discuss Lesson learnt: NO domain is ever free

[abstractdomainer]

So, recently, someone shared this news that 123-reg is giving away domains for free and I thought, why not try it. So, I purchased 1 domain from the registrar or rather registered it for free.
While adding the domain name, they added this service called "Free Website Builder" for $0.00.
While I thought I'd remove it during checkout, I forgot and it got carried forward with the purchase. All this happened at 0 cost, which is fine.

However, this new website builder that was given away for free had a MONTHLY RENEWAL cycle which I was unaware of. Having purchased the domain, there was a message set that if the domain name is set on renewals, the other related services will be auto-renewed. So I put the auto-renewal to off.

However, this morning when I woke up, I found that 1 euro has been deducted from my account. This was unexpected. Obviously I don't care about 1 euro. But what if I had registered say, 50 domains for $0 and then had to pay this, it would have been bad.

This thread is a lesson learned that whatever seems free usually isn't!

I saw some people on the thread, register 50 odd free domain names. Just a caution to all the domainers to absolutely be very very cautious when purchasing products. Some registrars like Godaddy, play cheap tricks by auto-checking adding products. So if you don't want them, you have to remove them instead of "if you want them, add them" and this may take a toll on a lot of investors.

Even 1 complete wrong auto-renewal for domains which you didn't want to renew, may rip you off your money and that can be really bad!

What is your thought on this?

 

[BrandAptly.com]

Note to self: Always read the fine-print.

 

[7363824]

Very good point. That said personally I don;t both chasing deals like that. But then agaion I don;t do alot of hand regs and when I do if I am not willing to pay $8.50 then its probably not any good is the way I look at it. Now maybe it is a name you would pay for but you just thought' you'd save a few bucks. But IMO the mental effort to find such deals and avoid these pitfalls is too much for saving 8.50.

 

[garptrader]

I recall years ago Godaddy had a promo on Managed WordPress website hosting for $1/month. I put dozens of domains into the program and set up minisites on a number of exact match geo real estate domains. Many of them ranked page one on Yahoo and Bing and a few ranked well even in Google. I started getting some traffic and eventually one end user bought one of them for low $xXxX at Godaddy Premium Listings. However, after one year the promo ended and I believe the new rate was $8 monthly. I ended up dropping all the sites.

 

[BrandAptly.com]

I recall years ago Godaddy had a promo on Managed WordPress website hosting for $1/month. I put dozens of domains into the program and set up minisites on a number of exact match geo real estate domains. Many of them ranked page one on Yahoo and Bing and a few ranked well even in Google. I started getting some traffic and eventually one end user bought one of them for low $xXxX at Godaddy Premium Listings. However, after one year the promo ended and I believe the new rate was $8 monthly. I ended up dropping all the sites.

Wasn't there anyway you could monetize the sites to pay for themselves until they sold? Adsense, perhaps?

 

[abstractdomainer]

Note to self: Always read the fine-print.

Hahaha.. of course! Not getting into any of this, again!

Very good point. That said personally I don;t both chasing deals like that. But then agaion I don;t do alot of hand regs and when I do if I am not willing to pay $8.50 then its probably not any good is the way I look at it. Now maybe it is a name you would pay for but you just thought' you'd save a few bucks. But IMO the mental effort to find such deals and avoid these pitfalls is too much for saving 8.50.

Makes sense! Too much effort and takes away the mental peace. Better to invest your money and purchase. That way, I think I'd be more sincere in where I invest.

I recall years ago Godaddy had a promo on Managed WordPress website hosting for $1/month. I put dozens of domains into the program and set up minisites on a number of exact match geo real estate domains. Many of them ranked page one on Yahoo and Bing and a few ranked well even in Google. I started getting some traffic and eventually one end user bought one of them for low $xXxX at Godaddy Premium Listings. However, after one year the promo ended and I believe the new rate was $8 monthly. I ended up dropping all the sites.

You should be glad that it didn't go for auto-renewal!

 

[Bname.com]

There is no such thing as a free lunch, I think he may be free for one day and then deduct 1 dollar per day, haha