Spaceship.com registrar thread.

[dirk]

I just tried Spaceship.com. They're a NameCheap brand and launched their beta. I think they rightfully deserve a thread on NP to discuss our experiences with their new registrar.

Remember, it's still in beta so do expect some glitches, work to be done... Would be cool in someone from NC would care to chip in @tamar

 

[NicTraders]

I finally got around to giving Spaceship a whirl. 2 questions:
- Is there any way to have Auto Renew turned off by default instead of on when registering new domains?
- What is the point of the Domain Manager, when Domain Portfolio appears to do the same (but you can see/do more in the Portfolio)?

 

[kor]

Is there any way to have Auto Renew turned off by default

I’m using API for that. It also unlocks and collect the auth codes for bulk transfer.

What is the point of the Domain Manager, when Domain Portfolio appears to do the same

UI/UX

 

[mm1945]

Unfortunately, none of the .com transfer coupons seem to be working. Is there any coupon that actually works now?

 

[Spaceship]

Unfortunately, none of the .com transfer coupons seem to be working. Is there any coupon that actually works now?

Currently, we have the promo code SPSCOMTR, which allows you to transfer a .com domain for $3.94 ; it is limited to 1 per user. Other than that, the price for a .com transfer is already discounted and currently is $9.48

 

[Jannes]

edit: wrong thread

 

[ScruffyBeard]

Currently, we have the promo code SPSCOMTR, which allows you to transfer a .com domain for $3.94 ; it is limited to 1 per user. Other than that, the price for a .com transfer is already discounted and currently is $9.48

Why can't you have a constant promo code for registrations and transfers, instead of constantly messing customers around with time limited/quantity limited and "while supplies last" nonsense?

What if these particular codes aren't seen by your customers who don't use forums or if they don't see them in time?
Why don't you automatically insert the best promo codes to orders?
Yes, that is revolutionary, isn't it, but if you did that, it would set you apart from other registrars and drive more people to you. Perhaps you could add that as a bullet point to discuss in your next round table meeting?

You are getting close to becoming like all the other registrars in playing silly games/shenanigans and if you carry on with this behavior, then better alternatives will popup and you won't be the cool registrar that you, still are, just about...

 

[ScruffyBeard]

The issue is industry wide. These guys think by making it hard, we won't leave. But all it does is serve to piss us off and after we leave, make us question coming back. I think registrars should serve customers consistently and appropriately whether joining, managing, or leaving. When a registrar does this, its goodwill goes up and over time that pays dividends imo

You can't expect registrars to think intelligently and considerately, nor care about the trouble they are causing for transfers out from them.
All registrars, once they get to a certain size, introduce changes they have had in their back pocket for a long time.

This is a modern disease and its not just in the domain names world - its damn well everywhere where profits are the only focus.

Old companies never behaved this way. They treated their customers (and staff) well, made great products that lasted and they created a great name and reputation for themselves that stood for decades.

That is all gone now.

Today, we have an army of small minded, narrow minded and eff the customer attitudes, across business and this has also become rampant in government towards the public - the public has become the enemy in their eyes, not the ones to be served.

So as nice and as "cool" as spaceship seems to be, its a barely a toddler in business terms and we'll see, won't we, what they introduce if they get bigger and bigger.

 

[LucidDomains]

Bought a domain from atom. Apparently old seller has the domain listed in Spaceship. Asked Spaceship to remove listing. They said I need to verify domain ownership with a TXT record.

Why do I have to jump through hoops for a false listing?

Surely they can create some reverification process to check if old seller still owns the domain. Right?

 

[AnX]

Bought a domain from atom. Apparently old seller has the domain listed in Spaceship. Asked Spaceship to remove listing. They said I need to verify domain ownership with a TXT record.

Why do I have to jump through hoops for a false listing?

Surely they can create some reverification process to check if old seller still owns the domain. Right?

Knowing who doesn't own a domain doesn't prove who does own it.

 

[Jannes]

Bought a domain from atom. Apparently old seller has the domain listed in Spaceship. Asked Spaceship to remove listing. They said I need to verify domain ownership with a TXT record.

Why do I have to jump through hoops for a false listing?

Surely they can create some reverification process to check if old seller still owns the domain. Right?

That's how all marketplaces operate (what exactly should trigger a reverification, surely not a false claim by a malevolent actor?). At least Spaceship is trying to put some pressure on nonchalant sellers

Richard Kirkendall @namecheapceo123 October 13, 2026

If you list your domains for sale at Sellerhub and you don't follow through with the sale without a valid reason we will no longer allow you to trade on platform. If you have stale listings make sure you update them asap. We do this to uphold the integrity of our platform and the…

View original Load full embed

 

[Mkt Sales Leads]

I finally got around to giving Spaceship a whirl. 2 questions:
- Is there any way to have Auto Renew turned off by default instead of on when registering new domains?
- What is the point of the Domain Manager, when Domain Portfolio appears to do the same (but you can see/do more in the Portfolio)?

Agreed. At Dynadot, the domain manager also enables one to list their domains on the Dynadot marketplace as well as Sedo and Afternic (at least after a number of days).
@Spaceship , your domain manager doesn't appear to have such functionality (unless I've missed something), so one has to then navigate to the seller hub to do the job your domain manager should do.

