names.co.uk
★★★★★ 2.0 · 61 Reviews
What is names.co.uk?
names.co.uk (formerly known as Namesco) is a leading British internet services provider that offers online solutions for SMEs and individuals. It specialises in domain name registration, web hosting, email hosting, website builders, ecommerce applications and dedicated servers. Recent additions to its product range include an online booking tool, as well as a digital compliance and accessibility solution. It is notable for offering free .co.uk and .uk domains, as well as a UK-based support team. Since 2019 names.co.uk has been the principal UK brand of team.blue, a European group of technology companies that helps entrepreneurs and established businesses achieve their online ambitions. Collectively, the group operates across 22 countries, manages over 5 million domains and has more than 3 million customers. Products and services Domain names: As a British domain registrar, names.co.uk specialises in UK-specific domain extensions, such as .co.uk, .uk and .org.uk. These are often available to register for one year free of charge on their website. It can also register any other type of domain extension, including .com, with many of them being available on multi-year billing terms. Email hosting: names.co.uk offers a number of choices for email hosting, ranging from a single mailbox for a small business, through to multi-user packages for large corporations. All of them offer unlimited email addresses and the ability to view emails either via a mail client or an online Webmail interface. Web hosting: A range of options are available for those looking to host their own website. These include WordPress (both Managed and Unmanaged), WooCommerce and WePanel, as well as options for resellers. Dedicated servers: For larger businesses or more high-end use cases, names.co.,uk also offers dedicated and VPS servers. These are all hosted in the company’s 50,000 square foot datacentre in the heart of the Thames Valley. AI website builder: Aimed primarily at sole traders and small businesses, the company’s website builder software allows the simple creation of a basic website. An AI wizard can automatically choose a suitable pre-created template based on the needs of the user. Automatic generation of written content is also available from a few simple prompts. Online booking: In 2025 names.co.uk partnered with SimplyBook.me, another team.blue brand, to offer their online booking tool. This allows service providers to easily add appointment scheduling functionality to their existing website or social channels. It also comes with a smartphone app that can be used to manage bookings, as well as receive them. Compliance & accessibility: Another recent addition, from fellow team.blue brands Iubenda and AccessiWay, includes a complete digital compliance tool. This can generate various legal policies for website owners. As well as cookie and privacy policies, it also offers an accessibility tool for disabled users, helping business owners meet their responsibilities under the European Accessibility Act.
Alternatives to names.co.uk
oXnamesSpotlightOur Domain Registration entity was founded with a clear and simple mission: to bring back the straightforward, no-nonsense… Learn more about oXnames.
GoDaddySpotlightWe're a trusted growth partner to millions of everyday entrepreneurs. We're empowering entrepreneurs to change the world if it… Learn more about GoDaddy.
Crazy DomainsSpotlightCrazy Domains is a world leading international domain name registrar, web hosting and online marketing company. We make it Crazy… Learn more about Crazy Domains.
123-regSpotlightMassive choice. The cheapest prices.. With over 400 affordable domain extensions to choose from, it’s easy to find a memorable… Learn more about 123-reg.
EasyDNSAnycast DNS, domain registrations in over 1,000 TLDs, web hosting, managed wordpress, VPS and email. Established in 1998, 100%… Learn more about EasyDNS.
Total RegistrationsTotal Registrations is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar that offers a low cost domain registration service for resellers and… Learn more about Total Registrations.
allthe.domainsallthe.domains is your one-stop-shop for everything you need to make yourself and your brand stand out online! We LOVE domains… Learn more about allthe.domains.
FXdomainsWe believe that everyone should be able to register a cheap domain name. At FXDomains, you know you will never pay too much and… Learn more about FXdomains.
ConnectResellerStart Registering Your Domain Today! The Cheapest Domain Registrar in the World Learn more about ConnectReseller.
wiserhostingHigh Quality Hosting Support Although web hosting on the Internet is based on machines and is technologically intensive by… Learn more about wiserhosting.
names.co.uk Reviews (61)
- ★★★★★13
- ★★★★★2
- ★★★★★2
- ★★★★★2
- ★★★★★42
Review Summary
Generated using AI from real user reviews
Names.co.uk receives overwhelmingly negative reviews, with serious issues around customer service, billing practices, and service reliability dominating complaints.
Users consistently report unresponsive support, with wait times exceeding an hour on phone lines and support tickets going unanswered for days or closing without resolution. Multiple reviewers describe being charged unexpectedly for auto-renewals they disabled, domain renewals on expired cards, and renewal fees that spike dramatically after initial registration. Several users highlight unfair transfer and admin fees (£10–£12 to move domains away), with complaints that these charges are not transparent upfront. Email and hosting outages appear regularly across reviews, with some users reporting service down for 12+ hours, directly costing them business.
A small cluster of five-star reviews praise individual staff members by name—particularly an account manager called Jordan—and note good long-term relationships with the company. These positive reviews stand in stark contrast to the volume of criticism and suggest experience varies sharply depending on who handles an account.
Beyond service failures, reviewers report unclear billing, mysterious charges, confiscation of contact details sold to third parties, and an outdated control panel that makes self-service difficult. The company's acquisition of legacy services (UKServers, Freeparking, Demon email) appears to have introduced fresh complaints about lost functionality and forced migrations. Several users describe the company as deliberately predatory or fraudulent.
