Registra refusing to unlock a domain

[debbie9339]

I registered a domain name three years ago with a hosting company that is also the registra. I became a reseller and had 10 accounts. In my second year I got behind on my payments to my reseller account and they said they would close down all my accounts so to protect my clients i moved their websites to another hosting company. I didn't transfer their domain names to another register. So today I went to renew/transfer one of the domains that will expire next month and it was refused because it was locked. So i asked the hosting company to unlock it and let the construction company renew/transfer their domain and they say NO because I the reseller web designer owes them money. I told them that is between the two of us not all these companies that own their own domains. They have nothing to do with my reseller bill. So what do you all think...

Debbie

[john_k]

You're still in business, presumably making some sort of profit. Yet you haven't paid the debt to the hosting company?

Make a down payment on the debt with an offer to make regular payments. Then ask them about the domain names again.

Right now the domain names are apparently the only leverage they have on you to get the money that is owed to them. Why should they cooperate when you appear ready to leave them with a bad debt?

[debbie9339]

Well that's a lovely thought but I am out of the loop. I only got an email from the owner of the domain telling me he tried to renew and was locked. So i can owe money all over the planet and it should not affect owners of domains that i setup years ago...

I won't pay them now for sure for a long time since they are doingthis....did it occur to you im in a dispute with them about various charges...but nevertheless this has nothing to do with these domains which i don't have anything to do with or own!

debbie

[john_k]

....did it occur to you im in a dispute with them about various charges...

Yes, it did occur to me. So did several other things. But you left that part out of the original post. The facts you presented were that you owe the hosting company money and that they control domains that you want to change.

Who shows up as the Registrant when you do a whois? The hosting company, you, or your client(s)? If it is the hosting company then you are probably going to need to pay them. If it is your name, then you can probably file some type of dispute. If it is your client(s), then they may be able to persuade the hosting company by going directly to them. Otherwise the client would need to file a dispute/complaint.

[debbie9339]

The owner is a construction company, not me or the hosting company....that's why i think it's wrong the hosting/registra people are locking his domain when it's me they have their dispute with....I read tonite all over the internet that registras never lock the client out there is always a way to unlock because the locking is just to protect the domain for the owner not steal from the owner....i know this company is wrong and I will go to icann.org and see if they can help.

Thank's for your thoughts!