ALPNAMES.COM - WARNING! WILL DELETE YOUR DOMAINS & HIKE PRICES WITHOUT NOTICE.

[tomcarl]

As someone who has experience with almost every major registrar out there, I am very unhappy with my AlpNames.com experience. Here's why:

1. They raised their .COM renewal fees from $8.75 to $15.00 with NO warning, NO email, NO reminder or alert. A few days prior I renewed a few domains at $8.75, a couple days later I add expired domains to my cart to renew, they're all set at $15.00 each. Dozens of them.

2. They will DELETE DOMAINS from your account OR CHARGE YOU a $60 Recovery fee, a DAY BEFORE the deadline date they specified in their emails when the domain expired! For example: "You must renew domain before the 3rd or it may be unable to recover!" , Ok fine, then on the 2nd, not the 3rd, they're all deleted or a 60 recovery fee is slapped on them. And I checked time-zones, that had nothing to do with it, they were clear in all time-zones!

3. Slow responses for support. I've contacted their support regarding the price hike, then about the domains being deleted before their due time, going on 4 days still waiting for response on time-sensitive/urgent issue.

4. Lastly, Visa doesn't seem to like this company as they're always blocking payment to them. I had to call my bank several times.

I was introduced to AlpNames because of the transfer promo a couple years ago, without issues which is why I didn't transfer out, $8.75 was reasonable so I paid back the savings to them AND THEM some, renewed my domains (HUNDREDS) for 2+ years with them AFTER promo and was going to again, NOT NOW.

If you have names with AlpNames, again, they hiked .com renewals up from $8.75 to $15.00, so if you have dozens or hundreds of domains to renew and you're not looking for an unpleasant surprise during renewal time, here's your fair warning which they won't give. And they lock your domains so you can't transfer out after expiry date and they may just delete your domains or put them in grace period early. Enjoy.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

When transferring out there is no automatic way to approve and eliminate 5 day wait, but when I contacted customer service they approved it.

This is related to ALL LogicBoxes registrars.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

You may transfer-out your domains...
This will be even cheaper than renewing them.

 

[CJ6]

Im glad I only had 1 domain to move out of AlpNames, and I moved it out to Epik last month.

Im sorry to those that are being screwed right now.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

In case their ICANN accreditation will be cancelled - all domains will be automatically moved to another registrar by ICANN decision.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Following that debacle Icann designed a procedure (bulk transfer).

Thank you for your prompt and informative post, @Kate! Your long experience is very valuable to us.

So this ICANN bulk provides a mechanism in even the case of total shutdown the registered users could unlock and get their auth codes for transfer?

Thanks,
Bob

Edit: I found a bit at this link
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/bulk-transfers-2017-10-06-en

 

[hemirate]

Glad I checked this thread.

We used to have probably 100 domain names with AlpNames (transferred with their promo) but moved most of them out on renewal. Just had 1 left (a .asia) and in the process of moving it out now.

Their website is currently down

Thanks to @tomcarl for starting the thread and to @jorgeug to point out the login url for alpnames at apal516804.myorderbox.com

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

Dear Sirs, your information here was useful.

Unfortunately I have domains on Alpnames and some are expiring this month: they send me daily emails urging a renew... but login is impossible even via myorderbox, because two months ago I have activated the so-called 2-step phone verification ...and now (commencing a week ago) they no more send the code.

Of course.

I'm not sure this is helpful, but you may try to contact https://www.logicboxes.com/support/ to disable 2FA per this disappeared AlpNames (their customer).

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

If I transfer a domain out, after unlocking and getting auth code, from there does it require an approval from Alpnames, or after 5 days my new registrar will be able to complete the transfer without any response from Alpnames?

No response means APPROVED if not manually cancelled within 5 days.
This is applicable to any losing registrar.

 

[jorgeug]

Every LB registrar has such link *.myorderbox.com

I was a ResellerClub reseller and since I knew how it works, I started looking for the link and found it and published it here.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

The easiest way for ICANN is to move them all to PDR (PublicDomainRegistry.com/Endurance)...
This doesn't require any significant changes... just WHOIS will be updated.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I am so unlucky! I transferred domain names from Alpnames to Namechep, but my domain is always on status waiting.

