Make that the absolut [sic] most over-priced option, along the lines of (the late) Galaxy-Net ISP hosting solutions.
I just did an inquiry to UltraDNS that resulted in a flurry of e-mail and telephone conversations and (what was supposed to be) an on-line tour/demo of their services (that failed to function).
I told them that I had two domains on an active dedicated box, with a third still on a virtual host to be moved to dedicated within the month. I also had a second dedbox that was to be used as a rsync mirror and I needed a "fail-over DNS setup" (where the dominent box is monitored and within minutes of it's failure, the secondary box picks up the slack). Also, I told them I had app. 3,000 uniques/day within these three domains but anticipated a ten-fold increase in two months due to an upcoming advertising campaign. And that I had 17 other domain names that I would be bringing on-line over the course of the next year.
One of their first questions was "What do you have budgeted for this?", to which I replied $200 a month. So, the rep tells me that she might could "cut a deal" for me! WOOWEE!!!
Without any breakdown of costs (other than the basic charges of $60/225K DNS inquiries with $0.38/1K overage and $155/700K @ $0.36/1K over) I'm told that she thought she could get me the 225K package, 10 "records" (whatever that means) for each domain, managed DNS service and the fail-over plugin for an even $200/month.
OK, fine- "How do I sign up?"
She says an e-mail contract will be on it's way, just fill it out and fax it back to her within the day and I'm set with this Special Deal she's going to arrange for me. I get the contract and look it over- once, twice and yet again. In the meantime, she calls to say that she hasn't received the fax back from me yet and I put it off until tomorrow, claiming that inclement weather here prevented me from going to the fax server at my mail drop. (NOTE TO READER: everything I told this rep, without exception, is true fact and I had made the initial inquiry with an honest intent in obtaining their services!).
But, and here is the kicker, the contract she sent to me was only for TWO domains (not the three I had specifically told her I would be needing this service for, since the domain on the virtual server is ready to move within a week). And,
each additional domain that I added to the original contract would have cost me ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS MORE A MONTH!!! And that would be at the 8,000 DNS queries daily level, once I went to 30,000 uniques a day, another $95.00/month would be tacked on.
So much for having a sales rep keep you within a $200/month budget...