premium domains availability issue in WHMCS

[rega]

Hi all

Surprisingly WHMCS can't say to client his entered domain name is not available due to its registrar lock this domain as a premium domain.WHMCS only refer to its whois result that is not enough for many domains such as premium domains .

 

Is there any soloution to resolve this error?

Everyday clients try to register premium domains (because whmcs say them it's available !!) and annoy us,whereas we can't register those domains for them .

[brian!]

there is a module, well a domainchecker replacement, from Hexonet that allows for premium domains and uses API rather than whois.

 

http://forum.whmcs.com/showthread.php?87994-High-Performance-DomainChecker-nTLDs-PremiumDomains-Categories

http://docs.whmcs.com/HexoNet (the existing link in documentation doesn't work)

 

our module works with any registrar, however you will only have High Performance API checks with Hexonet. Availability checks for extension, which are not configured with Hexonet will be realized through the standard WHOIS lookup.

 

Aftermarket and Registry Premium domains won't work either, as they have to be supported by the registrar API.

so I think you have to register premium domains through them rather than your current registrar(s), but it may be worth contacting Hexonet via PM, in the above thread or directly on their site to confirm this... and also their domain pricing - the addon is free, but i'm talking about the prices they'll charge you for domain registrations, renewals, transfers etc.

[rega]

Hi

Thank you for your reply.Do you mean I have to register normal domains with them?

Im currently using Enom,Onlinenic,Resellerclub as registrar .Do you mean I have to transfer to their registrar?!

[brian!]

Hi,

 

I'm sure that you won't have to transfer existing domains to them in order to use this, you can still keep your current registrars for them.

 

with regards to new registrations, then I suspect you can continue to use multiple registrars for different tlds - the issue will come with premium domains, which I think would have to go through Hexonet - however, i'm only guessing on that because we don't personally use Hexonet or this domainchecker addon.

 

Enom seems to use Name Media for premium domains, as seemingly do Hexonet with this addon.

 

as you use resellerclub, it might also be worth checking out "LogicBoxes Compatible Domain Registrar Module for WHMCS" by Resellerclub Mods.

 

http://www.resellerclub-mods.com/en/products/registrar-modules/lcdrm.html

 

it's not free, about $20 one-time or $4 per month, but it might be worth contacting the author, Marco, about that and whether it can do what you want - I haven't used it so I don't know!

 

http://forum.whmcs.com/member.php?20913-imaticon

 

that also seems to offer a premium domain option and you'll probably be able to use it with your existing resellerclub account.

 

hope that helps.

[rega]

Thank you for kind reply . But honestly I think these solutions not a total solution. WHMCS have to do it and resolve this big problem. Because checking domain availability is one of host billing duty not 3rd parties .

More over I have to say WHMCS is weak in domain registration and its related tasks.

Recently you can see many threats in this forum that WHMCS users are struggle with these issues and it seems WHMCS do nothing !!

 

I can list you many of them , I also responded them these issues to WHMCS by asking some new features,submitting tickets or even saying in this forum , however I hear nothing from WHMCS .

[brian!]

Hi,

 

Thank you for kind reply . But honestly I think these solutions not a total solution. WHMCS have to do it and resolve this big problem. Because checking domain availability is one of host billing duty not 3rd parties.

in fairness, it's probably down to the registrars more than WHMCS and how they provide their domain availablility info - some registrars don't provide accurate data through WHOIS, so WHMCS is next to useless with those tlds out-of the-box in terms of registration.

 

for these, and probably premium domains too, you will likely need an API approach.

 

More over I have to say WHMCS is weak in domain registration and its related tasks.

I absolutely agree.

 

Recently you can see many threats in this forum that WHMCS users are struggle with these issues and it seems WHMCS do nothing !!

 

I can list you many of them , I also responded them these issues to WHMCS by asking some new features,submitting tickets or even saying in this forum , however I hear nothing from WHMCS .

i've probably got a similar list in my head.

 

in practical terms, if you want to do a particular task and there is a third-party option available that can do it now, you're probably better off using it - like you, i'd prefer WHMCS to provide it, but they often don't... so you will need to look elsewhere for the answer.

[rega]

Hi,

 

in practical terms, if you want to do a particular task and there is a third-party option available that can do it now, you're probably better off using it - like you, i'd prefer WHMCS to provide it, but they often don't... so you will need to look elsewhere for the answer.

 

Which solution do you suggest?

Let me know further.Do you know any company who has enhancing modules for WHMCS domain registration tasks?

[brian!]

Which solution do you suggest?

Let me know further.Do you know any company who has enhancing modules for WHMCS domain registration tasks?

well i've already given you two!

 

i'll give you a third option, which is free, but I don't believe handles premium domains - though may help with your other promotion pricing issue as I believe it has an automated promo price feature which updates the tld prices at the start/end of promotional periods.

 

Free ResellerClub Tools v2

 

http://www.whmcs.com/appstore/329/FREE-ResellerClub-Tools-v2.html

http://www.resellerclub-mods.com/en/products/free-mods/free-resellerclub-tools.html

 

it's written by the same guy that wrote the paid Resellerclub addon I mentioned previously.

 

I can't recommend any specific modules that we have used ourselves, because we don't use Enom, Onlinenic or Resellerclub as registrars.

 

at some point, we will be taking a closer look at this free resellerclub tools addon for our own needs as we could use it with one of our other registrars.

[rega]

OK

thanks.But it should works for whole registrars.

As I said I'm working with more than 4 registrars:

ResellerClub

Namecheap

Enom

Onlinenic

[brian!]

but each registrar will use their own API, so there's little chance of using just one module that works for all of them.

[rega]

When a client try to search for a domain , this process is before registration and needs WHMCS clarify whether it's available or not .

[brian!]

but some tlds can only be accurately checked by API, which WHMCS doesn't do out-of-the-box.

 

some of the above modules use API to check for domain availability - certainly the Hexonet and free Resellerclub modules say they do - so it's possible that once the domain has been checked, you can use another registrar to register the domain - though that might depend on the tld and if its premium or not.

 

but I simply don't know - that's why I suggested contacting them about this, as they will each know exactly what their modules can do.

 

I fully understand what you want - you would like these functions to exist within whmcs by default without the need for additional modules and be available to use with all registrars.. all i'm saying is that whmcs doesn't do that now and probably won't for some time.

 

so you can either wait for whmcs to possibly add these features one day in the future (no guarantees that they can or will), or look into using third-party modules linked to specific registrar(s) now - the choice is yours!