Yahoo confusion and losing domain help!

Yahoo domain transfer

[doubtmaster]

I searched for hosting and found Yahoo India Hosting. I called up their number and said I wanted to make payment through cheque rather than online and they sent someone from Call Ezee who took a cheque in the name of Info Network Management Co. Pvt Ltd. and I got a domain and space and all was fine.

However after taking I found out they did not support any content management services (as per their call center) and no .htaccess. So I was totally dejected as I could not implement my plans. However since there was provision for subdomains, I made a few small one paged sites and thought I will adjust with whatever is there.

When there was just one more month for renewal I was not really sure if I should renew it as even the charges were increased by Yahoo to Rs.2999/ plus taxes where as there were a lot of other cheaper ones and ones where I could use CMS.

I did receive reminders for updation where was one month pending. I got a call from someone and I told him that I would give him a call back if I was renewing.

I was under the hope that since a month's time, and also the new rules of ICANN where I think there is grace period also.

Though I was not very much interested in renewing the domain with Yahoo, I thought I will do and see for one more year.

Since my domain expires on 31st March 2010, I tried to contact Yahoo via phone on 26th March 2010 but could not reach and just left a message. Also I sent email to customer care that I wanted to renew. The reply call to the person who called me was taken up by someone who was not sure what Yahoo was... (may be someone else picked the mobile). I did receive message directly from Yahoo US that I will be contacted by the person responsible.

On 27th March 2010, today morning I have received a call from someone from Yahoo India. According to him, now my domain cannot be retrieved at all ! According to him Yahoo is a service provider and not a registrar and so it is not bound by any obligation and since I have made payment through Yahoo Reseller, nothing can be done ! According to him nothing can be done by anybody at all including reseller or others !

Though this domain is not a very important domain, I am surprised and confused. Can someone tell me what is going on and if anything can be done to retrieve this domain name.

As per who is,
Domain ID:D******-AFIN
Domain Name:FR*******.IN
Created On:31-Mar-2009 14:42:18 UTC
Last Updated On:30-May-2009 19:20:15 UTC
Expiration Date:31-Mar-2010 14:42:18 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:S.G.S. Technologie Pvt Ltd dba Netandhost.com (R28-AFIN)

My details in between... then

Tech Name:Yahoo Web Services India Private Limited
Tech Organization:Yahoo Webservices India Private Limited
Tech Street1:Nicholas Piramal Towers Peninsula Corporate Park
Tech Street2:G.K.Marg Lower Parel
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Mumbai
Tech State/Province:MAHARASHTRA
Tech Postal Code:400013
Tech Country:IN
Tech Phone:[phone]
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech Email:[e-mail]
Name Server:YNS103.IN2.YAHOO.COM
Name Server:YNS104.IN2.YAHOO.COM

As per yahoo mail sent to me as reminder

Your Reseller:
INMAC(CHE)
Info Network Management Co. Pvt Ltd New # 41, Old # 42, Peters Road Royapettah Chennai 600014
Tamil Nadu
IN
Phone: [phone].

I am confused... so many are involved with this thing.
1. Yahoo.
2. Ezee call
3. INMAC(che)
4. Info Network Management Co. Pvt. Ltd.
5. S.G.S. Technologie Pvt Ltd
6. dba Netandhost.com

and ultimately with still by domain not expired, the CS agent from Bangalore is telling I can do just nothing to renew my domain ?!

Please answer the following!
1. What is the last date for renewing domain? Is it not enough if we renew before the domain expires?
2. If the domain has expired, is there not a new facility by which we can retrieve our domain ?
3. Can I transfer my domain (NOW) to some other registrar if Yahoo is not able to help me in renewing?
4. If you know about Yahoo India Hosting... can Yahoo India or the reseller help me... in renewing?

Though this domain is not so important to go and complain with ICANN and spend my time... it would be of help to me and to others if someone can explain what can be done NOW to prevent me from losing my domain name.

Thanks.

[doubtmaster]

I do not know why nobody has replied to this. So I will myself give some update on this issue.

This is what I have understood. I hope it is right.

In India as of now, Yahoo is not a direct domain registrar of ICANN. Yahoo has taken domain services from two companies Melbourne IT and S.G.S. Technologie Pvt Ltd. In other words S.G.S. Technologie Pvt Ltd. is the ICANN authorized Domain Registrar. Yahoo is helping me register with S.G.S. Technologie Pvt Ltd. by acting as a middleman/service provider/reseller (I dont know wat is the technical term that is being used).

S.G.S. Technologie Pvt Ltd is the company name while netandhost.com is the site that deals the web part of their business.

Though registration is done through SGST, it is hosted on Yahoo servers. I could NOT find Yahoo listed in Internic website in the list of registrars. I do not know why yahoo has not opted be a direct registrar.

The following link gives info regarding Yahoo domain registration/registrar (however this help is for US. I found however some help content is common for both India and US).

[help.yahoo.com...]

Now if you are unable to make payment online, then Yahoo has/had partnered with Info Network Management Co. Pvt. Ltd. for collection of payments via cheque/cash/DD in India. Info Network Management Co. Pvt. Ltd. is said to be a reseller of Yahoo Hosting services. The abbreviation is INMAC and CHE possibly stands for Chennai. Info Network Management Co. Pvt. Ltd. has webrelated services under brand CallEzee.

So when you want to make payment via cash/cheque/DD, it is the people from CallEzee who are going to come to you. They are going to collect a (say) cheque for Info Network Management Co. Pvt. Ltd. who will then make payment to Yahoo who will then get it registered through SGST !

If you inform well in advance that you want to renew your service, then Info Network Management Co. Pvt. Ltd. will collect payment and Yahoo will renew the services, else Yahoo will cancel the services and you will not be able to renew through Yahoo. However you may be able to renew your domain by requesting transfer to a new domain registrar or directly do it through SGST.

As for "In" Registry, the following link will inform regarding grace period for domain expiry/renewing.

[registry.in...]

As with regard to my domain,
currently it is said to be in autorenew grace period for 45 days when I can renew it directly from SGST or transfer it to a new domain service provider.

Disclaimer: This is what I have understood and may not necessarily be completely right. So do not act purely based on this info as I will not take any liability. Please directly contact your domain/hosting service provider/registrar.

[TheMadScientist]

However you may be able to renew your domain by requesting transfer to a new domain registrar

I would do it now, today, and not have the 'headache' again. If you can transfer the domain to a different registrar, why not do it, so you can actually pay the same company all the time and not get the run-around?

You got hosed on the hosting by not being able to do what you want, you got hosed on the domain by not being able to easily make a payment to renew it, why keep the services of either rather than voicing your displeasure at the entire situation and change the registration and hosting elsewhere?