★★★★★
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
“provider to obtain your website, the seller include services that…”
provider to obtain your website, the seller include services that I didn't ask for and charged me for and now they won't refund my money, the website doesn't and to claim many times and do not solve the problem I'm losing clients because of them. you will regret if you start business with namesco, the worst costumer service
★★★★★
Monday, August 5, 2024
“I deleted my mailbox by accident. The mail website is…”
I deleted my mailbox by accident. The mail website is not easy to understand and it is easy to make a mistake. I tried to recover from the deleted email box but that was empty. Names reply to help recovering my email was 'It costs £30'. They have no interest in improving the mail box, there is complete disinterest as to what went wrong. All they want is £30. They have now lost a customer who has been with them for twenty years.
★★★★★
Thursday, November 10, 2022
“Avoid at all costs, this company will damage your business!!!…”
Avoid at all costs, this company will damage your business!!! I recently purchased hosting for my business, the configuration was a disaster, my IT techs were unable to make sense of what was done and namesco didn't to respond to support tickets leaving me with critical downtime, and they refused to speak with my tech on the phone. Customer services have also refused to speak with me. I have moved my hosting to another UK provider and I am now receiving the service I require. Namesco have refused a refund. This outfit has cost me a fortune in tech fees and lost business. Do not do this to yourself stay away!
★★★★★
Monday, October 12, 2020
“Over a year ago I was charged for 2 domain…”
Over a year ago I was charged for 2 domain renewals which did not renew, and I have been chasing Namesco for a refund ever since. Avoid Namesco (and Freeparking, who Namesco bought) at all costs.
★★★★★
Monday, September 21, 2020
“Absolute disgrace of a company have taken money off an…”
Absolute disgrace of a company have taken money off an expired card which they shouldn't have done in the first instance tried amicably to resolve and for them to refund the same day they had debited. Very unhelpful staff very unhelpful company during all this that is going on an absolute disgrace they won't own up and refund a payment they shouldn't have taken. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
★★★★★
Saturday, August 29, 2020
“If I could score minus points I would've. This company…”
If I could score minus points I would've. This company is so bad I'd go as far as to call them crooks as they take a lot of cash for zero service. Extortionate costing (fives time more expensive than my new brilliant hosting company), some of the costs I’ve since learned were made up unnecessarily costs. No tech-support whatsoever, if you're lucky enough to get through to them on their expensive phone line you will be fobbed off, they were a big fan of (wrongly) blaming all my issues on my Mac when it was Namesco problem (verified by Apple support and an independent I.T person I had to pay for as Namesco were so useless). In fact the last issue I had (and the final straw), I got told I should use Microsoft as it’s “easier for us and more popular"…quite astounding for a tech company to see Apple as some fringe tech they need not have knowledge on! Or you can open a tech inquiry ticket, they will take at least a day (often two) to get back to you on, and they won't answer your question, 99% of the time they won't even read the message properly and answer with something unrelated (and unhelpful), which you can’t then reply to as they immediately close the ticket, so you have to open a brand new one and wait another 24+ hours …and so it continues. If you have anything seriously wrong that needs urgent care, you can forget it with this company. If you get hacked and have to re-build your website from scratch, don't expect them to give advice on why it happened or how to be more secure online. Also expect to be mis-sold a bunch of stuff that isn't compatible at all with your computer, and which will directly affect your business - and when you point this out they won't apologies or even make a note that it's incompatible so they can improve their service, what they'll do is try to sell it to you again (and again). If you have clients who use Gmail or Hotmail accounts, Namesco seems to get blocked from them a lot too often for days, and if you want your host to have an easy website to navigate, forget Namesco. Convoluted doesn't cover it, and of course there's no one to pick up the phone to help, so you're on your own. I think how they were when I closed my account sums it up, I informed them I was leaving, only for them to email and text relentlessly telling me I owed them money for the services I already cancelled. They can’t even communicate internally. Avoid.
★★★★★
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
“Absolute fraudsters, rip off merchants, charlatans, etc. Sorry, I'm being…”
Absolute fraudsters, rip off merchants, charlatans, etc. Sorry, I'm being too kind, they are actually worse than that.
★★★★★
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
“Had a domain set to expire, they have billed an…”
Had a domain set to expire, they have billed an expired card and renewed a domain that was set to expire and will not cancel the domain or issue a refund. Their customer support do not even read the messages and are utterly useless. Go for 123 reg instead or godaddy for domains instead.
★★★★★
Sunday, March 15, 2020
“Allowed us to search for, register and then purchase our…”
Allowed us to search for, register and then purchase our domain. After a detailed registration process and finally taking payment, Namesco sent us a congratulatory email, proudly confirming that our new domain was now owned by us and already up and running along with our chosen features— we were even able to immediately begin using the domain email server. Not bad for roughly £20 spent. None of this turned out to be true. A few hours later, we receive an email informing us that our domain choice is a so-called premium class domain due to its attractiveness, and that we are therefore unable to purchase ownership unless an upfront payment of over £1,000 was made, which would then continue to be charged once every year to maintain ownership. Namesco insists this is out of their hands as they have no control over premium domains, apparently, but happy to offer a ‘middleman’ type service between premium owner and buyer. The terms are ludicrous and in all of our years dealing with top tier domains for huge media launches, not one has practiced such misleading or condescending business. At least the refund request was promptly acknowledged. WTF
★★★★★
Monday, December 9, 2019
“Absolut fraud. They charge me for an .Uk domain that…”
Absolut fraud. They charge me for an .Uk domain that I never subscribed.