 

[MrDhruv]

Very Simple. Select all domains, and "Disable Auto-renew" at one click.

 

[NameGroove]

Very Simple. Select all domains, and "Disable Auto-renew" at one click.
Show attachment 316170

So frustrating @Spaceship doesn't allow us to set a default to disable auto-renew. Why force us to go through this addl step?

 

[NicTraders]

Agreed. At Dynadot, the domain manager also enables one to list their domains on the Dynadot marketplace as well as Sedo and Afternic (at least after a number of days).
@Spaceship , your domain manager doesn't appear to have such functionality (unless I've missed something), so one has to then navigate to the seller hub to do the job your domain manager should do.

Yeah, they seem intent on having the SellerHub as a separate app, so I'm not sure we'll change their mind in that. It's something I'm trying to get used to. But I can't fathom the point of having both the Domain Manager and the Domain Portfolio apps. It's always best to subscribe to the KISS principle IMHO.
To date I've been trialling getting Alf to add domains to SellerHub and this has been working fine, but I still need to go to SellerHub and play with For Sale pages.

 

[NicTraders]

So frustrating @Spaceship doesn't allow us to set a default to disable auto-renew. Why force us to go through this addl step?

Agree x10. Really rather annoying having to ensure that you turn this off every time on new registrations.

 

[Mkt Sales Leads]

So frustrating @Spaceship doesn't allow us to set a default to disable auto-renew. Why force us to go through this addl step?

Market self interest. It would be financially better for them if you forgot to turn your renewals off and money is deposited in their bank account.

 

[NameGroove]

Market self interest. It would be financially better for them if you forgot to turn your renewals off and money is deposited in their bank account.

Only in the short term. Make enough decisions like this, and long term, customers migrate elsewhere.

 

[Orest Gorishniy]

Hi @NicTraders @Mkt Sales Leads,

- What is the point of the Domain Manager, when Domain Portfolio appears to do the same (but you can see/do more in the Portfolio)?

Domain Portfolio is built for bulk work across many domains: categories, DNS presets, bulk changes to nameservers, privacy and contacts, export, and filtering by nameserver set, etc.
Domain Manager is built for detailed management of one domain, such as expiration, nameservers, transfer lock, auth code, and connected products. I understand why the two look like they overlap. That feedback is logged and tracked.

@Spaceship , your domain manager doesn't appear to have such functionality (unless I've missed something), so one has to then navigate to the seller hub to do the job your domain manager should do.

In Domain Portfolio you can select two or more domains and list them in SellerHub from there. Domain Manager does not have this yet, and that request is logged too.

Regards, Orest, Spaceship Domains Product Coordinator

 

[NameGroove]

Hi @NicTraders @Mkt Sales Leads,

Domain Portfolio is built for bulk work across many domains: categories, DNS presets, bulk changes to nameservers, privacy and contacts, export, and filtering by nameserver set, etc.
Domain Manager is built for detailed management of one domain, such as expiration, nameservers, transfer lock, auth code, and connected products. I understand why the two look like they overlap. That feedback is logged and tracked.


In Domain Portfolio you can select two or more domains and list them in SellerHub from there. Domain Manager does not have this yet, and that request is logged too.

Regards, Orest, Spaceship Domains Product Coordinator

While the explanation is appreciated, it still seems redundant. Why not make Domain Portfolio work for everything? That is, just allow us to manage single domains within Domain Portfolio (in addition to the already bulk option)? Most of us use numerous registrars and we can't recall the details of ea. A single point of mgmt simplifies it for us.

 

[ScruffyBeard]

So frustrating @Spaceship doesn't allow us to set a default to disable auto-renew. Why force us to go through this addl step?

Another modern disease, of companies purposely opting people in, without their permission and this contributes to the enshittificaiton of modern life. Typically, this is often experienced by people when they are emailed after someone has shopped at a site and the site claims, in tiny 4 point type at the end of the spam email, that you have given your consent to receiving such email.

This attitude is appalling and it is symptomatic of organizations who don't give a s*** about customers, because they are playing the numbers game. And there are likely to be other offensive behaviors that such organizations are engaged in. Over time, customers will leave such organizations but the organization won't change their shambolic behavior unless those departing customers are not replaced my new ones.

Domain Portfolio is built for bulk work across many domains: categories, DNS presets, bulk changes to nameservers, privacy and contacts, export, and filtering by nameserver set, etc.
Domain Manager is built for detailed management of one domain, such as expiration, nameservers, transfer lock, auth code, and connected products. I understand why the two look like they overlap. That feedback is logged and tracked.

The problem you have not addressed is that this explanation is nowhere to be found on your spartan website, which still has ongoing annoyances that you are perpetually "working on".
Are people at spaceship who are "working on" those issues, while also putting their grubby shoes up on their desks, while drinking coffee and talking to colleagues about the latest junk on TV, or some new hottie?

So how are people to distinguish between the two similarly named modules? Answer, they can't, without an egghead from spaceship explaining it in text on a web forum, which won't be read by everyone who uses your site.
How hard is it to add a description of your modules? That way, your staff won't be burdened by numerous people emailing your support with this frequent question, as well as other issues which you could avoid being asked with an onscreen explanation.
That way, you could finish "working on" the issues that continue to irritate and make me take deep sighs every time.