Need advice: Tech support issues

I'm at a point and I'm not sure where to go from here. I could use some advice. I apologize in advance for the length of this.

Background: I have my website domain registration with Netfirms. I have my website hosting with iPage. I do this on purpose and for my own reasons. It is not overly common to separate the two, but it is common enough that it should be routine for the companies involved. Both companies are owned by the same parent company, Endurance International Group. I did not know that when I signed up, but know it now.

I recently changed hosts to iPage. I set my domain name nameservers, A Record, etc., to point from Netfirms to iPage. It wasn't working even though Netfirms confirmed I had done it correctly. So, I contact iPage's tech support via submitting tickets (essentially, e-mail).

After several iterations of trying to fix my non-connection issue, iPage MOVES my domain name from Netfirms to iPage, and proudly tells me they have fixed my problem. I tell them that is not what I want, and explain again that I want my registration and hosting separate. We go back and forth 3 more times, and where I am now is that my domain name shows up on Netfirms, but is inaccessible because they say I have to talk to iPage. It is usable for hosting at iPage, but they claim to not be the registrar.

Current status: The domain name is in some kind of limbo. Neither company claims registration. The website is currently up and working, but it is not configured how I want it.

Both companies have Indian tech support people, and it is clear to me that they have no clue what I want... although separate name registration and hosting is not uncommon. I don't know where to go from here. I feel like contacting Netfirms and/or iPage would be a waste of time. I cannot find contact information for the parent company.

Any advice would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks.

You could try looking up who the listed registar is and at least you would know which it is. Here is one site that will do it Whois Domain Lookup Search - Whois Lookup: Find Who Registered a Website, Check Domain Name

Looking at all the reviews on Yelp it seems that Netfirms is a pretty terrible hosting company. You might want to switch...

Forget it. Get domain and hosting with GoDaddy.

Baralis said:

You could try looking up who the listed registar is and at least you would know which it is. Here is one site that will do it Whois Domain Lookup Search - Whois Lookup: Find Who Registered a Website, Check Domain Name

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That helped answer one of my questions. Thanks.

PoS said:

Looking at all the reviews on Yelp it seems that Netfirms is a pretty terrible hosting company. You might want to switch...

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I use Netfirms only for domain registration, not hosting. For that, I have had no complaints.

Funny part is, previous to iPage my hosting was with Bluehost... which is also owned by the same parent company, it turns out... and I had no complaints with them.

RDS said:

Forget it. Get domain and hosting with GoDaddy.

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No. I do not combine registration and hosting. I did use GoDaddy for hosting several years ago, and they were ok. Not a lot of help in the tech support department, but they were always right there at the ready with an offer to sell another product or service.

I would consider going back to them for hosting, though, and I just might... as long as I get a decent introductory deal.

radcen said:

I did use GoDaddy for hosting several years ago, and they were ok. Not a lot of help in the tech support department, but they were always right there at the ready with an offer to sell another product or service.

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lol...

If you want presidential service for 10 bucks you spend then the right place is Zimbabwe.