GoDaddy Auto-Renew Rip Off

[sleepysentry]

I bought a .fm domain last year for around $70. It was set to expire on July 3, but today, on July 1, Godaddy auto-renewed the name!

I am a little pissed off because while I did have auto-renew enabled, I intended to delete the domain today. Little did I know Godaddy renewed it for me. And the thing is- I never recall enabling auto renew. I don't think I would auto-renew a $70 domain.

Is there any way I can get my money back? I paid with PayPal through my bank account. I am thinking about just canceling the payment at my bank. Will this be effective?

 

[Big P]

Two things...always turn auto renew OFF & call Godaddy customer service & they should be able to delete the name & give you your money back.

 

[mis_chiff]

Not Godaddy's fault.
Auto renew is a feature you can change yourself.
I always turn that off as soon as I put a domain at Godaddy...

The .FM renewal rules
dotFM - .FM Domain Name Registration

Found this on another forum - from Godaddy support....

Quote:
Certian Country Code domains such as .fm require that renewal fee's be paid by the 20th day of the month prior to the domain's expiration. This is a universal standard for these domains and not a regulation put in place by our organization.

Didn't they tell you in the "Renewal Notice" email when it's going to happen?

 

[sleepysentry]

Actually, searching through my email, I found a message saying the name was set to automatically renew on Aug. 03, 2009. Godaddy renewed it on July 1 and made no mention of the different payment terms for country code domains.

I talked to Godaddy on the phone and they were very helpful. The guy instantly gave me a refund with no hassle. :kickass:

 

[Spade]

I talked to Godaddy on the phone and they were very helpful. The guy instantly gave me a refund with no hassle. :kickass:

They are always really good about this kind of thing, especially if you catch it early on.

But, you do need to make yourself aware of registry rules, in the end - your the one who is held responsible. Its fortunate your dealing with a company that appreciates its customers.

 

[mntor]

Yep Godaddy's Auto-renew is something you have to be careful with. When you buy a domain or service at Godaddy, by default auto-renew is ON. You will have to turn it off if you don't want it. It should actually be the other way imho.

Good you got your money back.

 

[snowbird]

Yeah I had an SSL certificate auto renew even though I didn't want it to. But a simple call explaining the situation got me a refund. Most GOOD companies will try to work with you through these types of situations. If they provide good customer service, then you will most likely come back for more services in the future. Just keep this situation in mind though and make sure you remove auto renewals on domains you dont wish to have renewed. To be honest, I myself don't really trust auto renewals. If I have a domain I intend on keeping, I usually do a multi year registration so that way I don't have to worry about it expiring.