DomainNames.com.au

I haven't had the need to compose one of these complaining posts for some time, but this situation is beyond ridiculous.

Back in October last year www.DomainNames.com.au sent me an email letting me know that my domain www.EllisAndWebster.com.au was set to expire. If I wanted to renew I needed to update my credit card details or I would lose the domain.

As I no longer need the domain I let it lapse.

However, that didn't actually happen. Despite the fact that the AMEX card I had lodged with them had expired - they altered the cards expiry date on my account and renewed me for another term!

My Amex was bill $49 on Oct 31, 2012.

I emailed them pointing out that I did NOT renew, my AMEX card date had been altered and they needed to refund my $49.

The reply from 'Nick Stokes' (the guy from CSI?)

"Thank you for your email, I have checked your account and it clearly shows that you haven’t cancelled your automated billing; therefore as per our terms and conditions located at www.domainsnames.com.au/terms-conditions/default.aspx a refund will not be issued."

After a few email exchanges, Nick explained that the ONLY way to prevent future "renewals" was for me to go online and delete the credit card from my account.

However, every time I deleted the credit card from my account, the form would not SAVE my details as it pointed out I need to have a valid credit card otherwise my account is incomplete and cannot be saved.

I pointed that out to Nick Stokes who was puzzled that I couldn't do it as he could do it easilty. (Duh, he has access to the back end of the site...)

So, as a favour to me, he deleted my credit card info from the site so that I wouldn't be rebilled in Oct 2013.

As another favour to me, as I had explained I no longer wanted the domain www.EllisAndWebster.com.au HE DELETED MY ENTIRE SITE!!!!

I had to admit defeat at the hands of either and idiot or a vindictive so and so... so I replaced the now blank website with a page redirecting people to my current website.

BUT IT GETS BETTER!

Last month I started getting automated notifications from www.DomainNames.com.au that my domain www.EllisAndWebster.com.au was about to expire!

Well, thought I. must be a "computer error" as I could see the $49 charge on my AMEX.

This morning they emailed me and yes, my domain has now expired and even my redirect page has vanished from the internet despite the fact that they charged me (illegally) $49.

I can't call www.DomainNames.com.au even though they have a St Kilda Rd address, because their phone number advises me to seek help online.

On their webpage https://supportcentre.zendesk.com/home it advises 

"You can also submit a request or send us an email at [email protected]"

But sending an email to that address results in this:

"The following recipient(s) cannot be reached: 

      '[email protected]' on 13/01/2013 8:06 AM

            Invalid recipient"

And I can't reply to my emails to Nick Stokes because that "ticket" has been closed.

 

 So, I have to resort to my blog and simply state my case, one that even Nick Stokes of CSI couldn't solve, and warn people to avoid doing any business with www.DomainNames.com.au 

They are either intentionally making it difficult for people to cancel rebilling and to access help or they are incompetent. Either way, not a company anyone should be doing business with.