[BALUG-Admin] So, joker.com, then?

[Michael Paoli]

Uhm, no, I wouldn't put Joker.com at the top of the list.
In fact I'd rank 'em below competent.
https://www.wiki.balug.org/wiki/doku.php?id=system:registrars#jokercom

On Thu, May 30, 2024 at 11:38 PM Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com> wrote:
>
> On Mastodon, I'm @unixmercenary@infosec.exchange.
>
> As such, I just tooted this
> (https://infosec.exchange/@unixmercenary/112534258603738688 ):
>
>
>  may be seeking a new #DNSregistrar.  Once upon a time, there was a
> highly clueful one named ideegeo Group, Ltd. d/b/a IWantMyName.com in
> Wellington, NZ, technically a retail reseller for large German registrar
> 1API.
>
> Early on, their staff efficiently and quickly fixed an odd problem,
> where my two domains were suddenly private WHOIS against my wishes:  The
> tech found that 1API had unilaterally toggled everyone private to
> quickly comply with GDPR rollout -- and intervened to revert that on my
> domains.
>
> Roll forward to 2019.  British multinational CentralNic Group PLC
> acquired ideegeo Group Ltd., and shut down the NZ operation.
>
> Uh-oh.
>
> About a year later, I saw that my domains were suddenly private WHOIS
> again, saw still nothing in the customer WebUI to adjust that, and
> opened another ticket, referencing the first one, speculating 1API might
> have done it again, and asking the same fix.
>
> A tech from the new lot immediately closed the ticket with the
> explanation that the operator of the .com and .net TLDs had imposed
> private WHOIS on all domains, and therefore IWantMyName was powerless to
> help me.
>
> I almost accepted this pile of bullhockey, but then thought to
> cross-check, among others, domains 1API.net and IWantMyName.com -- whose
> public WHOIS data immediately disproved the nonsense claim.  I reopened
> the ticket, pointing out their claim is provably wrong, and reiterating
> my request.
>
> The tech closed the ticket again with the comment that he'd repeated
> what the technical staff told him -- not commenting on the fact that it
> was provably false.
>
> I escalated this matter to corporate staff in London, saying that
> gaslighting customers is uncool, that I could easily take business
> elsewhere, and that I'd be deciding that in a couple of days.  A senior
> tech in London reopened the case, told me he' fix things, did so,
> explained that first-level techs had relied on bad information, and
> observed (justly) that few customers wished to eschew private WHOIS.  As
> resolution occurred before my deadline, I stayed.
>
> Yesterday, after verifying that IWantMyName.com's customer WebUI still
> doesn't permit early renewal, I opened a new ticket saying "Please
> manually extend by two years each of my domains linuxmafia.com and
> unixmercenary.net, please charge my credit card of record number NNNN
> for the US $95.26 entailed, and please do that now."
>
> I got back a response saying:
>
> "We currently only register and renew domains automatically for one year
> at a time.
>
> We've found that longer registration periods lead to a higher chance of
> customers losing or forgetting their account details or missing
> notifications and ultimately letting their domains expire due to
> outdated contact information for expired credit card details.
>
> The annual notifications serve as a reminder of sorts to keep everything
> up to date. Or, if something unexpected happens and the domain is no
> longer needed, it can be cancelled with no time/money lost.
>
> If you have any other questions, just let us know."
>
> I waited a day, then wrote back saying I'd seen no action on my request.
> The tech referred me to the above statement.
>
> I wrote back:
>
> "That was not even anywhere near an answer to my request.
>
> I didn't ask about automatic renewal policy.  I requested manual
> processing of two-year extension, now, for each of my two domains,
> charging the appropriate fees totalling US $95.26 to my credit card of
> record.
>
> Please do that now.
>
> I will continue to escalate this matter, if it is not addressed."
>
> This is in  "You had one job" territory, nicht wahr?   Any fellow Ops
> people with clueful-registrar suggestions?  Needing to escalate routine
> requests has gotten old.
>
> For the record, for good and compelling reasons, I keep domains a long
> way from expiration, run a weekly cron job executing d-check
> (http://linuxmafia.com/pub/linux/network/) to watch whois for upcoming
> renewal dates, and renew well in advance of need.
>
> Likewise, I insist on public WHOIS so it can fulfil its design role of
> permitting contact, by anyone observing a problem or other matter
> needing attention,  to the Administrative, Technical, and Registrant
> contacts as appropriate.
>
> "You'll be doxed", someone says says?  Funny, that:  Maybe they might
> use the real street address, real telephone number, real e-mail address,
> and "ICBM address" (latitude, longitude, and altitude of my favourite
> chair) on my personal Web page, instead.