CrazyDomains Transfer-in Disaster

[bulkcorn]

Bought some names off a domainer several weeks ago. Changed TAG to Crazy Domains at NOMINET on registrant transfer. Transferred in via Crazy Domains Control Panel but couldn't find the names in my account. Tried transferring them in again and the system response was 'domain is already in users account'.

I emailed them and heard nothing. Some 4 days or so to one of the names dropping, I transferred it in again and paid for a year's renewal, and it allowed the transfer-in. I checked the WHOIS and saw the renewal did not reflect, and the name was still not accessible through my account. Seeing as the renewal was only in the last few minutes, I emailed CrazyDomains immediately and asked them to sort it, and I got a ticket acknowledgement of that email.

6 days later, I checked WHOIS only to find out the domain had been picked up by someone else! 'Angry' is not sufficient enough to describe how I feel. Its 8 days now, and I still haven't had any contact from CrazyDomains regarding the 'ticket' I raised via email asking them to effect the extension I had paid for.

The situation is, I do want my domain back FROM CRAZYDOMAINS. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

 

[Admin]

This is always the risk you take relying on someone else to manage your domains - if you have a sizeable portfolio then do yourself a favour and get your own TAG.

If you received an invoice for what you paid with the names listed then you could try to go after them through the small claims court or something or maybe Trading Standards but I doubt you will get far.

I've had the same issues with other Registrars over the years and it's always time consuming, costly and so frustrating.

Maybe call Nominet and explain their failings, the fact you lost a domain over it and see what they say?

I tried using the Crazy Domains Affiliate scheme but a month after applying, no one there can be bothered to answer me why their banner code doesn't work. The banners show but no click or revenues are recorded (so they get the traffic, you get nothing).

I know they are cheap but looks like you get what you pay for.

Admin

 

[monaghan]

I'd echo that - the cost of joining Nominet and getting a TAG are small in terms of domain value and peace of mind, it really surprises me the number of domainers who don't have membership and a TAG

 

[AssetDomains]

I'd echo that - the cost of joining Nominet and getting a TAG are small in terms of domain value and peace of mind, it really surprises me the number of domainers who don't have membership and a TAG

Agreed getting a tag is the best thing I ever done.

For future reference though if you or anyone find themselves in a similar situation in the future TAG or no TAG a quick phonecall to nominet will more than likely get them to place a hold on the domain till your registrar issues are sorted out.
Out of hours if the domains really valuable £12 tag change to a better registrar via your nominet account may be In order

 

[bulkcorn]

Thanks, all. I'll get a tag in due course. The renewal was £4.90, not the £1 or £2 reg.

Fresh regs with them are cheap and straightforward. They still have a few system problems but this was just plain ridiculous. I wonder why they accept auto TAG changes when their system doesn't allow it to be completed. Their customer service doesn't seem to have gotten round to my 7 day old ticket yet!

I'll be writing to them shortly to see what they propose. I contacted the new registrant anonymously and they have already named their price (unfortunately but not surprisingly, it is well above the £4.90).

 

[monaghan]

So for the sake of a few pence saved on the renewal, you lost the domain! No answer on a ticket for 7 days - I'd have my domains out of there in a flash if I was you.

Bottom line - they are selling .uk's below cost, can you really expect them to have top class support with that pricing model?

Your options are - get a TAG now, change registrar or quietly accept the risks involved with saving a few pence here and there.

 

[stellar73]

Just being devil's advocate here but did you (or the person you bought the domain from) definitely do the tag change correctly? (Crazy Domains tag is CRAZYDOMAINS-AE, you need the -AE bit on the end). Also, I presume you accepted the Nominet transfer in the normal manner?

Assuming you did this bit correctly then this sounds like a Nominet issue as, unless Crazy Domains explicitly deleted the domain and someone else re-registered it, I don't see how it could end up in someone else's name. They would fail the ownership verification stage (the fact that it wasn't in your Crazy Domains control panel at that stage is a separate issue that has nothing to do with ownership)

I appreciate it's massively frustrating that they were taking so long to get the domain in your control panel however. I transferred about 100 names to them a couple of months ago in batches of 10 or 12 at a time and was having the same problem. I would do a tag change via my existing registrar, follow their transfer procedure and then nothing would happen for days. I always had to email them at least once, usually twice, before it got sorted though they did always resolve it eventually after about a week.

As this problem is now more serious I would hold off contacting them until you've spoken to Nominet as apart from anything else you're going to end up tearing your hair out trying to explain things to them (Crazy Domains support staff mostly do not understand what Nominet is!)

As someone else said there's not really any advantage to transferring names to Crazy Domains anymore - I moved all mine out last week after they raised their prices.

Let us know how you get on anyway, good luck getting the domain back!

 

[stellar73]

Doh, I've just re-read the OP which I obviously didn't read correctly before (it's too early in the morning!)

So what you're saying is you were trying to transfer in a suspended domain?

I guess this complicates things. I would still tend to contact Nominet first and explain the timeline of events to them to see if there's anything they can do to help (particularly if you've got evidence that you've paid for a renewal and that the transfer in was eventually accepted at their end)

 

[bulkcorn]

Thanks, Stellar. The suspension was not the problem, as you can change TAG, transfer in and extend the registration at the same time or at a later time, as long as the name has not been deleted. I completed the Nominet transfer and TAG change to CD. The main problem was them not making the name available for management via their control panel.

I'll see what Nominet says but I doubt they will be able to do anything.

 

[RobM]

I probably wouldn't use a registrar who sells domains at a loss. A few warning bells there.

 

[Blossom]

I probably wouldn't use a registrar who sells domains at a loss. A few warning bells there.

It's a fairly common practice, although most do it for short-term promotions rather than as a standard price.