The pathetic RegisterFly support
**UPDATE (5/15/07)**: I had initiated a transfer to GoDaddy 3 business days ago and I’m happy to report that my domains //have been successfully transferred//!! So apart from the money I lost to RegisterFly, all is well, atleast for now. I just hope GoDaddy doesn’t go under anytime soon. And I have disputed the RegisterFly transaction — I hope that comes through as well.
**UPDATE**: I can’t believe how stupid/ignorant I have been. It seems that due to several disputes, on March 31st ICANN cancelled RegisterFly accredition as registrar. Since then, there has been no support, they have been eating up money from new registrations and their phone numbers have been cancelled. More details [[http://www.registerflies.com/registerfly-news/icann-registerfly-fact-sheet.html|here]] and [[http://blog.icann.org/?p=85|this FAQ on the ICANN blog]]. GoDaddy has a [[http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/transfers/registerfly.asp?ci=8424&|special offer]] for RegisterFly customers. I’m going to transfer my domain names ASAP and so should you.
A few years back I moved all my domains from [[http://godaddy.com|GoDaddy]] to [[http://registerfly.com|RegisterFly]]. GoDaddy’s interface was image infested and extremely cluttered. RegisterFly looked much more streamlined and clutter free — it seemed to be going in the right direction. And so on by one I transferred my domains to RegisterFly. I was pretty happy them, until a few weeks back. Here’s why.
It turns out that the only reason I was happy that I really never had an occassion to deal with RegisterFly support. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. A few weeks ago I wanted to register a new domain name. So I logged into my RegisterFly account, and started the process to procure that domain name. On the checkout screen, among the other payment options, I was shown an option to pay using PayPal. How convenient, I thought.
Well, not so fast. RegisterFly redirected me to PayPal where I made that payment. PayPal redirected me back to the RegisterFly confirmation page, where to my bewilderment I was greeted with an error message, saying something vague like “Sorry, there was a problem with your transaction.”
Confused, I went and checked my PayPal account. Sure enough, my account had been debited. Infact, I even received an email from PayPal confirming the transaction. Meanwhile something even funnier was happening at my RegisterFly account. I logged in to find that my **balance** read **$109** — thats right, for some reason RegisterFly thinks I deposited 11 times the amount I was supposed to pay them. Strangely (and fortunately) though, my PayPal account has not been debited any further. Needless to add, the domain had still not been registered.
Completely flustered, I thought its time to contact customer service. If you head to the [[https://registerfly.com/help/|RegisterFly support page]], you’ll notice how they rave about their new and improved customer service in bold letter. Bah! They proudly claim phone support, email support and ticket support. If only!
Anyways, so I did create a ticket, explaining the situation in as much detail as I could. I gave all the required information. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. I opened that ticket on **April 16th** — it has been more than **three weeks** since then, and my ticket has been **untouched**. I haven’t even got as much as a “We’ll get back to you shortly” from their support team. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Its like they don’t exist. I put in several further comments, clarifications on my ticket hoping they’ll pick up the activity. Fat chance!
Extremely frustrated, I figured I should try the “new” phone support. I called their number (**305-674-0165**) every day for a week during their specified business hours. **NO ONE PICKED UP THE PHONE, NOT EVEN ONCE**. Go figure.
So much for customer support. But thats not the end of it. Not only did I lose my money, I am now unable to register that domain name at all. I tried re-registering for the domain thinking that I’ll just pay with my credit card this time, and the system comes back to me with a message saying something like “This domain is being processed”. Hellooooooooo, give me a break!!
Anyways, I don’t have words to describe how pissed off I am with these people. If you have any suggestions as to how to get to them, please let me know. If you have had better/worse experience with RegisterFly customer support, leave me a comment. I’ll update this post if/when I make contact with their elusive support team. Till then, if you are using RegisterFly, seriously consider moving elsewhere.
Surprising! I also have a domain name from them, although never really had to use their customer service. Now that you have warned, I’ll not miss a chance to move elsewhere.. but I wonder, if goDaddy for instance is better? Can anyone comment?
Given the amount of money they make for just a domain name (less than a dollar per month), I wouldn’t be surprised if not providing good (or any) customer service is indeed a part of their business model. Too bad!
Just saw your update.. well I guess it’s time NOW to transfer to godaddy. Thanks for the information.
Nitin
Why don’t you sue registerfly. I am sure you will find many lawyers eagerly waiting for such an opportunity and would gladly work for free and would take a share if you win the case.
There’s no harm in ringing some lawyers! What say?
registerfly is going under. there are thousands of “customers” just as livid as you, myself included. good luck with your transfers, i’ve been trying to transfer domains for several months.
