advice Autorenewal is scam or just business?

[Apprich]

Hello,

I need an advice for this annoying strategy in domain industry..

I've seen this in most of the registrars every time you register new domain they set it auto-renewal true with renewal fee is horrendous price. and if you happen to forget any domain on this registrar with your credit card bound to this website they charge you with their high price and no refund back.. and they call this as business.

Trying to understand whether is scam or shady way or just business way it is... do we have consumer rights against it?

Registrar forcing for auto-renewal and then auto-charging to credit card the price they want and if customer say i don't want to renew it just refund back money to credit card..

they refuse doing it and stating "Terms and Conditions, we cannot provide a refund on domain names as these are personalised items."

what is it personalized items? does it make it qualified non-refundable product?
where is the consumer rights? could i refund any product after certain days?

Please help me to understand this, and what can we do against this registrar that's not refunding money back to credit card.

thanks to all.

 

[Apprich]

More on this subject, I offered to this registrar different option.
Since they charged me significant amount to my credit card at least i could do selection on domains. however they are saying renewal order already sent to registry which they cant change it. i don't know if this is true. how Godaddy refunds it then or do i remember wrong?

 

[Name Trader]

More on this subject, I offered to this registrar different option.
Since they charged me significant amount to my credit card at least i could do selection on domains. however they are saying renewal order already sent to registry which they cant change it. i don't know if this is true. how Godaddy refunds it then or do i remember wrong?

At least for .com domains. How renewal works is the registrar automatically gets charged for renewals by the registry on the expiry date, and if the domain isn't renewed, they get refunded on Day 45 after expiry (This is why you see discrepancy in the whois expiry dates where registrar has the correct date, but registry date has 1 year added). So they might be stretching the truth here somewhat. If the registrar date in the whois is still showing the old date, they are telling you fibs, but if it appears to be renewed. Then they are telling the truth.

I don't know who your register is. So cannot be more clear than that.

 

[Apprich]

At least for .com domains. How renewal works is the registrar automatically gets charged for renewals by the registry on the expiry date, and if the domain isn't renewed, they get refunded. (This is why you see discrepancy in the whois expiry dates where registrar has the correct date, but registry date has 1 year added). So they might be stretching the truth here somewhat. If the registrar date in the whois is still showing the old date, they are telling you fibs, but if it appears to be renewed. Then they are telling the truth.

I don't know who your register is. So cannot be more clear than that.

I got what you mean. both registry and registrar record seems like updated.

 

[forge]

What really chaps my hide are the registrars that renew and bill 30 days in advance of actual expiration.

There are at least a few registrars that do this.

 

[Name Trader]

I got what you mean. both registry and registrar record seems like updated.

.

So its probably going to be harder for them with the paperwork, if they were to refund you. I don't know if that is possible. but probably unlikely.

PS: I edited my post above. They get refunded on day 45 after expiry.

 

[Name Trader]

What really chaps my hide are the registrars that renew and bill 30 days in advance of actual expiration.

There are at least a few registrars that do this.

Care to name and shame?

 

[Apprich]

Care to name and shame?

No, i don't care..it's names.co.uk same group with register.it.
it was a good deal when i registered was like $3 promotion. but later on they added transfer out fee, or maybe i don't remember if there was.. then domains got stucked there so i was thinking to let them expire, but forgot about setting off auto-renewal about 50 domains extended. my mistake as i was so busy and couldn't check it before expiry.

 

[Name Trader]

No, i don't care..it's names.co.uk same group with register.it.
it was a good deal when i registered was like $3 promotion. but later on they added transfer out fee, or maybe i don't remember if there was.. then domains got stucked there so i was thinking to let them expire, but forgot about setting off auto-renewal about 50 domains extended. my mistake as i was so busy and couldn't check it before expiry.

..it happens

 

[VaibhavA]

I recently got a name auto renewed at Uniregistry a month before expiry.

I dont keep any of my domains at auto renew.

I didnt realize, till I got charged. I asked them to refund it. They agreed but said you will need to delete the name and we will refund it.

I asked them that they should send a mail before auto renewing. They replied, they did send a mail a week before.

I checked my mails and found that they did send a mail. So, it was my fault as I didnt read the mail properly and thought it is just another domain expiry reminder mail.

Hope this is my first and last auto renewal until specified.

Just sharing!

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

You should. You must be crazy to have used them at all.

This means that I'm crazy.
I use 1and1 since 2009.
As of today, ~4.4K my domains there.

 

[forge]

Care to name and shame?

Now that you ask...

MyDomain.com (and I think all the Domain.com family) auto-renew 15 days prior to expiry.

I can't seem to remember the other ones at the moment.

 

[Apprich]

Now that you ask...

MyDomain.com (and I think all the Domain.com family) auto-renew 15 days prior to expiry.

I can't seem to remember the other ones at the moment.

every registrar has different rule difficult to remember them. for example as i remember dynadot and epik don't give auth code after expiry if you don't renew domain.

some notes if I can extract out from all your comments;

- do renewal 3 months before expiry
- turn off auto-renewal immediately after registering new domain
- don't leave credit card bound to website or not use credit card that they can charge
- use reputable registrars

most of us know this facts but still sometimes we got caught due to busy life.
thanks to all your valuable comments

 

[dirk]

Care to name and shame?

I know Rebel.com does this. I also had this happen at some other registrar but can't recall who that was.

 

[forge]

- don't leave credit card bound to website or not use credit card that they can charge

Yes, thankfully this saves me, most registrars I don't have a credit card on file.

By the way, I just read a blog post complaining that Network Solutions auto-renewed a chunk of names at 60 days prior to expiration (which doesn't surprise me).

As you say, every registrar is different (which makes tracking more difficult).

 

[forge]

I know Rebel.com does this.

30 days ahead?

 

[dirk]

30 days ahead?

I checked to be sure. They renewed and charged at 21/3 for 2 domains expiring at 6/5. $14.99 each (dot-com). I don't particularly mind as their pricing is not that bad and the domains are valuable to me.

 

[Name Trader]

This means that I'm crazy.
I use 1and1 since 2009.
As of today, ~4.4K my domains there.

Maybe you are, maybe your aren't But you are an old hand and an expert with domains. But for a noob to be using them. I think it's crazy. As an aside. I probably wouldn't buy a domain registered at 1and1 unless it was transferable to a non-1and1 account.

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

Yes, they are transferrable... and within minutes (instant transfer-out).
I sold many 1and1 domains to endusers. Some even internally (within 1and1).

 

[Name Trader]

Yes, they are transferrable... and within minutes (instant transfer-out). I sold many 1and1 domains to endusers. Some even internally (within 1and1).

Does the recipient still need to renew the domain instead receiving a free push? Would you know why they do that?

rgds
stu

 

[Jurgen Wolf]

Does the recipient still need to renew the domain instead receiving a free push? Would you know why they do that?

Internal transfer-in at 1and1 and Hexonet is processed exactly the same as external transfer-in... using AUTH code and paying the reg fee (and 1 year will be added).
And if certain TLD is under promotion at 1and1 - this fee will be also promotional, for example - you may internally/externally transfer .ORG for $4.17 (1 year will be added for $4.17).