hi there, i have a domain which i just use for my personal site and for sharing my photos, and i need some advice on completing a transfer!

a couple of years ago i got taken in by the droa scam and ended up unknowingly transferring my domain to them.

i realised what had happened and recently the domain was coming up for renewal again, i looked at the prices and saw droa wanted much more than i could get the transfer and renewal for at godaddy.

i have tried transferring the domain over but before this can take place i need to authorise the transfer with godaddy. they have sent an email to the domain's associated admin address which i need to be able to access to proceed. i also need to be able to unlock the domain at droa.

however, the associated address was support@droa.com - which obviously i cannot read. the domain with droa has now expired so i cannot log into the domain management on their website. i've tried e-mailing their support several times requesting the address be changed but these have gone unanswered, and i've tried phoning their support lines in america (i live in the uk), but the intl number they list just plays a pre-recorded message saying that it's a test line (!!??) and the domestic number just cuts out on me.

so i'm pretty stuck... i hope some of you more knowledgable people can help me out of this predicament! i want out of droa, even if they were to offer me renewal cheaper i would rather transfer elsewhere as i dislike their shady business practices... and i've paid for a transfer at godaddy but just cannot work out how i can get it authorised!

well, as long as the domain is expired you have to renew with the current registrar which is DROA, after that you can transfer

you could try a transfer to an enom account with fax authentication

DROA are crimminals they wont make anything easy!

Is it possible to contact ICANN in a case like this?

These guys are clowns, DROA is brandon grey internet I think

Agree with atmike, you'll have to renew with droa, after that, wait 2 months to transfer away, you'll need an EPP transfer code to transfer it, so get it as soon as possible, droa could be unresponsive to that, but they have the obligation to give you the code and to allow you unlock the domain, if not, you can send a complain to ICANN, check also droa terms of service, they may want to charge you to release the domain to another registrar

skip icann, they allowed verisign to f over us registrants

thanks for the invaluable advice chaps! seems droa really are deserving of their torrid reputation. i've paid their hostage fees ($30 1 year renewal!) and logged in to update the admin contact e-mail address. also whilst logged in i noticed that droa say my domain is unlocked (even though a who-is suggests otherwise) so i'll wait until i can do the transfer to godaddy ($7.20 transfer + 1 year renewal) and then give it another go. i'm looking at this expense as a price to pay to never have to deal with those clowns again!

aha problem part ii :)

i don't have my domain's authorisation code, and cannot find it buried in any of my email correspondance from droa! i've looked on the domain management part of their website once logged in and it doesn't seem to be available anywhere there either. without this i can't complete a transfer away arrrrghhhh!

i tried calling droa again to see if i could request this over the phone and get it over and done with, but again i have the same problems calling them (019054792533 is a test line not in use, despite this being the number given out by droa in their most recent email to me!!!! and 018664340212 just cutting out dead after dialling).

has anybody had any success getting their domain authorisation code from droa via email?

aha problem part ii :)

i don't have my domain's authorisation code, and cannot find it buried in any of my email correspondance from droa! i've looked on the domain management part of their website once logged in and it doesn't seem to be available anywhere there either. without this i can't complete a transfer away arrrrghhhh!

i tried calling droa again to see if i could request this over the phone and get it over and done with, but again i have the same problems calling them (019054792533 is a test line not in use, despite this being the number given out by droa in their most recent email to me!!!! and 018664340212 just cutting out dead after dialling).

has anybody had any success getting their domain authorisation code from droa via email?


If you do not have the code this can be a big problem

just a quick update to report on the resolution of my problem \o/

i didn't think it would amount to anything, but i fired off an e-mail to droa customer support, and have just received a reply telling my they have unlocked the domain and enclosed a copy of my epp key for transfering :) my opinion of them still hasn't improved, but i am at least glad that i didn't go totally ignored.

wait 2 months to transfer away, or the registry will cancel the last renewal, and droa will get the money back (and you won't). When 2 months have passed since the renewal date, transfer away as fast as possible