Vendor (ISP) Lock In

Beware the dreaded vendor lock in … Although most ISPs these days allow you to modify DNS details and once you’ve registered your domain you shouldn’t need to change the registrar, there are some occasions you might want or need to.

One such occasion required one of our clients to transfer a .uk domain away from IoMart and they said that to do so would require a fee of £49.99+VAT to release the domain. Since 10 years of domain renewal fees cost less than this, this sounds to me like a ransom to not release the domain. It is in fact cheaper to go direct to Nominet and pay them to change the IPStag (£15+VAT).

Remember to check the small-print if you’re registering domains to avoid the dreaded vendor lock in. Personally, I think this sort of behaviour should be outlawed by automated ISPs.

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