Credit card charge backs and inter registrar transfers

[austinandrew]

There's a lot to the story, but let me give you the relevant details.

A person "Sam" registered a number of domains at registrar X.

Sam transferred half of the domains to registrar Z.

Joanne then did a credit card chargeback at registrar X, but not for the domain names she transferred to Z...only the domains that were still at registrar X.

Can registrar X get the other domain names now at registrar Z back?

Note: no, this is not my personal situation

[jberryhill]

Don't follow.

"Sam registered a number of domains at registrar x."

"Joanne" does a chargeback? Who TF is Joanne? Sam registered them with Joanne's credit card?

Something seems missing here.

[Acro]

Sam goes by "Joanne" in forum avatars

Kidding aside, I think that the registrar has no recourse on domains that have already been transfered away without filing a lawsuit.

[austinandrew]

Sorry guys, Sam is Joanne. They're apparently having gender neutrality issues.

It should read the same person for each...

[Acro]

So what is the current situation? Did the losing registrar manage to wrestle the domains back in their possession without a court decision?

[austinandrew]

So what is the current situation? Did the losing registrar manage to wrestle the domains back in their possession without a court decision?

No, I don't think they'll try to. This person was under the impression that they could, and she's worried about some of the valuable ones she transferred out. She wants to cover all her bases.

[dvdrip]

I would suggest she locks her domains and changes her auth codes.

[jberryhill]

DVDRIP is correct. The second registrar doesn't give a hoot what the financial history is with the first registrar. If the names are locked and the auth codes new, the first registrar can't simply "transfer them back."

Sorry guys, Sam is Joanne.

Wow, those operations are expensive.

[Acro]

Being overly paranoid never hurts. Unless your name is R.P.McMurphy

[Raider]

Correct if I'm wrong, but don't many Registrars now require a 60 day period before you can transfer out?... One of the big reasons some are doing this, is to avoid situations like this, since most credit cards disputes can only be disputed within a 60 day period.

[fab]

Double correct me if I'm wrong. credit card charge backs, are not like stealing money. In order for a chargeback to be made there needs to be some sort of reason. Second, a chargeback is given a temporary credit, until the clarification of the story. The charger, i.e., the first registrar is given the right to respond. Only after these procedures are done, will the registrar have any chance of losing money, since there is no signature, assuming it was done on-line.

In order for Sam-Joanne to have any chance of winning, they will have to make some real lying to do.

[austinandrew]

Fab - in this situation "Sam" is in the right. The registrar screwed her over. That's why she moved the domains out.

[dvdrip]

How?

[austinandrew]

How?

Can't discuss it now, all in due time.

[Acro]

I'd be more concerned if I had a dispute with a registrar where I keep other domains at. In this case, I doubt she'd have an issue with the domains being claimed back somehow; she might have trouble with the registrar reporting the dispute to a collections agency.

[Dave Zan]

Fab, you might be shocked to know some (if not all) domain chargebacks have
been successful whether they're arguably justified or not. I don't remember if
all registrars get dinged chargeback "fees" for that, but it can hurt their ability
to take online credit card payments if that keeps up.

Speaking of which, Acro, I've read various reports of 1and1 doing exactly that
sort of thing. I won't be surprised if registrar X turns out to be what Andrew's
referring to here.

Andrew, is Sam/Joanne rather ready to lose those domains to registrar X after
those chargebacks, though? Looking forward to your updating on the issue.

[Acro]

Dave, you're referring to the collections part, correct? 1and1 will do that even for small amounts, it's a matter of principle (for unlawful reversals at least).

[jberryhill]

Dave, you're referring to the collections part, correct? 1and1 will do that even for small amounts

Yep.

Correct if I'm wrong, but don't many Registrars now require a 60 day period before you can transfer out?

A new domain name cannot be transferred out for 60 days, and that's a registry rule. There was a recent kerfuffle over various interpretations of "new" and "creation at the registry" won.

[draggar]

Dave, you're referring to the collections part, correct? 1and1 will do that even for small amounts, it's a matter of principle (for unlawful reversals at least).

I had a similar issue with the mentioned registrar. They renewed 20+ domains I wanted to cancel (even went though their cancellation and confirmation).

They renewed them and I threatened to do a chargeback on the ones that they renewed without my permission - they threatened to completely lock me out of my account (all of my domains).

Within a week 99% of my domains were out of 1&1 except the ones I was going to cancel - I canceled those and kept the confirmation emails so if I see another charge then I will dispute them.

It's a dirty game that some registrars like to play, they have you by the family jewels if you value your domains in any way (and why else would you have purchased / registered them?). They can make a "mistake" but when you call them out of it they threaten to extort your domains from you.

[austinandrew]

I'll give you guys the full story at some point, with permission from the person currently going through this. I often times side with businesses, but in this case the registrar really messed up, basically reneging on a deal with the registrant.

I think the registrant is prepared to lose all of the domains still at registrar X.