Web host traumas advice required.

[Eleven]

Hi All

We've got a number of domains with Freeparking.co.uk who have been generally useless and now seem to have ceased providing email to us altogether.

The problem seems to be due to them switching mail servers on 25th May.

I have tried contacting their support team on numerous occasions, but I have received no response. This may be because they are trying to email a response to one of our addresses hosted by them... However, I have also given them a GMX address for contact, but no joy. Which leads me to believe they are inundated with problems.

Freeparking has a control panel that I have tried logging into to see if I can resolve matters myself. However, my login details don't work. I have tried using "I've forgotten my password" but receive no email. Which again may be because they are trying to email me on one of the addresses hosted by them.

Does anyone have any good ideas please? I'd even be prepared to move lock, stock and barrel to a new provider if it can be done swiftly. However last time we did it, it wasn't exactly painless.

[buggalugs]

I'd move lock stock, it's usually the email bit that isn't painless though it can be done. However since your email isn't working as-is I see little downside! People are repping TSO host at the moment. They advertise free site moves.

[rpguk]

Do you have control of your domain name (i.e you can update your nameservers?)

If so just move - if it's not working now nothing to lose.

[Eleven]

rpguk said:

Do you have control of your domain name (i.e you can update your nameservers?)

If so just move - if it's not working now nothing to lose.

As far as I am aware I would need access to the control panel to do that.

[Eleven]

Just looking at Twitter and it seems that a number of their customers are having the same issues. The company seems not to be replying to anyone.

Is it possible to move our domains without the cooperation of the company currently hosting them?

[selwonk]

Yes. For example, if it's a .co.uk domain you can seek assistance from Nominet:

http://www.nominet.org.uk/

[Rowley Birkin]

Well, they finally managed to get things working. However, I now have another problem with them.

One of our .com domains expired on Saturday. We didn't get the usual reminder emails, but an expiry notice did arrive. I tried on Monday to renew it but no joy. The system said I must contact freeparking.co.uk and yes, you've guessed it, they are not responding again.

Freeparking really does seem to have lost the plot. So can I renew an expired domain with another firm, or am I at the mercy of Freeparking?

[buggalugs]

You're at their mercy. The nominet thing is a slow ball ache. Renew it with freeparking then MOVE EVERYTHING!!!

[Rowley Birkin]

buggalugs said:

You're at their mercy. The nominet thing is a slow ball ache. Renew it with freeparking then MOVE EVERYTHING!!!

That's my thinking.

[Rowley Birkin]

Turns out that we didn't neglect to renew the domain. It was done in January. The expiry email was misleading. What it actually meant was that Freeparking have changed their product and want us to pay extra because we have more than 2 email addresses.

They have provided a new login for the new service, but not a password.

They appear to be utterly hopeless.

I presume this means that I can legitimately move all our domains and we don't need to remain with them on the basis that one has expired.

[buggalugs]

I will let seminal 90's rave artist 'Reel 2 Reel' respond to this one with some helpful words of advice -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyx4v1QFzhQ

[Rowley Birkin]

buggalugs said:

I will let seminal 90's rave artist 'Reel 2 Reel' respond to this one with some helpful words of advice -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyx4v1QFzhQ

Very good.

Let's hope that Freeparking doesn't respond with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykEOf0m5eeQ

[cornet]

Assuming you manage to get in contact with FreeParking.co.uk then I highly recommend you transfer your domain to a reputable registrar and use someone completely separate for the hosting of the site/email.

The only extra step you normally need to do is input the hosting company's nameservers into your registrar's control panel.

For example

https://www.tsohost.com/knowledge-base/article/643...


This means if you start having problems with tsohost (or whoever) you can easily move away from them.


For a registrar I personally use https://www.gandi.net/ and have no complaints about them. I do not take advantage of their free hosting/email though for the reasons above (and I have my own server)

[Rowley Birkin]

Thanks to you guys who recommended TSO, we've moved everything to them.