Hosting Direct Failure to provide UDAI

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jjnz1

1358 posts

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#67979 12-Sep-2010 13:52

To save you reading the long posting below, my question is, can I urgently transfer my domain without the UDAI code to another provider to resume my mail services?

Right now, being Sunday afternoon, I have no email service as Hosting Direct have just deleted all my domain records including the MX ones. -And being Sunday, they are not open for contact.

This posting is to purely inform you in your decision about using Hosting Direct as your domain provider.

For the past year or more I have been spending $30 per month on email and web hosting with Hosting Direct. Last month I decided to migrate all my business to Google Apps. Sounds easy.

I set up Google Apps for my domain -q1.co.nz, and migrated all my email accounts across from Hosting Direct to Google. I then deleted all emails messages from hosting direct, and asked if they could please reduce my account services (at the end of my billing period) to a domain only account because all I need is to access the domain records. This is where the fun began.

I was told by a very Rude guy I think was called Ben, (didn't introduce himself or his company until I asked who and which company I was speaking to), to just cancel my web hosting via the web portal, and my domain services would still remain.

They didn't, I lost all records and services from 2pm to 9pm Friday.

When I rang on Friday arvo after many failed attempts, they told me that I would still need a hosting package from them to use my domain, WTF, but ok. So I moved onto the free package, (50Mb storage, 1Gb month bandwidth) after they naturally tried to convince me otherwise to use the $8mth package. First they had to delete all my account information including domain records , and then recreate them when the new free service comes back online.

Finally, on Friday night, my service became live and I reinstated my domain records to point to google.

On Saturday morning, I received an invoice for the October month, (i was not on a contract), and I email them asking to credit the invoice as I no longer used that service. I also asked for my UDAI number as I was thinking about taking my services elsewhere because of the customer service I had received.

Sunday morning came, received two emails, one saying the UDAI number is available via button on web site under my domains, which it appears to be broken, and the other saying the invoice was credited. I also noted I hadn't recieved any emails in the last couple of hours, so I checked my domain settings and the free hosting service.

Free hosting is now terminated and therefore no domain control/email services.

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536 posts

Ultimate Geek

#379001 12-Sep-2010 14:04

There's a reason they're banned from Geekzone.

No, you'll need the UDAI to transfer as far as I know.

BlakJak

1275 posts

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#379007 12-Sep-2010 14:13

A couple of things,

Your Registrant Email address joel@powerex appears to be independent of the domain q1.co.nz. So your UDAI which will be emailed to joel@powerex should work if powerex is working regardless of the status of q1.co.nz

Second
The registrar appears to be

registrar_name: DistributeIT Pty Ltd
registrar_address1: 928/401 Docklands Drive
registrar_city: Docklands
registrar_province: VICTORIA
registrar_postalcode: 3008
registrar_country: AU (AUSTRALIA)
registrar_phone: +61 3 9602 3430
registrar_fax: +61 3 9602 1530
registrar_email: support@distributeit.com.au

Ultimately they can change things (like your NS pointers) if you want to go to them directly, though they may want to follow 'due process'.

Finally, you would have the option of escalating to the DNC (dnc.org.nz, the office of the Domain Name Commissioner) - but not on a weekend.

Sadly, yes, this is another illustration of the risk in dealing with Hosting Direct, who seem to have a reputation that would seem to encourage people NOT to do business with them, cheap or not...

No signature to see here, move along...

LennonNZ

2459 posts

Uber Geek

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#379008 12-Sep-2010 14:16

You can contact:

http://www.distributeit.com.au/

registrar_name: DistributeIT Pty Ltd
registrar_address1: 928/401 Docklands Drive
registrar_city: Docklands
registrar_province: VICTORIA
registrar_postalcode: 3008
registrar_country: AU (AUSTRALIA)
registrar_phone: +61 3 9602 3430
registrar_fax: +61 3 9602 1530
registrar_email: support@distributeit.com.au

As they are the registrar of your domain and ask for the UDAI form them.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79254 posts

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Geekzone

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#379012 12-Sep-2010 14:22

Moved to correct forum...

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#379048 12-Sep-2010 16:05

jjnz1: To save you reading the long posting below, my question is, can I urgently transfer my domain without the UDAI code to another provider to resume my mail services?

Right now, being Sunday afternoon, I have no email service as Hosting Direct have just deleted all my domain records including the MX ones. -And being Sunday, they are not open for contact.

This posting is to purely inform you in your decision about using Hosting Direct as your domain provider.

For the past year or more I have been spending $30 per month on email and web hosting with Hosting Direct. Last month I decided to migrate all my business to Google Apps. Sounds easy.

I set up Google Apps for my domain -q1.co.nz, and migrated all my email accounts across from Hosting Direct to Google. I then deleted all emails messages from hosting direct, and asked if they could please reduce my account services (at the end of my billing period) to a domain only account because all I need is to access the domain records. This is where the fun began.

I was told by a very Rude guy I think was called Ben, (didn't introduce himself or his company until I asked who and which company I was speaking to), to just cancel my web hosting via the web portal, and my domain services would still remain.

They didn't, I lost all records and services from 2pm to 9pm Friday.

When I rang on Friday arvo after many failed attempts, they told me that I would still need a hosting package from them to use my domain, WTF, but ok. So I moved onto the free package, (50Mb storage, 1Gb month bandwidth) after they naturally tried to convince me otherwise to use the $8mth package. First they had to delete all my account information including domain records , and then recreate them when the new free service comes back online.

Finally, on Friday night, my service became live and I reinstated my domain records to point to google.

