Fee for Auth Codes - Any Recourse?

[ExampleName]

Hi, I did a quick search for "charge for auth codes" and "fee for auth codes" and didn't find it covered on Namepros... though I'm sure someone out there will probably direct me to an existing thread. XD

Anyway...

I caught a dropping domain name through Pool.com, they gave it to a registrar, and that registrar now says I have to pay them an additional fee for the auth code to transfer out.

Making it much creepier is the fact that this registrar thinks I'm an idiot and keeps telling me "There's no reason to transfer, we can point the nameserves for you. You never need to transfer."


So... I'm sure this surprises no one but me. (Never heard of this practice before - charging for transfer out.)


Do I have any wiggle room? Can I get out of this, or do I have to pay the hostage fee?

Since they don't want to do something other registrars are doing for free, and to keep my domain I have to either pay them to renew or pay to transfer, that's what I'm calling it. :D lol

I never agreed to these terms - Pool set me to them without any choice of my own...



For further clarification, everything has to be done via personal e-mail correspondance, but I don't know if I'm talking to a person or an automated system.


Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide... again, a lot of you will wonder how the heck I didn't know this happened to people, but I've owned domains for ten years with probably five or six different companies and I was lucky enough to never have anyone ask for a transfer-out fee.

 

[RazorNF]

Yes, get in touch with Pool. ASAP The sooner the better, as the longer this drags out the more time you give this registrar to make additional excuses to keep your domain.

 

[freedom30]

...one would imagine that the joint is operating outta Nigeria...

 

[DU]

...one would imagine that the joint is operating outta Nigeria...

New Jersey... Close enough..

 

[ExampleName]

Yes, I'm contacting Pool immediately.

Their last response notified me that since Pool didn't pay them, they can revoke the domain and sell it to someone else, etc. They're falling back on scare tactics, etc. but luckily that doesn't actually scare me.

There are a few spots in the conversation where they're being purposefully obtuse, pretending they don't know what I'm saying, so I definitely think my only route now is with Pool & ICANN.

 

[Ray]

They have a phone number listed on the contact page. Have you tried calling them and talking to them in person?

 

[ExampleName]

I've tried calling, yes, but they had apparently closed for the day - would have to try catching them earlier tomorrow, but I feel like I should wait for Pool & ICANN or at least see if they contact the registrar before getting 'into' this again.

 

[Bannen]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this registrar looks very similar to the sites of droc.ca (domainRegistryOfCanada) and droa.com (domainRegistryOfAmerica), both of which have outdated looks, function, and both of which have used scammy but barely-legal business tactics for years. Just google something like 'domainregistryofamericascam' and you can read up on them. I occasionally receive their scammy snailmail (real mail, not emails).

Like I said, I don't know if the registrar you mention is affiliated with these other two, but it strongly looks like it, with their similar and outdated site, poor and confusing functionality and broken links...

...and especially with the comments they've been emailing you. The scariest, to me, is when you mention they said 'no need to transfer, we can just change the nameservers'.
That sentence alone would make me run screaming to Pool and ICANN and lodge a serious complaint. Just to all-caps this: A DOMAIN REGISTRAR WHO IS HOLDING A DOMAIN YOU JUST BOUGHT, IS TELLING YOU THAT YOU DON'T ACTUALLY NEED TO TAKE THE NAME FROM THEM, TELLING YOU THAT THEY WILL JUST KEEP THE DOMAIN AND SWITCH THE NAMESERVERS TO WHEREVER YOU WANT.
Yikes.
Very dishonest, scammy, and I wouldn't hesitate to start spreading the word about them.

 

[ExampleName]

Does anyone here know if it's true that Pool not paying THEM means that I don't own the name?

It would seem to me that I'm a third party and they need to settle that with Pool on their own time.

But yes, before anyone mentions, I'm going to look this up myself. Can't hurt to ask in addition.

 

[DU]

Does anyone here know if it's true that Pool not paying THEM means that I don't own the name?

You own the name if you are listed as the registrant. Obviously the registrar could change that..

Im sure legally there are many resolutions to potential things...but cart before horse.

 

[johname]

Pool charged you money?

Were you the only bidder?

The problem here is the registry is now as pissed at you as you are of them. And they might try a "we didnt get paid so you dont own the name" Which is probably just a poker bluff. You need to talk to pool

 

[ExampleName]

Yes, I paid Pool $60, and yes I was the only bidder. The domain was backordered on other services by multiple users, though.

I'm still listed as the owner on the Whois info... for now.

One thing I noticed when first setting the registration data is that it seems like they put through whois changes as you would put through a transaction. This means they have to 'approve' the change.

So essentially they could change it and deny any attempts to reset it.

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

Even if these lunkheads change the registrant info, there will still be a history of your ownership, which you will be able to get from DomainTools (I'm sure a paid member of DT will help you out here).

Get in touch with Pool and ICANN ASAP!

If nothing else, you need to leave a digital trail.

*

 

[ExampleName]

I win! :D

Pool seemed pretty alarmed by the registrar's behavior.

The registrar tells me that Pool straightened out the payment error and paid the transfer-out fee as well! O_O


I have the auth code and I'm transferring in another tab.


