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FAQs for RegisterFly customers

3 April 2007
By Mike Zupke

UPDATE: ICANN has announced the bulk transfer of gTLD names from RegisterFly to Go Daddy. Please see the announcement at http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-29may07.htm for more information.

Archived FAQs

Over the last several weeks, ICANN has fielded thousands of inquiries from Registerfly customers by email and telephone. We have put together a list of 14 FAQs below as an attempt to answer some of the questions we’ve heard most.

If you have additional suggestions for other Registerfly customers or questions that might apply to others, please leave them as comments below.

日本語 (in Japanese, courtesy of Motohisa Ohno)

Q. How do I transfer my name(s) out of Registerfly?

A. First, you need to select a new gaining registrar. You can find a list of accredited regsitrars at http://www.internic.net (click “Registrars”). When selecting a registrar, consider all relevant factors, not just price. Find out what others say about them and investigate their customer service options and response times. Your new registrar will help you with the transfer process. If they can’t or won’t, find a different registrar.

Next, you need to unlock your domain name, ensure the Whois data for the name is accurate, and get the auth code from Registerfly. Theoretically, you should be able to do all of this within your Registerfly control panel. If not, see the Qs below.

Then, request the transfer from your new registrar. Your new registrar will confirm your identity by asking for the auth code and sending you a “Form of Authorization” (FOA). The FOA usually gets emailed to the administrative contact email address on file for the domain name; this is why it’s important that your Whois data be accurate. You will need to affirmatively respond to the FOA, either by clicking a link or submitting some information (like a random code) from the FOA letter back to the registrar.

You will need to repeat the process for each domain name. After you have acknowledged the FOA and provided the gaining registrar with the correct auth code, the registrar will notify the registry to process the transfer. The registry will notify Registerfly and wait five days (see Q below) and then process the transfer.

Q. How can I get auth codes from Registerfly? They don’t seem to answer their telephones. UPDATED

A. We’ve heard from numerous Registerfly customers that Registerfly’s support tickets go unanswered and that it is impossible or next to impossible to get them on the telephone. Some people, however, have had some success using the steps below:

The first place you should go to get auth codes is your control panel. The process at Registerfly isn’t exactly logical, so you can find instructions for obtaining auth codes from Registerfly here.

If your control panel shows no auth codes or shows “RRP” or doesn’t allow you to log in or doesn’t show all of your domain names, you will need to contact Registerfly. Several customers have reported successfully getting auth codes by submitting a support ticket with the appropriate subject (requesting an auth code). Registerfly has also indicated that this is the best way to get auth codes. The average turn-around time is 1-3 days. If you are unable to submit a support ticket, write to compliance@registerfly.com. In your email, include the following:

1. all domain names affected;

2. your registerfly account name;

3. the email address associated with your registerfly account; and

4. a brief explanation of the specific problem (in other words, say “I can’t get auth codes from the control panel,” or “I can’t unlock my domain name in the control panel,” or “I can’t log into my control panel” etc.).

ICANN has forwarded hundreds or even thousands of emails to this address on behalf of Registerfly customers, and some of them are being answered. We continue to receive many complaints from customers that Registerfly does not respond, but there is evidence that at least some people are getting assistance from Rfly.

If you don’t get a response from compliance@registerfly.com, be persistent. But please also be reasonable. First, check your spam folder to ensure you haven’t already received a response. We’ve heard from several people that email from @registerfly.com gets caught in their spam filters. If you don’t get a response in two business days, try again. Although you may be frustrated, please keep in mind that Registerfly is receiving hundreds of emails at this address and there are, perhaps, three people answering them. So this is why we ask you to wait at least two business days.

After allowing two business days, try emailing again. Start your message with “This is the X (a number) time I’ve tried contacting you.” And then paste the rest of your original message in. Give them two business days, and if you still don’t have your auth codes, try again.

Q. What about unlocking names or changing Whois data?

A. The process is essentially the same as above. Write to compliance@registerfly.com. In your email, include the following:

1. all domain names affected;

2. your registerfly account name;

3. the email address associated with your registerfly account; and

4. a brief explanation of the specific problem (in other words, say “I can’t get auth codes from the control panel,” or “I can’t unlock my domain name in the control panel,” or “I can’t log into my control panel” etc.).

If you don’t get a response from compliance@registerfly.com, be persistent. But please also be reasonable. First, check your spam folder to ensure you haven’t already received a response. We’ve heard from several people that email from @registerfly.com gets caught in their spam filters. If you don’t get a response in two business days, try again. Although you may be frustrated, please keep in mind that Registerfly is receiving hundreds of emails at this address and there are, perhaps, three people answering them. So this is why we ask you to wait at least two business days.

After allowing two business days, try emailing again. Start your message with “This is the X (a number) time I’ve tried contacting you.” And then paste the rest of your original message in. Give them two business days, and if you still don’t have your issue resolved, try again.

Q. After doing everything necessary, why does the “gaining registrar” say that the transfer is pending approval by Registerfly?

A. After a transfer is initiated (with correct auth codes), the registry notifies the “losing registrar” that it is going to transfer the name in 5 days. The losing registrar then has the ability to deny the transfer or affirmatively acknowledge it. It can only deny the transfer for one of the 9 reasons listed in the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy. If Registerfly does nothing in those 5 days, the transfer will be processed automatically by the registry.

The point of the 5 day window is to allow a losing registrar to ensure that the transfer was legitimately requested. Many registrars do this by sending an email to the customer saying something like “We received a transfer request. If this is unauthorized, click here.” In the emails we’ve seen from Registerfly, it gives you the option to deny a transfer or approve it. If you approve the transfer, it will be processed almost immediately. If you deny it, the transfer is canceled. If you do nothing, the transfer will process automatically in about five days.

