1and1.co.uk Domain Registration/Cancellation Nightmare.

by Matt on Aug.04, 2008, under Domaining

A few months ago I received a letter from a debt collection agency regarding the £9 I owed 1and1.co.uk for unpaid domain registrations. I wasn’t aware at the time that 1and1 automatically set domains to renew and thus I’d been billed for a number of domains that had been renewed.

Whilst I realise that this is entirely my own fault for not reading the contract I entered into before registering domains I can’t help but think this practice is slightly dubious. How many other registrars set domains on auto renewal?

I’ve since tried to cancel the contract (after I received another email saying that I’d be charged again in 40 days for domains I haven’t used in 2 years) but I’m getting nowhere. I initated the cancellation process through the 1and1 contracts control panel and the system said that I’d receive an email with a confirmation link that would make the cancellation final. 4 days later - and I’m still waiting. I’ve since contacted the 1and1.co.uk and they’ve been largely unhelpful, recommending that I contact a different department.

It’s been a frustrating experience and I won’t be using 1and1.co.uk again. In future I’ll be more careful and actually read the terms and conditions before registering domains. Or I might just stick with companies that I know and trust.

3 comments for this entry:

A tale of woe over domain name registration at 1and1 | UKCZ
August 5th, 2008 on 12:09 am
[...] unsuspecting person falls foul of 1and1 Internet’s domain name auto-renewal and transfer policy: A few months ago [...]
Paul Vitty
August 12th, 2008 on 3:29 pm
Exact same thing happened to me. If you moan enough they’ll drop it.
Rob G
April 2nd, 2009 on 7:53 pm
1and1 make it practically impossible to cancel their services. I mean - you have to sign & fax back a cancellation form to a ‘number that is printed on the form’ when no such number appears on the form. This in addition to firing a cancellation request email off via a completely separate portal, then wait for a response (which never arrived whrn I first tried 3 months ago) and click on it. The cancellation process is buried away in the FAQs. No simple to select button in the main portal. I’ve never come across anything so arcane in my life. Avoid these people like the bloody plague. I will always deal with LunarPages in future. They answer support queries instantly, and everthing is manageable online. 1and1 can only keep hold of customers by not letting them cancel. Keep the frick away from them.