Thanks to everyone posting in the thread and sending PMs. I think this went so well because of your input, from telling me that, no, it's NOT common to charge the fee all the way to when $#!% started to go down. XD

Thanks again!

 

[Ray]

I win! :D

Pool seemed pretty alarmed by the registrar's behavior.

The registrar tells me that Pool straightened out the payment error and paid the transfer-out fee as well! O_O


I have the auth code and I'm transferring in another tab.


Thanks to everyone posting in the thread and sending PMs. I think this went so well because of your input, from telling me that, no, it's NOT common to charge the fee all the way to when $#!% started to go down. XD


Thanks again!

Great to see things worked out for you in the end!

 

[ExampleName]

Now that it's said and done, I feel like I can go back and hit a few 'bullet points' I passed over previously.

These are basically things I feel people should know about the company, but which I didn't want to mention because I didn't feel it pertained to the specific issue at hand and how to solve it.

This is mostly for you guys to enjoy! I'm happy at this point...


1.) When I said that it was bad practice to argue with customers over a $10 fee* when word of mouth is so important, their response was to ask if I was theatening them.

* (not just to ask for it, but to actually argue.)

2.) Their automated response to my initial transfer request included the line that they 'looked over' my account and saw I could qualify for a reduced renewal fee code.

Clearly, this is a tactic to convince you not to transfer, as it should be clear an automated response didn't look over my account.

3.) The actual wording of their attempt to stop transfers is as follows:

As mentioned there is absolutely no reason to get an auth code and transfer registrar. Domains are easily pointed to new hosting companies by way of DNS. Providers many times want you to switch to their registrar so they can "control" the name. This is no advantage to you.

4.) The response to my suggestion that they make the pricing more clear to users was simply:

Ok.

5.) When I mentioned that other registrars mostly do not seem to charge for a transfer out, I was told those are just the "big" registrars that "you are aware of".

Naturally, I've used a bunch of different companies over the years, more small than large.

6.) When I said I only wanted the auth code, nothing hard like actually doing the transfer, I was told I had no idea what was hard work because I'm not a registrar.

^I'm not wording that to suit my point... I was literally told I had "no idea" because I'm "not a registrar".

7.) At one point they said that having the domain name whois registered to me did not mean I owned it. Someone with more knowledge here might tell me this is actually true, but it seems bunk on the face of it.



If any of that made you chuckle, my work here is done.

 

[DU]

Summary:

• Win for NP Member!
• Win for Pool (really, swift response imho, and handled well).
• Lose for the Registrar scumbag operation called DomainRegistry.

Keyword loading the post SE:

DomainRegistry Sucks Scam Stay Away Cheats

:lol:

Best of luck with your site

---------- Post added at 11:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:59 PM ----------

whois registered to me did not mean I owned it

It means you are the current authorized "owner" of the domain. No one "owns" domains but you are the owner to the rights to use the name.

 

[freedom30]

Now that it's said and done, I feel like I can go back and hit a few 'bullet points' I passed over previously.

These are basically things I feel people should know about the company, but which I didn't want to mention because I didn't feel it pertained to the specific issue at hand and how to solve it.

This is mostly for you guys to enjoy! I'm happy at this point...


1.) When I said that it was bad practice to argue with customers over a $10 fee* when word of mouth is so important, their response was to ask if I was theatening them.

* (not just to ask for it, but to actually argue.)

2.) Their automated response to my initial transfer request included the line that they 'looked over' my account and saw I could qualify for a reduced renewal fee code.

Clearly, this is a tactic to convince you not to transfer, as it should be clear an automated response didn't look over my account.

3.) The actual wording of their attempt to stop transfers is as follows:



4.) The response to my suggestion that they make the pricing more clear to users was simply:



5.) When I mentioned that other registrars mostly do not seem to charge for a transfer out, I was told those are just the "big" registrars that "you are aware of".

Naturally, I've used a bunch of different companies over the years, more small than large.

6.) When I said I only wanted the auth code, nothing hard like actually doing the transfer, I was told I had no idea what was hard work because I'm not a registrar.

^I'm not wording that to suit my point... I was literally told I had "no idea" because I'm "not a registrar".

7.) At one point they said that having the domain name whois registered to me did not mean I owned it. Someone with more knowledge here might tell me this is actually true, but it seems bunk on the face of it.



If any of that made you chuckle, my work here is done.

...I know I'm gonna see this skit on SNL.

The Jersey Shore registrar...It's GOLD!...

 

[Ms Domainer]

I win! :D

Pool seemed pretty alarmed by the registrar's behavior.

The registrar tells me that Pool straightened out the payment error and paid the transfer-out fee as well! O_O


I have the auth code and I'm transferring in another tab.


Thanks to everyone posting in the thread and sending PMs. I think this went so well because of your input, from telling me that, no, it's NOT common to charge the fee all the way to when $#!% started to go down. XD

Thanks again!

*

Yay!

This is such good news.

Now I hope that Pool will reconsider its relationship with this registrar.

*

 

[Grassman9000]

What an intereting and educational read this was. Glad it worked out for OP

 

[Kate]

As you can see, the standards to run a registrar are quite low.
If you think the Wild West era we're having now is going to milden over time wait for the hundreds or thousands of new TLDs around the corner, registries and registrars doing as they please and don't turn to toothless icann for help.