FFS Crazy Domains - recommend me a domain registrar

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#3386366 23-Jun-2025 11:15

heavenlywild:

So do I need to purchase anything else to make my current website working? And emails? Privacy add-on? I am so used to Crazy Domains' add-ons galore.

There is no add on crap with metaname, its Domains and DNS management, plain simple and just works!

kiruti

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#3386849 24-Jun-2025 20:38

I use Porkbun, it's where I have my non .nz domains as well. Cheaper than any NZ registrar for .nz (maybe excluding CrazyDomains I guess).

Chills

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#3387579 27-Jun-2025 09:52

SiteHost is also good even though their feature pack goes beyond just Domain Registration. You get discounts depending on how many you register with them. I am a tad late on this topic though.

arjoll

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#3388498 1-Jul-2025 09:37

I'm not wanting to add to the "please recommend a domain registrar" noise in the threads so replying here - hope that's ok!

I've just found that 1st Domains have increased their .nz and .com pricing around 20% without warning - I see there's a note on their website, but I don't tend to randomly check my domain registrar's website regularly for news, and would generally expect some kind of email notification. With that, and the frustration that they still can't link their invoices to my Voyager wholesale account, I thought it was time to check for options.

I manage around 80 domains, about 80% of those are on behalf of clients (registered to the client of course, but with me as technical and account contact). Most of the domains there are just domain registration and DNS. A handful use Azure or Cloudflare for DNS, a handful have redirects set up and a couple have email forwarding enabled, so it's not all pure domain stuff.

Any recommendation for a reliable, New Zealand-owned registrar? I see Metaname mentioned, but it looks like they don't do the redirects and forwarding, and am not interested in using an overseas provider with zero support in the country (have had to help too many clients with issues, and some still get expiration reminders from Discount Domains even though I switched their domains across to 1st Domains years ago).

freitasm

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#3388499 1-Jul-2025 09:41

arjoll:

I'm not wanting to add to the "please recommend a domain registrar" noise in the threads so replying here - hope that's ok!

I've just found that 1st Domains have increased their .nz and .com pricing around 20% without warning - I see there's a note on their website, but I don't tend to randomly check my domain registrar's website regularly for news, and would generally expect some kind of email notification. With that, and the frustration that they still can't link their invoices to my Voyager wholesale account, I thought it was time to check for options.

I am not sure about the no warning, but the domain price rise was in the cards and came from the .nz registry. Despite recommending Metaname I did not receive a warning either, but I knew it from other sources so renewed all my domains before the 1st June.

Edit: I did receive a notification of price change from Metaname, in a timely manner. Please see reply #3391441 below.

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arjoll

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#3388550 1-Jul-2025 09:59

freitasm:

I am not sure about the no warning, but the domain price rise was in the cards and came from the .nz registry. Despite recommending Metaname I did not receive a warning either, but I knew it from other sources so renewed all my domains before the 1st June.

1st Domains had a note on their website, but I don't tend to hang out there checking news! They also raised prices on .com. If I'd known I'd have renewed many of them early.

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BlakJak

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#3388556 1-Jul-2025 10:11

arjoll:

I see Metaname mentioned, but it looks like they don't do the redirects and forwarding, and am not interested in using an overseas provider with zero support in the country (have had to help too many clients with issues, and some still get expiration reminders from Discount Domains even though I switched their domains across to 1st Domains years ago).

Redirects and forwarding are not functions of domain registration - you have to decide what features you actually want out of, well, a registrar.

MarkMonitor has been recently recommended to me, I have no idea what they're like and what features they have but I trust the party who recommended them to me, so...

No signature to see here, move along...

martyyn

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#3388559 1-Jul-2025 10:38

arjoll:

I've just found that 1st Domains have increased their .nz and .com pricing around 20% without warning

I've got 40-50 domains with them and have received numerous notifications of the price increase over the last couple of months.

