Advice Needed!

[IdeaMerchants]

Hi all

New here just signed up today. Hoping someones got some advice!

Ok heres my problem...

I had a company in the UK T/A *************.co.uk. This domain along with others was registered through and hosted with A COMPANY. I moved to Spain last year and closed the company down. In January this year I got an email from the hosts telling me my packages were up for renewal. I emailed them informing them I didn't want to renew and would transfer my domain(s) to another registrar.

Between then and now I have had countless emails from them threatening me with debt collection agencies for not paying for the renewal (the one I had told them I didn't want!!) I have sent them reply upon reply telling them I didn't want it etc etc with no response from them.

Today, after finally getting a response from them they have said I have to pay the bill before they will grant me access to my domains to change the nameservers or let me transfer them. Im fairly sure that is illegal... on the Who Is I am listed as the Registrant, not them and I have proof that I contacted them as early as 28 days before the expiration of the package to inform them I didn't wish to renew.

All I want the domain for now is a personal blog and to be able to keep my @*************.co.uk emails so its not imperitive I have it, it's more the principle of the thing, I have paid for it, I own it!

Anyone have any thoughts??

I wont post the actual emails right now but if you want to see them I will

 

[grantw]

If you are listed as the legal registrant you can do a manual TAG change via Nominet (cost = £10 + VAT), this will move the domain to whichever registrar you want and give you access to the domain. You can then tell the current registrar to stick their bill up their ar*e.

Grant

 

[IdeaMerchants]

Thanks Grant...

I had thought about doing that and I may end up doing so but it p***es me off to think a big company such as the one in question can get away with these things.

 

[monaghan]

I don't think you will find that it's illegal to charge you an exit fee to regain control of your domain, however it's unethical.

As Grant suggests, if your account is in good order (other than the current contested bill), then take the Nominet route to change the TAG, but read the small print for the company you change to!

 

[grantw]

Here's the details:

http://www.nic.uk/registrants/maintain/changeregistrar/

Here's the Nominet login page:

https://secure.nominet.org.uk/auth/login.html

Unfortunately Nominet have this stupid new fangled system which means you need to know the nominet account number associated with the domain to be able to login at Nominet to action the TAG change.

If you don't know your account number you will need to reestablish your identity with Nominet, which also costs £10 + vat!! Could be cheaper to pay the other company rather than pay £20+vat to Nominet for the privelage of using these mostly automated processes!!

https://secure.nominet.org.uk/flows/reestablish-identity.html


Grant

 

[grantw]

Thanks Grant...

I had thought about doing that and I may end up doing so but it p***es me off to think a big company such as the one in question can get away with these things.

Is it 1&1 as I think this has been an issue for quite a few people?

Grant

 

[IdeaMerchants]

As Grant suggests, if your account is in good order (other than the current contested bill), then take the Nominet route to change the TAG, but read the small print for the company you change to!

I most certainly will!!

Is it 1&1 as I think this has been an issue for quite a few people?

Grant

No, it is Heart Internet... to be fair I never had any problems with them while I was a paying customer but since I told them i didn't want to renew their customer service turned into the sort you'd expect to get at Guantanamo Bay. Kinda regret leaving my original host for a "cheaper" alternative now!