A few Pre-Sales questions

nsf · #1 08-09-2006, 02:07 PM

Hi
Had to register with the forum as it wouldn't let me post otherwise, but I don't have a Hostgator account yet - hopefully very soon - I hope this is OK. I also hope you realize that it's impossible to post in the public forum without registering, although it says anyone can post here (Quote: "please feel free to post in our Pre-Sales Questions and Suggestions forums where registration is not required"). That is just not possible, so either you should change how the public forum works (i.e make it so it really doesn't require registering) or put a notice that you don't allow people posting in the public forum unless they are already customers - which, considering this is a forum for pre-sales questions, would defy the object.

Anyways, on to the questions....

I've been considering Hostgator for a reseller account for quite some time and I had planned on going ahead in the very next future. However at the moment I am considering buying a HG reseller account not from HG directly, but from a guy who is a reseller with Hostgator. So that would basically mean that I would become a Hostgator customer (reseller) by taking over his account, he would sell his reseller account to me. Also, this guy has a handful a clients, so they would become my customers.

If I was to go ahead with this, I'd like to be sure about it and I am not too sure about what's involved in this transfer process (I couldn't find much info here), so I thought I'd check with you directly:

1. First of all, can this be done (he said it can)?

2. If this is possible, I was a bit concerned about the other stuff that comes with Hostgator's reseller accounts - the free billing manager by whmautopilot, and the free eNom domain reseller account as mentioned on the http://www.hostgator.com/resellers.shtml page. Since he is not using WHM Autopilot but another billing solution, I asked him about this - ie. whether it would come with the package that I would get. He said that the hosting account can be transferred, the whmautopilot is licensed to the reseller account as long as it is hosted with Hostgator so this is also transferred. Can you confirm this?

3. I was also a bit concerned about the free eNom domain reseller account, which I would not want to lose. I asked him about it but he wasn't sure. I think he didn't use it, so in that case would I be able to?

4. Last questions is about the eNom account: On the eNom Domain Reseller Request Form (http://www.hostgator.com/enom.php) you have a check box with the question "Activate Reseller Status?" and a link "to find out more about this feature before checking this box". I found this a bit confusing because the link leads to a page saying that I should check the box "If you wish to upgrade to the higher enom reseller level" - ie. it doesn't say anything about activation as such. Or am I missing something? So if I don't want to upgrade to the higher eNom reseller level, should I leave the box unchecked and the account will still be activated? It's not very clear.

I would appreciate your answers to these questions, as I had a look on this forum but most questions are about domain and hosting transfers, not account ownership transfer.

Many thanks.

Serra · #2 08-09-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsf

Hi
Had to register with the forum as it wouldn't let me post otherwise, but I don't have a Hostgator account yet - hopefully very soon - I hope this is OK. I also hope you realize that it's impossible to post in the public forum without registering, although it says anyone can post here (Quote: "please feel free to post in our Pre-Sales Questions and Suggestions forums where registration is not required"). That is just not possible, so either you should change how the public forum works (i.e make it so it really doesn't require registering) or put a notice that you don't allow people posting in the public forum unless they are already customers - which, considering this is a forum for pre-sales questions, would defy the object.

Yea, too much spam. They only allow nonmembers to post in specific areas, but posting here is fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsf

1. First of all, can this be done (he said it can)?

It can be done many different ways, but with HGs help and without their knowledge. It is possible. The safest way would be for you to involve HG, unless you know this guy really well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsf

2. If this is possible, I was a bit concerned about the other stuff that comes with Hostgator's reseller accounts - the free billing manager by whmautopilot, and the free eNom domain reseller account as mentioned on the http://www.hostgator.com/resellers.shtml page. Since he is not using WHM Autopilot but another billing solution, I asked him about this - ie. whether it would come with the package that I would get. He said that the hosting account can be transferred, the whmautopilot is licensed to the reseller account as long as it is hosted with Hostgator so this is also transferred. Can you confirm this?

Yes. Sounds true to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsf

3. I was also a bit concerned about the free eNom domain reseller account, which I would not want to lose. I asked him about it but he wasn't sure. I think he didn't use it, so in that case would I be able to?

You would get a free account no matter what as an HG customer, which you would be if you took over his account.

Basically, you would be an HG customer once you took control of the account. HG can help you do this so that everything is in order. As long as you aren't a customer of the guy and not of HG, everything would be fine.

nsf · #3 08-10-2006, 04:16 AM

Thank you for your reply.

I am still a bit concerned about the eNom account though. Firstly because it's something not provided by HG directly and also because of what I said in my 4th question. I noticed you didn't reply to that, maybe it was different when you first registered? I wouldn't want to end up with something I cannot set up because, for example when needing support, one company would say it's the other company's responsibility to provide assistance/info/etc.

I have also been told that HG does not provide support for integration of WHM autopilot, which would make things potentially difficult. I don't know the guy well at all (the guy I am considering buying the HG account from), and in fact I suspect that the fact he is using another payment processing system (and not WHM autopilot) has something to do with this, although of course he wouldn't tell me, if that was the case.

Again any comments/info would be appreciated.

Serra · #4 08-10-2006, 07:29 AM

I dont' think it will be a problem, but get HG involved in the hand over for your protection.

turbowarp · #5 08-10-2006, 09:49 AM

If I understood the enom account application correctly.... if you check the box you create your own account with the additional features they talk about and you are required to deposit $100 into enom's account as credit towards domain names, certs, etc. (Actually, if I remember correctly the price per domain name goes up .20 each to cover the costs of the additional feautures, too.)

If you don't check the box, you create a "child" account off of Hostgator and are not required to deposit. (But don't have the integrated features of auto-registry api's, etc.)

This is from memory from just a few weeks ago; but I think I am correct.