Registrar following the rules or is this an example of registrar shananigans

[*AllThings.tv*]

I recently sold a domain and was preparing to transfer it out. The name was auto-renewed by my registrar 30 days before the registration was up on the domain. I requested that the renewal be refunded because I didn't want it. They are telling me that in order to process a refund, they domain must be deleted. "This is not our rule, but a Registry one, just like the deletion grace period which some registries don't provide at all."

Does this rule apply to renewals on domains that have registration left on them?

 

[verbster]

I've not heard of this before. Had lots of refunds before, but no deletions in order to get them. Auto-renewing 30 days before expiration seems a bit extravagant.

 

[*AllThings.tv*]

The registrar alleges that a refund can be granted within only 5 days of the transaction taking place. This registrar thinks charging $30 for a .com renewal is a good way to treat customers. Never again will I give them any business that I can take elsewhere and will let every fellow dot commer that I am personal friends with know about it.

 

[labrocca]

That's not a registry rule. Ask them to show you the rule and then you would be willing to comply. Was auto-renew on? If so you probably can't get a refund but it's bullcrap that they are telling you lies. I don't understand why companies just can't state it's their own policy.

 

[BitcoinDK]

First time I have heard of that rule.

And I agree with labrocca, if the auto-renew was on, then you probably cant get a refund. But they should just come out and say it.

Best regards,

 

[weblord]

yeah just let them quote you the icann url and you'll comply.

That's not a registry rule. Ask them to show you the rule and then you would be willing to comply. Was auto-renew on? If so you probably can't get a refund but it's bullcrap that they are telling you lies. I don't understand why companies just can't state it's their own policy.

 

[tricolorro]

I recently sold a domain and was preparing to transfer it out. The name was auto-renewed by my registrar 30 days before the registration was up on the domain. I requested that the renewal be refunded because I didn't want it. They are telling me that in order to process a refund, they domain must be deleted. "This is not our rule, but a Registry one, just like the deletion grace period which some registries don't provide at all."

Does this rule apply to renewals on domains that have registration left on them?

:hi:

Please say what Registrar it is doing this.

Thanks.

Patrick

 

[snowbird]

I dont believe refunds are permitted on domain renewals. Some registrars do or use to offer a small refund period for new registrations. But not for renewals. You can have your domain deleted, but you still might not be eligible for a refund. Perhaps your registrar does refunds on renewals. But I dont think I know of any that does. This sounds like something they are willing to do as a customer satisfaction thing. If this auto renew was an error on their part, they should make good for it to keep customers happy. But that doesnt always mean that they will.

 

[Dave_Z]

They are telling me that in order to process a refund, they domain must be deleted. "This is not our rule, but a Registry one, just like the deletion grace period which some registries don't provide at all."

Is this a .com or some other extension? But as Labrocca said, you won't really
get a refund if the domain name's autorenewed.

Also, when they said the domain name must be deleted, did they say you also
need to send like a faxed request or so? Just a hunch.

I dont believe refunds are permitted on domain renewals. Some registrars do or use to offer a small refund period for new registrations. But not for renewals. You can have your domain deleted, but you still might not be eligible for a refund. Perhaps your registrar does refunds on renewals. But I dont think I know of any that does. This sounds like something they are willing to do as a customer satisfaction thing. If this auto renew was an error on their part, they should make good for it to keep customers happy. But that doesnt always mean that they will.

Fully correct, snowbird. It's indeed a customer retention plan if they'll refund
for that unintended autorenew, although they're not obligated to.

 

[*AllThings.tv*]

The only articulation I received was:

the renewal already went through and the Registry doesn't allow to remove years from a name.

I will ask them to cite a specific rule.

The domain is a .com domain name.

 

[cartoonz]

I recently sold a domain and was preparing to transfer it out. The name was auto-renewed by my registrar 30 days before the registration was up on the domain. I requested that the renewal be refunded because I didn't want it. They are telling me that in order to process a refund, they domain must be deleted. "This is not our rule, but a Registry one, just like the deletion grace period which some registries don't provide at all."

Does this rule apply to renewals on domains that have registration left on them?

You need to comlplete the transfer first. The registry will automatically refund the registrar for the autorenew. You will notice when the domain lands at your new registrar, it will still be showing only one year left on registration - not an additional year. NOW you can demand a refund from the Registrar and they will give it to you.

oops... reread this and realized that it did not autorenew at expiry but before... sounds like eNom ... and, no, you won't get a refund but you will get an extra year when it transfers.

 

[jberryhill]

The registry will automatically refund the registrar for the autorenew

You are confusing two different "autorenews" there.

