I use a company called
EasyDNS for nearly all of my domains. Primarily for DNS services, but for many, they are also my registrar. In some cases I've registered a new domain with them, in other cases I've transferred existing domains to them. Recently, I had a problem with them.
Last week, I initiated a domain transfer from Register.com to EasyDNS (openSRS). I paid the $15 invoice (which extends my domain registration out another year) at the same time, as I want nothing holding things up. Typically, within a couple of hours, I would get an email from openSRS, asking me to confirm the transfer. Once that is done, I would then get an email from Register.com asking me to confirm (usually within a couple of hours of confirming the openSRS email). After a couple of days it would be done. But not this time.
5 days and several emails later, I had yet to receive the confirmation email from openSRS. Being that EasyDNS is a reseller for them, that is who I emailed for information. Time and time again I was told I should be getting the email later that day. I never got it. Finally, I explicitly asked for them to contact openSRS and make sure the order had made it to them. Same bit of run around, with a "if it hasn't arrived by tomorrow, let us know and we will contact them." That wasn't good enough, seen as how I was asking them to contact them today. So I ask how I can get ahold of openSRS directly. A little while later, I get a reply saying they had contacted openSRS and there had been an issue with the transfer request, so it was resubmitted. What do you know, shortly after that, I get a confirmation email. I confirm. A little later, the confirmation email from Register.com. Oops, they are having problems. I contact their customer service. They responsd, saying to confirm the transfer in the body of an email reply to them. I do. Today I get an email back saying it has been rejected due to my domain now being expired. So now, I must pay Register.com $35 to renew, instead of the $15 to EasyDNS. Had it gone through like it was supposed to, everything would have been complete before the domain expired, and I would not be out the extra $20.
So I email Register.com and EasyDNS, letting both parties know all the details, and letting Register.com know that if I must pay the $35, they will never get another cent from me or anyone else whose decisions in this area I influence. I then let EasyDNS know that should I be forced to pay the $35, and should they not pick up the added cost I am incurring, they will not get any of this business, and that I would begin transferring all of my domains elsewhere -- for DNS service and domain registrar service.
So far I've heard from EasyDNS. They see two solutions:
There are two options at this stage - we can issue a refund for the $15.00usd paid to issue the transfer, or you can contact Register.com and find out how long they will hold onto your renewed domain before they will allow it to be transferred away - the time frame is usually 45 days.
Seems like to me that the $15 should be refunded no matter what at this point, since they aren't going to be able to provide me registrar service in the near future. Looks like they completely missed the part about how they won't be getting this business if they don't do the right thing and cover the difference, since they don't even mention it.
Well, I replied, reiterating what they need to do to keep my business. We'll see what happens, in the meantime, I will begin looking for a new company to provide DNS service, and as domains register via EasyDNS/openSRS come up for renewal, I will be transferring them elsewhere.
