An update on the webhostingpad situation: I opened an account two weeks ago, paid for a year, and the servers hosting new accounts went down last Friday. As of Monday, all of webhostingpad's phones were down and they were sending out form letters blaming the problems on "corruption." My site is still down. Dozens of other people are in the same boat and we filled pages of posts on webhostingpad's forums.
Now webhostingpad has deleted all our posts, my site is still down and my refund has not been processed. I hear webhostingpad also holds your domain hostage if you registered through them and demand $14.95 to get it back. Is there any way I can get my domain back?
Thanks for all the kind words on this forum, you give me hope that hosting world is not a bunch of scammers and incompetents!

If you do a WHOIS check on your domain (try http://www.domaintools.com), who is listed as the owner of it. That will affect your ability to appeal to the registrar to gain back control of your domain.

You can initiate a registrar transfer. The admin email for the domain is yours right?

Yes, how would I do that? Webhostingpad is listed at the owner.

I opened an account two weeks ago

The domain is too new for a transfer. You could have the registrar push it to an account of your own though, once you prove that the domain is indeed yours. That will be quite hard to do though. The straightforward process would be to have the host chance ownership back to you.

I'm also facing the same problem with them :(
I got a one year hosting account from them almost a week ago but their server has been down ever since and when I write to them and ask them that what is the problem they say the server is up and running (how pathetic).
Now I have submitted a cancellation request but my domain is stuck with them and I read this on their website :
Domain Refund Policy.

Because we are not able to delete and or untransfer the domain name once it's registered or transferred, we will not be able to issue a full refund. Therefore, if you cancel within 30 days of your purchase, you will be charged $14.95 per year for the domain name. $14.95 will be charged per year, so if you signed up for a 2 year or 3 year term, you will be charged $14.95 per year. So if you sign up for 2 years, you will be charged $14.95 x2 and 3 years, $14.95x3. If you have any questions, please let us know.

The domain which I registered with them is very important.
Is there no way of getting the domain back from them ?

I would greatly appreciate your valuable advice :)

You can initiate a registrar transfer. The admin email for the domain is yours right?

As long as your email address is listed as the admin contact you will be able to request a transfer. Then the transfer code will be sent to your email address. You may have some issues with the company that is listed as the owner but with a little persistence you may be able to get them to initiate the transfer to you.

There have been a few comments in connection with "if the admin email is your email" this is all well and good as LONG AS the DOMAIN ISN'T LOCKED.

If the domain is locked, it will automatically be denied by the registry/registrar, which is a bummer!

I assume you received an invoice, if you did go to the ultimate ICANN registrar and go through their policies. Certainly the term "delete and or untransfer the domain name once it's registered or transferred" is rubbish, just get the ultimate registrar to transfer it to a fresh client account.

If it is webhostingpad.com, eNom is their domain registrar for their domain, just check your one out to make sure.

I hope you guys can get it sorted out.

Chris

If it is webhostingpad.com, eNom is their domain registrar for their domain, just check your one out to make sure

If this is true and you have access to your domains control panel, then you can push the domain to another eNom account. Just open up an account at eNomCentral.com and push your domain to the new account. Then, after it's 60 days old, transfer it to a new registrar of your choice (eNomCentral are too expensive for renewals).

If this is true and you have access to your domains control panel, then you can push the domain to another eNom account. Just open up an account at eNomCentral.com and push your domain to the new account. Then, after it's 60 days old, transfer it to a new registrar of your choice (eNomCentral are too expensive for renewals).
Unfortunately only domain reseller or owner can push domains to different Enom accounts, so if you don't have access to that you can't do anything with it. Did you get a free domain from them?

Isn't that what i said? "If this is true and you have access to your domains control panel"

Free domain? What free domain? From whom? If you mean from webhostingpad.com, then the OP is xxxx'd. Move on and get another domain.

Greetings!

This is how I see it. Since you canceled within 30 days of ordering, then their domain refund policy holds. I take it that they have registered your domain for the equivalent number of years of hosting. If so, as per their policy, you need to pay the requested amount. I believe that amount is for domain registration cost.

Then, upon payment, have them give you full access to your domain. Or have the domain unlocked, then change the admin contact and owner to your name. Then after 60 days or so, feel free to transfer to another registrar of your choice.

This is how I see how to settle this problem amicably. But, if you insist on getting your domain without paying, I don't know how you will be able to do so because their domain refund policy is quite clear.

We wish you well.

:)