Have You Been Ripped Off By Registerfly? Read This

[dewpoint]

I routinely register large volumes of domains with registerfly, averaging around 100 or so a week. A number of patterns have developed. And after doing a search on the net and other forums, it appears that my problems with Registerfly are not unique.

Patterns include:

1) If you process a bulk order for domains, the system will allow you to add all of the domains to your shopping cart. You are then billed for all of the domains. However, usually, anywhere from 1 and sometimes a dozen or more domains do not successfully register.
The problem, Registerfly's system does not automatically process a refund. First, you have to catch the overbilling. Next, you have to submit a trouble ticket. And finally, even if you used a credit card for the purchase, Registerfly will credit your Registerfly account. (Obviously, to keep their refund/chargeback percentages low with the charge card companies).

2) Another bait and switch technique they use is to advertise various sales as "LIVE". But when you try to use the sale, the offer is refused, and the domains are charged out at full price.

Both of these practices are illegal, and should be stopped. But people like you and me complaining on a forum isn't going to do the trick. Instead, complaints must be registered with the proper authorities. Here's the contact url's for complaints:

ICANN - http://reports.internic.net/cgi/registrars/problem-report.cgi

NEW JERSEY ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE (Registerfly's state of operation)
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/ocp/ocpform.htm

Registerfly's Contact Information
RegisterFly.com, inc.
623 Eagle Rock Avenue
Suite #7
West Orange, NJ 07052
1.973.404.8430


BILLING COMPLAINT
A company like Registerfly must keep refunds/chargebacks below a certain rate, or risk losing their merchant charge accounts. An option is to call your charge company and complain about over billings.

There are numerous other serious issues with the Registerfly system. Such as inability to access transferred domains. Incorrect renewal dates, and so on. But, the agencies above will not be able to assist with these type of problems.

It's time to make Registerfly clean up their act!

Thanks for keeping this thread alive

 

[HBK216]

"Another bait and switch technique they use is to advertise various sales as "LIVE". But when you try to use the sale, the offer is refused, and the domains are charged out at full price."

I have seen this happen a few times myself. Sometimes the code won't work but usually still does even after the posted deadline. However even if the names are charged out at full price, you still have the option to not buy it.

Sounds like more nitpicking............

 

[dewpoint]

Nitpicking? Oh boy...has the internet really sunk this low, where illegal practices are simply viewed as a normal part of doing business.

Are you trying to tell me that, say you saw a huge sign on the front of your favorite store, advertising a huge sale on exactly the item that you want. You walk in the store, and there is another sign, right at the display case, again showing the item at a sale price.

Then when you go to pay, the clerk says..."oh, that's not on sale". First off, I can guarantee, unless you are extreamly timid, you will argue with the store clerk. And second, for the merchant to not honor the sales price is illegal.

Just because it is online, doesn't make it right.

"Another bait and switch technique they use is to advertise various sales as "LIVE". But when you try to use the sale, the offer is refused, and the domains are charged out at full price."

I have seen this happen a few times myself. Sometimes the code won't work but usually still does even after the posted deadline. However even if the names are charged out at full price, you still have the option to not buy it.

Sounds like more nitpicking............

 

[vokkerzen]

Read the flypaper this is the news promo. All say this is time sensitive and last for 24 hours and they tell you when it starts. It is not when you get it and feel like use it is when they say it . If they say .info special is for 6 hour, it is for 6 hours. Not when you feel like using it.

How is illegal?

 

[deet]

" Sounds like more nitpicking............

Are you confused as to what we are all talking about??
HBK, perhaps you need to read up on this forum about
how registerfly does things? way to many have been done wrong, to call this nitpicking!!

 

[dewpoint]

OK, I should have added, please keep the thread alive, ONLY if you have done your research and have something useful to say. (And some sort of education would be helpful as well)

The info special appears only after you login. (In the real world situation, this would be the same as, you only see the sales sign when you walk right up to the product display case). Right at the top of yoru control panel is the following ad:

Special Offer!
SUPERINFO special is live till 7:00 PM EST TODAY. Get .60 .info names now

I'm not sure what the "Flypaper" is...but that is irrevalent anyways. This ad is presented to me immediately upon login. And right now it is in fact 3 pm EST, well before the 7 pm deadline.

From what you have said, I will compare the Flypaper to a store's flyer. So, again you are saying, a store could place giant signs all around a merchandise display saying "SALE, SALE, SALE". But then, they could refuse the sale by saying...oh, didn't you read the flyer we sent to your home. The sale that is so prominently advertised at our store is not actually available right now.