Q. If ICANN terminated Registerfly’s accreditation agreement on 31 March, why do they still claim to be accredited?

A. Registerfly decided to file an arbitration action to stall the termination. For better or worse, this is their right under the accreditation agreement. The accreditation agreement is a contract that ICANN has to follow. If we didn’t follow the agreement, Registerfly could potentially continue operations as an accredited registrar indefinitely. So please be patient and understand that we are doing everything we legally can to protect registrants without jeopardizing our right to terminate Registerfly’ accreditation.

Q. What will happen when Registerfly’s accreditation is finally terminated?

A. There are a number of paths we could pursue, and to some extent, the one we follow will depend on the behavior of Registerfly. In the ‘big picture’ the process looks like this: (1) Registerfly loses its access to the registries; (2) a competent and qualified accredited registrar is selected by ICANN to receive a ‘bulk transfer’ of names (and underlying data) from Registerfly to it; (3) former Registerfly customers will be able to contact the new registrar to manage or transfer their names.

Q. How does the bulk transfer work? UPDATED

A. ICANN has the power to approve a bulk transfer from one registrar to another. We will not do so unless the transfer is in the community interest. We have told Kevin Medina he should name a “gaining registrar” now and stop hurting his customers, but he has not done so. If Kevin does name a gaining registrar, we will only approve the transfer if it is in the community interest.

In a bulk transfer, there is no fee to the customer. However, a bulk transfer is different from a normal transfer in that it does not add a year to the registration.

Some people have observed that there are names in their Registerfly control panels that are no longer registered at Registerfly. In the event of a bulk transfer, the registries will move the names that are actually at Registerfly to another registrar. It makes no difference whether Registerfly thinks it has the name or not.

Q. Why doesn’t ICANN bulk transfer the names now?

A. Like it or not, Registerfly is still technically accredited, pending the outcome of our lawsuit against them or their arbitration action. Because Registerfly is accredited, we cannot initiate a bulk transfer. When Registerfly’s termination is final, we will bulk transfer the names, either to a registrar suggested by Kevin Medina or one chosen by ICANN.

Q. What is the status of names that were deleted by Registerfly that are currently in RGP (redemption grace period) or PendingDelete?

A. The registries have agreed not to “drop” names that are deleted by Registerfly. In other words, the names will not be permanently deleted. Today, Registerfly could technically allow its customers to redeem names in RGP, but given its history of not being able to fund the registries, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. (There has to be money in Registerfly’s registry accounts in order to process transactions.)

Since Registerfly has failed in its obligations to its customers, we are continuing our discussions with the registries and others to ensure that customers will be able to regain control of their domain names. Unfortunately, unless Registerfly begins funding its registry accounts in earnest, we may not be able to make that happen until their accreditation agreement is finally terminated.

Q. What if my name was deleted before the registries began prohibiting deletions by Registerfly?

A. If the name is available for registration, by all means, register it.
If the name was registered by someone else, you have at least four options:
1. Work out an agreement with the current registrant.

2. Wait and see if the current registrant lets it expire.

3. File a lawsuit in court against the current registrant.

4. For cases involving “abusive registrations” (this is a narrow category, so you should proceed with caution), begin an administrative proceeding under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy. For more details on this option, see http://www.icann.org/udrp/udrp.htm.

If you decide to file a complaint under the UDRP, you’ll need to do so via one of ICANN’s three approved domain-name dispute-resolution service providers:

* Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre [ADNDRC]
* The National Arbitration Forum [NAF]
* World Intellectual Property Organization [WIPO]

(Please note that the answer above applies only to domain names in .com, .net, .org, or other generic Top Level Domains operated under contract with ICANN such as .biz, .info or .name. Dispute resolution policies vary in other TLDs such as .gov, .edu, or .us and the 240+ other country code Top Level Domains. Please note also that ICANN generally recommends seeking legal advice before deciding which of the above alternatives is best in any particular situation.)

Q. What can I do about names that were registered through Registerfly at eNom?

A. If you have names registered at eNom, you should contact them for assistance. eNom’s email address is customersupport@enom.com. eNom has some, but apparently not all, of the underlying customer data for Registerfly names that have privacy protection protect-fly enabled. eNom may be able to help you with renewing a name with them or transferring to another registrar. If eNom is unable to help you (because the privacy service is enabled and they don’t have the underlying customer data), you should contact Registerfly as detailed above.

Q. How do I know if my name is at eNom or Registerfly?

A. To determine the name of the registrar of record for your domain name(s), perform a Whois search on the name at InterNIC. The results of the search will provide you with the name and web address of the registrar of record for the name(s).

Q. Can ICANN help me get a refund from Registerfly for services not received?

A. The short answer is ‘no.’ ICANN is not a regulatory agency or governmental body. We are required to work within the framework of a contract (the Registrar Accreditation Agreement) and that contract does not give us the power to order Registerfly to issue refunds.

If you feel that Registerfly owes you money, you might try taking that up directly with them. Alternatively, you might retain an attorney to assist you in collecting the money owed.

Q. I continue to receive renewal notices from Registerfly. Should I pay for renewal?

A. You can make this decision for yourself, but before you pay Registerfly for anything, look at their track record…

For what it’s worth, I tried to register a .com name with Registerfly a few weeks ago as a test. The registration failed, but that didn’t stop Registerfly from taking my $9.95 and asking me to try the transaction again a couple weeks later.

Authors

Mike Zupke