Looks like I’m in the market for a new domain registrar

Posted by stuart as news aggregator

Further to my earlier post regarding Mydomain.com using your newly registered domain to make money for themselves with landing pages:

Their response:

This happens with all new domains where you do not set the name servers elsewhere. We understand why you would feel concerned but it is a practice we utilize to help reduce the prices of our services. I’m very sorry you feel it is a dishonost practice and I hope we can make it up to you in service.

To which I responded:

I appreciate your reply, but I set the name servers to point to my
server immediately after I had purchased my domain. Whilst I understand
you point, are you sure you're not pointing domains to landing pages
whilst you wait for the domain to propagate?

I also understand your point about keeping your costs down, but you must
understand that people aren't going to want their business website
domain pointing to what is obviously a page designed to attract CPC
clicks. This can leave a ery bad taste in the mouth of all concerned.

Maybe you should as clients before you hijack their domains?

I am very concerned that if I register a domain for a web development
client (many of my clients are churches), they will not be impressed if,
while exctedly anticipating the launch of their new site, they are
confronted with blatant advertising.

Once again, as I asked in my support request, are you going to stop
doing this on domains I regeister with mydomain (I have around a dozen
domains with your organisation at this point in time, and have been, up
until this issue surfaced, happy with the service), or do I need to take
my new registrations elsewhere?

In anticipation of your response.

Stuart Drew

To which they responded:

Unfortunately this isn’t something that we can stop. Our machines are setup when a domain is created to use our default nameservers and since this is the first thing posted it is often times the first thing visible before the new nameservers are posted. I deeply apologize and I’m very sorry that I can’t rectify this issue.

Thank you for contacting support and please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Obviously somebody doesn’t want my business that badly.

1 Comment »

No response yet from mydomain re redirection

Posted by stuart as news aggregator

I wrote to mydomain.com the other day about the “redirection” issue with newly purchased domains.

Despite mydomain’s promise to respond within 24 hours to all emails, over 36 hours later, I am yet to receive a response.

hmmmmm…..

Wacky Wednesday

Posted by stuart as

As you are by now no doubt aware, Mrs PMPR and I are embarking on a new business venture. I’m quite excited about this venture, as the missus is keen. (She usually nods her head and says “oh, riiiiight” when I have an idea.)

The business is sublimation printing, which is the “transfer” printing of an image onto a specially prepared (polyester) surface. So the basic jist of it is that a customer gives us a digital image, and we print it onto a coffee mug/mouse mat/tshirt, or any one of a number of other “blanks”, we give them the finished product, and they give us money.

I’ve spent countless hours over the last few weeks researching, doing costing analysis, sourcing equipment and stock suppliers, market research etc. One thing that I’ve found particularly surprising is the gross profit margins in this industry. Based on the “normal” pricing in the marketplace, and my thorough cost analysis, margins are anywhere from 100 to 200 percent.

We believe that if we trim these margins (we’ll have quite low overheads to start with, as we’ll be operating from our back room), we can build the business quite quickly, and it will quite well compliment my (small but growing) web development business.

The idea is that in 12 months, I’ll be able to work full-time between the two businesses.

So, what’s the number one barrier to entry into any new business?

Capital

Our costings have given us a figure to enter into the business seriously of around $2,500. This is as follows:

• Epson printer with CIS Bulk ink system, and special sublimation inks: $750
• Heat Press to apply transfers: $500
• Mug press to press images onto “round things”: $150 (available heavily discounted at the moment if I buy the other stuff from a particular supplier)
• Blanks (Coffee mugs, tshirts, mouse mats, coasters etc): $600
• Other miscellaneous expenses: $200
• Marketing (Adwords campaign, letterbox drop): $300

Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t have a stare two and a half K lying around the house, so we were going to have to wait, and save to get the money together. I have a couple of web development jobs on the go at the moment, which would take us close to our target.

Then two freaky things hapenned on Wednesday (Yesterday)

1. I received an email from a “sort of” client, who I had developed a site for 18 months ago. In the final stages of development, the client disappeared off the face of the earth. I must admit that I didn’t try too hard to contact them, as I had a lot of other things going on at the time, and gave up the work as lost. Anyway, they contacted me yesterday, they want the site, it’s about two hours work away from being finished, and it’s worth $1,100!
2. Mrs. PMPR’s parents called, and due to some intra-family wrangling, have decided to give us some money. This is completely out of the blue, and will be in cash. Guess how much? $1,500!
   

Freaky, freaky, freaky!