Tucows made hover.com to try and solve this exact problem. How does this differ?
Price: $8.03 vs $14.99
Sure, it's a little more expensive, but I actually like the no upsell, stable prices, no coupon codes etc..
Most importantly, there's a number to call. I've never had to call it in my 7 years with them, but I'm glad it's there for emergencies.
A domain is so, so important, I don't see "we're a few bucks cheaper" as a selling point.