And don't forget the overbilling issues and the many other issues with Registerfly. Again I must say...just because it's online, doesn't make it right!

Read the flypaper this is the news promo. All say this is time sensitive and last for 24 hours and they tell you when it starts. It is not when you get it and feel like use it is when they say it . If they say .info special is for 6 hour, it is for 6 hours. Not when you feel like using it.

How is illegal? Just cry baby

 

[vokkerzen]

It is there newspaper

http://theflypaper.com/

that message was on friday. I agree they should remove it but it was only good on Friday. They should remove when it expire. since you have to check code before you buy to get price you have option to not buy since code will nto work before you checkout cart.

 

[regfly]

dewpoint

In response to your thread:

1 - registering bulk names. This was more common during the high volume bulk promotions we run. We have seen volumes of 25 to 30K in 8 hour time periods so this did put a huge stress on our systems. We have recently added substantial amount of infrastructure to handle the volume and growth so this is less of an issue now. If you have still experienced this I woul like to get your user informtion to validate your claim.

2 - We publish the promotions we run within theFlypaper. In each case they are very time sensitive. We sometimes run domain manager only specials and once again they are time sensitive. In the case of the current message, we ran a promotion on Friday, it expired Friday night. Due to the holiday our development staff did not remove it. If a client makes a request aout the pricing we posted vs the current price we will honor it.

 

[deet]

dewpoint

In response to your thread:

1 - registering bulk names. This was more common during the high volume bulk promotions we run. We have seen volumes of 25 to 30K in 8 hour time periods so this did put a huge stress on our systems. We have recently added substantial amount of infrastructure to handle the volume and growth so this is less of an issue now. If you have still experienced this I woul like to get your user informtion to validate your claim.

2 - We publish the promotions we run within theFlypaper. In each case they are very time sensitive. We sometimes run domain manager only specials and once again they are time sensitive. In the case of the current message, we ran a promotion on Friday, it expired Friday night. Due to the holiday our development staff did not remove it. If a client makes a request aout the pricing we posted vs the current price we will honor it.

looks like typical response...

I agree, we should all contact ICANN http://reports.internic.net/cgi/reg...blem-report.cgi

 

[dewpoint]

Regfly, In response to your response:

The "refund issue" listed above occurred again this morning, and has occurred every single time I have placed an order. Not just during "high volume" periods of business. I would find it very hard to believe that this is an isolated case that only happens to me. And a look through the various threads on the net would indicate that this issue is still very prevalent.

And the extension of your advertising specials is also not an isolated "holiday weekend" phenom. The SUPERINFO banner has been visible for over a 1 month period, in various forms. and I have sent numerous support tickets pointing this out to your "customer service" people.

And your staff will certainly not "honor" the posted price. Here's the response I recieved from your support staff only 1 short hour ago:

.info specials are on friday. the code wasn't vaild when you used it.

jen f.
Thank you for contacting the billing department. Have a nice day.

And this is just the peak of the iceberg.

I have been attempting to gain access to a number of domains that I registered with registerfly for well over a month now. They are finally appearing in my account, but every attempt to change the nameservers is refused. I have sent NUMEROUS support requests. Every single one has responded with, everything is working. Well, guess what, it's not!

And the problems with your system go on.

As far as my user information goes....it's fairly easy to figure out. My name online would be the same as my Registerfly login.

But the simple issue is this. Neither I, nor the apparently thousands of other webmasters, should need to bring an issue like this to a public forum environment. There are some serious issues with Registerfly as it stands now, and no amount of spin doctoring is going to change this.

dewpoint

In response to your thread:

1 - registering bulk names. This was more common during the high volume bulk promotions we run. We have seen volumes of 25 to 30K in 8 hour time periods so this did put a huge stress on our systems. We have recently added substantial amount of infrastructure to handle the volume and growth so this is less of an issue now. If you have still experienced this I woul like to get your user informtion to validate your claim.

2 - We publish the promotions we run within theFlypaper. In each case they are very time sensitive. We sometimes run domain manager only specials and once again they are time sensitive. In the case of the current message, we ran a promotion on Friday, it expired Friday night. Due to the holiday our development staff did not remove it. If a client makes a request aout the pricing we posted vs the current price we will honor it.

Paul, from Registerfly, I am still awaiting a response.
If you need further information, by all means ask. There are certainly many more examples I can produce.

And sadly, I do not have any further action to report. My account still shows neither a refund forthcoming for charged but unregistered domains this morning, nor a refund for the discreprency between posted prices and prices charged at check-out.

Update to my thread. Apparently the following person is looking into business irregularities at Registerfly:

Aziza Salikhov is the investigator for consumer affairs in NJ. He is the one to contact that will be looking into these complaints.