[e] At least I think it was from them !

arjoll

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#3388561 1-Jul-2025 10:43

BlakJak:

Redirects and forwarding are not functions of domain registration - you have to decide what features you actually want out of, well, a registrar.

I'm aware, but they're useful value-adds in some situations that I've used with 1st Domains. That's why I mentioned it.

BlakJak:

MarkMonitor has been recently recommended to me, I have no idea what they're like and what features they have but I trust the party who recommended them to me, so...

I can't tell for sure, but with contact addresses in the USA and Japan and a +81 number I'm not sure they are New Zealand owned.

arjoll

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#3388571 1-Jul-2025 11:00

martyyn:

I've got 40-50 domains with them and have received numerous notifications of the price increase over the last couple of months.

Just had a call from my Voyager wholesale account manager - it isn't her department but she checked on a few things, and it sounds like they have an issue in their system which means they can see I didn't get notified. So she's looking in to what's going on there, as it's meant I also have missed some notifications on the Voyager side which isn't ideal.

It's a weird setup they have there where it sounds like some of their CRM is combined, but they can't bill my domains through wholesale...

BlakJak

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#3388580 1-Jul-2025 11:21

arjoll:

BlakJak:

MarkMonitor has been recently recommended to me, I have no idea what they're like and what features they have but I trust the party who recommended them to me, so...

I can't tell for sure, but with contact addresses in the USA and Japan and a +81 number I'm not sure they are New Zealand owned.

Offices in the USA and Japan. .. I guess you have to pick what you care about.

No signature to see here, move along...

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tchart

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#3388581 1-Jul-2025 11:22

acsylaa:

heavenlywild:

So do I need to purchase anything else to make my current website working? And emails? Privacy add-on? I am so used to Crazy Domains' add-ons galore.

There is no add on crap with metaname, its Domains and DNS management, plain simple and just works!

100% I’m really happy with metaname (I’m the OP) it just works and isn’t spammy!

Ragnor

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#3388656 1-Jul-2025 13:47

I use metaname as registrar for personal and work domains, sometimes I use them as dns host (other times I use Cloudflare as the dns host and waf)

Regarding the .nz price rise I received email notification from Metaname on 29th May there would be a price rise 1st July, a decent enough warning (I renewed a bunch of domains for 3-5 years at the cheaper price) and before the DNC made their announcement in April

https://dnc.org.nz/about/our-engagement/announcement/change-to-nz-wholesale-fee-from-1-july/

Metaname do have basic http redirection if you use their dns servers/hosting for www and the root (@)

Also you can always use Cloudflare (inc free tier) for DNS hosting if you want more control + waf

freitasm

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#3391441 7-Jul-2025 12:31

freitasm:

arjoll:

I'm not wanting to add to the "please recommend a domain registrar" noise in the threads so replying here - hope that's ok!

I've just found that 1st Domains have increased their .nz and .com pricing around 20% without warning - I see there's a note on their website, but I don't tend to randomly check my domain registrar's website regularly for news, and would generally expect some kind of email notification. With that, and the frustration that they still can't link their invoices to my Voyager wholesale account, I thought it was time to check for options.

I am not sure about the no warning, but the domain price rise was in the cards and came from the .nz registry. Despite recommending Metaname I did not receive a warning either, but I knew it from other sources so renewed all my domains before the 1st June.

I'd like to correct my previous reply - I have in fact received a message from Metaname, regarding the price change. I looked through my backup and found the notification, sent a month before the price change:

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Aaroona

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#3391751 7-Jul-2025 18:52

heavenlywild:

Thanks @Dynamic

So if I moved across from Crazy Domains, what would I be missing? The pricing looks so good. I am a noob self-starter so need some advice, thanks!

On the pricing, keep in mind that it excludes GST. so for a .nz its actually 38.50 + GST = $44.28 - so its definitely on the more pricey side for domains. That said, theres no advertising emails, no bloated website, functional design.

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