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Development Domain Name Registration scam

Discussion in 'Software' started by stepea, 13 Aug 2010.

  1. stepea

    stepea What's a Dremel?

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    I previously purchased a domain name from that wonderful hosting company Fasthosts (sarcasm). I no longer use this domain and without a word of warning [no emails] but as the default setting for auto renewel is left on, I've been charged for another two years for a domain name I won't be using.

    Even looking on the settings I still can't find the options to remove the auto renewel. Reading stories on the net, I'm not the only person who has experienced this with the same hosts.

    anyone looking for domain registration or hosting - keep well away from this company, it will cost you more in the end.
     
  2. M7ck

    M7ck Ⓜod Ⓜaster

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    It was more than likely mentioned in your original terms and conditions.
     
  3. stepea

    stepea What's a Dremel?

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    no doubt it was but that doesn't make it right - the auto renewel feature should be something that the customer turns on not off. Why do they have this feature, so they can charge those customers who forget to cancel their registration. It's just a way of making extra money - nothing more.

    When I go shopping and buy a particular item - when I go to the same shop again, do I want the same item - maybe maybe not, it should be my choice, after all I'm paying.
     
  4. L4nce0

    L4nce0 Hmm what was that breaking sound..

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    Ah got to be careful with the fine print. Just refute it with your credit card. I'm using justhost.com, their are pletty awesome. They are in England, based off the girl with the awesome accent that called (I'm in US). They do unlimited everything, as long as you don't take up 25% of their server.
     
  5. stepea

    stepea What's a Dremel?

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    The best bit was, I had to update my details before I could cancel the auto renewel but no one told me this - not even an email to tell the auto renewel was enabled.

    Poor company practices by companies like this gives a bad reputation to decent web hosting companies out there.


    BEWARE OF FASTHOSTS they are after your money
     
  6. saspro

    saspro IT monkey

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    Fasthosts are great.
    If you didn't at least check in the control panel before it finished that it would expire and not renew then it's your fault.
    Wouldn't you be rather pi55ed off if you had a domain you used all the time and it didn't auto-renew and you lost it?
     
  7. Krazeh

    Krazeh Minimodder

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    No, beware of people who don't bother reading the terms and conditions and then get upset when something they don't expect happens. If you don't take the time to properly read what it is your signing up for then more fool you. You can't blame a company for your failure to pay attention.
     
  8. stepea

    stepea What's a Dremel?

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    If you read other people's experiences on the net, the practices of Fasthosts aren't very well received. If I did want my Domain Registration to continue more than the two years, a simple email would have been sufficient - giving me the choice.

    I would have rather the registration had been cancelled, then I would have had a choice to re-register if I wanted.

    Choice, as they've continued the registration without my consent - that's one thing I haven't got. The worse thing is I have to pay for it, there is no possible way of refund. It shouldn't be a default setting.

    If you honestly think Fasthosts have an auto renewel facility for it's customers then you are surely mistaken. Just another way of making money.
     
  9. stepea

    stepea What's a Dremel?

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    So when I go shopping in my local supermarket do I expect someone to come up to me to give me the same items I bought last time I shopped. NO, I expect to be able to choose what I want on this occasion.

    To hide something like this under terms & conditions is cowardly. Good customer service would be to allow those who want domains or hosting for longer, increase the period of the contract at the start of the initial process.

    So why don't they send their customers an email informing them of the pending auto renewel, if they did that more people who didn't want to continue with their domain would cancel and they would lose money.

    I'm not blaming anyone I'm just saying it's poor customer service. At the end of the day, treat your customers like this and they will go elsewhere. If I do wish to register a domain in the future it won't be with them.
     
  10. capnPedro

    capnPedro Hacker. Maker. Engineer.

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    You don't buy your groceries as a yearly contract, either. ;)
    As far as I know, mobile phone contracts don't autorenew either, and I've never had a domain name auto-renew itself before.

    I agree that they should have sent an email or two before it was due to expire asking if you wanted to renew the domain.
     
  11. stepea

    stepea What's a Dremel?

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    no I haven't got room for yearly supply of groceries.

    It just would have been good customer service to inform me beforehand. It's to their advantage by not telling me - more money in their pot and no way of refund.
     
  12. Synay

    Synay What's a Dremel?

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    I can testify - Fasthosts are a great hosting company, been with them for couple of years and they never let me down. As with any long term contract - phone, mobile phone, broadband, hosting etc. - there are T&C which need to be read. It is up to the company to decide that auto renewal is their default practice and there's nothing disgraceful about that. Many companies do that, just to mention a few: Skype, Spotify, Audible and many many others. It is your own fault that you didn't bother to go through the T&Cs and you have only yourself to blame. Stop ranting on good company just because you got angry and watch out next time.
     
  13. stepea

    stepea What's a Dremel?

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    So you don't think that any company charging you for a service should have the decency of giving you plenty of notice before taking a payment from a bank account.

    It's not their skills at hosting I'm complaining about but their customer service that I find rather poor. They seem heavy handed. Not the way to enhance their reputation and encourage new business.

    This is not the first time I've had problems - they tried to charge me extra for a payment that they didn't take due to a change in credit card. They took subsequent payments on the new card without any problems and there was no real reason why they didn't take an outstanding payment. I should have realised then what sort of company they are.

    At the end of the day I can only go on my experiences, which are not good. It's strange that I am not the only person who had poor experiences with the same company. A quick search on the net will tell you that.
     
  14. Yslen

    Yslen Lord of the Twenty-Seventh Circle

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    come on, this is standard practice for a business these days. if you sign up to something by direct debit there will almost always be an auto-renew clause that you have to take special action to avoid.

    nasty T&Cs are everywhere. there's a reason I don't buy anything from itunes any more <shudder>
     
  15. Fingers66

    Fingers66 Kiwi in London

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    This is true, I renewed my wife's car insurance the other day, the previous insurer was going to renew at the end of the month. I searched around and got a better deal then rang the previous insurer to cancel. They were going to auto-renew using the details they already held for me.

    Now if I hadn't had time to do it or had been on holiday this month, what would I rather have happen? Auto renewal at a slightly higher cost (that I could of partially recouped by cancelling post-renewal) or no insurance (an offence here in the UK - probably same in a lot of places). I know what I would rather have had happen.

    Whilst I empathise with your frustration, there are some things you really have to be responsible for yourself.
     
  16. RichCreedy

    RichCreedy Hey What Who

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    auto renew of domain names makes sense, if you dont want it anymore cancel your contract, they will do that without a quibble.

    can you imagine if you had a number of domain names, and you had to renew yourself, but forgot, and then your website stops working, or you stop getting emails.
     
  17. Zoon

    Zoon Hunting Wabbits since the 80s

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    I've been using Fasthosts/UKREG for my domains, since 2000. They send you at least two emails before its due for renewal, I think 2 months and 1 months before, or 1 month and 2 weeks before.

    I've always had the option to login and set domains to expire, I few I used to own I have done so.

    Others, I allow to renew, because I want to keep them, and it saves me the hassle of logging in.

    In fairness, you did say you logged in and couldn't find a way to cancel it, until after you'd updated your details, which it didn't tell you to do. That's pretty shitty.

    However, as a customer who has his details up to date and can see the cancel option against the domain I wish to cancel, I wholeheartedly disagree and very much welcome the automatic renewal option, which has kept the domains I care about out of the hands of domain parkers.
     

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