I recevied 2 email from Alpnames, but It doesn't seem to work for me.

I think that there is no response since they have shut down (despite the automated messages we receive). My understanding is that the transfer, assuming you successfully unlocked the domain and retrieved the auth code, should work, but you will have to wait the full 5+ days. Has it been longer than that?

Bob

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Did others get an email from PDR today about control of names formerly at Alpnames? At first I thought it meant that they had been chosen as the bulk transfer registrarby ICANN but a careful read shows that ICANN has not and they are only talking about "some of those (names I have at Alpnames) are provisioned through PDR a a sponsoring registrar". I had no idea that some were done that way, and don't know which of mine will be through them.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Thanks,

Bob

 

[Bob Hawkes]

My email came about 2 hr ago. The only extensions I have/had at Alpnames were some .top and .gdn. I had always bought them direct through Alpnames so I am a bit confused. The email says that they are setting up PDR accounts and a further email will be sent after that. I checked a few of mine to see if Alpnames is still listed as the registrar and it was (I checked both a .top and a .gdn). It is all somewhat confusing. I have never used PDR, at least knowingly, as a registrar.

Bob

ps It is interesting that even after ICANN announced the decreditation of Alpnames as an ICANN approved registrar I still get automated messages from Alpnames support re forthcoming expiry.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

Just URL to log in will be changed + Registrar record in WHOIS.

 

[HotKey]

I believe PDR (public domain registry) used to be the controlling entity of Alpnames, till about a year and a half ago Alpnames broke away and get their own IANA ID.

You would have seen on a whois check on one of your names from Alpnames, under the registrar info, "public domains registry" rather than "alpnames" and with a different IANA id, back then.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

AlpNames had its own accreditation + PDR Reseller status as well...
When some TLDs were cheaper via PDR channel - AlpNames regged them using PDR.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

ALL these automated messages are from LogicBoxes.
AlpNames itself is DEAD.

 

[HotKey]

Thanks for the information @HotKey . So if I transfer out one I have unlocked I need to change the AuthCode and that is still possible with LogicB interface?
Bob

Not sure if it's still possible anymore, because I'd imagine all remaining domains left at Alp are in some sort of migration period. So I'd just wait to see who they end up with, and go from there.

What NEW/winning registrar?
PDR?

It was just a regular transfer out, initiated by me. To Porkbun. Auth code changes were processed immediately with LB, no issues. But it was all done hours before official shutdown announcement.

And all emails (as was already said many times above) are sent by LogicBoxes...
With registrar/reseller's email address in the From: field. This is how LB works.

Thanks

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

Ask Moniker.

 

[KS-Marketing]

Will you also create accounts at moniker for alpnames users with no domains left at alpnames?

No we won't. We will only be given the domain data so will need to create accounts based on this.

 

[KS-Marketing]

wait a minute.. I thought you move all domains and at no cost?

now I how to pick the names? and maybe pay them too? ty.

There won't be a cost associated with the transfer. You don't have to do anything unless you want us to move names to an account you already have, if you don't then you can just wait and we will email you with information about how to access your account as soon as the domain has been moved there.

 

[KS-Marketing]

ok so let me get straigth:

1- yuo do not do namematching and if we already have accnt, we still need to email you else you create a new one... I presume with same name and email as on the whois? if so, then how does yoru system let u have 2 identical name/email accnts on moniker?

2- what did you mean by picking the names I want to transfr? or can I just say.. plz transfer all?

ty

I just meant that you can send us a list of the names that should be in your account and we can match them from there. We will do our best to match names to accounts but we will be working from a very limited set of data and there will be hundreds of thousands of lines of it, where there is any doubt we will have to create new accounts. Either way we are able to merge accounts and shift domains for you afterwards if needed so don't worry too much.

 

[KS-Marketing]

@frank-germany We are currently negotiating the move of the .top domains with the registry but there are some sticking points with their requirements and unfortunately I don't have a date for you on when these will move. If you would like to contact the registry to put pressure on them to resolve the situation then please do, their email is [email protected]

 

[KS-Marketing]

@NamesMax .com should be completed tomorrow

 

[Mario Venturini]

Transfer just now completed on Moniker for 15 of my Alpnames resident domains.
Seem a nice control panel.
(Mario)