Never buy a .online domain

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #3

A great reminder even if you aren't a Google customer, Google's love of banning people with no notice or recourse will still screw you over.

I'm shocked there was no notification, or alert, of any kind. One moment you're there, the next, you're gone and no one will talk to you. Insanity.

Re: Never buy a .online domain

#6

Post by palad1n » Wed, Feb 25, 2026, 1:53 PM UTC

Are there any other TLDs that are of this ilk or are we saying nothing but .com will ever do? Or .org, perhaps?

Re: Never buy a .online domain

#7

Post by pil0u » Wed, Feb 25, 2026, 1:53 PM UTC

One conclusion is:

> Not adding the domain to Google Search Console immediately.

I don't understand. What is Google Search Console, and should I add all my domains there right now?

Re: Never buy a .online domain

#8

Post by tucnak » Wed, Feb 25, 2026, 1:54 PM UTC

The .com purist advice is sound but you're not getting four-letter domain names that way, and in some ccTLD zones you can still.

I was price-gouged out of owning a single, rare .icu domain when renewal fee for it went from 20 usd to 220 usd overnight, just for this one domain... I'm pretty sure it's not Gandi, but the TLD opetator, because other .icu domains I've had were fine. I decided to eventually abandon them all anyway. Moved away from Gandi later when they started doing gouging of their own, too.

What is HN's opinion on Dynadot?

Re: Never buy a .online domain

#9

Post by Citizen_Lame » Wed, Feb 25, 2026, 1:54 PM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #3

A great reminder even if you aren't a Google customer, Google's love of banning people with no notice or recourse will still screw you over.

That’s not fair. Google has no hesitation in banning its own customers either. Combine this with private equity vultures (namecheap) and shitty registrar, you are always one AI token away from being banned.

Re: Never buy a .online domain

#10

Post by mystraline » Wed, Feb 25, 2026, 1:55 PM UTC

So, how is this not libel by Google? The claim was that you were running an "unsafe site". Its their job to prove that, and not just "black box says so".

And you have system and reputational damages.

Go for small claims suit, $5000. It'll cost more than that for their attorney to go to your jurisdiction.