1and1 is Renewing My Domains without Permission

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I have around 50 domains registered with 1and1
Many of those domains have been renewed automatically over the last two weeks but they were not set to expire until next year.
They were not transferred from anywhere, so there's absolutely no reason why they would be renewed 4 months in advance.

I contacted 1and1 about the issue two times over the last week, twice by phone and once by email. The phone rep said he didn't know, and he'd call back (never did) , and the email reps are no help either.

I called again just now and their billing rep told me to expect a callback from a supervisor within the hour.

A lot of those domains that were renewed were domains that I no longer wanted. I wanted them to expire in January or February so seeing them renewed is like throwing away money.

What are my options?

I'm thinking about transferring every single domain that I still want to Moniker and then calling my CC company to make sure they deny any charges from 1and1. Is this a stupid idea?
I'm lost here, so any advice is appreciated.

[Acro]

That's why they are called 1and1: you charge one year and they charge another one

[Devil Dog]

Why people still use these shady registrars is beyond me. I've heard nothing but bad things from 1and1 so I stayed away. Heard nothing but bad things from registerfly and stayed away from them since early 06.

But your idea is correct and what I would do.
Move your wanted names to the most trusted registrars, moniker, enom, etc. All you need to do is a search and you'll find out which ones are the best.

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Originally Posted by Acroplex

That's why they are called 1and1: you charge one year and they charge another one

haha, yeah except you never know when it'll happen

Originally Posted by Devil Dog

Why people still use these shady registrars is beyond me. I've heard nothing but bad things from 1and1 so I stayed away. Heard nothing but bad things from registerfly and stayed away from them since early 06.

But your idea is correct and what I would do.
Move your wanted names to the most trusted registrars, moniker, enom, etc. All you need to do is a search and you'll find out which ones are the best.

That's probably what I will do.

I just spoke with the supervisor, he said he's only seen this happen twice (my case being one of them). He submitted this as a bug in their system, and is expecting a reply from their hostmaster. He said I should wait till Monday for a reply.

[Banned: VioxxLawyers]

Originally Posted by Acroplex

That's why they are called 1and1: you charge one year and they charge another one

Exactly!

[GAMEFINEST]

1and1.com automatically renews your domains every year unless you fill out the cancellation form, i forgot the link, but i think its cancel1and1.com , and you have to go thru the steps, with them...google " cancel 1and1" and youll see the link....once you fill out the form, there is a cancellation code, and you have to put that code and it cancels it and stops it from getting renewed....email 1and1..com support and they ll also help you out

[3dGEEK]

www.cancel.1and1.com

[liberator]

they renewed my domains 5 months early because it was the 1 year mark on when I transfered them over. I have no more domains there thank god

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Originally Posted by liberator

they renewed my domains 5 months early because it was the 1 year mark on when I transfered them over. I have no more domains there thank god

Right, all the reps I spoke with explained that to me. But none of them could understand why a domain registered with 1and1 from the very beginning, and not set to expire till December, would automatically be renewed in September.

[movingconcierge]

Nor will they care or fix it either. At one time I had nearly 300 names at 1and1.suck. They made my life very difficult. They will make your life very difficult too.

When you do finally wise up and leave them, be sure to CANCEL YOU ENTIRE PACKAGE along with your name OR THEY WILL CHARGE YOU AGAIN - even if you don't have a single name left with them. That's right. You read it right. Cancel your package too or you will get a friendly note from NCO financial that attaches an extra $25 or so for the privilege of being victimized by 1and1.com, er uh 1and1.suck.

My only suggestion to you is to be more annoying than them. What I did was email everyone in the company that I could find the same message relentlessly and daily. It got my problem resolved in about a week.

Here is a for you to help feel not so alone ::

http://www.wasitfree.com/recordings.htm

Originally Posted by nbreak

Right, all the reps I spoke with explained that to me. But none of them could understand why a domain registered with 1and1 from the very beginning, and not set to expire till December, would automatically be renewed in September.

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movingconcierge, how far do you think they will pursue me if I transfer all my domains right now and not pay them for anything?

[movingconcierge]

They'll sell your paper to NCO and they will pursue you probably for years. Collection agencies will wear you down with dunning letters and up to 6 contacts per day as allowed by law. You can tell them not to contact you at your place of business and they must oblige you there.

If you have the fortitude to resist the deluge of calls, mail and email, your credit will be effected by the reporting.

Your best bet is to nip it in the bud and get any errors corrected up front via brute force and publicity. If you owe them money, pay it. Then leave their shittiest of all shitty companies and tell everyone you meet not to patronize 1and1.com AKA 1&1 Internet Services, Inc.

I figure that their poor treatment of me has cost them at least ten other customers. I started a rant thread on another forum that has more than 14,000 views and several hundred replies of solidarity. I'm happy with that.

I'd love to do better, like the guy who started bankraid.com - but then later sold out to a hosting company. Before he sold out, it was an incredible resource with all these emails, testimonials, etc. If they give you enough strife, strike back with a catharsis site like that. It will be therapy and will issue 1and1.suck your own form of punitive damages.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by nbreak

movingconcierge, how far do you think they will pursue me if I transfer all my domains right now and not pay them for anything?

[ComputerClub]

I tried to use 1and1 once .
After more than 18 hours
they did not registered my name and did not charged my creditcard.
So i registered domain at Go Daddy. 1and1 team responded later
that they were so sorry, because the domain name i wanted had already been
registered by another internet user. They would be glad to help me for another
domain name.
I responded them for their kind effort and thanked them. I said i would think
for another domain name and return them when i decide the name.
Several years passed i could not decided yet. )
I only visit their site for comparing their prices and services against Go Daddy,

[muris]

Since I cancelled or transferred out all of the names with them (~300) - I am much happier person.

Every single aspect of this business they have wrong.
(i.e. try to change DNS for 300 names one by one going through multiple pages in each single time)

If you owe them a penny - they will block everything associated with you until you pay them and apologize.

... and they are not going anywhere - as part of huge financial group (including Sedo) they can afford to lose every single one of you (little poor mice).

[Brett Lewis]

Several clients and potential clients have reported having the opposite problem with 1 and 1 -- that they had difficulty renewing high traffic domains, or did not receive renewal notices, and their domains were either auctioned off without a grace period or placed immediately in redemption and told that the name could not be redeemed.

Draw your own conclusions.

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Originally Posted by Brett Lewis

Several clients and potential clients have reported having the opposite problem with 1 and 1 -- that they had difficulty renewing high traffic domains, or did not receive renewal notices, and their domains were either auctioned off without a grace period or placed immediately in redemption and told that the name could not be redeemed.

Draw your own conclusions.

Yeah, the supervisor I spoke to mentioned a meeting where their CEO acknowledged that scores of domains were not renewed when they were supposed to.

Fortunately, I am not (supposed) to be charged for the domains that were automatically renewed before their expiration dates. But I guess I'll know within a few weeks if that's really the case.

Either way I decided not to fight with them because my credit is more important to me than a dozen domain renewal fees.