ccTLD .ch domain, deleted but need to pay fee?

[dax]

Hi.

I have registered .ch domain last year with 1 global registrar, however, i decided not to renew it.

These days i am getting a letter from Switch (.ch NIC) with an invoice, and note that i need to pay the fee (for next period!!) no matter i decided not to renew it, or they will take a legal action.

I never bought domain from Switch directly, and i am not from Switzerland, so can anybody tell me is this normal course of action, or what should i do?

PS: I checked today, domain is deleted and somebody else took it.

Thanks.

 

[vc]

Sounds like 1and1

I would just send all further communications to my lovely spam folder if I were you.

 

[Kate]

I don't how your registrar works but it looks like they might just have withdrawn as billing contact for the domain name. Which obviously is not the same as requesting non-renewal of the domain name...
That's how it works in .ch and other extensions, you need to explicitly stop the domain from auto-renewing.
Not paying the renewal fee when it comes due is not interpreted as renouncing the domain.

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

Years ago, I had the same issue with Yahoo and could get no satisfaction from the company.

So I did a chargeback with my cc company, explaining that I was being charged for a service that I was no longer receiving. Credit card companies take a dim view of merchants who participate in predatory billing (no matter their TOS), so they reversed the charge.

Then I called Yahoo support and told them exactly what I had done. Not only did they refund me, but the chargeback stood. Wanting to be honest, I called the cc company; the representative simply said, "Enjoy!"

Be careful, though; filing too many chargebacks will raise red flags. This had been my one and only chargeback.

There is a lot of power backing you when you use a credit card; use it well and responsibly.

Good luck!

*

 

[dax]

I don't how your registrar works but it looks like they might just have withdrawn as billing contact for the domain name. Which obviously is not the same as requesting non-renewal of the domain name...
That's how it works in .ch and other extensions, you need to explicitly stop the domain from auto-renewing.
Not paying the renewal fee when it comes due is not interpreted as renouncing the domain.

I understand, but is it legal to request payment for something you do not want any more?*

I mean, i did not renew the domain, but they still send a letter that states i must pay no matter i did not renew the domain. Looks like an extortion...

 

[Kate]

Probably there was a deadline for the renunciation to reach the registry.
.at is strict about it too. If you don't cancel in time they charge you - even though there is a deletion request pending.

 

[dax]

I've resolved it. I payed them 17€ because i do not want any legal issues for this amount...

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

With all due respect--after all, it's your choice, dax--but these registrars get away with such shenanigans because we, as customers allow them to do so.

And as long as customers roll over and pay for services not rendered, these rogue registrars will continue to rake in the dough.



*

 

[Coopey]

FWIW, I have previously ignored switch.ch invoices and no harm has come.
I still have an active account an neither of my remaining domains there have been impacted by my ignoring the invoice for the expired name.
It seems to me it's just an automated reminder, coupled with a last-gasp bid to earn a few more francs.

As Kate mentions above, switch.ch is the registry so it is likely that the domain reverted to them once your contract with original registrar expired.

I always find it handy to keep a back-up account at most registrars with false WHOIS information that I push domains I am definitely dropping in to - i.e. to forget about them. Keeps the main lists tidy. In your case here, it would have saved you a little headache.

 

[Kate]

.de, .at & .ch are three registries that want to make sure you do not lose a domain - which could be a valuable asset - by accident. It's even possible to inherit a domain from a deceased relative.
The approach is different than gTLDs for example: you don't pay the renewal, the registrar sends the name to redemption and they are done with it. With ccTLDs it doesn't always work the same way. The rules can vary in subtle ways that are important to understand (along with the eligibility requirements of course).

Years ago, the Italian NIC sent a letter by registered mail to us, due to the registrar withdrawing as billing contact for one .it domain, the domain then having entered NO-MNT (no maintainer status). As you can see those registries take their job seriously