On Saturday morning, I received an invoice for the October month, (i was not on a contract), and I email them asking to credit the invoice as I no longer used that service. I also asked for my UDAI number as I was thinking about taking my services elsewhere because of the customer service I had received.

Sunday morning came, received two emails, one saying the UDAI number is available via button on web site under my domains, which it appears to be broken, and the other saying the invoice was credited. I also noted I hadn't recieved any emails in the last couple of hours, so I checked my domain settings and the free hosting service.

Free hosting is now terminated and therefore no domain control/email services.

Sorry, but it is again a case of you get what you pay for from these budget providers. Some NZ hosts do actually provide 7 day email support, at least the ones I use do.
ALso as others have noted, your host is just a reseller, so you can contact the omain registrar directly. If you still have issues getting your UDAI you can contact the Domain Name Commissioner at www.dnc.org.nz. In general the registrart should provide teh UDAI within a day or two. You may want to tell the registrar of the problem you have had too. From what I have read, the guy you are communicating with is the owner of the company.

nate

6473 posts

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#379127 12-Sep-2010 20:56

Email the registrar (as BlakJak has pointed out) and ask them for the UDAI. They'll probably mention something about you contacting the reseller, but reply back that as the registrar they must provide the UDAI on your request (if you are the legal owner):

3.4 The UDAI must be sent out to registrants at the time the domain name was registered and must also be provided to registrant on request. Registrars may include a statement with the UDAI explaining what the purpose of the UDAI is. This statement should include the words as in clause 3.5 or any alternative wording approved by the DNC.

http://www.dnc.org.nz/content/tar.html

jjnz1

1358 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#379176 13-Sep-2010 02:36

Thanks guys.

I have worked out a temp fix. I changed the Name Servers to ns1-4.afraid.org after I signed up to their free DNS services.

So far http://freedns.afraid.org/ have made me feel a lot better. Mail started working about 1 hour after I signed up and changed the NS.

Also about a year ago I changed all my domain contact details with hosting direct, but apparently according to whois, the changes haven't been passed from hosting direct to the registrar. Hosting direct still show my new details, so the registrar would only contact me via my old powerex address(I no longer have control over powerex as at march 2009).

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robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#379314 13-Sep-2010 15:09

c71931f:
maknz: There's a reason they're banned from Geekzone.

No, you'll need the UDAI to transfer as far as I know.

They got banned?i never saw them post :o

I saw him post recently to

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=66027

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=65991

I think the posts that got him banned have been removed.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#379315 13-Sep-2010 15:11

jjnz1: Thanks guys.

I have worked out a temp fix. I changed the Name Servers to ns1-4.afraid.org after I signed up to their free DNS services.

So far http://freedns.afraid.org/ have made me feel a lot better. Mail started working about 1 hour after I signed up and changed the NS.

Also about a year ago I changed all my domain contact details with hosting direct, but apparently according to whois, the changes haven't been passed from hosting direct to the registrar. Hosting direct still show my new details, so the registrar would only contact me via my old powerex address(I no longer have control over powerex as at march 2009).

So did they give you false info? Didn't they say you needed to signup to a hosting account to have DNS copntrol, yet they also provide a free DNS service?

You may have only changed your hosting contact details, and didn't change them with the domain, which is changed with the NZ registry. They would be two totally seperate systems.

danielwd

46 posts

Geek

#379724 14-Sep-2010 15:50

If you ask for a UDAI the registrar (or reseller) must provide it immediately. They are bound under DNC rules.
There is no excuse for withholding a UDAI from a domain name holder.

Accept nothing less than an email within 1 hour with your UDAI.

[Moderator edit (MF): removed personal identifications, names]

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#379731 14-Sep-2010 16:03

danielwd: If you ask for a UDAI the registrar (or reseller) must provide it immediately. They are bound under DNC rules.
There is no excuse for withholding a UDAI from a domain name holder.

Accept nothing less than an email within 1 hour with your UDAI.

[Moderator edit (MF): removed personal identifications, names]

I think 1 hour is being unreasonable. But certainly within 48 hours to get a reply. They are however forbidden from withholding the UDAI, even if you have an overdue bill with them.

danielwd

46 posts

Geek

#379732 14-Sep-2010 16:06

Sure, if you email the request and some sloppy service department takes 2 days to reply... but if you were to phone and ask for it, they should send it straight away.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#379736 14-Sep-2010 16:18

danielwd: Sure, if you email the request and some sloppy service department takes 2 days to reply... but if you were to phone and ask for iot, they should send it straight away.

Some registrars charge for phone support, or don't provide it, so email is often the most cost effective way of getting it. Also it depends on teh size of the company, and whether you are dealing with a domain reseller, who may just be a one man band, and could be away on the day you ask for teh UDAI. The registrar will also only 'email' the UDAI, so the registrants email address must be correct. I have found that many domain owners don't bother updating their email address with the registry, so often the registrants address is wrong anyway and they then can't get the UDAI very easily.

My last experience with Orcon, took 5 days to get a reply to an email request, although it wasn't for a UDAI.

danielwd

46 posts

Geek

#379742 14-Sep-2010 16:30

I don't think the DNC would approve of a 5-day delay.

Also, a lot of registrars actually have a display-on-screen system as opposed to email-only.

They make life easier for sure.

nate

6473 posts

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Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#380209 15-Sep-2010 15:47

danielwd: Also, a lot of registrars actually have a display-on-screen system as opposed to email-only.

They make life easier for sure.

+1.

If only all registrars were forced to do this.

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