90 (+VAT). Just looked at domaincity and it appears to be a lot more expensive at £8.50 (+ Vat). If you've got a 1000 domain portfolio thats over £3500 (inc Vat) saved over 2 years. That can be the difference between having a viable business plan or not. UKreg are also very quick to register and the control panel is excellent. Only negative is the early renewal charging (sometimes a month before) but they do email very early about renewals so you normally get quite a few weeks and a couple of reminders before they charge your credit card (or use the credits on your account -which is far better and cheaper).

 

[domaingenius]

With DomainCity you can buy for £6.50 plus vat if you are buying in good numbers,and they are on tghe ball technically and react quickly. Seriously they are worth the few pence above some of cheapest ones,

DG

 

[TimRogers]

1and1 is slow too for me, and annoyingly dosen't accept PayPal. I'm gonna be buying from 123-Reg now, it's slightly more expensive but when you need the name it's worth it.

 

[murph]

I use 1&1 for names that don't need the urgency and 123reg for names that need to be reg'd fast!

 

[retired_member16]

I have 3 domains with 123Reg and the user interface is crap and the support is shocking!

simply.com for me everytime.

 

[mally]

Heres a secret for getting cheaper 1and1 domain names.

Go to www.quidco.com and register a free account.

Quid co is a cashback company that earns you cashback on purchases through their merchants. 1and1 is one of them so you get £2 for buying domain names. The only charge from quidco is a once yearly £5 admin fee when you get upto £25.

Its really good and does bring down the price of a 1and1 domain by £2.

Just order each domain seperately and keep clicking on your through link from quidco!

Cheers

Lisa

full cashback for 1and1 are

£15 for Instant Website
£25 for Home Package
£35 for Business Package
£75 for Professional Package
£40 for Business eShop
£50 for Professional eShop
£90 for Developer eShop
£60 for Managed/Root/Windows Server I
£100 for Managed/Root/Windows Server II
£140 for Managed/Root/Windows Server III
£3 for Instant Mail
£2 for Instant Domain Package
£60 for Value Server
£25 for Microsoft Exchange
£35 for Microsoft Sharepoint
£60 for Business Pro Package

 

[3cats]

1and1 is slow too for me, and annoyingly dosen't accept PayPal. I'm gonna be buying from 123-Reg now, it's slightly more expensive but when you need the name it's worth it.

123-reg doesn't accept paypal.

And I would advise you to avoid 123-reg like the plague at the moment. Customer service there absolutely stinks. I spent a week of emailing them about a problem that they were at fault about, before getting a short one sentence response, with no apology. I got the feeling that I was being pushed into using their expensive 50p a minute helpline. Plus the staff only work banking hours. If you've a problem at the weekend, a bank holiday or at night, then tough. I'll not be using them again until I hear things have improved.

 

[netserve]

Just looked at domaincity and it appears to be a lot more expensive at £8.50 (+ Vat). If you've got a 1000 domain portfolio thats over £3500 (inc Vat) saved over 2 years.

(We run domaincity BTW)

Prices fall to 123reg/ukreg rates if you're prefunding an account with us and registering reasonable numbers, plus if you're a catcher in need of a quick process our registration pages generate the mail to Nominet at the point you submit rather than having any sort of back end queue. (and if thats too much like hard work we even have a single URL that speculators can call giving user/pass/domain which will instantly send a registration request)

1and1 are loosing £1.02 per domain registration plus the cost of processing debit/credit cards for the transaction. If you've got £500,000 and want to build up a customer base by giving money away it's a great deal
(Of course you'll pay well over the going rate then for email services and hosting , they've got to make up the money somewhere!)

 

[aquanuke]

"they've got to make up the money somewhere!"

Domain hoarders must be a nightmare for these companies. Registering 100's maybe 1000's of names and then pointing them at free parking sites.

If you really did'nt like 1&1 the best thing you could do, would be to register a few thousand names with them :twisted:

 

[retired_member6]

Yes 123reg are having a bit of long term bother at the moment, one problem I have is buying a domain, error occurs and it doesn't show so I have to keep asking them to add the domain (that is registered0 and then ask them to edit dates so that the domain is correct and isn't up for renewal three months previous.

Hopefully I haven't forgotten about a domain that I've bought that hasn't since been added to my account, hopefully.

 

[netserve]

If you really did'nt like 1&1 the best thing you could do, would be to register a few thousand names with them :twisted:

Yeh but I've just had to calm a new customer down who is moving from 1&1.
He's been told by them that it'll take 7 days to release his domains to our tag.

 

[retired_member6]

I see what you mean about 123reg support lately, the worst I've ever known it. Perhaps on the fourth day of asking they'll put the domain I bought into my account.

 

[netserve]

I see what you mean about 123reg support lately, the worst I've ever known it. Perhaps on the fourth day of asking they'll put the domain I bought into my account.

What do you expect for less than 1 penny per month towards tech support

 

[pjs]

I wish 1and1 was £1.99 for 2 years!

"Register a .co.uk or any other TLD (top level domain) from only £1.99 per year. There's no set up fee - you simply pay the price shown for your domain plus the standard 17.5% VAT charge. e.g. 2 year(s) x co.uk @ £1.99 per year = £3.98!"

So really it's £3.98 + VAT. ( £4.68 )....remembering they will be able to claim VAT back on purchases from Nominet, it is costing them £5

So they are really just running a loss leader to be the cheapest I should imagine, either that or have special rates with Nominet.

Hi,

I'm interested in your comment

'remembering they will be able to claim VAT back on purchases from Nominet'

How so? I thought Nominet did not allow this even if you were outside the UK as the service is provided in the UK.

 

[netserve]

How so? I thought Nominet did not allow this even if you were outside the UK as the service is provided in the UK.

Nominet charge members vat, members charge customers vat.

Members record the vat from Nominet as input vat, and the vat they charge customers as the output vat, the difference is what they charge or reclaim from HMRC.

eg
Buy at 5.00 + 0.87p vat
Sell at 6.00 + 1.05 vat

Member makes £1 profit and hands over 1.05 - 0.87 = 18pence vat to HMRC.

or

Buy 5.00 + 0.87p vat
Sell 4.00 + 0.70p vat.

Member looses £1 but gets to reclaim 17pence vat.

 

[pjs]

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. I thougt you meant they were managing to claim back all the VAT!

Thanks.