ICANN does not set the transactional rules between the registry and the registrars, btw.

But here's where I get confused. So many people used to pay year-to-year, would forget to pay their renewals, so registrars started offering various forms of auto-renew, to avoid complaints from people who didn't renew on time. So you are saying that you had this name set to auto-renew at the registrar, you agreed to the terms for autorenewal, and then after the charge you changed your mind and didn't want to auto-renew the name. The registrar has already paid the registry for an additional year, and you want the registrar to refund you:

(a) the difference between the registry wholesale renewal price and the registrar's retail price?

or

(b) the entire amount?

I can't see how your claim for (b) would be at all justified, but even if you just wanted (a), then it seems like you've worked out a plan that you can follow every year in order to get one year at the the wholesale rate because, no, the registry cannot roll back a year after it's been paid for renewal (and on top of that, I suppose you want the registry to, in turn, chase down the 25 cents it paid to ICANN on the renewal).

 

[Asmro]

Where was this domain registered? Was it a big registry like GoDaddy, or one of those little side, cheap registers? With little unknown registers, you never know what can happen...

 

[Dave_Z]

the entire amount?

Probably whatever registrar price the OP was charged for the autorenew that
time. Although it's indeed the user's responsibility, for the most part, when it
comes to using the autorenew feature, some registrars don't necessarily state
upfront or so that it takes effect nth days before expiry.

I guess that's where the autorenew issue comes in. Then again, the registrar
doesn't have to say unless asked.

 

[Spade]

It seems bizzare to me that the registrar renewed the domain name 30 days before expiration.... I am still curious what registrar this was.

 

[Asmro]

I think that we all are as I stated before above. Because this situation, it just doesn't seem right...It seems as though there is a piece missing to the puzzle that you may not be telling up. This story is just nothing I have heard before...

 

[Dave_Z]

It seems bizzare to me that the registrar renewed the domain name 30 days before expiration.

http://www.networksolutions.com/legal/static-service-agreement.jsp

You agree that if you use of our auto-renew service, we will attempt to renew your service approximately sixty (60) days prior to its expiration , for the same term then-currently in place for the service, and at the then-current price for the service. You acknowledge and agree that the renewal price may be higher or lower than the price you paid for the then-current term of the service, and that we are authorized to charge your credit card or other payment method (such as PayPal®) on file for the renewal of the service(s).

http://www.moniker.com/help/delete-autorenew-policy.jsp

If a customer has selected our highly recommended “Auto-Renew” feature for a domain name registration, we will attempt to automatically renew the domain name registration approximately 14 days prior to the domain name registration expiration date (subject to the terms related to the “auto-renew” feature found in our Service Agreement and on our web site). Auto-Renew will be initiated as long as there are funds in a customer account or a valid credit card on file in a customer account.

 

[jberryhill]

This story is just nothing I have heard before...

What is so unusual about a registrar renewing a domain name that someone has set to auto-renew?

Waiting until the last minute to do it would be pretty stupid. Many people either change or cancel their credit card accounts, or else use a card tied to a debit card, that may be invalid or otherwise not chargeable at the time the domain name expires. It would be stunningly retarded not to try to renew the domain name well in advance of the domain expiration date, in order to provide some notification to the domain registrant if their auto-renew information were not valid.

What I can't figure out in any of this is why, if this guy didn't want to renew the domain name at this registrar - why - did he have the domain name on auto-renew in the first place?

Here's a really, really complicated tip for you - if you don't want the registrar to renew your domain name, then don't tell the registrar to renew it.

How hard is that to understand?

As Dave points out above, EVERY registrar that has an auto-renew option does so well in advance of the registration date, and they do it for perfectly sound reasons. I'm frankly surprised they don't all do it at 60 days prior, like NSI does, because that is the normal limit for chargebacks. If it is less than 60 days, then you'd have the opportunity to scam the registrar by waiting for auto-renew, doing a transfer out, and then attempting to charge back the renewal.

 

[cartoonz]

well put, as usual, John.

"stunningly retarded"... yet another Berryhillism to put into the books... LoL

 

[*AllThings.tv*]

The registrar is enom. The story isn't missing any details. The domain was set to auto-renew. When it auto renewed, I was surprised and requested the refund for two reasons. One, I didn't feel that a $30 charge to renew a dot com domain name was fair or reasonable, and two, the name had been sold and was about to be transferred. I didn't need the extra registration so I requested the refund by telephone. The customer service rep said a refund was possible but that I would have to submit a ticket in the online account, which I subsequently did. Mysteriously, that ticket disappeared so I had to create another one.

On 05/22/2008, I requested that they cite a rule in the registry to support their position. I have not received a response.