Scrupuli
blunt essays with sharp points
Hostway admit fault in domain renewal, violate ICANN agreement
by ScrvpvlvsMay 14, 2010 2:27 PM–Hostway have caused a serious problem for my employer. Our domain name has been disabled: removed from the Domain Name System (DNS). This means complete loss of e-mail service and no website. The company has blinked completely out of existence on the net (except for the WHOIS record).
Hostway admit it is their fault, but have not fixed the problem in a day and a half and cannot tell me when it will be fixed. They say it is escalated to a fifth level team. As a practical matter, this is not so good, as this team only works during normal business hours. This means most of the downtime is simply due to inattention.
The problem began when Hostway automatically renewed the domain. Hostway took payment for the renewal in advance of the expiration date, but did not renew the domain properly.
A WHOIS query for the domain shows inconsistent information. In one section it shows a future expiration date and a status of ClientHold. In another section it shows a past expiration date and a status of Locked.
To resolve the problem for my employer, I took the decision to transfer the domain registration to GoDaddy. However, Hostway have made that impossible.
(i) Hostway have failed to unlock the domain at our request, either through their website or their telephone support center.
(ii) Hostway have interfered with delivery of the domain transfer e-mail to the administrative address of the domain by disabling the domain.
(iii) Hostway have failed to change the administrative e-mail address of the domain at our request, either through their website or their telephone support center.
These are violations of the domain transfer rules that registrars are required to follow.
Hostway's answer has been to admit fault again and cite the original technical problem. But they cannot say when any of these problems will be fixed.
We have filed a dispute with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), alleging Hostway violated the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP).
My employer has been a customer of Hostway for 11 years. Ironically, that may be a part of the problem. Hostway bought Affinity, which bought ValueWeb, who originally created the domain on my employer’s behalf. Integration of old customer records into new systems is never perfect and can have many strange side effects down the road.
Labels: Affinity, ClientHold, DNS, domain, domain name, domain name system, domain transfer, GoDaddy, Hostway, ICANN, IRTP, Locked, ValueWeb, WHOIS
Share:
Tweet
2 Comments:
by 
August 29, 2010 3:29 AM–I am currently going through this problem, we now share a similar experience. - To everyone out there, please avoid Hostway. - I have been with Hostway for 4 years and now that I want to transfer the domain name they have failed to unlock the domain for me. On another account with them I can't access my domains, they are saying they are expired but they are registered until 2011. BEWARE of hostway!
by
April 03, 2012 5:57 PM–I am trying to transfer out as well. I have about 10 domains there. One time it failed and dont know why. I cant find any info on their site how to transfer out only to transfer to them. It has now been 4 days since I initiated transfer and in my control area it does not show any transfers in progress in my transfer area. I want to move all of them to namecheap. The only reason I even used hostway to begin with was the 6.95 domians but now they are 12.95. They dont even tell you anywhere on the site how much the domains are after the first year.
about.me
Follow
vs.
Recent Articles
Essentialism and Food: Why We Seek Natural and Shu...
The Associated Press: Disputed isle in Bay of Beng...
How A Representative Can Use Surveys To Good Advan...
The scientific evidence for health supplements
How To Wash Hands and Prevent Illness
Comparing conservatism and liberalism
Legal Jargon In the New Texas Uniform Cell Phones ...
All Texas School Zones Must Have Road Signs Posted...
Archives
November 1999June 2000
July 2000
September 2001
October 2001
February 2002
March 2002
June 2003
February 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
February 2005
March 2005
November 2005
July 2007
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
April 2009
September 2009
December 2009
February 2010
March 2010
May 2010
June 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
April 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
December 2011
February 2012
April 2012
May 2012
June 2012
July 2012
August 2012
September 2012
November 2012
January 2013
February 2013
April 2013
February 2014
May 2014
October 2014
June 2017
February 2019
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sometimes they fool you by walking upright.
What part of “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn” don’t you understand?
Build a man a fire, and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life. —Terry Pratchett
Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig. —Robert Heinlein
Do not ask why the past was better than the present, for this is not a question prompted by wisdom. —Ecclesiastes 7:10
Power lines abruptly stopped causing cancer in 1997 after the U.S. National Cancer Institute conducted a better study. —Robert Parks
Встретимся под столом! (Vstretimsja pod stolom: To meeting you under the table!)
The more you cry, the less you’ll pee.
Relish the love of a good woman.
It’ll never get better if you keep picking at it. —advice from Judge “Maximum” Bob Gibbs