opinion Never register .VU domains! Trouble personal experience

[EvgeniiD]

Hello!
I want to tell about my own trouble experience while registering .VU domains (VANUATU domains).
On the 25th of February 2020 year I registered one .vu domain via hello.vu/vunic.vu website.
The registration was via official Registrar website! VUNIC (TRBR) introduce itself together with NEUSTAR. As I understood VUNIC is the administrative contact for .vu domains, NEUSTAR is the technical contact for .vu domains. Hello.vu website contains refer to both VUNIC and NEUSTAR, Abuse Policy for .vu domains is NEUSTAR.
The price for domain registrarion was $50.
So, I registered the domain, but WHOIS didn't appear. I wrote to [email protected], but nobody replied me.
In a week, I wrote again, but VUNIC didn't reply.
Then I wrote to NEUSTAR, they replied, that they are only technical contact, and all the problems with domain registration I must resolve only with VUNIC.
After my mail to NEUSTAR, VUNIC replied that domain registration was failed because price for the domain is $250. VUNIC offerred to regist another domain or return money for failed domain registration. I chosen return money and wrote about it.
Since that time VUNIC stopped replying to my mails, ignored my mails and delete them without reading. NEUSTAR reads my mails, replies, but writes that NEUSTAR is not able to do something, that I must continue writing mails to VUNIC.
Today is the 13th of April, but money for failed .vu domain registration was not returned to me.
I wrote to different VUNIC and TRBR contact mails but the result is "zero".

So, I advise not to register .VU domains.
A week ago I wrote mail to VANUATU Government and will be waiting for the result...

 

[alcy]

ty for headsup

like most domainers, i didn't even know this existed. so odds are most will not register them

 

[Hypersot]

Are you sure this is the extension's fault and not because you chose the cheapest way to register the domain?

When registering a domain under an exotic extension best thing to do is to register it via a registrar you have worked with in the past or at least you know that you'll probably get a reply. It's always a risk when you first try to do business with an unknown entity that doesn't reside in your country.

In .vu's case, I'd use Marcaria, Netim or even 101domain. Those are registrars that will get back to you within 24hrs if you have any issue/question regarding the extension.

 

[EvgeniiD]

Are you sure this is the extension's fault and not because you chose the cheapest way to register the domain?

If such a possibility, I prefer register domains via official Registry website if they provide such possibility. I always do this but there were no troubles with another Registries.
Vunic (official website for .vu domain) provides such a possibility. I can't ever think that there will be problems with official Registry...

 

[Hypersot]

If such a possibility, I prefer regist domains via official Registry website if they provide such possibility. I always do this but there were no troubles with another Registries.
Vunic (official website for .vu domain) provides such a possibility. I can't ever think that there will be problems with official Registry...

I think you are missing the point.
The point here is that you had trouble in your communication with the place you registered the domain with.

Registry is a good place but they still might cause problems with communication (ie. respond VERY late or not respond at all). Remember, we are talking about some rather obscure extensions.

In the past, I had an issue with such a domain that I had registered via the registry and it took me days to communicate due to them barely knowing any English.

My suggestion is based in practical terms and not theory: better choose a registrar you have worked in the past or you know that it's easy to contact rather than what it 'looks' to be a good place to register a domain.

 

[EvgeniiD]

The point here is that you had trouble in your communication with the place you registered the domain with.

I think that communication IS due to the fact that .VU Registry has many email contacts, they have the internet, they know English)), they GET my mails, but they don't want to reply them, perhaps, don't want to return money, so, they delete my mails without reading.
The point is GLOBAL - it doesn't matter what Registry or Registrar is, if it is official, accredited by ICANN/IANA, ANY Registry/Registrar must operates HONESTLY, because, I consider, it is wild thing that Registrar took money for domain registration, but didn't return money for failed domain registration.

It is bad thing for ANY Registry/Registrar reputation... such things due to registrants must not be in our modern digital world...

 

[Sam]

They're a pain to deal with. I tried registering an domain and the system allowed payment and an email said it was "confirmed" but then the domain still shows as available in whois.

 

[coolhands]

if you paid via PayPal try to open dispute and ask for a refund.

 

[EvgeniiD]

Thanks everybody who follows this thread.
At all, I wrote to VU government I my problem was resolved - money for failed registration was returned.

 

[bvicky77]

TY.
On whihc government id did you raise this concern, pls share..

 

[lock]

After you end up owning a cc country domain it is always taken off you after time if not a resident. I won't even try anymore.

 

[EvgeniiD]

TY.
On whihc government id did you raise this concern, pls share..

If it is still actual for you I wrote to several Vanuatu Government emails:
[email protected] (this person replied to me)
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]