1&1 Charging For Domains They Dont Control

[CityTiger]

So I have been with 1&1 for almost 10 years now, nothing major quite a few domains but only a small hosting package with them.

Never had any major problems with them, just the odd thing but Im well aware they have a bad reputation.

Anyway I sold some .co.uk domains and they were transferred to the new owner and a new registra via a Nominet transfer and tag change. I have done this before and do not normally cancel them in my registrar as I understood it to be an automatic process.

Now I have just had an invoice from 1&1 that included 3 .co.uk domain names that I had sold a few months back - all of which have completed successfully and show in the Whois with the new registrants name and their registrar i.e. none of them are in either my or 1&1's control. There was also a .com domain in the same invoice where the same is true.

I disputed the invoice fully expecting them to realise a mistake has been made and issue me with a credit note. I got the response that they would issue me with a credit note for the .com domain, however they cannot do it for the .co.uk as although the domains have been transferred away - I did not cancel them in my 1&1 control panel.

This seems ridiculous to me since they are in essence charging me for a service they cannot provide i.e. if I ask them for control of the domain there is no possible way they can do it.

I have sent them a mail explaining this and pointing out I am a loyal customer of almost 10 years and deserve better treatment than this but so far there has been no response.

Is it just me or is it totally unreasonable to charge me for domains I clearly no longer own and they are no longer the registrar for?

The money is only a small amount but its the principle - surely this is dodgy ground for them legally?

 

[tifosi]

Simple fact is that so long as the domains were transferred before the renewal period (and any renewal notices by 1&1) Nominet cannot charge them for renewing the domains as they don't control them as registrar. The EPP/Automaton requests will fail. So 1&1 won't have been financially put out by this.

Their systems should have flagged this up through monitoring of the renewal requests.

You've got full rights to expect the payments to be refunded in full as they will NOT have been charged by Nominet.

 

[CityTiger]

That is exactly what I thought but glad to have it confirmed.

If they do not reply today then I shall give them another phone call tomorrow and try and make them see sense. If they cant then I think it will be a case of moving everything away from 1&1 out of principle if nothing else.

 

[retired_member34]

I can't advise if you can recover your money, but can state that 1&1 always do this unless you cancel the contract with them, after transfer, at contract.1and1.co.uk.

They also prevent a different customer registering a .co.uk domain with them, even after Nominet transfer has occured, unless it is first transferred to the new owner using the 1&1 control panel.

 

[grantw]

Going by previous occurrences of this you can probably expect a debt collection agency chasing you if you don't pay!!

Grant

 

[martin-s]

Answer: move all of your domains away from 1&1!

 

[CityTiger]

I can't advise if you can recover your money, but can state that 1&1 always do this unless you cancel the contract with them, after transfer, at contract.1and1.co.uk.

They also prevent a different customer registering a .co.uk domain with them, even after Nominet transfer has occured, unless it is first transferred to the new owner using the 1&1 control panel.

I have had other UK domains that I have not cancelled that have automatically been suspended from my account once the details were changed at Nominet so it hasnt always been like this in my experience.

Going by previous occurrences of this you can probably expect a debt collection agency chasing you if you don't pay!!

Grant

:mrgreen: Yes I have heard those stories! The invoice has been paid as I have a PayPal agreement with them so it was automatic so what I am chasing now is a credit note. If they will not issue it I will try and raise a dispute via PayPal but knowing PayPal I wouldnt hold out much hope there either!

Answer: move all of your domains away from 1&1!

Yep I think that is certainly looking like a good option

 

[tifosi]

Yep I think that is certainly looking like a good option

I'm recommending daily.co.uk atm to clients in need of a decent public registrar.

Now you've paid I'd threaten them with the bailiffs and/or report them to Nominet with regard to dodgy practices and in effect fraudulent accounting....

after you've move your other domains!!

 

[CityTiger]

Thanks Tifosi - Ill look at Daily.co.uk and yes Ill certainly look in to reporting them Nominet and perhaps even Trading Standards since what they are doing is essentially theft.

 

[sdsinc]

This is what makes 1&1 so 'special'. I understand that they treat domains as part of a 'package' (with hosting I presume).
Bottom line, there are enough competitors to avoid the aggravation.

 

[CityTiger]

Just a quick update on this. After sending a couple more emails to 1and1 requesting a refund on the basis they cannot provide the service I paid for (and of course getting no reply) I decided to dispute it via PayPal.

I raised a 'Not Received' dispute for the cost of the 3 domains and after a couple of weeks - PayPal decided in my favour and refunded the cost of the 3 domains.

Now I am just waiting to see what 1and1 do - I am full expecting to sometime soon receive a bill for the amount that was reclaimed - plus no doubt an extra admin fee.

 

[tifosi]

If it ever escalates to debt reclaiming I'd contact Nominet. They will have the invoice documents for the invoice month/period due which will show that they have not been charged for the renewals. Their legal team may have a 'quiet word in the ear' of 1&1 to go away.

 

[mart1n19]

1&1 are the worst company I have dealt with... Bar none.

I had an issue with them over a domain I cancelled ( & had email proof which I showed them )

However they still chased me for £11.90 & sent a debt collections letter to my address.

I would never ever deal with them again..... Hell even if they gave me domains for free I still wouldn't go near them.....

 

[CityTiger]

Thanks tifosi - will do