GoDaddy Rant

56 points by Jaxtek 3 years ago | 47 comments

Hi HN,

I tried editing a subdomain's CNAME record and it was not editable (API returned "Duplicate entry"). So I deleted that record and tried creating again. Same error. Now our old record is gone and I can't create new one. I spoke with the support and they created a record for `subdomain.example.com.example.com` instead of `subdomain.example.com` from backend (lol). When I pointed it out, they politely said they cant do anything about it .

Now I can do nothing to revert what I did. This was a subdomain used by few people in the company so it didn't cause any major problems. But it would have been disastrous otherwise(Some of our pings are already failing).

We will be transferring the domain to another registrar ASAP.

I would recommend anyone having a GoDaddy domain to transfer to another registrar. More examples: https://old.reddit.com/r/godaddy/top/ Rant over.

mindcrime 3 years ago |

Fair point, but for what it's worth, you can use a different DNS service even if you leave the domain registration with GoDaddy (or whoever). I have domains registered with GoDaddy, Namecheap, Amazon, Google, etc., but use Amazon Route 53 for all of my DNS (well, I think I finally got around to moving everything. Let's just say that everything important in on Route 53 at least).

That said there are plenty of good reasons to move away from GoDaddy. I have a few domains that at still with them just out of inertia (read: laziness) but I'll probably move them eventually. At the very least, it would be nice to consolidate all of my domains in one place.

Gentil 3 years ago |

GoDaddy has never been a good domain registrar. They have horrible practices. Sell our data. And buy the domain you did a lookup for in their website and try to sell it to you for more money. Not a service to use in so many ways if you are looking for something dependent.

Namecheap is good. Their customer support has been reliable in two instances I needed it.

And I know you shouldn't use GoDaddy and Google domains. Also, any place which is going to lock your domain and data. Keep this in your basic checklist. :)

darreninthenet 3 years ago | |

Hmmm I have all my domains on Google at the moment... what's the story with not using them?

daneel_w 3 years ago | | |

I think the issue is that they might just yank access without a word and on absurd premises, and following that the near impossible task of 1) getting in touch with a human, and 2) a human who's also willing to help instead of just deflecting your plea.

Spunkie 3 years ago | | |

Google will nuke your entire domain at the registrar level and put it on a malware/phishing list just because one subdomain generates some traffic google does not understand.

Don't trust google with your registrar needs.

zinekeller 3 years ago | | |

If you're comfortable with Google's ad practices (which is the usual reason why some hate using Google), the fact that Google doesn't have a good customer service (even compared to AWS and Microsoft) means that if you were locked out "for your safety" you don't have any recourse (while AWS and Microsoft (if you have an enterprise product like Azure, retail services are Google-like in support) allows you to get in touch with an actual human and resolve your problems).

Gentil 3 years ago | | |

I don't think google invokes confidence when it comes to customer support. Especially when it comes to occupying a small space on the internet.

Not to mention, I would be linking another thing with google. As an indieweb enthusiast, it just doesn't align with me. I also recommend against them because of privacy.

jchw 3 years ago |

I would agree that you should not use GoDaddy for many reasons. However, whatever domain registar you use, you can use different DNS services with your domain regardless of domain registar. For example, you can use Cloudflare or AWS/GCP/Digital Ocean/Linode/etc. to actually host the DNS. I'd generally recommend that unless you happen to use a registar with a very robust DNS setup (like using Cloudflare as your registar.)

mkl95 3 years ago |

GoDaddy is a bottom of the barrel company. I have been buying my domains on Namecheap and using Cloudflare's nameservers for a while, with no issues whatsoever. I have heard good things about Porkbun too.

redorb 3 years ago | |

+1 for namecheap as a registrar replacement - their chat support is the only chat support I've ever had actually fix an issue.

tomxor 3 years ago |

Registrar != nameserver, although they tend to provide one, they also tend to be complete crap IME.

Have a look at your hosting provider (which hopefully is not also your registrar). e.g I use Linode's nameservers which are pretty reliable and have a straightforward UI. All you need to do is point your registrar to a different name server.

Danieru 3 years ago | |

> (which hopefully is not also your registrar)

It is a new era so the old Slashdot wisdom bares repeating: always use a separate registrar from your host.

Your domain ownership is your key. Your host is your service provider. Do not give your key to your service provider.

And new wisdom for the modern era: never use Google for domains or anything you'd care about the next day should their algo ban you.

mananaysiempre 3 years ago | |

Gandi’s bundled DNS seems pretty OK, am I missing anything? Aside from the fact that you have to submit to Gandi’s prices first.

tomxor 3 years ago | | |

Bundling DNS with hosting is fine, bundling registration with hosting may be dangerous as per sibling comment.

It doesn't matter too much which side the DNS server is on, although the registrar provided ones tend to be less reliable. The potential for getting into trouble comes when the company that controls your domain ownership also does the hosting, because if they decide to ban you based on content or false flags or whatever, then you may also lose access to your domain name giving you no way to switch to an alternative. If the registrar is separate you can just pick up a different, possibly more fair hosting provider and point your domain at it.

The only guys I trust to do both are nearlyfreespeech.net, and although they aren't going to throw themselves under a bus for you if you are up to obviously illegal stuff, they are principled and do have a lot of experience pushing back against bogus law suits or DMCAs from people trying to exploit the system to get stuff they don't like taken down.

RE Gandi, It's been a long time but I always found their pricing pretty steep. Try out linode, stuff like nameservers are free, their VPS options are not infinitely configurable like gandis, but they are also simpler and way cheaper anyway. I think with Gandi you are paying a high premium for independently customisable resources.

sushikokk 3 years ago |

Just put it on Cloudflare, you don't have to proxy it but just use Cloudflare as nameserver. There you can change everything you want.

