In 2014, popular web domain registrar 123-reg created a disgruntled buzz when, they started charging people to move their domains away. In 2015, it seems that Dataflame haven’t taken the hint and are charging people £15+vat to move their domains away.
The register picked up the story and received this notice from 123-reg customer service team:
“The update was made two weeks ago without notable customer impact. 123-reg has more than 1 million customers and has seen discussion on this from a very small number of them.
Our contact centres have seen no impact, our social teams likewise – other than those customers you have noted. This change to our product is not directly customer impacting, and the fees involved in this service are equal to those charged by the registry concerned for the same service.” (The register. 2014)
At their worst 123-reg was asking for £9.99+vat not one to be left out it seems that Dataflame wishes to bleed their users to the tune of £15+vat per domain to transfer out!
We’ve been pretty shocked at this practice since the domain registrar’s are getting paid when you register/renew your domains anyway and looking at a number of other domain registrar this practice has been viewed as ‘extortionate’.
As it is it appears that 123-reg might have quietly bowed to consumer pressure.
However not all registrars are being as honourable.
Dataflame has yet to reverse their business killing £15 per domain transfer fee and when contacted have failed to answer how they can justify the charge when most other registrars do not. In fact it is usual for the new registrar to charge for the move as they absorb any fees in subsequent renewal fees or openly at the point of sale.
Moreover, Nominet, who acts as something of a governing body for registrar (operating .uk and others) says on their website the grounds of complaints about a registrar are valid when the resellers fail to comply with the reseller agreement:
“ The Registrar Agreement was written specifically to address certain issues that have been the subject of complaints we have received from registrants and registrars alike. These include:
Registrars not transferring domain names upon request.”
And a specific grounds of complaint being:
“What charges, if any, you make where Your Customer is transferring their domain names to a new Registrar, or is otherwise terminating their contract with you.”
http://www.nominet.org.uk/become-registrar/registrar-agreement/registrar-agreement-contract
It seems reasonable that since these registrars aren’t being as forthcoming as their consciences might allow.
We should name them.
Dataflame £15 to transfer your domain to new registrar
And of course highlight those saintly souls who do not:
Namecheap.com (free to transfer away)
Let us know if your (hopefully ex-)registrar is trying to charge to it’s customers for something that should be free, basic and automatic.
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. – Aristotle
