I registered several domains in a ccTLD through a foreign registrar. The ccTLD isn't widely available through domestic registrars, and in cases where it is, it is fairly costly.
I found a foreign registrar that had a good price on this ccTLD, and registered some domains.
Today I got a thick envelope from the registry, with a seperate bill for each domain. They say they haven't been paid by the registrar, and are now billing me about double what the registry charged, plus a penalty fee.
This isn't some fly-by-night unknown registry, but that of a stable, western-European country.
Hopefully, this will be resolved. But best to be careful when registering domains in ccTLDs and check into billing policies. Laws and conventions in other countries are different. This is a situation I can't imagine encountering in the U.S. (Has this happened to others here?)
I've emailed the registry. If they do not respond favorably, they'll get a credit-card chargeback, but of course I will probably lose the domains.
The ccTLD is .at (Austria).
Their payment policy IS clearly stated on their website (nic.at). It's certainly unconventional, though.
If the registrar fails to pay the bill, they reserve the right to bill the registrant directly.
I don't know how unusual this is, but they do sell directly to end users. When the registrar doesn't pay, they bill the registrant at their retail price, which is quite a bit more than many registrars charge.
When dealing with an uncommon ccTLD, it's best to review their policies first.
