Investing is not ransoming!
What was once a trusted and transparent domain registrar has become, according to many long-time customers, a cautionary tale of corporate betrayal. As prices soar, customer service collapses, and private equity moves in, is Gandi.net on its way to becoming a legalized scam?
A Trap Disguised as Loyalty: Renewal Prices Skyrocket
For over two decades, Gandi.net stood out as a principled alternative in the domain name and web hosting industry. Founded on the motto “no bullshit,” the company cultivated a loyal following by offering fair pricing and ethical policies.
That era is over.
Long-time users—some managing dozens or even hundreds of domain names—have been blindsided by massive renewal fee hikes. In some cases, the cost to renew a single domain has doubled or even tripled overnight, with little warning or justification. Domains that once cost $12 to $15 per year now require $30 to $45 or more to maintain.
With these drastic price changes, many users have been forced to abandon entire portfolios. What feels like a loyalty trap is unfolding: build your infrastructure around Gandi.net, and either pay to stay—or lose everything.
From Ethics to Exploitation: A Company’s Identity Crisis
Founded in France in 2000 by digital rights advocates Valentin Lacambre, Laurent Chemla, Pierre Beyssac, and David Nahmias, Gandi was more than a registrar. It was a political statement—a defender of net neutrality, privacy, and independent tech.
Gandi supported nonprofits, offered transparent billing, and refused aggressive advertising. It earned deep respect from open-source communities and civil society actors across Europe.
Today, that legacy is in freefall. Ethical commitments have been replaced by opaque billing, aggressive upselling, and a corporate tone that no longer resonates with its user base.
The Private Equity Takeover: Meet the New Owners
The company’s sharp pivot began with its acquisition in March 2023 by Strikwerda Investments, a Dutch private equity firm, via its subsidiary Total Webhosting Solutions (TWS)[1]. The merged entity now operates under the name Your.Online.
Strikwerda is known for its buy-and-consolidate model: acquire web hosting companies, unify platforms, cut costs, and increase margins. But this model often leaves acquired companies hollowed out, stripped of their culture, and unable to provide the quality service they once delivered.
In January 2025, Your.World, Gandi’s new parent company, announced an additional €800 million in strategic investment from Ares Management[2] and The Carlyle Group[3], two of the most powerful players in global finance. If Strikwerda was a warning sign, Ares and Carlyle are red flags.
Gandi is now a line item in a spreadsheet—its mission absorbed into the logic of speculative capital.
Customer Support Collapse: Critical Failures, Real Consequences
Perhaps most alarming is the degradation of customer support.
One professional user, whose domain names were tied directly to his business operations, encountered a critical renewal issue. He attempted to reach Gandi’s helpdesk—only to find it unreachable. He submitted a bug report, even included a screenshot showing the support portal failure. Silence.
Later, he received a Mailer-Daemon error: “Requested mail action aborted – mailbox not found,” referring to the official address help@support.gandi.net.
To date, he has received no response. If these domains expire, it could result in serious professional damage—loss of business continuity, client trust, and data integrity.
And he’s not alone. Other users report similar issues: support delays, inaccessible portals, unanswered tickets.
In a sector where timing is critical and domain expiry can lead to catastrophic losses, Gandi’s apparent abandonment of customer care amounts to gross negligence.
From Trust to Betrayal
The Gandi.net story is a textbook case of what happens when ethical tech is devoured by private capital. A company once rooted in ideals has been gutted, restructured, and repackaged for profit.
Long-time customers feel betrayed. And more than a few now ask the uncomfortable question:
Has Gandi.net become a legalized scam?
Footnotes
[1] Total Webhosting Solutions (TWS): A web hosting conglomerate formed by Strikwerda Investments. TWS has acquired dozens of hosting providers across Europe with the goal of platform consolidation and market domination.
[2] Ares Management: A U.S.-based global alternative asset manager known for leveraged buyouts and high-yield investment strategies. Often involved in corporate restructurings with a focus on maximizing returns.
[3] The Carlyle Group: One of the world’s largest private equity firms, involved in acquisitions across defense, energy, tech, and healthcare. Frequently criticized for prioritizing financial performance over long-term stability or ethics.