Registerflies.com now reports that none of R’Fly’s vendors are being paid, and that R’Fly itself is about to be in comtempt of court as they have apparently complied with any of the prior orders. R’Fly itself apparently continues to accept orders and take payments, but can no longer deliver on anything — new domains OR renewals. –SJR
I am trying to transfer my domain out of RegisterFly for few weeks. The contact name on whois.org is incorrect and therefore I cannot respond to the confirmation email.
I tried to call registerfly customer service phone line today and got: “the telephone number was temporarily disconnected”.
My domain expires in 6 days. I have been trying to transfer out of there and have had no luck. Registerfly did answer my support tickets when I asked for correct authcodes. But then they locked my domain and will not unlock it so it can transfer.
They added a status of “transferProhibited”
If I lose my domain and cannot get it back, I would like to sue them.
Hi Diwaker, I wish I saw your blog earlier because I really thought it was just a problem on my end and maybe they will update the phone number. Then I realized, the sales, customer service, and billing phone number are all the same and has been disconnected. I am so frustrated because because I deposited about 12.99 twice, thinking my credit card didnt get charged, but they did and no renewal has been made. Same problem with the support ticket, after a week, no answer. I can’t believe how a huge company like this can deteriorate and not attempt to give their customers their deserved information. I don’t know what to do at this point.
*@khatri*: Not sure what is involved in suing. If its a class action suite, I can probably get away but otherwise I might need to bear some expenses wouldn’t I? In any case, given the state RegisterFly is in, I think they will file for bankruptcy shortly.
*@kzak*: fingers crossed man! My transfer has been pending only for a few days now. I just hope it goes through before my domain names expire
*@kirsten*: my status says pendingTransfer. Let me know if you are suing them though, I’m sure lots of people will be interested in helping out!
*@sebu*: that is one of the perils of the virtual world we live in. You can’t judge a company’s size/standing by their website alone. Initiate a transfer at GoDaddy or NameCheap or Dotster and then just hope for the best.
I just went through this same crap. They stole my money and are completely un-reachable. I feel like suing someone. I have to wait now one month to get my domain names back, go daddy will grab them once they are up. NEVER NEVER use this company!
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this. I’ve been waiting for a week to get a reply to the ticket I put in. My client’s web site has been down this whole time, because I turned off the email address that I used to register the domain with because RegisterFly kept sending me ad email 2-3x/week. (And to think that I used them because one of the guys on The Screen Savers recommended them, years back. D’oh!)
But the price is the best at GoDaddy.
In Germany everybody cost more.
Peter :-)
Yep! Chalk me up to another sorry bastard who got dinged twice for trying to renew an expired domain from them. No response from their web support. Charges happily went through my credit card company. Been a long time since I entered a dispute through my credit card but might have to. Sure hope I can get my domain saved…
Just thought I’d add another comment about this now useless company. We have been trying to add a new SSL to our site and need to update the WhoIs email contact as the original email address is now invalid as the email provider went out of business.
Unable to receive confirmation of the URL ownership, GoDaddy either can’t or won’t issue the certificate. Meanwhile Registerfly has yet to reply to the ticket opened on 5/24, or the follow up to that ticket pleading for a response. It seems we are currently powerless to do anything but wait.
This is crazy! I’ve been waiting for response and googled for their phone number and found this blog. I’ve used them for quite some time to host my domain names and just ordered some hosting packages and no response AT ALL.. Am raging… Let us know if anyone receives response!
*@phenexx*: Like I mentioned, I was able to successfully move over over my domains to GoDaddy. I would recommend you do the same (as in, move to some other registrar)
*@cell phone search*: I feel your pain! There really should be some class action suite against RegisterFly!!
*@david (castro)*: hey so did you manage to recover your domains?
*@david (mcmillan)*: me too!! I can’t believe their website is so blatantly not acknowledging any of this!
Whatever you do stay away from Godaddy! I am a client there and have spent thousands on doains only to have one very valuable domain stolen from within Godaddy!
Godaddy just gave away one our most valuable domains http://www.3pd.com. All the culprit had to do was hack our account at godaddy and out of nearly 500 domains that we thought were safe, he picked just one. Perhaps he was just testing the waters and intends to come back for all of them now that he knows how easy it was. Godaddy’s response was “tough luck go to ICANN”.
Do you know what it takes to get a domain back?! You have to file a formal law suit with ICANN which should be called “ICANT” and pay an attorney and ICANN $1,500.00. In other words we will have to dish out nearly $10,000.00 to recover a 9 dollar domain!
Doing business with the company more interested in their next Superbowl model than basic security for their client’s assets, will cost us upwards of $10,000.00 to recover a nine dollar domain!
This coming Superbowl I will be watching out for the next Godaddy bouncing bimbo wondering if the guy that stole our domain is watching too, thanking Bob Parsons for making him and all the other lowlifes that so easily hacked Godaddy accounts so much easy money.
Bob, when you grow up and get past your adolescent obsessions please consider a little security for us poor slobs that trusted you and your incompetents to keep our domains safe.