His email is: [email protected]

 

[DeluxeNames.com]

Brian, good for you for being tenacious and fighting for what is right. God helps those who help themselves. Let's not hope for Registerfly's demise, but for their reform. They have a lot of potential and can be great and consider your work as giving them that "nudge" to move in the right direction. I personally am looking forward to using them once they get their act together.

 

[Ronald Regging]

Frankly I think it's a good thing that someone is investigating their actions. I've never used RegisterFly, but after reading all the horrible posts on this forum I can not imagine that these are isolated incidents. And from the type of issues I've heard, I'd say they're bordering on fraud. You just can't charge someone for services you've never rendered and then make it almost impossible or refuse to give them a refund. Why should the customer have to jump through hoops to get back money that RegFly never had a right to take to begin with? If you don't provide a service, you can't charge for it. I don't know why there are registrars that think this type of behavior is acceptable. Your business is technology, if you can't make the technology work, than you're in the wrong business.

 

[deet]

Brian, good for you for being tenacious and fighting for what is right. God helps those who help themselves.

I agree!

 

[johnny6]

Right on, dewpoint.

The only 'useful' comment () I can make, unfortunately, is that registerfly is a second rate registrar.

However, it looks like they may be making steps in the right direction, the whole system is a little smoother than it was in the past... who knows... if they hire some competent support people and try to get into the market of actually being a decent registrar, instead of finding new ways of ripping people off.... they could be ok.

 

[dewpoint]

The saga continues.....

The SUPERINFO promo went live again around 8 am MST this morning. However, someone seems to have forgotten to tell this to the network "engineers".

I was once again overcharged for my domain order today. I used the SUPERINFO code. It was accepted, and yet the domains were still charged out at $1.59 each.

Further, 1 domain was not successfully registered, however I was still billed for the domain.

The total billed was $36.57

The correct amount should be $13.20

Amount owing $23.37

Yes, at some point I should stand back and realize I am throwing good money after bad...to quote a response I sent to Registerfly support:

Your company is travelling on a very slippery slope. And the cavalier attitude continually shown by your support staff, unfortunately continues to show that Registerfly seems somewhat oblivious to the problems.

 

[Ronald Regging]

Don't take up a one man mission to prove the consistent screw-ups of RegFly... If they screwed you once, move on. I have all the sympathy in the world for consumers who get screwed over by companies, but not when they go back time and time again. I thank you and the others who have brought the horrible stories of RegisterFly to light, because it saved me from ever using them, but don't allow yourself to be a continued victim.

 

[tldagent]

Registerfly.com - Can you say Pathetic!

FYI, Registerfly is going to screw you no matter what. Paul keep himself busy in this forum and a few others and has all kinds of excuses for what's wrong but avoids dealing with the issues. Many of these issues are being discussed on Registerflies.com. Paul is fully aware of the site and threatened to sue but has not once responded to what's being said.

Registerfly has accumulated countless innocent victims and have build a reputation as the most unethical and problem ridden registrar on the net... Just do a search and see for yourselves.

To Paul, (since you take sites like this one and make it into your own little customer support solution instead of doing it adequately on your own site), Registerflies has been up since February this year and has doubled in traffic every month. I've recently had to upgrade the hosting service to handle the bandwidth. Your customers are sick of your unethical business and we're sick of your responses. Take your customer support issues and implement them on Regsiterfly.com where they should be adequate. Focus on making the many wrongs you've created for customers right.

And for those small few who actually like Registerfly, again I warn you, more is to come and you will lose your names and you will be yet another victim of their unethical business practices. Check your whois, it's been changed and just try and do a bulk edit... Oh, and don't forget that after you transfer a domain name out of registerfly, they will still continue to send you renewals and they'll even allow you to pay (get banged two or three times for the same name that they no longer have).

Bottom line is if you have domains you wish to protect, then protect them with some other than Registerfly.com.

Transfer out and never use again. That's the best advice I can give from experience.

 

[BrandYourself]

registerfly are by far the worst domain registrars out there !
Avoid them like the plague !
The issues (due to incompetence and I also believe illegal practices) ive had with them are far too numerous to list but here are a few examples

Domains going missing (regularly !)
Domains being registerd that arent even available to register
Refunds taking forever
Domain management nightmares from updating nameservers to whois etc etc
Diabolical Customer service etc etc

I for one will never buy a new name there and will make sure I transfer out asap

 

[verbster]

Check your whois, it's been changed

What do you mean by this? Are you saying they change who is listed as the owner...or some other info?

 

[tldagent]

That's exactly what I mean.