99failures 3 years ago |

Friends don't let friends GoDaddy.

r1ch 3 years ago |

I've never had a good experience using a registrar's DNS service for production. Point it at Cloudflare or HE or something.

acdha 3 years ago | |

Cloudflare is a registrar these days - if you’re using them for DNS I’d consider doing both to reduce the number of businesses you’re critically dependent on.

zinekeller 3 years ago | |

At this point even the Windows DNS server service beats the complementary DNS of registrars.

arkitaip 3 years ago |

I just don't get why dev people keep using Go Daddy after decades of bad customer service and poor product. Seriously, they aren't even cheap.

reaperducer 3 years ago | |

Dev people don't. It's the non-technical middle and upper managers who pick GoDaddy because they saw an ad during a sporting event.

Then the tech people have to shoulder the burden when GoDaddy screws up.

Last week I waited on hold with GoDaddy for five-and-a-half hours. And that was for the online help chat.

About half way in I decided to call the phone number, too. On hold for three hours and by then, the chat person finally showed up.

wccrawford 3 years ago | |

Because there are more of them born every minute, and there's a lot of information out there to process. And when doing something new, it's pretty hard to separate out the people with legit gripes and the people who are just complaining because they are confused or didn't get their way.

Jaxtek 3 years ago | |

Domain was bought by our non-technical CEO. my personal stuff is in namecheap

remorses 3 years ago |

I lately got a lot of YouTube ads for GoDaddy and it’s hilarious that their main proposition is to “Make your business look more professional with custom domain emails and website”

professional!? Your name is GoDaddy and you want to look professional?

JoeyBananas 3 years ago | |

I don't find the name itself to be unprofessional, but rather everything else about the company.

partyguy 3 years ago |

Try using a different, dedicated DNS provider first - no need to switch registrars. For example you could try (shameless plug) https://nanelo.com If you want, I can migrate everything for you and hook you up with a free account for now.

sandGorgon 3 years ago | |

hey - very cool service. but no API ?

im not in the market right now, but i have been in the past. your pricing is pretty good for early stage (before people might have to move to bunny.net or nsone at scale).

but no API is a blocker. just FYI.

partyguy 3 years ago | | |

Hey! Great point - an API is currently in the works and will be available in all plans pretty soon!

gabrielgio 3 years ago |

Many years ago I bought one domain from them (I didn't know better back them). I have little requirement for DNS service, I just have a couple of subdomains and for couple years I kept using godaddy. But every year it goes godaddy becomes worse. The UI has became slower, the "manage dns" requires more click to go to. So many anti pattern to try to push for some of their service (e.g.: email service, premium DNS? and what not).

It got to a point that even though I'd access godaddy twice a year it was a bad enough experience so I moved to another provider.

ncphil 3 years ago |

As others have already written: If you're stuck on GoDaddy, decouple and use a different DNS. Cloudflare is pretty good for that. Adding my vote for Namecheap for all the reasons given. I use their DNS as well, and it has worked well for me. I'm big on self-support, but the few times I've needed help from Namecheap they've been there for me.

KomoD 3 years ago |

Just use another DNS service, like Cloudflare? No need to transfer your entire domain just because their DNS is bad.

newbieuser 3 years ago |

godaddy and namecheap. If you are using these two sites in some way and paying money, what you need to do as soon as possible is to transfer all your domains to another site and delete your account. As long as you keep using these idiots they will continue to grow more.

acdha 3 years ago |

GoDaddy has always been like this, too – I remember helping people with downtime caused by their services 20 years ago (good job, business guy who picked them because he liked the soft-core pinup photos). You will never regret moving to a more competent company.

runewell 3 years ago |

I felt the same way and transferred my domains to Uniregistry ... and then GoDaddy bought them.

daneel_w 3 years ago |

Another day, another NoDaddy mishap. Best of luck getting it solved. If the recommendation is of any value, I've used joker.com (registrar providing free DNS services) for something like 20 years now. Not a single tech hiccup thus far.

remorses 3 years ago |

Try GoMommy next time, surely they know what they are doing

DOsinga 3 years ago |

Ugh. GoDaddy. I default to namecheap these days with cloudflare for the DNS. Works pretty well and is also, eh, cheap

klausjensen 3 years ago | |

My exact goto-setup as well.

weird-eye-issue 3 years ago | | |

Mine too but Namecheap has royally screwed me a couple times recently on self-admitted bugs. First an entire domain went offline with no warning or notification because of some verification bug. Then on one of my expired domains they were leaking my real data in the whois due to a bug and I could only fix it by registering the domain at an increased price! Then I could re-enable Whois Guard (which was enabled when the domain initially expired)

ronreiter 3 years ago |

Just point the nameservers to Cloudflare or wherever you are hosting your website.

JoeyBananas 3 years ago | |

When it comes time to renew, or god forbid do anything else, you'll still have to deal with GoDaddy the company.

WantonQuantum 3 years ago |

I would never use GoDaddy for anything that's important. I sometimes use it for a $3 throwaway domain for a joke.

(And it goes without saying that no one should use Network Solutions either.)

I use Amazon Route 53 and haven't had any problems.

awkw 3 years ago |

Is HN a GoDaddy support forum now, as well as a Stripe support forum?

sshine 3 years ago | |

OP isn’t requesting support.

They’re warning against using GoDaddy.

You could ask if HN is a review site. I’d say it also is. Most people here know GoDaddy sucks, so this isn’t much of an urgent review.