It is probably a wise idea to setup a ping monitor on the free geo IP since it does go down a lot. If it does not respond in say a few hundred ms, try plan B which is a pay service. I found several that will provide solid IP analysis for minimal outlay.
Trusting these JS based free services for a $$$ website is risky. You can blow the customer's first impression to hell just by twiddling away 5 seconds of IP query time...