Need Help: Domain Name Renewal Troubles....

[catdad]

I paid two and a half weeks ago to have my current domain name renewed for another year by a company that is a re-seller of enom.com. The re-seller has not re-newed the domain name and it will expire on March 3. The re-seller has not responded to numerous contact attempts. In their web control panel my domain name is showing “pending” and I can’t get the authorization code to let me use another company to renew the domain name. Enon says that they can’t help. Re-seller won’t communicate and I don’t have the authorization code....Other than sitting around and helplessly watch my domain name vanish...what can I do? This domain name has a high Google ranking and I simply can’t loose it. Help!!!!!!!! Any advise appreciated.

[mairving]

Welcome to PCMech.

If you own the domain name you don't really need their approval to transfer it. If you have a high Google Rank they could have a pretty high bid on selling the domain name to someone else which is why they are holding it. As long as you own the domain you should be able to transfer it. I would try to transfer it to GoDaddy or another registar. The registar that you are transferring it to should be able to help with that too.

[catdad]

The re-seller listed himself as the owner of the domain even though I paid for the domain and also the renewal through PayPal. I've called numerous domain registration firms and they won't touch this without an authorization code. Enom won't renew it because the re-seller has the domain name registered to himself....

[mairving]

Sadly they can do whatever they want with the domain. Never, ever allow a registar to own your domain.

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by mairving Sadly they can do whatever they want with the domain. Never, ever allow a registar to own your domain.

So true... you most likely will never get control over your domain without forking out some serious $$$.

http://www.pcdailytips.com/2006/09/0...-your-domains/

[catdad]

I paid this domain name company $8.95 for the initial registration of the domain name and another $8.95 for the renewal almost three weeks ago. So the fact that I've paid them and can supply receipts (PayPal) is meaningless? They own the domain name in spite of being paid for the registration by me and all I can do is sit back and watch my domain name just disappear?

[mairving]

Originally Posted by catdad I paid this domain name company $8.95 for the initial registration of the domain name and another $8.95 for the renewal almost three weeks ago. So the fact that I've paid them and can supply receipts (PayPal) is meaningless? They own the domain name in spite of being paid for the registration by me and all I can do is sit back and watch my domain name just disappear?

It doesn't really matter if you paid then $8.95 or $895 they own the domain. Since they own the domain you can't go to another registar and transfer the domain since they have to approve it. Unless you are able to get them to respond back to you there really isn't anything to do. You could possibly contact an attorney to see if they could do anything but that would be costly and might not get you anywhere. I would register another similar domain making sure that you own it this time. You may be able to resolve it but I still suspect that they are holding the domain while the bids come in on it.

Who is the registar that you used? Go ahead and create a hyperlink to them in this thread. That might get them to respond.

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by mairving It doesn't really matter if you paid then $8.95 or $895 they own the domain. Since they own the domain you can't go to another registar and transfer the domain since they have to approve it. Unless you are able to get them to respond back to you there really isn't anything to do. [...] You may be able to resolve it but I still suspect that they are holding the domain while the bids come in on it.

Exactly. Unethical but completely legal.
This is why you *always* buy your domain separate from your hosting.

[nightsky]

Is the Private Registration option a way registrars get ownership, by putting their information in who is who instead of your own to protect your privacy? Because I want to register a domain name but question buying that privacy protection for what $$$ they want. I just want to register a domain and park it till I figure out what to do with it. Any suggestions?

[glc]

Domains by proxy through Godaddy are safe.

[rjfvillarosa]

I am sorry to see you are having problems with Enom, my domain name is registered directly with Enom and I have never had anything less than excellent service from them.

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa I am sorry to see you are having problems with Enom, my domain name is registered directly with Enom and I have never had anything less than excellent service from them.

Have you ever tried to get ownership of your domain (i.e. you registered as the owner of the domain on whois)?
This is what the problem is, they will not transfer ownership of the domain when you want to go elsewhere for your hosting.

[rjfvillarosa]

I have the ownership of my domain along with all the information for transferring between hosting companies.
I had a major problem many years ago after I registered my domain name through a hosting company that went bust. Everything was great and I had no problems, the hosting was free all you paid for was registration and that wasn't expensive. Then one day completely out of the blue some company in Washington State had taken control of my domain name and my site hosting, it turned out that my hosting company (in Texas) was leasing the servers from the company in Washington, after some problems the lease company physically took possession of the servers.
The upshot of it all was the original company owner stepped in and helped hundreds if not thousands of people take ownership of their domains and reregister them with Enom and I must say Enom were great about it all.
I am very disappointed in what I am reading here and I am on the verge of emailing the woman in Enom that I have been dealing with for the last few years, she has been major helpful on a few occasions.